Find your tribe in a Sea of Creativity
I think we all can agree that Caleo sucks - if you don't then i respect you opinion - but oh my god(s) imagine this:
that would've been so goodddd
Both Leo can Calypso have major issues with being single. Leo is pretty insecure about it and being on the Argo II with three couples doesn't help. Calypso has lived for thousands of years and constantly keeps getting people she wants to be with but ultimately can't (tbh not sure how she's not gone insane yet because after two people rejecting me and heading off, I'd die).
Caleo as a romantic thing is probably the worst outcome out of this; its a cheap af solution that doesn't solve their underlying insecurities about romance but only exemplifies them because from their perspective, romance is where life gets perfect so they're both shit at handling any turbulence which is a normal part of love.
As friends they would've actually learned to appreciate non-romantic relationships and see the value of all types of love especially platonic love (plus it would've reduced the toxicity in their relationship). Caleo as best friends would have been great and their dynamic would have been awesome af and maybe everyone would love Calypso if she wasn't toxic and also not a 4k year old titaness getting with a teenager. I also wanna add that "friendship between divine being and mortal" is one of my favourite tropes and I would've enjoyed that a lot (Apollo doesn't count until the last two TOA books imo).
thank you for coming to my ted talk