Board Thread:Antaeus' Arena: Audience Chamber/@comment-1515612-20161114162352/@comment-1867880-20170128084100

Serapphh wrote: Sorry to bring this away from who would win in battle, but there's some things in comparing the ships that have been bothering me while I read this. I'm not exactly vouching for one or the other but... anyways....

1. On the topic of Caleo: It has been my observed experience, that people who have maintained close proximities can very rapidly develop feelings for one another. Leo and Calypso, did not, by any means hit it off when they first met (this fact is undisputed). But throughout Leo's stay on the island, they did bond- I believe there's the matters of Leo fixing various things around the island for Calypso and in turn her making fireproof clothes for Leo as a gift. They did things for each other. Reducing Calypso to snobby and bratty is an understatement of her character. Her heart has been getting broken over and over again for centuries, and as I believe she says herself, this wouldn't exactly make her want to be "sweet". She has been hurt, betrayed, and forgotten- naturally she'd be at least a little bit bitter, but she is still inherently kind as demonstrated by her bringing Leo food and eventually helping him with his work. Both of them judged each other of the cuff, but opinions (believe it or not) can change. Leo sees and understands that she has been neglected, and that is why he vows to return to her. This is Leo, in my opinion at least, demonstrating his extremely cemented sense of right and wrong. Romantic feelings aside, he feels he has a duty to free Calypso from her pretty prison as he has witnessed it firsthand. You could say that developing feelings for each other was a side effect of turning out to actually like each others personality traits, and some quality one on one time.

2. On the topic Solangelo: Most of this has already been ironed out, but I just wanted to agree in saying that ITS OKAY TO GET OVER PEOPLE AND MOVE ON ROMANTICALLY. Nico opening himself up to the possibility of Will Solace and essentially closing his Percy chapter was MAJOR character development (the book should have been Nico Finally Acknowledges He Is A Human Being With Emotions And Thats Okay) They are the quintessential example of "opposites attract", and I feel might have had one of the most normal development of any romantic relationships in the series (no Gods, kidnapping, amnesia, or life-long curses involved!) They liked each other, and decided they wanted to share their lives. Nice.

Sorry I'm so ridiculously long-winded, wasn't (entirely) my intention. I agree with you. I was thinking pretty much the same thing when I was reading these arguments. Thank you for putting it into words; I'm never good at that. I never viewed either ship as forced, and until today I didn't know anyone did.