I set a reminder to proofread this chapter and I kept pushing it off, but the notification wouldn't leave me alone.
Story #41: The Suns of Apollo Will Play For Money
Busking in my sun
My Suns can't spell but oh well
At least they can sing.
Word on the street was that there was a group of rambunctious kids on a street corner playing the best music any commuter has seen to date. They played various songs, medleys, and remixes ranging from current chart toppers to popular classics from decades past. Cover artists nearby were packing their guitars and signs. They were no match for the mismatched kids in matching orange t-shirts and their band instruments.
Despite the Mist working its magic, Kayla's bright green hair and Austin's battle sax topped them off to help them rock as a band.
So, obviously, Apollo had to pay them a visit when he heard they were in town.
-o-
"My children!"
Apollo's cabin stops mid-song with a shrieking note at the sudden, well, shriek. They lower their instruments and look ahead to see their father in his Lester appearance running towards them. He doesn't even look both ways before crossing the busy roads. Cars swerve, honk, and drivers cuss as Lester runs free towards them.
"Gods, he found us," Kayla mutters.
"Oh, those days when the gods ignored us…" Austin adds as he changes the reed in his saxophone.
It was easy money that Cabin 9 needed due to Camp's recent tighter budgeting. The strawberries from Demeter's cabin are currently going through a shortage due to an Ares landmine gone wrong. Everything stained red eventually washed out but the scent still lingers to this day.
Quest money was scarce so the cabins had to improvise if they wanted more money to travel — or buy snacks, whatever. Once you were sent on a quest and left Camp, what half-bloods did with their money was up to them (especially since Chiron expects them to return with crumbs if returning at all). Aphrodite's cabin once went on a Sephora shopping spree mid-quest.
All of Apollo's cabin's cheeks redden as Lester finally stands in front of their street group. They stand like a band would with overturned hats in front of them pooling with so many bills and coins that they ended up putting it all in a (hopefully washed or better yet, brand spanking new) bedpan.
"You all look so cute!" Lester shrieks, bouncing on his toes. The image would look weird coming from the godly appearance and even more so with the acne-ridden teenage front.
"You're embarrassing us," Gracie mutters.
"Excuse me," Lester retorts. "I am your father and you even named your band after me."
They all look at their sign which they made with medical skin markers and an old stretcher. They wrote The Suns of Apollo on the fabric stained with dried half-blood blood and other crusty bodily fluids.
"You made a punny name for me," Lester argues.
"Dad, we're dyslexic," Will states. His brother and sisters nod. In their defence, the O and U look very similar in any case.
"Run into any monsters?"
"Just angry commuters," Austin responds.
"Oh, and Peaches is here," Kayla adds.
Lester follows where his children point and he turns to see Peaches in his diaper. The karpos is currently breakdancing despite there being no music from the band at the moment. He does all kinds of moves like the worm to disco arms and things he doesn't want to name let alone see. Lester cringes and shudders at the sight of Peaches shaking his booty and his diaper nearly falling off.
"If busking is a dirty term, that's definitely it," Lester says, pointing at Peaches. "That explains the lack of monsters."
"Peaches has actually made some money for us," Austin points out. "He's trending."
Lester glances at Peaches again who's swinging around a lamp post. An arm is stretched out dramatically as he whirls. Bystanders applaud, taking out their wallets and preparing their bills. Once Peaches finishes his descent, he lands on his knees and opens his arms up. It rains money on him, people leafing their bills on what they see as a little baby performer on the streets.
They're not even thinking about where that baby's parents are, but who's Lester to comment on that when he wasn't even sure when he went to Hong Kong to make another child?
The band starts playing a cover to Sway as the bystanders continue on their way, dropping more money into their bedpan. Between the harmonies, the campers give thanks without missing a beat. Eventually, Peaches hobbles over and drops the money he earned from swinging around the post.
He gives Lester another dirty look before going back to dirty dancing.
"Peaches gets a 25% cut," Kayla informs him.
"How unfortunate," Lester responds as more people drop coins in the bedpan. "I do love this song, though."
"Oh no…" Will mutters as the other siblings shake their heads in disgrace.
Lester takes a breath and loosens up. This is his calling, his true purpose in life. Gather all his musically gifted children and form a band. Gotta claim them early too! The Suns of Apollo. It's perfect. Forget the half-bloods' upbringing being at Camp where they train for battle and play violent games, they could form a band and make more musicals.
"When marimba rhythm starts to play!" Lester shrieks in tune with his kids (or more so they have to keep up). "Dance with me! Make me sway!"
Will shreds his guitar as Austin shimmies with his saxophone. Kayla bops her head as she plays the keyboard, Gracie trots with her trumpet, and Yan keeps the beat with the drums in the back. All the instruments tie together in perfect melodies to accompany Lester's singing.
The additional cash incentive would make future quests luxurious, that's for sure.
"Like the lazy ocean hugs the shore," Lester continues the song, "hold me close, sway me more."
He didn't mean for it to be a cue. He didn't think it was.
But Peaches took it as one so he leaped into Lester's arms. He shrieked on impact, especially when Peaches clung to him. For a moment, he was about to throw Peaches across the street or into traffic, but Peaches adjusted his arm to that they were in a dancing position where, offensively, he was leading. Lester didn't care enough to change it nor was he brave enough. He had to sway under Peaches' lead until the song ended; which it did after what felt like too long.
If anything, his kids extended the final bridge so he could suffer dancing with Peaches more.
Certainly got them enough money. People love seeing babies dance. Admittedly, if people saw the truth, a god dancing with a diapered karpos would make the same amount of cash if not more.
"That was horrific," Will says with a small laugh once the song ends.
"Save your compliments for when you mean them," Lester fires back. He holds Peaches close like a natural infant. "We always expect betrayal from our enemies, not from those who are supposed to care for us. Anyways, we should do this more often."
"Gods…" All his kids mutter in harmony with each other.