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nighttimeebony · 1 year

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My reactions, thoughts, and predictions that I had while reading Percy Jackson: The Titan's Curse. At least the ones I bothered to write down. Spoilers below the cut. Also, fair warning, this one is way longer than either of my previous reaction posts. I had a lot of thoughts.

EDIT: part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5

I feel I should mention that the Percy Jackson books have objectively the best chapter titles

The mental image of Sally driving Percy and his friends to get their ass beat like it's just an after-school sports club is hilarious to me

Ooh, Thalia has hypnosis wind

So Thalia didn't age while she was in that tree? Because I remember she was much older than Annabeth at the time of her death, but now she, Annabeth and Percy are all the same age. Huh. Okay then.

NICO DI ANGELO!!! I've heard about you! You're gay! And he has a sister! Oh I am delighted and ready to love them!

Thalia insulting Grover's music taste.

ANNABETH IS TALLER THAN PERCY

Aww, Nico defending his sister.

OH SHIT, IS THORN A MANTICORE??!???!!

"They're not dolls! They're figurines!" Sure, sweetie.

CALLED IT

Bianca is great.

Oh my God, Nico, you beautiful nerd! XD

HUNTING HORN?!!?!!! SILVERY ARROWS?!!?!??? IS IT ARTEMIS?!!!! PLEASE TELL ME ITS ARTEMIS!!!!!

HOLY FUCK, ARTEMIS'S HUNTERS!!!!!!!

Zoë Nightshade is easily the most badass name I've ever heard in my life.

ARTEMIS!!!!!!!

Please tell me Annabeth is okay. I will not be okay until I know that she is

Oh my God, Nico! XD Also, chill, Percy, he's just a baby.

"Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down." Excuse me, what?!

Percy, leave Bianca be! Besides, you don't even know her! She can be a badass warrior hunter lady if she wants. What even are your hang-ups about Artemis's hunters? They saved your life.

Oh, wait, that's right. Camp Half-Blood needs more people to keep it protected. That's right.

Good for you, Bianca, but I can't say that I would ever leave my little brother to become an immortal virgin. No offense to them, but girl, your brother needs you. You may have a new family, but you're all he's got.

Oh, I love Artemis calling Apollo her annoying brother. Do we get to see them interact? I pray that we do.

Grover simping for Artemis is so valid.

Thalia thinking Apollo’s hot is so valid.

Apollo being an obnoxious kind-of hippy going through an anime phase is the greatest idea anyone has ever had. He's so stupid, I love him.

Apollo's comment about pretty girls turning into plants reminded me of the myth about the time where one of his boyfriends turned into a flower after he died. Hyacinthus. Because we cannot forget that Apollo is canonically bisexual. If Rick Riordan doesn't (at some point) acknowledge how gay ancient Greek mythology is, I'm going to riot.

Dating must be really weird at Camp Half-Blood. And between demi-gods in general, right? Because, technically speaking, they're all kind of related to each other. I guess it just works differently since the gods aren't human, so there's not the same case to be made about genetics and the potential for incest. Or maybe that only applies to kids who have the same god parent. Like how Percy sees Tyson as his brother. I’m wondering if the kids from other cabins feel the same way. Like, do kids from different cabins consider themselves siblings? Does Annabeth see the other kids from Athena’s cabin as her siblings? What does the dating scene even look like at Camp Half-Blood? Is it considered scandalous to date other members of your own cabin? Or do some people think it’s taboo or whatever to date other demigods in general? I don’t need sleep, I need answers!

Ohhh. Okay. So apparently Thalia has aged while she was in the tree, just very slowly. So if Percy is 14 and Thalia can pass as an 8th grader like him, and she should be somewhere between 12 and 19, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say she's about 15 or 16.

Oh, hey, I was right. Thanks, Apollo.

Aww, poor Thalia. Lol. I was the exact same way when I drove for the first time. Literally had a panic attack on the spot, and I wasn't even controlling the Earth's temperature.

Yay, Tyson! I was worried we wouldn’t see him again until, like, the last book or something.

Aww, it’s so sweet that Tyson wants to see Annabeth. And it’s adorable how cool he thinks she is.

Wow, Luke really is an unbelievable bastard. Annabeth is smart, she was smart to question him, but when the rocks started to fall, her instincts drove her to protect Luke, because even though he’s an unbelievable bastard, Annabeth still can’t help but harbor positive feelings for her. For the longest time, he was family to her and she loved him, so of course those feelings are still there, even if she knows it’s illogical.

Wait. Annabeth is holding up the ceiling of a cave, which Percy acknowledges that she shouldn’t be able to do. So… is the cave ceiling actually the sky? Like how, in Greek mythology, the sky is held up by the titan Atlas? In the mythology, Heracles trades places with Atlas holding up the sky while Atlas helps Heracles complete one of his twelve labors, and when Atlas is about to leave, Heracles tricks Atlas into taking back the sky before bolting. Like how Luke tricked Annabeth into holding up the cave ceiling before leaving her alone to hold it by herself.

Okay, Grover, chill out with the stalking, bud.

I guess Grover and Annabeth take turns getting damsel-ed. Last book was Grover’s turn and this book is Annabeth’s turn.

Don’t worry, Percy, I forgot about that scarf too.

Okay, not liking how the Hunters are portrayed. Because when Artemis says to give up love, she only means romantic love, which is clearly not the only kind of love. Greek mythology practically invented the concept of differentiating and identifying different kinds of love. The Hunters should know that, but the way they act towards the other campers is really… I dunno, gross? They act like their way of life is the only way that matters, which is super fucked up coming from the people that follow Artemis.

“I wondered if there was any way I’d looked that ridiculous when I’d first arrived.” Percy, that was literally only two years ago, get off your high fucking horse. XD

Thalia static-shocking people when she’s annoyed is golden and I love her.

Oh, fuck.

OH, FUCK!

Oh, we love the prophecies… Yayyyy.

Okay, guessing time. Artemis is chained to a rock, which immediately made me think of Prometheus, the titan that gifted fire to humanity and was punished by Zeus to be chained to a rock and have an eagle eat his liver every day for eternity. But then the Oracle mentioned that one must withstand “The Titan’s Curse,” which could be another reference to Prometheus, but I don’t think so. Because in the myth, Heracles killed the eagle and freed Prometheus from his punishment, so I’m pretty sure it’s not that, but you never know. Then I remembered Annabeth and my prediction that she’s currently holding up the sky like the titan Atlas, and the Oracle said that “one must withstand.” Admittedly, my knowledge of Atlas and his mythos is shaky at best, and I don't remember him ever having a "curse", but I guess holding up the entire sky is about as "cursed" as it's possible to be. And the Oracle saying that “one must withstand” makes me think that something happened to Atlas, so now someone needs to hold the sky in his place or else the sky will collapse to the earth and the world will end, or something like that. So that’s my prediction, that someone will need to hold up the sky in Atlas’s place for the rest of, well, forever. I don’t have a guess as to who it could be, though.

Also, someone is apparently going to die. And be killed by their god parent. Awesome… Super looking forward to that inevitable heartbreak… I hope it’s not either of the di Angelo kids, but they’re both new characters, and I know Nico becomes more important later (purely by accident and through pop culture osmosis), and since I had no idea that Biance even existed until I started reading this book, I am terrified that that means Bianca is going to die. I pray that I am wrong.

Wow, Thalia is petty and I’m kind of living for it.

I love that the Stoll brothers are basically Greek Fred and George Weasley.

Wow, Zoë’s kind of a bitch. She won’t travel with Percy because he’s a boy, and apparently Grover doesn’t count as a boy because he’s a satyr. Super fucked up.

You know, Artemis did have male Hunters. It didn’t happen often in the mythology, but there was a pretty famous male Hunter of Artemis named Hippolytus. The thing about Artemis’s Hunters isn’t that men weren’t allowed to be Hunters, it’s just that men typically didn’t choose to be Hunters, because one of the reasons why Artemis’s Hunters joined her in the first place is because Artemis protected the women in her care from the sexist constraints placed on them by Greek society at the time. The reason why men didn’t typically become Hunters is because they didn’t need the same kind of protection and escape from Greek society that women did. And Artemis didn’t hate men on principal, she hated the fact that men were the ones who used their positions of power to discriminate against and abuse the women in their society.

Aww. Grover’s such a sweetheart.

I love Sally.

Percy has so many damn Dreams™ and nightmares I have to wonder if this kid ever sleeps.

Apparently Percy knows the names of the pegasi, which is adorable to me. And this one is apparently Blackjack, which is a great name for a horse.

Aww, I want a baby serpent cow.

Aww, Nico. He's precious and I love him. Protect this child at all costs

Oh, I know about Ariadne. Theseus ditched her on an island after she helped him navigate the labyrinth and kill the minotaur. That's how she met Dionysus. I'm pretty sure they got married not too long after.

Aww, Dionysus and Ariadne are still married. That'd be kind of sweet if Dionysus wasn't such an asshole.

Yup, I know about Medea too.

Did they really just give Dionysus the Snape treatment? He hates all heroes on principle because one of them was cruel to his wife? He thinks he’s justified in harassing children because they’re training to be heroes, and he thinks that all heroes suck? Wow, dude. Get a life.

Oh, cool, Bianca’s forgetting things now. Nothing sketchy or sinister about that, I’m sure.

Is the General the titan Atlas? If my earlier theory was right, then he's gotta be.

Excuse me, teeth?! Plant them?!

Oh, wait! I think I know what that’s talking about. In Jason’s myth, he had to yoke a field with the teeth of (if memory serves) fire-breathing oxen. I don’t remember what planting the teeth did, but I’m guessing it wasn’t anything good.

HAH! Saber-toothed tiger kitties popped out

The General talks about mortals the same way I talk about fanfiction and anime

OH FUCK THE NEMEAN LION

“Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters.” Truth.

Wait… what’s going on with Bianca? There’s something fucky going on with her memory.

“‘Bianca,’ Zoë said. ‘How long ago…’ Her voice faltered.” FOR FUCK’S SAKE, RICK!

Ain’t no way this friendly homeless guy isn’t some kind of hell monster.

Oh. I stand corrected. Not a hell monster. Probably a god. The gods love disguising themselves as old people to test mortals

The Mountain of Despair. Sounds fun. I wonder if this is the mountain Prometheus was chained to, since it’s powered by titan magic and all that.

Ladon… I know that name. I recognize that, but I can’t for the life of me remember his myth or anything about him.

*in reference to one of Percy's dreams* Oh, wait. Is this Jason and Medea?

Oh, nope. It was Zoë. I figured she had some kind of bad break with a boyfriend or something, but I dismissed it at first because I figured she was too young. But I guess if she was around during ancient Greek times, that sort of thing doesn’t matter.

Oh, hey! I once visited Cloudcroft, New Mexico! It was a nice little place.

“I was never very comfortable talking one-on-one with girls anyway…” Okay, Percy, you and I both know that is a lie. Annabeth is, like, your best friend.

"'Bianca,' I said. 'That hotel you stayed at. Was it possibly called the Lotus Hotel and Casino?'" Oh no.

Seventy years?!

Oh, fuck.

99% sure Aphrodite is the one in the car.

WAIT, HOLD UP! IF BIANCA AND NICO WERE BORN MORE THAN 70 YEARS AGO, THAT MEANS THEY WERE BORN BEFORE THE BIG 3'S OATH, RIGHT?! SO DOES THAT MEAN MY THEORY ABOUT HADES BEING THEIR GOD PARENT IS RIGHT?!?!??!! OHHHHHHH, SHIIIIIITTTTT

"When she smiled at me, just for a moment she looked a little like Annabeth." AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Aphrodite is the patron goddess of shippers.

What the hell, Aphrodite, chill, lady.

"You act like it was real." Percy, this is Greek mythology. Every single star/constellation was either a person or an animal before this whole mess.

"It... it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have." OH MY GOD!! ToT

"If anything happens, give that to Nico. Tell him... tell him I'm sorry." WHY??!!?!?? LITERALLY DON'T!!!!!

"Here we were in the desert. And Bianca di Angelo was gone." WHAT THE FUCK?!!??!!! WHY DO YOU HATE ME!???!!??

No, but please tell me she's not dead. The prophecy just said "lost", not dead. And there's no body, so she could still be alive. Rick hasn't killed anybody yet, Bianca cannot be the first. I refuse.

The Hesperides! That's why Ladon sounded so familiar! He was the dragon!

"'But--' Gurgle, gurgle, the naiad spoke in my mind." RICK!!!!!! FINISH YOUR GODDAMN SCENES FOR ONCE!!!!! THIS IS THE KIND OF STRESS AND ANTICIPATION THAT MAKES PEOPLE LOSE HAIR!!!!

I like that Grover, Percy and Thalia actually listened to Annabeth ramble about her special interest enough that they can just recall random facts like that. It's an adorable little friendship detail, but also fucking sad. I miss Annabeth.

Hah. "Dam". Let these kids swear. They deserve it.

"'Nah,' I said. 'Not that high.'" Aww, Percy's a good friend.

Hah. Statue fucking.

Oh no! Is Bessie the monster! No! But she's so cute!

PLEASE DON'T KILL THE BABY COW SNAKE

"'This is Atlas's mountain,' Zoë said." LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO

"'Yes,' Zoë said bleakly. 'Atlas is my father.'" THE GAME JUST FUCKING CHANGED

*after finishing chapter 18* ......... Fuck, man.

Wait, why isn't Hades a part of the Twelve Olympians? And why haven't we heard any mention of Demeter's demigod children? I can't remember the last time the Demeter Cabin was even mentioned, if it ever was.

Well, I guess Thalia joining the Hunters is a pretty roundabout way to have the prophecy be about Percy.

"But I will be watching, Percy Jackson. I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter." Well, then you're gonna hate what happens later.

Aww. Percy and Annabeth have matching battle scars. Sort of. Still sweet.

Oh, no, Nico.... Baby.....

"It was a statue of Hades, Lord of the Dead." OH FUCKING SHIT

"A son of Hades." OH FUCKING SHIT

HOLY SHIT, PAN HAS ENTERED THE CHAT

#pjo #pjo the titan's curse #the titan's curse #percy jackson spoilers #pjo spoilers #percy jackson and the titan's curse #percy jackson #nico di angelo #pjo thalia #bianca di angelo #zoe nightshade #grover underwood #annabeth chase #percy jackson the titan's curse

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ordinaryschmuck · 4 months

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Quick Thoughts on the first two episodes of the Percy Jackson TV Show

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the original book series, changed my life.

I know that I've said that with The Owl House, which rains true for the present day. But Percy Jackson is a book series that pretty much formed my love and style for story telling. Back when my fifth grade teacher read this to my class, she not only introduced me to a great book series but to a type of fiction that I didn't know I needed. Stories that managed to find that perfect balance of epic adventures, heart-tugging drama, and hilarious comedy. For years, I've been seeking out books that scratch the same itch Percy Jackson did, but never really found anything beyond Rick Riordan's other work. On top of that, the series formed my style of story telling. Did you pick up my level of snark in my fan fiction? The way I manage to form dialogue? You want to know what book series inspired all of that? Percy Jackson did, and I owe everything to it.

So when Disney+ announced that there was going to be a TV show, one that followed the books and had Riordan himself being closely involved with it, I was excited...but a little cautiously optimistic. It was great news that the series would follow the books, but as a Disney+ original? With other Disney+ original content ranging from mediocre to bad aside from a few exceptions? Yeah, I...didn't have faith in this, and the faith became weakened when I heard the show was going to be in live-action. Call me an animation shill, but I always felt like animation was the perfect medium for Percy Jackson, what with the insanity that the series goes through and the ideas that need to be conveyed in ways live-action couldn't. Just imagine something like The Owl House or even Avatar: The Last Airbender's style for Percy Jackson. It would have been GREAT.

Still, I didn't want to be all doom and gloom. I wanted to give this show a chance, even if it didn't follow the story EXACTLY or fit with the animated show I kept in my head for years. I would be open minded and see if it was still a good show regardless, and if these first two episodes are anything to go by, it might be...sort of.

In terms of the characters, everyone is on point. I buy that a lot of these actors are the characters they're portraying, and everyone nails the right amount of energy. Especially Walker Scobell, who IS Percy Jackson. There's SOME awkwardness because, you know...child actor. But when it comes to the sass, angst, and occasional stupidity of the character, the boy does great at the job and will hopefully improve as the years/seasons go by.

As for the action, it's pretty well-choreographed and epic. The Minotaur fight especially looked cool and surprisingly NOT hindered too badly by relying on CGI. It looks good enough where I can believe it, even if it's very obviously a CGI bull.

And then the comedy. THANK THE GODS for the comedy staying in tact. It was a big part of what drew me in with the books because while it can break my heart with drama or leave it pumping with action, it can be pretty funny a lot of the time. Just look at the chapter titles. They're full of sass and jokes, and it's important to keep that energy when adapting it. The show does a great job doing so while adding a few jokes of its own that feels like it would have fit in well with the books. I don't THINK Mr. D tried to make Percy think he was his father so Percy would get Mr. D some cheap booze was in the books...but dammit, it would fit PERFECTLY.

So, overall, I'd say this show definitely nails the energy of the books, being intense and comedic with the actors doing a great job at portraying the characters. However, while the show understands the energy, it kind of crumbles when it comes to telling the story.

Firstly, there ARE some changes. It's to be expected, because if I wanted every single bit from the book exactly as they were...I would have just read the frickin' book. I don't need all the exact details and I'm fine with writers taking liberties for the sake of making an adaptation standing out on its own. And no, I'm not tearing my hair out over the characters being a different race or Percy being blonde. As long as the actors still feel like the characters, which they do, there's nothing to worry about. But there are some narrative changes that I can't help but question. And, yeah, this is going to be SLIGHTLY spoilery, so be warned that if you haven't checked out the show yet, this is your last chance to skip ahead to the bottom.

Now, there are changes that I like. I like that they introduced Mythomagic early. It's a little detail, but it's a nice one to add and could maybe give Percy something to bond with Nico a bit when we finally get there. I also don't mind Sally giving Gabe that East Coast sass, making her more willing to stand up to his crappy behavior. It takes the punch out of the tragedy of her being stuck with him, but it's great to see Sally stand up for herself and it still works in showing that it's a situation she doesn't want to be in. But then there are...questionable changes. Like Chiron giving Percy Riptide when he broke his pencil. Like...No. The dumbass kid would have uncapped it immediately. NO.

Also, was that Grover's girlfriend? I mean, it's kind of cute on paper to introduce Grover's girlfriend this early, but the actress is VERY MUCH older than our baby-boy playing the goat kid, and it is uncomfortable seeing them give each other heart eyes with this VERY NOTICEABLE age difference.

And then there are changes that are made due to cutting time. Like cutting out the scene of Percy and Luke training with swords and choosing instead to have campers say "Luke's the best sword fighter in camp." You gotta SHOW instead of TELL for a TV show, Riordan. And then there's the fact that the Hellhound didn't show up, proving that the camp isn't safe for Percy and makes him believe that it's Hades who stole the bolt instead of...jumping to a conclusion. I don't need EXACT recreations of the book, but these are necessary beats for the story and even the future of the series. But we cut them out because this is a six-episode season and we need to skip as much as we can.

This brings me to why it's not a good thing that this show is a Disney+ original: Disney+ doesn't make TV shows, it makes MOVIES. Long, extended movies that are split into six or eight parts because they put too much money into an already short budget for anything lengthy. Sure, you get great stuff out of that like Loki and...I don't know, Andor? I only watch the Marvel stuff on that platform. But the problem is very much present with the Percy Jackson TV show. If this was a movie, I'd be more forgiving if we skip a lot of stuff so we can tell the story a lot faster. But because it's a TV show, something that SHOULD have all the time in the world to tell a story, it feels rough that it has to skip a lot for that six-episode limit. Because of it, we're breezing by so much that it feels like the story's on fast-forward yet also slow enough to have scenes like Grover being with his girlfriend--Seriously, am I the only one uncomfortable with that?

I WANT to say that Percy Jackson the TV series is GOOD, as it does understand the energy of the books. But the story and the pacing is questionable at times and it REALLY holds the series back. At least for now. Who knows, maybe things will get better as the season progresses or even if the show progresses. This IS only the first two episodes, after all. It can always get better...but it can also always get worse, but I'll wait until I've seen the whole show at least.

#percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson tv show #percy jackson tv series #grover underwood #sally jackson #chiron #percy jackson show spoilers #percy jackson spoilers #quick thoughts #what i thought about

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18-2024 · 5 months

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Sam and Emma Switch

Sam Riordan and Emma Meyer were a nice fling when they lasted. But it clear it was only temporary, and thing didn't work out. I think first/last argument as "things" was said something about their relationship.

Sam and Emma had known each other for less than a week. Sam has two main points in the argument. 1. That he had a fucked up life and Emma doesn't know how fucked up it is. 2. Emma is selfish and does anything for people to love her. The first one was valid. Emma doesn't know the feelings that Sam would've gone through. The second Sam is basically doing the same thing, he doesn't understand Emma's struggles, even if they're not as bad as his.

Yes, they know stuff about each other, but it's only been a few days, they wouldn't understand how complex their struggles were.

When they slept together. Sam said he was very messed and she shouldn't be with and Emma brushes it off. They had points, Sam is very messed up and need help. But Emma herself isn't of her own emotional turmoil, and being with someone that seemingly didn't care about what she does makes it better.

Even back in their hilarious interaction, Sam was afraid Emma was gonna leave him, because he is mentally damaged. But Emma had nowhere else to go. Yeah, she'd been betrayed all the time and now her little secret is out, she had nothing else going for her, Sam was the only thing.

Now, look at them. Sam is out real world and Emma is locked up. Some fuckery gonna happen.

Potential Storyline:

Sam is now hailed as one of the Guardians of Godolkin while Emma is some weird ass no escape room. Considering what Vought is, you could imagine could happen to Emma. But Sam, being a Guardian of Godolkin would probably have its issues.

Being a hero might not be like being a youtuber, but there's gonna be some stressful things going for him. IDK if the feel nothing push would help with publicity he's gonna get from being a "hero". Who knows, it might wear off with the fame he's getting. If that shit wears off, it's gonna be super hard, especially when he doesn't have social skills or anything.

He might become reliant on Cate's powers and make him numb again. Serving a mirror to the throwing up Emma does so she could get tiny. Both situations are mentally straining and harmful so but idk if that works.

If Sam gets into a relationship with anyone, he's gonna feel nothing for them or his feelings for Emma may return.

Next season, they're both gonna have to do some heavy reflecting. Emma with her self-worth and Sam with the hole he dug for himself. That could be an interesting way for them to back together. It could end up having Sam save Emma how Emma saved him. If they don't get back together, then whatever, I'll get over it.

#sam riordan #emma meyer #gen v

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haec-est-fides · 2 years

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I think i sent you an ask a while ago but maybe tumblr ate it? Idk but anyways I wanted to know what you thought about New Rome/CJ in terms of like economics and resources. Do they grow and raise their own crops and livestock? Do they import it or is it magically provided? They use denarii, but is US cash also used? Do they have mints for denarii (and same question for chb and drachma) or does Olympus just have a fund for them? Where did they get all that marble from? Does the outside world acknowledge New Rome University? Do they have hospitals for non-magical surgeries and the like? Elementary schools? Are there trade schools or is it a master/apprentice system? Have they had to expand the city for population growth or has it been fairly steady bc it seems like CJ has a way lower mortality rate than CHB. Like, I just really want to know what their resource management and supply lines look like and I dont think it was really touched on in canon (like most things oops-). Thx for answering!

(Sorry for missing this! I've been in other headspaces lately but thank you so much for the ask!)

All of these are such vital and amazing questions, but the simple fact is that Riordan didn't think any of it through. 😔

Personally, I HIGHLY doubt that the city or camp can sustain itself. It's just not,,,feasible? I think it's probable (even canon? if my memory serves) that the city and camp do supply some of their own resources (I'm thinking especially grapes, maybe olives, etc.)! To handwave it as magic would be easiest, and the food at CJ's mess is magically provided (right?), but that can't be said for the whole city. That'd be ridiculous. This is a whole city, albeit a small one (?), so they have to be importing some -- if not a majority -- of their goods. It would make sense imo if they (to the outside world) ran a winery or other type of farm(s) and made money that way, to buy everything else they need. That said, there's surely some economic activity that's basically contained? Like, there are people who work with the outside world and bring goods in or get goods out, but others buy from those go-betweens and sell just to Romans (like chariots, etc.). Other, non-agricultural exports are probably common too, like idk artisans with Etsy accounts. Historical replica goods are a huge and lucrative market, and I can easily imagine NR capitalizing on that. I also don't think anything is stopping the average New Roman from driving a few miles to like, Target. I think they have groceries and the like in their community that are much more convenient, and I'm sure culturally their consumer habits are different than the American norm, but they probably are just going to the mall to buy stuff pretty often.

As for money,,,oh man. They HAVE to have a mint!!! A bank!!! WHERE else are the denarii coming from or being kept?! Maybe the coins are mainly in circulation within NR / CJ, which means they could be mostly old, but that's just not how economies work. They'd need to get gold and silver and mint new coins at some point. Which raises some fun questions like do they have their own imprints based on,,,what, year? Leadership? (The City Has To Have Its Own Leadership Structure Of Some Kind And You Can't Change My Mind btw.) Or is it standardized at this point? (Yawn.) I'd guess that you could probably use USD most places in New Rome, but not in camp? And people might still look at you funny. There are probably a decent number of places in the city to exchange currency though, if not just the main bank. Because, lest we forget the theme here, New Rome's community goes far beyond its borders! It is not Camp Half-Blood!

The marble! If we're talking about Temple Hill specifically, that's (mostly) as old as the city / camp, right? Maybe some of that was donated by the gods / obtained through mysterious means or brought from the previous Roman settlement somehow, but come on, the majority has to be imported!

NRU is a whole can of worms asdfghjkl. Which reminds me of when I thought about citizenship and like, I.D.s and addresses, etc.! To make this work even a little bit the way it seems to in the books, we're assuming that people born in / who live in NR DO legally exist in the United States. So. To me it would make sense that NR is maybe a mist-edited city? That way these people are U.S. citizens and can vote and pay taxes and all that, but the details of everything are obscured to outsiders? Maybe the U.S. postal service has a drop at the edge of the city and then they have an internal mail service? This whole deal is WILD and it's because, unlike CHB, these people LIVE here and are BORN here and WORK here and?! Driving me insane. If I'm assuming this about basic legal documents, I'm also assuming NRU transcripts and degrees (and any from primary education!!) ARE valid outside of NR, but the details are fuzzy to any outsider reading them lmao? And ofc NRU can't work with any other universities like most universities tend to, like in local / international partnerships? Actually it'd be pretty funny if NRU students can travel to other universities to do research or whatever on the "mist-documents and no one asks questions" principle, but students from outside can't do the same.

Again, I really feel like New Rome is a functioning city to an extent, so,,,yes to at least one hospital that is not the legion's -- though that isn't to say they don't use magic for "normal" illnesses or procedures, because why wouldn't they if they have that available? And yes at least one elementary, middle, and high school. (Aside: how many families / kids are we thinking actually live in NR?) I think it'd make sense for a LOT of the traditional, "Roman" jobs to be master / apprentice style, but there could be more modern trade education built into the high school or university? Catering towards more modern trades or for those who are seeking to live outside of the city.

Fantastic point re. the mortality rate and population btw! I feel like NR has definitely expanded since it was founded, but it has to have a limit on that expansion because it's surrounded by uh normie society. While the mortality rate seems low, we have to consider that not everyone stays in the city itself -- legacies aren't as at-risk for monster attacks, and so many of them probably have lives outside of NR and just send their kids to camp for their service and visit. It also seems like a stable number of kids serve, given the bunks and cohorts? So it's definitely possible that some families, after a certain point down the legacy line maybe, just don't send their kids? Or, alternatively, there are less OUTSIDE demigods / legacies that arrive than there are predictable legacies? Hm.

I guess my stance here (and it's been a while since I've read the books, so correct me if I'm blatantly wrong) is that the gods specifically DON'T help Camp Jupiter / New Rome out very much at all. It's almost a point of pride? Romans serve the gods, but they can handle themselves, thank you! New Rome is a project -- a community -- on a scale entirely unlike Camp Half-Blood, AND one ostensibly founded and maintained by PEOPLE, not the gods. It can't be handwaved as some strawberry farm summer camp, and Riordan didn't know how to handle that, nor was it particularly relevant to the books at any point. :/

To throw in one of my personal big thoughts here, I do think the Triumvirate have sooo much of a hand in all this. Maybe that's just one of my hc's to cope with the massive plot holes, but lmao. They HAVE the money, the connections, etc. Especially if they're Octavian's "family" that kept getting referenced as the most powerful, rich, and influential in NR? They're paying for the place. Through shell corporations and various legacy families, sure, but still.

I guess to wrap this up, as it is after 1AM for me and this is a lot (oof), I think Riordan did intend NR / CJ to be much more off the grid and self-contained. And that's really an unrealistic product of him styling it (in his mind) after CHB. CHB doesn't have to worry about birth certificates and voter registration and driver's licenses. CHB doesn't have to worry about sanitation or food or education. CHB doesn't have what I'd call a "population." CHB is a liminal, transitory space in the palm of the gods' hands. New Rome cannot be that, IS not that.

#heroes of olympus #hoo #camp jupiter #new rome #filodox!#asks #hey if anything here sparks interest or makes no sense just let me know #it's late and I am in a totally different hyperfix rn so I might be missing stuff but I wanted to reply and not put it off #biting stabbing killing Riordan for being stupid about all of this btw #graece! vappa! nihil nequius est te!

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vagueandominousvibes · 1 year

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top five books!

Sam. You're asking someone with an MSc literature — someone who turned down a PhD in literature, not because she didn't want to do it, but because her mental health was shattered — about her top five books. Do you realise what you've done? You've enabled me, Sam.

I struggle choosing favourite books even on the best of days, so for the purpose of this I hope you don't mind if I expand it to also include literary series. In no particular order:

The Trials of Apollo, by Rick Riordan. I wrote one of the first 15,000 word research theses on this series. It hasn't been published, but it got me an overall Distinction in my MSc and I would gladly have done my PhD solely on this series. There is so much to talk about — the conversations about trauma, the triumph over childhood abuse (gaslighting), the realisation that sometimes you can't leave your family and have to find ways of living with it. And Apollo. I relate to Apollo, who starts out as The Worst children's novel protagonist, because I too grew up as a spoiled brat and had to work through years of trauma to become a decent human being (something I'm still working on, but that's another story). This series is so well written, so engaging, and touches on so many important issues. And I have a lot of feelings about it.

Smith of Wootton Major, by J. R. R. Tolkien. "But, Kalh," you might say, "why not The Lord of the Rings? Or The Hobbit? Or The Silmarillion? You know, the stuff you've published peer-reviewed research about?" No. Listen. Listen. The Legendarium is amazing and great and fantastic, but SoWM is where it's at. It's Tolkien's writing at its best. It's the epitome of a fairytale. It's short, tells half the story through symbolism and metaphors, and is absolutely gorgeous. It fully and completely embodies his theory of fairy stories, and years of literary research and writing. And it shows.

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones. I would have gone with the Chrestomanci series (also by her), but this novel has a decidedly special place in my heart. It was adapted as Studio Ghibli film, and I can absolutely see why. Reading it feels like looking at one of Marie Brožová's illustrations (example below). There's so many seemingly unimportant details that leap out of the background at various points, it's all fantastical, and it feels like a world where everything is possible. We all know Tolkien is renowned for his world-building, but god damn, Jones' is up there. You can tell she loved writing, because HMC practically glows with that love. It's magic incarnate and I'm so sad my copy of it is at my parents' place three flights away, because now I really want to re-read it.

(Source)

Deeplight, by Frances Hardinge. Ok, so I think I have pretty much every children's book Hardinge has ever written, because her world-building, her characters, and her prose is just that good. That said, Deeplight was the first novel by her I read. I was half-way through my MSc and was tired of Ballard, and Beckett, and Smith, and Spiotta, and I had picked this one up some weeks earlier because the cover intrigued me (yes, I judge books by their covers — it's how I've come across over half the books on this list). It's 442 pages long. I read it in one sitting. I still remember the absolute rollercoaster of rage and joy and grief and deep terror I felt reading it. I don't know if it would stand up to a re-reading, but I know that as a one-time read, it's fantastic.

Under the Whispering Doorway, by T. J. Klune. I was going to talk about Ross Montgomery, whose books I like more than Klune's, but UtWD has a special place in my heart due to the circumstances under which I read it. Last winter was rough (to the point where I considered moving six feet down). I had my parents' numbers blocked, refused to visit them alone, and spent the holiday with @foolsbangle (tagging you bc I don't know that I've ever actually expressed how much spending Christmas with you and your family meant to me). I had barely touched a book in several months, and was struggling through a one-year course on the History of Ideas. When I went to An's, I brought some books with me, in the hope that I'd be able to read again. One of these was UtWD. I retrieved it while An was drawing, snuggled up against them, and opened the book. After a while, I became aware An had started reading over my shoulder, and that — the fact that we were both reading the same book at the same time — kept me going. One of my last nights there, we stayed up until 7AM, snuggled up like that to finish the book. UtWD itself is alright. It has fun queer representation and some delightful character, but I've read better prose. Reading it with An like that, however, made it very special to me.

Other honorary mentions that were serious contenders for this list:

The Chime Seekers, by Ross Montgomery

The Midnight Guardians, by Ross Montgomery

The Snow Song, by Sally Gardener

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim

Men Without Women, by Haruki Murakami

Footprints: In Search of Future Fossils, by David Farrier

The Land of the Green Man, by Carolyne Larrington

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

You may be surprised that the Four Swords manga isn't on this list. This isn't because it's not one of my current favourites, but rather that the list only contains books and series I feel satisfied having read and analysed, without engaging in their respective fan communities. Think of it like the difference between walking through a museum and going to the playground. The above books are artefacts in a museum of literature, exhibited under spotlight, and I walk through the shadows to the curiosities I'm interested in examining. I look at their age and composition, discover their individual contexts, and peruse the research associated with each artefact.

The FS manga is a playground. It's somewhere where I get down on my knees and dig in the dirt, climb the monkey bars, and sit down with others to play with the dolls and action figurines scattered about. It's bright, sunlit, and colourful. It's paint splattered on walls and colourful handprints on thick paper that mum will make you sign in wobbly letters when it's dried. It's a creative endeavour that inspires joy and laughter, rather than the solemn contemplation of artefacts.

#kalh answers #oh boy this got long #but it was so satisfying to write #please imagine that we're sitting in the corner of a warm pub - one drink in - while i rant about all of the above #and go off on all sorts of tangents #thank you for this ask sam

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nel1500 · 1 year

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So, I reread Percy Jackson this last fall/winter, and I enjoy analyzing from my perspective as a college student (ADHD, Deaf, and Trans too)

Rick Riordan sure knows how to do it right. JK Rowling is a bitch who had a good run, but Harry Potter hasn't aged well at all. Harry becomes a cop and is a snob; JK's weird retconning of the sexualities of the characters (and then her TERFism) is now and always was weird; the "goblins?" thinly disguised anti-semetic tropes. But Rick Riordan had right from the start of Percy Jackson! He provided a community for kids who genuinely felt different in the way that he describes it, where it feels more like we end up in situations but don't usually feel like we're in control of it. HP has that, sure, Harry lets a snake loose, has trouble with other kids, etc. But reading the book through Percy's sarcastic tone makes the experience so much more real, especially since you're able to keep up with his thoughts, as they come to hilarious conclusions and original puns. I love it!!! JK was good with high stakes too, but so is Rick, and he doesn't have the same bigoted vibe.

The other thing is, Percy's so smart!! He uses some pretty big words from the beginning, which is impressive for a 12-yr old kid with dyslexia and ADHD... but it's a subtle detail that I didn't think about until much later. Now I can get back into this perspective, but I have so much more life experience

and it gets better! In PJO Percy's the only POV the reader gets, and you see the reactions of people around him usually feeling annoyed, and sometimes impressed. In Son of Neptune, he returns! the Lost Hero was fun, but they're not Percy. BUT THEN, you see him from other people's points of view! Hazel and Frank both like Percy right away but also all have moments of feeling impressed with how smart Percy is.

Anyways, there's a concept of scriptures as using certain written texts as meditative and reflective practices. There's a podcast called "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text," where they read through HP and reflect on connections, lessons, thoughts, etc. after each chapter. It helps them to have such a familiar source of reference, that also provides relevant lessons and connections to our current lives and situations. This is what Tarot is, at its core. Lessons, situations, and paths shown through familiar archetypes that one learns to read deeper and deeper into the more they look at the details. The Rider-Waite decks have so much detail in each card! but I only had a booklet that came with the deck that went over each card's overall potential meanings. The really subjective stuff. There's always the internet, of course, but it's so easy to stray off track, and it's not the same as holding the information in your hands, flipping through in whatever order you want.

anyways, I'm making Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus my scriptures. I want to treat reading in the morning in general as my "scripture reading time." For consistency, if nothing else. I have more media that I'm putting into this category too. The stuff I go back to time after time for comfort and guidance, or whatever. I know! I'll make a list! I'm also putting in selected films, poems, comics, magazines, zines, CDs/albums, and whatever else I think is relevant... ooh, paintings and posters too. (Decoration as religious lifestyle practice? putting up the lights every damn year because it's part of the ritual. Or is that kind of what Fung Shui is?)

this is long. oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Bonus thought: are abstract concepts nouns? cause they're a "thing" in person/place/thing, right?

#DEC2022 #percy jackson #rick riordan #PJO #harry potter #jk rowling #blog #blogpost #nel1500 #writing

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andieperrie18 · 7 years

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My Girlfriend Is A Goddess ( Peter Parker X Reader.

Hey guys! I told ya I'll make it to all of ya! So warning this can be a little fluffy. Onward!

Ohh and I rekemnd (recommend ) you guys listen to Tove Styrke's Say My Name. It inspired be to Write the adorable piece. Its an adorable song.

Peter sat by the couch at the Avengers tower at one Friday. Tony had invited to stay there for the Welcome Back from one particular Avenger he didn't know about. Everyone was busy. Natasha and Clint went grocery shopping, Tony and Bruce were down at the lab, Steve, Bucky and Falcon were out shopping which was quite unusual. Thor was with Natasha and Clint. And Wanda and Vision were experimenting on some new dishes.

The Welcome Party was manually prepare by Tony and the other Avengers which was new to Peter.

" Ugh, I'm bored." he said as he dropped on the pillows. He ignored the thoughts about the avengers and turned his thought to somewhere else. He pulled out his phone and dialled a particular number.

" Calling SpidermanGF😘😍. . . . " the screened flashed this words as Peter smiled as he placed his phone on his ear, waiting for the response.

' ring ring, ring ring, ring rin- '

" This number is currently not available to Spider man. Please try your call later. . "

Peter laughed before he pouted.

" That's rude Y/n. Imma cry. " he pouted and faked a sobbed as the said girl laughed at the other line. Peter's restlessness and boredom faded when he heard his girlfriend boys. He wanted to take her with him but Y/n was going to a family reunion somewhere so she was left in Queens.

Peter chatted with her as the time passes telling her about how the avengers were busy about the party.

" My Dear Peter my love, don't be sad now. Its not gonna take you a month there. Trust me, you'll be in my arms soon before you know it. " Y/n said at the other line, trying to comfort Peter's homesickness as possible. Peter had gotten used at Y/n 's unusual language. She always speak in an old and formal ways at sometimes. But he liked it at times. He found it really sweet.

" Do you still remember how we met at Mythology class? You defended me on how Persephone isn't really abducted by Hades." he said as the memory flashed in his mind.

Peter met her at Midtown at one afternoon in Mythology class. The topic that was discussed in class was about Hades' Bio and they came across about how Hades himself abducted Demeter's daughter.

He was defending the statedment that Persephone wasn't abducted from one of Flash's friend. He was being cornered and was losing the debate.

" Persephone is not abducted. She came to Hades in her own free will. " a voice bombarded the whole room. The flash's friends turn to you and scoffed as Peter just looked at the girl.

She stood with a strong and straight composure as she held a book.

" If you read Famous Rick Riordan's The Gods Love Facts (a/n: theres no such book! Just made it up if you guys are Percy Jackson fan and read uncle Rick's books ). He had conducted his research in Greece as he studied their history in scrolls and tablets.

The tablet labelled ' The Myth of the Winter and Spring '. It was said that Persephone herself can't handle her mother's overprotectiveness.The description of Persephone is that she is adventurous and daring. One faithful day, she decided to runaway for a couple of days to explore but she met Hades on her way. The god had been stalking the nymph for a long time now and dreamed her to be as his queen. "

The whole class had their attention, all were intrigued by the real story of the Goddess of the Underworld that even your prof was focused on you. Peter multitasked. He would admire your features as he listened to you.

" Persephone's disappearance caused Demeter to her Wrath to mankind, cursing an eternal winter to the vast lands. Zeus had pursuade Hades to return the nymph to her mother. Even though the god didn't want it, he made her leave.

Persephone had fallen for the king. Hades is the eldest of his three brothers. He let Zeus trick him to rule the underworld. He did what a normal elder sibling would do to its sibling. Persophone wanted to stay with him so badly that she ate as many as six seeds of the pomegrenate. It is said that the food that grow in the Underworld are cursed and once you eat one. You'll be imprisoned there forever. Persephone told Zeus what she did.

There was nothing the gods can do. Zeus decided that Persephone will spend six months to both. Demeter had no choice. Every time of the year when the nymph leaves her mother side to join her lover. Demeter would cast six months of winter, no labour for six months. Now if you think she is abducted and forced to marry Hades. You are dead wrong. Up until this Day, Persephone ruled the Underworld. She bares the Key to the Elysian Field. The Definition of Heaven in Greek Mythology. She opens the gates to those who deems worthy to live an eternal and peaceful life. " she finished. A moment of silence as the whole class applauded you and your teacher smiled and gave you praises.

Peter smiled at her at the same time her gaze landing on him. She sent a smile back and a spark of light popped in Peter's chest. The next thing he knew the very novel that Y/n read was in his bag with a note that said.

" Y/n

***-***-**** "

" I gotta go. Don't worry love. You'll be home in my arms soon. Enjoy the moment with the Avengers beside who knows what will happen when you meet the mysterious avenger." she said as Peter sighed and agreed and said his I Love Yous before ending the call.

The next day, everything was ready.

" Everyone! She's on the elevator now!" Natasha called out as Peter watched everyone scrambled to the elevator. Him being one of the people scrambling his way to the elevator, thanks to her gf that he felt curiousity run in him to meet the mystery avenger.

They all froze when the elevator made ding.

You stood in the elevator in excitement and nervousness. Peter don't know your the mystery Avenger. You decided that this was the perfect time to tell him that you are the sister of a god.

The elevator ding as you breath and smiled. You did miss everyone.

The door open to reveal everyone huddle up infront of the elevator. You giggled and walked out of the elevator.

" Greetings Earthlings!!! " you said in a joking way.

" Y/n! " they all called and ran to embrace you.

" Sister!! " the familiar call of you brother echoed through your ears. Thor made his way to you in open arms and caught you in tight embrace.

" He missed you alot. " Steve said as he smiled at you.

" Yeah, I missed my darling brother too. "

" We all did! " Wanda said as she joined the hug.

" BROTHER?! " A voice echoed through the room. Everyone looked at the direction of it. Your gaze met the familiar sparkling brown eyes.

" Oh Peter, this Y/n. She is Thor's elder sister. Say Hi." Tony said as he slinged an arm on Peter's shoulder.

" Hello Love. " you muttered out with a awkward laugh. Everyone turned to you in wide eyes. Peter couldn't believe it. He was just calling you yesterday and now you were infront of him. He ran to you locking you in his warm embrace that you didn't even think for a moment and hugged him back.

" Ok?. . . You two know each other? " Clint asked.

" Your here! And your an Avenger!? Why didn't you tell me? I'm sad! " he pouted and broke away from the hug his arms still around you. " Sorry love. I'm here now aren't I? I was scared that you would be scared of me and leave me because I'm immortal. " you said as you look down in sadness.

Peter hated seeing you sad.

" Oh Y/n. I don't care if your immortal. I loved you for you. And I will never stop. " he said as he lifted your chin up. ( A/n: Your shorter than him. Just imagine it. )You felt so much better. You looked at him with love and pulled him in a quick kiss. Peter smiled as he missed the feeling of your lips on his.

" Your Thor's sister?! So what is you power? " he asked you as he broke away from the kiss. " I'm the Goddess of Beauty and Wisdom, Love." you cooed. He smiled and rested his forehead on yours, " Hmm, cool. " he praised.

" Hey! Were still here! " Tony called breaking the moment as the couple turned to the Group.

You both stood straight but you held Peter's hand.

" Everyone, I want to tell you something. Peter is my boyfriend. And I am dating Spider man. " you confessed as you looked at Peter who was looking down in blushing mess which was adorable.

The day went on as the Avengers rained you and Peter Questions about your relationship.

So whatcha guys think?!

I posted this in my imagine book. You guys can check it out on wattpad. Hope ya guys liked it!!

#tom holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland imagines #peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #peter parker x you #spiderman #spiderman homecoming

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