Modern American phys ed class really didn't like my wannabe-English-longbowmen schtick when I told them there was no proper posture or position to fire a bow in.
Just flashed back to my first day of Junior year when I was super freaked out and hoping someone would talk to me.
A guy came up to my lunch table and asked if the seat next to me was taken. I smiled and told him it wasn't, foolishly thinking I was about to make a friend!
Until he picked up the chair and walked it over to a nearby table so he could sit with his friends.
i’d be pressed asl if i was a demigod like why is the fate of olympus / kinda the entire world in my hands im like 16 i still want my mommy with me in the grocery store wtf do you want ME to do 😭
I think I've finally realized WHY CalLeo as a ship works.
Spoilers for Heroes of Olympus and a bit of Trials of Apollo!!
Calypso, as a mythological figure, isn't cursed to always fall in love with those on her island. It was specifically Odysseus she wanted because, according to the spear-measuring contest that all Homeric works are, Odysseus was one of the world's most handsome men.
In the Riordanverse, however, Calypso does not fall for Odysseus of her own free will. Instead, it is in fact a curse which makes her fall in love with mortal men. Now, one could argue this was written as such because Rick didn't want to confront what Calypso actually did in the Odyssey or because Rick didn't want to follow the misogyny of Ancient Greek literature, but we'll just say it was for the plot and move on.
In the Heroes of Olympus pentalogy, Eros taunts Nico and Jason about how love is dished out without much care for what mortals really think about it. In some headcanon universe or alternate timeline, one could infer Eros may be partially in charge of who ends up on Ogygia for this reason. Anyway, this explanation helps with determining why CalLeo ended up being canon.
Let's think about the other two big names we know ended up on Ogygia: Odysseus and Percy. Odysseus, if the Riordanverse treats mythology as mostly true and accurate, was a very handsome and smart guy. We also know, from little sprinkles of lore throughout the rest of HoO, that Odysseus may have shown some compassion for the imprisoned goddess after leaving the island. This could explain why, for those who need an explanation, Calypso would have swooned over Odysseus in the first place.
Then we get to Percy. Yes, he probably wasn't the most charming guy ever, at least by Battle of the Labyrinth, but he is still described as being attractive. Percy also treated Calypso quite respectfully while around her, never really biting back like he tended to do with other immortals. Knowing how vulnerable people like Calypso operate, Percy's kindness definitely gave Calypso a very positive view of him.
So where does Leo come in? Well, he's not very charming, he's a little annoying, he tends to do better with machines than people, etc., etc.. All of that to say, Calypso never should have fallen for him. By all accounts, Leo should barely have been a blip on her radar. Heck, the two bicker all the time when they're together.
That's just the thing: love, by Eros' own account, doesn't make any sense. CalLeo, both as a ship and as a story arc in ToA, works because it's the story of two people who both want validation and love trying to make things work even when their personalities clash.
Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk! This started as a shower thought!
