I think one of the most painful experiences as a solangelo enjoyer is being a will lover because most of you do not like Will. And I don’t even mean that you just don’t like his character. Going through the Will Solace tag and seeing outright mischaracterization that just outright contradicts canon. Not in the fun way fandom does, but in the way that it feels like some solangelo fans just want to make Will into something they think is more suitable for Nico or bend canon Nico closer to fanon Nico?
Like there is a popular trend of making Will Secretly A Violent Psycho With a Gun because *checks notes* he’s from Texas? I’m not even from there but I am from the south and it just feels like an icky headcanon? Like Texas has its issues but it’s not a gun-toting hell scape that many people think it is for the times I’ve been. Like we hear from his own mouth in BoO that he’s “just a healer” when we meet him first TLO is’s introduced as a healer and isn’t fighting. In ToN he stops the fight by yelling then taking Nico and leaving. And (even though many of you didn’t read it or hate-read it and ignored all the good parts of it) in TSATS Will says that he enjoys being a healer and doesn’t want to be a warrior. And that’s SO COOL from a world building perspective. Nearly every other character is a fighter in some way — even Leo with his fire powers, even Rachel throwing a hairbrush at a newly risen Titan King. Will gives us a chance to see a different type of strength but for some reason fandom hates kind, gentle characters (I have a suspicion it’s internalized femmephobia but that’s for later).
And when you add Nico, this headcanon is paired with Etherial Pretty Princess Nico and I don’t get that either? He’s canonically unsettling? He freaks everyone out with the dead-eyed stare and defaults to a sorrowful glare for the majority of the series. We know from Reyna that he is softer when he sleeps so best faith interpretation that’s where that hc comes from but you don’t need to make Will this hypermasculine Alpha Male to make Nico softer around the edges. It’s a disservice to both characters and their relationship.
Nico does NOT need a hero. I know Rick loves to give him the damsel treatment (and I will die mad about that) but he doesn’t need Will to come save the day or defend him from bullies or some secret third thing. All Nico needed was support and to know he is cared for and Will (and Jason and Hazel and Reyna and Hedge) does that from day 1 (even though you all jumped him and called him toxic for not wanting to let Nico die but whatever). Nico can save himself and Rick made that clear. The fandom is the one who made Will into Captain Save a Hoe. Fics frequently have Nico honestly suck? As a boyfriend? He doesn’t offer any real support to Will, sometimes doesn’t seem to like Will, or will have his flaws glossed over because he Traumatized and that trumps Will getting any real closure from the conflict of the story.
And that SUCKS because Nico is SOOO good to Will in canon. He understands his plight and struggles as The Healer and offers support when he can. He’s the one who communicates Will’s anxieties to Lester. He offers a compromise in Will coming with him on the Nero quest to try to placate his fears. Nico di Angelo is a great boyfriend and I hate you all for taking that from him to make Will your self-insert therapist for Nico.






