Sunshine Kids (Apollo Cabin Oneshots)

the first night

The night of your claiming was one of the most difficult nights in a demigod's life. Your world turned entirely upside down and depending on who your godly parent was, there was a fair amount of fear and coping involved. New cabins were scary, and especially for the younger kids, they were surrounded by new and slightly intimidating people.

His first time in the cabin was burned into his memory. He'd just arrived, chased by monsters all the way from Texas, bloody and bruised, and he was crying. The giant symbol over his head had only freaked him out more. Lee and Michael had spent the better part of the night trying to calm him down. They made cupcakes and watched Will's favourite movies and told him all about camp.

Will Solace had been at camp for three years as the youngest before the next child of Apollo was claimed. He knew her well enough; she'd been in the Hermes cabin for a few months. She was hard to miss with her bright blonde hair and her white cowboy hat that she was always wearing, no matter what.

When Kayla Knowles was claimed after a particularly brilliant archery display and her little cowboy hat looked around in confusion and worry, Will ran towards her, holding his own cowboy hat. Hers was from the Albertan Rockies and his was from the Texas summers, but it was similar enough to make her feel comfortable her first night in the Apollo Cabin.

She stuck close to him when she first entered the cabin. He'd put on his cowboy hat and they looked like cowboy twins. Will let her hold his hand and pretended not to notice when Lee and Michael snapped a hundred pictures. He'd always been deeply empathetic and he'd always wanted a younger sibling, so he was determined to do everything he could for Kayla Knowles. His older brothers let him take the lead- they made cupcakes and watched her favorite movies and told her stories about the cabin.

Years later, Kayla would do the same for the next Apollo child- Austin Lake. And Austin Lake would do it for Gracie. They would tell stories of each other, decorate cupcakes (always yellow with little suns), and play old DVDs of their favourite movies. It wasn't a tradition per se, but it was family. The Apollo Cabin had always valued family more than anything- it was what drove their healing and their art and their music.

All of family began with the first night in the cabin.