Return of the Titans

STORY FACTS

You know what the funny thing is about writing a story? There are so many facts and hidden secrets that aren't often found within the text! So, here are a couple facts about ReOTT, some of which you may (or may not) have realized. Enjoy!

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1. Frankie is non-binary. It's actually hinted in her gender-neutral name. She doesn't like the more feminine Francine, but being exclusively called a boy also doesn't sit well with her. She prefers she/they pronouns, but Frankie works well, too.

2. Frankie is Aspergers and has ADD.

3. Frankie and Doc are of Creole descent. The two are more related than one would think. While Doc has a direct line with his French heritage (born and raised in Louisiana's French Quarter), Frankie just has a few distant relatives that are from the area. Nevertheless, she's a Cali girl through-and-through.

3. Jay is South Korean. It's actually shown in his last name, as it's Korean for "blaze", a nice fit for the rambunctious teen.

4. Jay is ace. Perhaps best revealed when he first meets Frankie, he makes a snide comment of why he isn't a Boy Scout. This is in relation to the groups' years-long ban of LGBTQA+ individuals within their ranks.

5. George Washington originally was a duck. In the very first manuscript, George was written as a duck, as there's a breed who's infamous for their "wig-like" head plumage. However, later on, I decided that it would be a bit funnier having him as a goose -- wig and all!

6. Maria is Venezuelan and Native American. Her mother immigrated to Southern California from Venezuela when deforestation threatened her home, which is where she met her future husband, a Chumash satyr from the area.

7. All nymphs (dryads and naiads) are pansexual but Maria is gay.

8. Benjamin is Chinese-American. His mother's family immigrated to California during World War Two. When forced to move to internment camps, she met his father, and when the war was over, Ben was born.

9. Marshall has ADHD and uses medication.

10. Doc is gay.

11. The cast's personalities and characteristics are hinted in their names. Frankie, or more specifically Francine, means "free one"; Maria means "spiteful"; and Benjamin means "son of the right hand" for his endearing spirit. The only ones whose first names are indifinitive, but their last names have meaning, are Doc (Lebeau being French for "handsome" or "lovely") and Jay.

12. The Mad King originally was supposed to be Prometheus. A twist that would have been thrown at the end, it would have been the Mad King (aka, Ouranus) that had been communicating with Frankie. However, that idea was scrapped for the complete and utter randomness of it all.

13. Maria and Tobias are related. He's her uncle on her father's side and she is his niece.

14. Frankie's migraines center around her antlers and their growth.

15. Gallagher is not Gallagher's real name. He's an Australian Aboriginal, and his true name means "dry lightning". However, when colonization was at its peak, and mosy of his people (including his parents) were forced to come to the States, his parents changed his name to fit into American society.

16. Doc was not the original Headmaster. That would be a talking goat named Aegipan, but after recent revisions, he, too, was scrapped.

17. Lompoc, CA wasn't the original setting. It started off in Baton Rouge on a plantation, but since the city is pretty big, it was moved to Lompoc, a much smaller, more rustic town. It's also where I once lived!

18. Frankie isn't truly the oldest in the gang. Immortals don't have a concept of time, as their elements don't really age. Therefore, while a mortal may be twelve, an immortal could be either double or triple that age. In Frankie's case, she's older (fifteen) in theory, but quite literally is the youngest. The oldest would go to Doc, who is nearing 200 years.

19. Demigods don't exist. Not yet, anyway. As the series takes place during the reign of the Titans and before the Olympians, demigods aren't yet present.

20. Wraiths are former slaves.

21. Frankie had a girlfriend. Her name was Samantha and would have been first mentioned when the gang meets Marshall, but that idea (and the character) was scrapped.

22. Father was not the original villian. That would have been Ouranus, then Kronos, and finally Prometheus. However, it was later changed to Father being one of Ouranus's grandsons, a Giant-like god named Pallas.

23. Mortals can see immortals. However, they can't sense their presence. So while an immortal can reveal itself, they have to physically interact with a mortal in order to truly tell that they're there. For example, if someone does see a centaur, unless they touch it, then their mind will convince them that what they saw wasn't real. Not much can be said if an immortal touches a mortal, however.

24. Marshall calls Frankie "Beef Franks/Franks" because her favorite food are hot dogs.

25. Nectar is an allegory for alcohol. It's taken in moderation and has some health benefits, but overindulgence can lead to one's downfall. In this case, it came in the form of the Giants losing their godly statuses.

26. Frankie is openly bisexual.

27. The Mad King is real. His name comes from a real French King, who, during his reign, was suddenly struck with madness to the point that he once accidentally set a few of his dancers on fire during a celebration. His volatile personality is the reasoning behind calling him the Mad King, and not simply Ouranus.

28. Immortals go through puberty. It's different for each one, and yes, it isn't pretty. Some say that earthquakes come from centaur children growing into their hooves.

29. The first manuscript had Frankie as a teenaged Wendigo. It was titled "Rack City" and was going to be about Frankie and four other girls battling monsters while also dealing with life, such as mental illness and their sexuality. Later, it was changed to be about angels and demons, then Sumerian mythology, before finally settling with a modern rehash of Greek mythology.

30. Frankie and Maria started out as girlfriends. When ReOTT was in its early stages, Frankie and Maria were in a relationship, with Maria being mortal and the one that assisted Frankie in her homelessness. However, it was changed so that it would be Marshall, and the relationship would instead be platonic.

31. Jay was Frankie's love interest in one revision. Excluding the age difference (15 and 14), Frankie would have had a crush on him, but their relationship was later changed into being that of brother and sister.

32. Father has the ability to change his appearance. To clarify, he can alter his age, ranging from an old man to a young adult, and with anything in-between. However, he can't do it at will. As it's exceptionally taxing on his body, he can't stay as one form for too long, so he must consume nectar in order to do so.