𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 - pjo x hp

xviii. dreams and dragons

𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓-𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐍.

The Volleyball Championship tournament was starting, with Ares against Athena starting it off. Devon — the Ares Cabin head counselor, and owner of the t-shirt cannon — had allowed the Apollo Cabin to be in charge of it during their matches.

Raya had fought her siblings in an intense game of hide and seek, winning rights to the t-shirt cannon. Beckendorf from Hephaestus had added a reloading chamber large enough to fit twenty shirts. This way, Raya wouldn't have to keep going back and forth to reload it.

"Who's ready for the match?!" Noor grinned at the crowd in the stands, holding a giant megaphone.

The crowd cheered.

The rest of Raya's siblings were taking care of the ticket collection, getting everyone to their seats, and setting up the court.

Raya waved her t-shirt cannon in the air as Noor began to speak, "Louder! Whoever wants a t-shirt, I don't think Raya can hear you."

Raya made a show of pretending like she couldn't hear the cheers of the rowdy crowd. She aimed the t-shirt cannon towards random spots in the crowd, picking a younger girl who was screaming like her life depended on getting a shirt.

Raya pressed the trigger and let the shirt fly.

The little girl caught it, brandishing it to the campers who cheered in response.

Raya let a few more t-shirts fly, before heading away. She'd come back closer to the end of warm ups, and once again in between sets.

Slinging the t-shirt cannon over her shoulder, she walked over to Luke who just entered.

Raya knew Luke well enough to realize something was wrong. Beyond his perfectly plastered smile, she could see the conflict growing in his eyes. The other campers waved and giggled, not at all realizing, but Raya could see it.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing," he plastered a smile on, giving her forehead a quick kiss. "Everything's great."

Raya narrowed her eyes at him. Without looking over her shoulder, she called for her brother, "Lee!"

Raya's twelve year old brother ran up to her, shaking his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes. He was going through a phase where he refused to cut it. "Yeah?"

"Why don't you take over with the t-shirt cannon for a bit?" Raya handed it over to a practically bouncing Lee. "There's more shirts by Leila, but don't empty the cannon at once, okay?"

"Okay!" he ran to the crowd, rapid-firing twelve t-shirts at people's faces.

Raya sighed, turning to Luke and linking their arms together, "Let's take a walk."

They left the volleyball court, beginning their aimless stroll along along the beach. Luke's hand slid down her arm, their fingers lacing together. Raya gave him a few moments to gather his thoughts.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked, nudging him slightly.

"Not really," he shrugged. "But I should."

Raya waited.

"Chiron said my dad came to visit him yesterday," Luke sighed. "He wants to send me on a quest. To get a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides."

"And?" Raya prompted once Luke fell silent.

"I agreed to it," he told her. "I told Chiron I'd do it, but... but I can't seem to wrap my head around it. Like, I'm honored my dad sought me out specifically, but what's the reason? Does he think I'm good enough? Or something else? And the quest itself, it's been done before."