when pjo said “what if we could do it all over again from scratch” and when pjo said “if my life is going to mean anything i have to live it myself” and when pjo said “where’s the glory in repeating what others have done” and when pjo said “i’ve got a lot of life left to live” and when pjo said-
truly nothing could’ve prepared 12 year old me for the sheer amount of repression and yearning between percy and annabeth they singlehandedly invented the pining best friends to lovers trope
I was thinking about that scene of The Lost Hero when Jason describes the picture of Percy, Annabeth and Grover which Chiron has in the Big House. Chiron is depicted as really worried about what happened to Percy.
It made me think about Chiron between mythology and Percy Jackson world. (Please, forgive my bad writing...)
So, let’s start!
- Chiron is, basically, the main trainer of Greek Heroes: gods and mortal parents decide to send their sons to his “camp” to educate them. Firstly, Chiron teaches them how to fight, but that’s not all: what made Chiron’s education programme different was his aim to raise wise, prudent, sensible and educated men. Some of his pupils were Achilles, Heracles, Jason.
- Except Perseus (fun fact: Chiron didn't train him), really few Greek Heroes lived happily after succeeding their quests: they usually die complaining about their mistakes or after losing control, especially because of their determined Fate (I’d say “men with special powers can’t live normal lives”, and this is what Parche and Gods would have said too). Chiron probabily knew it, and he simply tries to save heroes physically and mentally as long as he can, but he can’t control their hybris, rage or their “human” feelings - or fatal flaw. And heroes always fall because of their fatal flaws.*
- Then we have PJO, starting with Luke Castellan. Luke is probably one of the most powerful demigods Chiron educated in a long time: when Chiron faces Kronos, Kronos thanks the Centaur for Luke’s perfect body and athletic training. Personally, I fully understand Chiron’s grieving when he comes to know Luke has joined Kronos (at the end of TLT): it seems he has failed, as a parental figure and as a trainer. Did Chiron know about what was going to happen? Probabily not, but he educated Luke such as he did with Heracles or Achilles. And we know how it ended.
- Annabeth Chase: she’s the hero Chiron always tries to create. She’s smart; she’s not so keen on fighting but she learns how to deal with it. She’s also human - her fatal flaw just reminds it (and Chiron can’t resolve everyone’s personal issues), but she embraces her humanity (especially after meeting Percy). And Chiron looks at her with respect and admiration.
- Percy Jackson: Chiron always says Percy is not ready to fight and that he would have been more trained to join his quests, but I feel like Chiron reached his aim: especially because of Sally’s education, Percy can learn the best from Chiron and ends up being a wise, prudent, sensible and educated men. He is also an unconventional hero, maybe the best hero mythology could had. No doubt about why Chiron is attached to him and fears what is going to happen to Percy.
I’d talk about Chiron and Mythology for hours, but I’ll end up saying this: Riordan gave life to Chiron in a gorgeus way. Homer, poems or greek litterature barely mention Chiron - they only describe how heroes come out from his training. But Chiron is a mentor, and he’s worried about what happens to all the demigods he is educating. He also knows he can’t do anything against Fates, except training demigods and help them finding theirselves and their strenghts.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, Chiron loves you.
Let me know what you think about it!
*I’m referring especially to authors of tragedies (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides).
Percabeth texts: Annabeth texting Percy’s phone 10 years after their first kiss and 3 years after his death, aka the sad shiz I think of at 4 am.
Edit: suppose to say “selfless lovable idiot” whoops Edit 2: suppose to say if's not it's, I'm on a roll here.
Repost since I messed this up, its what I get for doing this at 4 am.