Getting back into the writing game is…I don't even know. Exhilarating? Exhausting? All of them? Eeeuuuh? Whatever.
So this will be the first chapter where one of the headcanons I have comes into play. The headcanon I have is that children of Iris love friendship bracelets and kandi (the bracelets that people wear at raves that are made of pony beads), so much that their arms are covered in the things, up to their shirt sleeves, and they have to make them a bit big or make them adjustable in order to even fit them up their arms. They're all gung-ho about camp crafts and stuff and they wear/share everything they make.
Disclaimer: The Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus franchise is the intellectual property of Rick Riordan. I only own Vanessa. Any resemblance to other people or characters, fictional or not, is purely coincidental.
~*~ 3rd Person PoV ~*~
6-year-old Vanessa stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill with Acacia by her side. They had duffel bags slung over their shoulders and suitcases beside them. "Well, Van," Acacia started, "are you ready?"
"I don't know," Vanessa replied. "I mean, I'm still trying to get over the fact that you're a satyr." Acacia shifted her weight from hoof to hoof. She had shed her disguise when they got to camp, because satyrs were so commonplace here, and it would be good to give Vanessa a little more exposure to this new world.
"Alright, well, just let me know when you're ready." They stood there for a few more minutes, just taking in the sight of the camp. Vanessa sighed. "You good?"
At Vanessa's nod, they started towards the bottom of the hill. Acacia led Vanessa to the Big House, a big, light blue house, where they were met with the sight of a bearded man in a wheelchair with a blanket on his lap and a man with an ugly leopard print Hawaiian shirt playing some sort of card game. The man in the wheelchair looked up when the girls reached the porch of the house.
"Welcome back, Acacia," he said with a warm, gentle voice. "I see young Miss Vanessa has decided to join us this summer."
Acacia nodded and replied, "It's good to be home, Chiron."
"Wait, wait, wait, Chiron?!" Vanessa sputtered. "As in the famous centaur, Chiron?!"
"Yes, that would be me," Chiron chuckled.
Vanessa blinked. "Well, no offense, mister, but where's your horse butt?" Acacia flushed and quickly turned to Vanessa with a shocked expression on her face.
"Vanessa!" she screeched. Meanwhile, Chiron was rubbing his temples and chuckling, and the guy in the leopard shirt was laughing his head off.
"Acacia, it's quite alright," Chiron assured. "It's a common question that a lot of young and new campers ask. Let me show you, Vanessa." With that he grabbed the arrests of his wheelchair and started to push himself up. Vanessa watched as his legs stayed in place, but his torso seemed to stretch on forever…until a pair of a horses front legs popped out from underneath the blanket. Vanessa watched in awe as the body of a horse came out from this tiny wheelchair until a full-bodied centaur was standing in front of her. "You see?"
All Vanessa could do was nod. Her mouth hung open in awe and shock until Acacia said, "Vanessa close your mouth, you'll catch flies." She picked her jaw up off the ground and gulped, still staring wide-eyed at the glorious creature she'd only read about in books.
"Vanessa Ella Smith, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance," Chiron said, nodding his head. Vanessa smiled and gave a little curtsy in return. "My name is Chiron, and I'll be your Activities Director here at Camp Half-Blood. This is Mr. D, the Camp Director." Vanessa watched as he pulled a Diet Coke can out of thin air.
"Does the D stand for Dionysus?" Vanessa asked curiously.
"Very good, Vanessa. That it does. Acacia, would you mind show–," he was cut off by Mr. D.
"Actually, I need Acacia to work in the Fields today. Grover didn't show up, and a few others caught some fleas going around, so we're short-staffed." His voice was smooth, but not very deep. His words were slightly slurred together, but I guess that's what one would expect from the god of wine.
"Well, we need someone to show Vanessa around camp, and I'm about to head to an archery lesson."
"What about that Larry kid?" Mr. D asked, but Chiron just looked confused. "You know from the Hermes cabin? She's probably gonna be staying there for a bit anyways."
"You mean Luke Castellan?"
Mr. D took a sip from his Diet Coke. "Yeah, whatever." He turned to Acacia. "What are you still standing there for? Go head over to the fields." Acacia jumped and let out a squeak before clopping away nervously.
"Come on, Vanessa," Chiron said, leading the child away with a hand on her back. "Let's go introduce you to your new cabin-mates." He led her away from the Big House and towards a group of 12 cabins in a U-shape. Vanessa took a look around and saw a bunch of campers hustling and bustling about, but none of them seemed to notice the young girl who looked a little older than Vanessa herself sitting by the fire in the middle of all the cabins. The girl looked over at Vanessa, who smiled and waved. She seemed surprised, but waved back. Chiron led Vanessa up to an old-looking cabin with chipping brown paint and knocked on the door. A boy about Vanessa's age with bright eyes and curly brown hair opened.
"Hey, Chiron," the boy said, "what's up?"
"Hello, Travis. Could you please get Luke for me?"
"Sure thing!" Travis turned his head from the doorway. "LUKE! IT'S FOR YOU!" He turned back with a stupid grin before stepping from the doorway to allow a tall teenage boy with blond hair to come forward. He looked tired and anxious and had dark circles under his eyes. Chiron didn't make any comment; in fact, Vanessa doubted if he even noticed the boy's upset appearance.
"Hello, Chiron," the boy said. "How can I help you?"
"Luke, this is Vanessa Smith," Chiron said, gesturing to the small girl standing beside him. "She's new to camp, and I was hoping you would show her around, given that she will be staying in your cabin until she is claimed."
"Yeah, of course, Chiron." He turned back to the rest of the cabin. "Guys, I'll be back in a while. Don't prank any of the other campers, no stealing while I'm gone, and by the gods, keep the place clean. If I come back and find any of these rules broken, I will prank you so hard, it'll make what they did in The Parent Trap look like child's play! Connor, Travis, come get the newbie's bags and find her a place to sleep." He turned back as Travis and boy who looked like Travis's twin came to get Vanessa's suitcase and backpack. They took the bags and disappeared back into the cabin. "Alright, Vanessa, are you ready to go?"
Vanessa looked up at him and nodded. He held out a hand for her to take. She took his hand, and he led her away to show her the camp.
~*~ A few days later ~*~
Vanessa had yet to be claimed. And frankly, it was a little cramped inside the Hermes cabin with all his children and the other unclaimed kids. But Vanessa had adapted to camp life pretty quickly: get up in the morning, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, camp activities until lunch, eat lunch, camp activities until dinner, dinner, campfire, go to bed.
She had already made a few friends with some kids from a few different cabins. The Hermes cabin, of course, were her first friends, almost like a second family. A few Aphrodite girls noticed she was really good with color combinations and making attractive color palettes, but they just attributed that to her being raised with an artist for a dad. Nevertheless, they would often come to her asking if their outfits looked good, and she was always happy to help. She made especially good friends with a daughter of Aphrodite named Silena Beauregard while helping out with the pegasi. And a few children of Apollo seemed to really like her, especially when she helped make cover designs for some of their epic poems and ballads or helped them make and decorate some new instruments. They offered her singing lessons in return for all her help, which she was happy to accept. They even told that maybe in a few weeks, she could join them on stage at the campfire.
Chiron wouldn't let her do any of the "big kid" activities just yet, like fighting, climbing the lava wall, or making armor. But while she wasn't allowed to participate in dangerous activities, she could watch. She was allowed, however, to swim in the lake, go to arts and crafts, run laps around the chariot track, help the satyrs in the fields, and help take care of the pegasi. It was nice; it was easy.
Meals were interesting. Though, it did take a little while for Vanessa to get used to her drink automatically filling up in her cup. When she got to the Hermes table, she would immediately be handed a plate of delicious food and without even sitting down, she would walk up to the fire to sacrifice a portion of her food to the gods, praying to all the gods who would listen that she would be claimed soon. Then she would sit down and eat at the overcrowded Hermes table.
About a week after she arrived, her prayers were answered. Vanessa was in Arts and Crafts, making friendship bracelets (even though her arms were already seriously covered in the things) with some of the Aphrodite girls. Vanessa was working on her 10th bracelet in an hour, while the other girls were all on their 1st or 2nd. They were talking about how activities were going and if there was anyone they liked. "Well," Silena Beauregard said. "I think Charles Beckendorf, you know the guy from the Hephaestus cabin, is kinda cute." She had a small smile and a blush on her cheeks. The other girls shared knowing looks and giggles.
"He's really nice to me," Vanessa replied. "And he's really tall. Sometimes he gives me piggyback rides." Silena giggled. She looked over and was about to say something but she stopped short, staring at something above Vanessa's head. "What? What is it?" She looked up and saw a glowing symbol above her head, but she couldn't see what it was. It seemed to glow in every color of the rainbow.
Before Vanessa even knew what was happening, Silena grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the Big House, yelling for Chiron with the other Aphrodite girls following. He galloped over from around the other side and stopped short when he saw them. Floating above her head was a shimmering icon of a rainbow. "Will someone please tell me what the heck is going on?!" Vanessa shouted.
"Vanessa, you've just been claimed," Chiron said quietly, "by Iris, the goddess of the rainbow."
So…yeah. There's the official chapter 1 of this fic. I'm pretty happy with how it's coming out. Sorry I haven't published it in over a month, but I've been really busy with school and junk. Follow, favorite, and review. It all means a lot and it would really encourage me to keep writing. I love you guys. Happy Holidays, if I don't post anything else before they pass.