Oh, Nico, my dandelion…
I don’t know if anyone has talked about this before, but I just looked up meanings and symbolism of the dandelion flower and I’m… stunned, to say the least.
There’re reasons why Rick made Persephone turn Nico into a dandelion, of all things, yall, and why am I just now figuring it out? And now I’m screaming into my pillows so yall will suffer with me, too.
- First, let’s just start with how dandelions didn’t get a meaning at first, because they’re so common and they’re everywhere so the Victorian didn’t think of it deserving a symbolism nor simply attention. It’s such a relief that Medieval peasants disagreed and came up with many deep messages anyway.
And this is where I started seeing Nico - because he, too, was constantly looked away or frowned upon at sight. People hardly pay attention to him, and when they do they pretend he isn’t there. It took a two wars for him to finally gain acceptance. It hurts.
- The Dandelion represent resilience - specifically, one’s ability to overcome hardships and challenges. Because it thrives so strong, yall. That little, fragile, flimsy flower can exist practically everywhere with barely a pinch of soil or a crack in between two tiles, drinking rain to grow and clinging to the winds to keep going without any help at all. It flourishes and it blooms all the same no matter how barren that land is.
It’s Nico. Small, young, lonely Nico, who has gone through so much without giving up and loves deeply despite the excruciating pain and thrives in death itself the way nobody else can. He looks at Tartarus’ raw being and survives. The Twins suffocated him for days and he just went no-breathing to keep living. He didn’t stop loving in spite of all that self-loathing. He’s given power over death - one that scares and upsets most - yet Nico takes it like a crown, prideful and unafraid. Persevering. Unrelenting. Resolute.
Nico who is praised by Apollo himself for his resilience, which precedes even Stygian iron. No matter how much he’s twisted, he won’t be broken.
- This is just me over-thinking, but I can’t help but notice how young Nico was like a dandelion seed, too.
A tiny, little seed that was dropped off heartlessly by the winds, young and naive, alone in a new land far, far away from home with no mother and siblings gone, struggling to learn how to survive by its own. That, right there, is ten-year-old Nico for you.
From here on is what I’ve been able to gather from flowermeaning.com. And this is why, although it’s just wistful think, I’m a little skeptical Rick did some researches to come up with Dandelion as the result of Persephone’s curse.
According to the site, the Dandelion mean:
Healing from emotional pain and physical injury alike
Look me in the eye and tell me Nico has never suffered from agonizing emotional traumas and critical physical injuries. I dare you.
And now he’s doing better! He receives therapy, he has a loving sister and an attentive father and a caring boyfriend and other friends! He’s doing better. He’s healing. And as much as I love to throw pains at him over and over again in my fics, Nico is getting happier in canon. Rick didn’t abandon him.
Intelligence, especially in an emotional and spiritual sense
Nico talks to ghosts. And forgotten goddess. And makes friend with an amnesia Titan. He’s sensitive. He reaches out. He knows so much and he cares so much more.
His emotional world is an unlimited dreamscape.
And last but not least: The warmth and power of the rising sun
And who’s the sun, you might ask?
…
…All that time. So many books. And Rick had been hinting at Solangelo. all. that. time.
I can’t believe this. What am I supposed to react to this?
Of course, it could mean that Nico would finally find solace at the end of his painful journey, but I cannot help but focus too much on the fact that Will Solace is akchwkhdsjhs literally a ball of sunshine and they do end up together I don’t make the rule——??!!
Furthermore, the Dandelion does delivers positive message such as long lasting happiness and youthful joy or getting your wish fulfilled. I don’t know whether Rick really did mean it when he came up with the dandelion but, well, it’s nice to think that as a promise he gives to Nico, whom he makes such a great effort to torture.
And if I’d prefer to think that it’s Persephone’s subtle blessing then it’s my business.
In conclusion, it most likely wasn’t a careless choice when Rick went with a dandelion as one of those… physical literature metaphor (?) Nico has been. Maybe I over-analyze some (I always do anyway), but it’s still nice to find out that it’s such a fitting and beautiful thing to associate with my beloved angel.
(And it doesn’t help either when I headcanon Persephone has a sort-of tolerable stepmother-son relationship with Nico. I mean she could have chosen a dandelion as it’s such a trivia plant, yet still holds positive symbolism like Persephone tolerates Nico enough to wish him happiness, after all)
