Nico and Percy's dynamic through the series is eternally funny to me, because it's just. like.
Percy's having a constant mental struggle between his fatal flaw of loyalty with a promise he made to Bianca to protect Nico, versus his Big 3 kid desire to maim other Big 3 kids / Poseidon descendant urge to totally maim Nico specifically. He hates Nico so so much. He thinks Nico's annoying and weird at best, and creepy/sketchy when he's older. The only positive thoughts Percy has towards Nico are "He's Bianca's brother and Bianca was my friend and I owe her/He's Hazel's brother and Hazel is my friend and would kill me if I was mean to him," "He's a powerful asset and useful ally (if questionable)," and "He's kinda pathetic and I feel maybe a little bad about it." Percy has multiple occasions throughout the series where he strongly considers - and on one occasionally actually goes through with - throttling Nico.
Meanwhile, Nico is following around Percy like a lost puppy. He explicitly can never bring himself to even dislike anything about Percy no matter how hard he tries. He has a whole bit in BoO where he's mentally going "UGH he's so stupid BUT IT'S ENDEARING HOW DARE HE." He's totally smitten. He's making deals with his dad for Percy. He's making convoluted plans to help Percy stand a chance against Kronos. During the entirety of BoTL it's like he's playing tsundere - "I'm helping NOT PERCY SPECIFICALLY with this quest! Me helping Percy would be SILLY because I DEFINITELY HATE HIM." Then he proceeds to show up to Percy's birthday party to basically ask him on a weird date and spend the entire next book scrambling around trying to help him or protect him or impress him. And Percy could not give less of a shit.
Just. That dynamic is so funny to me. Percy is the founder of the Nico Protection Club in that he's the one they're all protecting Nico from and meanwhile Nico is throwing himself at Percy to the point where the literal god of gay love calls him out on it.
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To also go off of the point about cop!akihiko being annoying to me I gotta say that Akihiko as a character is very hit or miss with me because of how different adaptations of p3 will subtly alter his character. I felt like in portable with the femc route he comes off best, he’s a bit of a hothead with an obsession with fighting, but he’s overcompensating his strength so he doesn’t feel as weak and helpless as he’s been in many situations. He defines strength in a very literal sense, being physically strong and using that to protect others, but he’s lacking in emotional strength as a result. And in particular in this version I think he’s portrayed as a bit more goofy and sweet in a sense. He cares deeply for you as a friend and leader but he struggles with finding the words to describe how he feels. Hes kinda naive and gullible and has trouble noticing his surroundings. He has no clue what he’s doing but his heart is in the right place. I think he just comes off much more human and he has flaws, many many flaws, and that makes him all the more lovable
But then in other adaptations and spinoffs it’s like. They look at him through some hetero male bullshit filter and seem to view him as a lot more admirable and cool. Like in p3 dancing, theres literally an event where he’s talking with Junpei and Minato and they’re gushing about how perfect Akihiko is and how he doesn’t seem to have ANY flaws at all. And it becomes clear his inability to flirt with women just gets added as a way to make sure you, the Straight Male Player, don’t get insecure being next to such Perfection because at the end of the day, you’re still more charming and sexy than he will ever be because you’re better. It’s a “flaw” that’s only there to shield a sensitive male ego. And then in arena I mean, come on. He’s overly beefy and is a damn cop and travels the world and loves Protein™️ it’s his whole personality and he’s so clearly meant to be seen as hot but like, he’s just some shitty hetero male fantasy. Hes what the writers deem to be a Perfect Man that every guy wishes he could be, but don’t worry he’s still bad with women so you don’t gotta worry about him stealing your property- I mean, girlfriend!
And though I’ve not played reload and don’t really plan to anytime soon, judging from his social episodes they seem to have a similar problem. Akihiko comes off as a lot less approachable, like the year age gap is just too much of a barrier to get to know him properly. And he doesn’t have that dorky sweetness he has in portable, he’s just that perfect hetero male fantasy guy and don’t you fucking worry- he still has his protein powder with him
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billy goes through a stage where he’s just. angry all the time.
and it’s not just after the big move.
he’s pissed when they get to hawkins. sure. but he’s not angry all the time. most of the time he doesn’t really feel anything.
it’s actually when he’s younger. a few years after his mom leaves. that’s when the anger comes out.
and it’s not just sometimes, either. it’s not even most of the time. he’s angry all the time.
because it just. hits him suddenly. one day.
his mom left. left him.
he loved her so much. he idolised her.
and she left him with neil.
and suddenly. he hates her.
he hates her so much. so fucking much.
because she left him. her kid. her billy.
and billy doesn’t know. doesn’t know what he did wrong. why she left. why she didn’t take him.
so he starts fights. he leaves holes in his bedroom wall. he slams doors. screams into his pillow at night.
and it all comes to a head one afternoon.
he’s in the bathroom. sitting. back against the tub.
he’s got this mirror. her mirror. this fucking. handheld thing.
he’s looking at himself in it.
and then he sees her. his mom.
staring back at him. through his eyes.
he looks down.
there’s a photo of her. resting on his knee. a photo from a day at the beach. when he was six.
when she was still around.
he looks at the photo. looks back at his reflection.
his knuckles turn white. plastic creaks in his grip.
he laughs. once. it’s too loud a sound in the silence of the house.
and then it happens.
billy’s still in the bathroom an hour later. only now he’s surrounded by glass.
the photo lay on the floor. ripped up.
billy’s throat feels raw. his eyes are swollen. they hurt.
blood drips from his knuckles.
he presses his forehead to the wall. the tile cold against his skin.
he jumps when he hears the front door slam. when neil shouts through to see if billy’s home.
billy feels sick. nauseous.
he looks at part of the photo. a scrap. lying just by his hand.
he whispers. lips barely moving. it’s almost a mantra.
i hate you. i hate you so much. i hate you, mom.
a knock at the bathroom door makes him jolt again. brings billy crashing back to the present.
“billy? you in there?”
billy moves his hand. feels a sort of. sick satisfaction as the cuts on his knuckles reopen and bleed anew.
“yeah, dad.”
he pulls his sleeve over his hand. wipes his eyes.
i hate you.
his knees buckle as he stands.
so much.
he tucks the photo scrap into his back pocket.
“coming.”
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