Board Thread:Antaeus' Arena: Audience Chamber/@comment-1515612-20160819163134/@comment-28590810-20160827042731

VidiaPhoenix wrote: I honestly don't like Solangelo because it is so out of the blue. Nico has a crush on Percy for three years yet completely gets over it after knowing Will for 2 days max.

I saw the "playful bickering" more as an older boy constantly teasing a hurt, lonely boy by calling him names even though he repeatedly said not to call him that. It's not cute. I saw it as insensitive at best and antagonistic at worst.

Not to mention, one of the things Will does upon talking to Nico is invalidate his feelings.

"Nico scowled. 'It's none of your business, but I don't belong. No one wants me. I'm a child of-'

'Oh please,' Will sounded unusually angry. 'Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away. You have friends- or at least, people who would like to be your friend. You pushed yourself away. If you'd get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once-'."

Not only did Will invalidate Nico's feelings, he blamed Nico for his feelings of depression and suicide. It's Nico's fault he is so upset. All his problems are in his head. Also, notice how it said Will got angry. Will has no right to be angry at a kid who has been suffering constantly since he was ten years old. Anger is not what Nico needed. He needed compassion and kindness like Reyna and Coach Hedge showed him.

The reason people ship Reyna and Nico, despite knowing they would never be together is because, unlike Will, she didn't yell and get angry at him when she saw how much he was suffering. She showed him comfort and support. They also had an entire book to develop a relationship. Will X Nico was literally the last 5 chapters from Nico's POV.

At this standpoint, it's worse than Caleo. In fact, Caleo is very similar to Solangelo. They do nothing but bicker and argue but, SURPRISE, they actually love each other and don't know how to show it. Only difference? Calypso and Leo knew each other for two weeks while Nico and Will knew each other for 2 days. Apparently, those two days were enough for Nico to get butterflies in his stomach around Will and completely get over a three year crush he has been agonizing over.

I feel like Will is only there because Rick would feel real bad if Nico didn't get a love interest by the end of the series. It was last minute and they did nothing but fight yet we are supposed to believe they love each other. Give me a stupid break. I really didn´t want to do this because i don´t like going off topic and this is no place for this discussion and I´m ok with people disliking the ship, because people have opinions and shipping is supposed to be fun and different for everyone, but, actually saying that half of a couple is blaming the other half for his depression is going TOO far.

So, let´s add some context, shall we?

There is no "playful bickering" between these two in the first pages, is not an older boy teasing a hurt, lonely kid and calling him names.

They are actually arguing because the lonely hurt kid´s life is in danger and he is too stubborn to actually stop using his powers that are only making his condition worse.

An older kid? Will is 15, the same age as Nico (confirmed by Rick)

Calling him names? He calls him Death Boy one time in the whole book, Nico tells him to stop, he does.

Now let´s go to the most controversial part.

Is Will being insensitive here? Yes

We as readers know what Nico has gone through, we know his story, we know why he feels like does not belong and know how some of the seven think of him as creepy.

We know that, Will does not.

He actually saw how, after the Battle of Manhattan, everyone wanted to be Nico´s friend, so FOR HIM, Nico is the one isolating himself.

Where does Will actually blames Nico for his depression? He is calling him out for saying that nobody wants him around.We know that Nico is hurt for a lot of other things that Will is not blaming him for. Where does Will blames Nico for his feelings of suicide?

Yeah, Will has no right to be angry, but he is still a 15 year old kid, his home, friends and siblings were in danger, and had to help Mellie giving birth, probably had a lot of accumulated stress and watching Nico not taking care of himself and saying he does not belong probably made him explode.

Was it right? No, but it makes you understand Will instead of making him look like an insensitive monster. Because he was kind to Nico too, or not letting him go alone in the mission, prevent Nico for overusing his powers and not letting him die is inconsiderate?

And I´m pretty sure Will wouldn´t have yelled to Nico if he saw what Reyna saw.

Solangelo worse than Caleo? Yeah, not really. Leo was ready to die for Calypso after a few days of pacific cohabitation (are we forgetting that she ignored him for days?)

Nico and Will knew each other before those two days and were in good terms, It was after Nico decided that he was staying and Will ordered him to rest that they started to spend time together. (And MONTHS after that, started to date)

Having butterflies in the stomach is not the same as being in love. Is actually one of the first symptoms of attraction. That´s why they let the status of the relationship as ambiguos in BoO.

The crush on Percy is something a little bit more complicated, and i don´t want to extend myself more than i already did.

It is totally fine to dislike a ship, but please, don´t go saying things like Will actively blames Nico for his own depression, That is completely distorted.

Sorry for not giving you a break.

And sorry for still being off topic, so, what about a Festus vs Dragon!Frank fight?