Look, I love The Sun and The Star as much as the next person; as someone who's written and consumed Solangelo media for years, but also loves comparing fics and headcanons to canon, the fact that I could get confirmation about whether headcanons of mine could possibly line up with the author's was amazing.
That being said, one super minor detail that has irked me since I bought the digital version of The Sword of Hades despite having a physical copy in The Demigod Files just so I could read the preview of the first chapter is what happened to the year rounders from the Hidden Oracle.
While we can't get tons of information on every minor character because the books would be miles long, but every character has their own story, even if we can't see it. Chiron says in TSATS that demigods probably want to see the world, especially after the few years they had, but if they've stayed at camp for a while, do they have a place to go? Do they have somewhere to live outside camp?
With this in thought, and more, I give you; my headcanons for what every single minor demigod at CHB in TOA is doing during the events of TSATS:
Note: I'm skipping Will, Nico, Austin, and Kayla as we know where they are as TSATS states it explicitly.
Aeithales, for those who aren't great with place names, is the name of Philip McCaffrey's botany research facility that Meg refurbished for herself, the nymphs from the greenhouse, the Meliai, the children from Nero's army, Lu, and Herophile. It doesn't seem completely out there to believe that Meg invited her sibling(s) who don't have mortal families, whether because they're deceased or they don't get along, to live with her. Especially since Meg is working to restore Aeithales to it's former glory.
I hc she's about 14, so she'd probably attend the local high school with the older Nero adoptees.
Miranda Gardiner — College
While Miranda's age is not known, I personally believe she's around the same age as Percy. [I have no sound evidence for this, besides the fact that I believe Katie is the same age as Travis (because Tratie, a staple ship) and Travis attends college a year before Percy (as he is there in THO) and as Miranda is most probably Katie's second in command (because Miranda is said to be counselor in TLH instead of Katie, it can be assumed that Katie is a summer camper and therefore Miranda is in charge when she's not around. Like Malcolm for Annabeth or Sherman for Clarisse) I think she's a little bit younger than her, assuming that they were similar ages when they first attended camp.] which would put Miranda as a freshman in college during TSATS as Percy and Annabeth are freshman.
I personally believe Miranda would attend college, probably majoring in something agricultural or environmental.
Due to the fact that Sherman and Miranda are dating, I have come to the conclusion that Sherman is a similar age to Miranda. Now, whether he's attending the same school as his girlfriend or not, I'm not sure, but I feel in my bones that Sherman would go to college for kinesiology or exercise science.
Ellis Wakefield — High School in Arizona
Ellis was the hardest for no reason, because I hc he's younger than Sherman by a year or two, meaning he's not at college age yet (I do think he wants to attend college though), but rather a senior in high school, and then I thought, Clarisse would absolutely take in one of her siblings if she realizes that they'd be the only Ares kid at camp.
He lives in a small apartment just off campus of the University of Arizona with Clarisse and Chris, who are starting their sophomore year, and attends a local high school near by.
I have no proof for this, but I feel in my heart that he plays baseball and Clarisse and Chris go to every game, and Clarisse almost gets kicked out multiple times for yelling at the umpire. Also, Sherman comes every so often, and that's when things get really crazy and he and Clarisse do, in fact, get kicked out, leaving a really awkward Chris alone in the stands.
Following in his older sister's footsteps, I hc that Malcolm goes to the School of Design Annabeth attends in COTG and WOTTG for his senior year. I personally hc he's a year younger than Annabeth, which would put him at like 17, so he'd live in the dorms there for a year before moving to a college to study architecture (since battle strategy isn't a major, lol)
I have talked about this quite a bit, both on here and on ao3 through my fics, but Harley's adopted by Jo and Emmie and him and Georgina are best friends.
Honestly, Harley's the main reason I've become obsessed with finding out where every minor character is, because if any demigod deserves a fleshed out backstory, it's Harley.
He's eight in THO. Eight! And he's already been at camp for over a year since he's also in TLH. And because TLH mentions no new Hephaestus campers before Leo have arrived in a hot minute because of the curse, we can infer he's been at camp for at minimum, a year and a half by TOA, which means he arrived at, maximum, seven (or seven and a half if he turns 9 right after Apollo leaves camp). And the first series drills it in our head that Annabeth is an anomaly for coming to camp so young, so Harley, not only being a camper, but a year rounder, probably means he doesn't have a mortal family. (I wrote my own version of Harley's backstory, with this hc on ao3, called Wanting to Feel Safe) so yeah! Also, Harley and Leo are very close (see, the entirty of THO) so when Leo finds a family willing to take him in, his little brother isn't too far behind.
Harley's in third grade, is a math wiz, but struggles with spelling. He's also in the same class as Georgie.
Nyssa Barrara — Waystation
You think Leo's leaving Nyssa behind while taking Harley? Think again. I personally believe Nyssa's probably a year or two younger than Leo, which would put her at around her sophomore or junior year of high school, and she probably attends the same school as Leo and Calypso.
For those who aren't The Kane Chronicles fans (go read them, they're amazing) Drew and Lacy both make an appearance as they attend Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted with Sadie Kane. I like to think that Val joins her sisters at the school studying fashion history (as she shows an interest in it in CHB Confidentials) (Lacy studies fashion design and Drew theater, source: me) and that she stays with Lacy and her father so she can attend school. She still goes to visit camp during holidays along with Lacy and Drew (as we see them at camp during winter break in TLH).
The reason she's not at BAG in TOA with them is because she found out she was a demigod only right after the war and therefore didn't have time to fill out the application to attend.
Connor and Travis are reunited in college once more! Yay!
I think Connor's studying linguistics, which Travis is studying business administration (though he's a sophomore already)
Cecil Markowitz — hanging with Lou Ellen Blackstone
Source: I made it myself.
As I hc Cecil being around the same age as Will (who's 15/16), he's not old enough to go away to college, or begin adulting like some of the others, so why not stay with his best friend?
They send Will letters in the mail all the time because Will, Cecil, & Lou friend group supremecy.
I also hc that Cecil is the boy that Hermes mentions from Wisconsin that Hermes has Percy promise to bring to camp, though that doesn't really affect where he's ending up.
Alice Miyazawa — her family
I hc that Alice's relationship with her family is strained because of her being more of a "troubled" kid (I also hc she has kleptomania) so that's why she's at camp year round in THO.
So, I think she's going to try with her family again.
Also, I hc that Alice (and Julia) are the two girls from Los Angelos that Hermes mentions to Percy in TLO so her family's in California.
Julia Feingold — with Alice's family
See previous note about Alice and Julia being the two girls from L.A.
Alice wouldn't try with her family again if Julia wasn't there, because they've been attached at the hip since they met at juvie in L.A. as kids, so Julia goes with her.
Chiara is stated to be about 18, and her and Damien are probably in a relationship, so it's not too off base to believe that Damien is probably around 17 or 18.
I don't think Damien decides to go to college (maybe later but I doubt it), so he decides to just go and join the job force as he's legally an adult now. What job? I dunno. He's in a union though, I can feel it in my bones.
Also, a little off topic but Apollo saying he didn't know if he wanted to steal Chiara from Damien or Damien from Chiara lives rent free in my head.
Holly Victor— Boarding School
Holly and Laurel are the only two who Chiron had a hand in them not being year rounders, because they're a lot. He's been training for thousands of years, he needs a break too.
So, I hc that Chiron enrolled them in a boarding school so they could quench that competitive spirit of theirs.
I think they're about 13 or 14, so they're either in eighth grade or a freshman in high school.
Laurel Victor — Boarding School
But also, I think Holly and Laurel joined every single sports team they could do, and Nike showed up to watch one of their games and got thrown out for trying to fight the ref on a bad call.
Paolo Montes — College in Brazil
While Rick hasn't confirmed this, I am quite positive that Paolo was on summer break when THO takes place, and that's why he's not mentioned in TON and TSATS, because he's back in Brazil.
I hc him around 18, so he's probably in his first year of college.
Chiara Benvenuti — College
Chiara's the only one we get an exact age for—around 18—so it makes sense for her to have left camp.
I think she's studying something to do with Lit, though whether English or Italian, I'm not sure. It's just a gut feeling. And is she somewhere near Damien? Well that's also up in the air.
So, that's everyone at camp in THO and what I think they're doing. I would love it if Rick Riordan confirmed or denied these in TSATS sequel, but I have the habit of convincing myself something is so obvious and will be mentioned in the book, and then it never is, so I'm not hopeful for my own sanity.
