"Cupcakes? You guys brought cupcakes to the game?" The child of Demeter suddenly appeared out of nowhere from the mouth of the cave since he had just teleported nearby to regroup with the other team members. The mention of the confection had clearly distracted him from the battle and it did not help him further with snacks that were laid out on a set of stones nearby. Knowing that Azrael, Octavia, and Derrick are here, he can be reassured that the older Nemesis child had checked out further into the cave and made sure that there aren't any monsters within. After all, they are still here like sitting ducks for now but all he's seeing right now is a man babysitting two kids. Three if you include Luca. He shook his head. "Sorry, I get distracted easily. So you guys are waiting out here. What's the plan?"

"I'm Luca. Demeter's my mom so you could tell if I may appear out of nowhere with plants nearby. I needed to regroup. Hmm... I could keep the enemy at bay by wrapping vines around their legs. It won't do much but I can stall for time while you guys head straight for the flag - I mean for team cookie's flag. Don't let it distract you. They like raisins in their cookies." The boy had assumed not many children like to eat raisin cookies so he had used this to attempt to get the kids to play along. "Azrael. I have someone posted in our flag and a couple others so rest assured we can form a plan without having to worry about our home base. If anything, at least we have to get their flag before they get ours. I can teleport... but who knows if I pop in front of an enemy."

Dustin was leading this time so Luca wanted to tag along with Laney to help her break through the blue team's defenses. You can say the boy is quite the pacifist by using the plants around him to render the enemies he'd encounter immobile for at least a while. He needed to make sure that the Ares boy had everything under control so he can rest easy and move to another position if either flag has been taken, preferably blue's. Laney could hear nearby footsteps as he began to approach her but the sight of a small platoon of skeletons made him tremble. He never knew that he has such an ability but it gave him reassurance that the flag was theirs to take. 

"I think so too." Many campers know Luca for his sunshine attitude but there are others who do not understand or relate to his actions or thoughts to what people would consider "normal" thinking, with some believing him to be a little insane. One camper remarked on how he "doesn't care about the good or the bad" when he is curious or amazed, sometimes eve disassociates his own personal feelings.  So when he delivers a barrage of questions during instruction, the other campers tend to shoulder the responsibility of giving him an answer he needs despite the role masking their impatience. "There is one class I'm actually looking forward to. Wood carving with the satyr - Leo. We would go to the amphitheater and get creative. All of our wood shavings would go down the bucket. I remember one day we were not actually carving wood but stone. Using a stone to carve another - to make it sharp enough to cut through meat. An ingenious survival technique in my opinion."

Luca knew how much she struggled before coming to camp and he was glad to be one of the first people she confided in. That is when all he could do was to be like the brother she never had. Kissing her forehead is one of the many ways he shows that he loves her as well as holding her hand, despite the two making it clear that they're just siblings against the unsolicited dating rumors. "I was able to, yes. I helped my father grow his crops slightly faster than normal no one can notice the sudden change. Not much monster activity either since our home is somewhere remote. It's an hour drive to the nearest grocery store so we had to bring a cooler for meat and dairy." He shrugged. "Not that I'm complaining. I'm actually content with our living situation now."

Soon, the pair entered the vast forest of the camp. Luca would often communicate with the animal spirits here and the dryads so if they ever popped by, he would take the moment to say hi and thank them for taking care of the treehouse in the children of Demeter's absence. The leaves continued to rustle as a small, yet continuous breeze blew through the flora yet the squirrels continue to chatter while the birds sang.

"So how are things with your father? Is he doing alright? I plan on visiting him one day, if that's okay with you."

"Hm. Yes, I did want you to come to camp this summer. I do love to see you. The camp experience would not be quite the same without you." Luca responded in turn, flashing her a wink before devouring his first cookie of the day. Laney is one of the few people he remembered sending letters to so he can recall telling her that he wanted her to come to camp this year. At the moment, he felt quite elated to see her but his hunger directed his attention to the confections just sitting there in the counter before he could even pay more than a glance to her friend, McKayla. As soon as he finished his cookie, he finally gave her his full attention. "Alright then, MK. I'm Luca Cassano. It's nice to meet you. How are things going with you and Zoren by the way if you do not mind me asking?" Giving her a warm smile, he grabbed another cookie. "I suppose so. I could do with a drink though. Gotta wash the sugar down." While he does love eating cookies, there is only so much sweetness he can tolerate which is why he'd drink something to accompany. It's not that the cookies were too sweet but he made it a habit to have a beverage. 

"Just a heads up MK- I might forget your name so I ask that I remind you when we do meet again." A soft chuckle parted his lips as the sounds of footsteps nearby drew his attention towards a young lass with a cup of fresh orange juice in her hand. Before she could answer, Luca waved at the girl and asked her to join them. "We could use the company. What is your name?" 

Luca was happy to hear that it meant a lot to her when he sat down next to her. He thought something as simple as being in someone's company when they are sad is good for them, whether or not he says anything. Still, he would rather not let the silence drag and talk in an attempt to bring her mind towards something else. As he continued to point, a smile curled his lips from her showing favorable reactions - her giggle, her smile... it made him much more elated to see her cheer up at the moment. It was moments like these where he loved being in her company. Just sitting in the sand and listening to the song of the seas as the waves gently crashed into the shore, it became more than a scenic place but a place to seek solace in. And even better when you are with someone you love.

"Perhaps not your mother nor mine." He began. "But I think she will be better as a tree in Camp Hlaf-Blood. That way, she will be remembered and remain here as a demigod of Hebe and a member of this community. Just not sure how we can make that happen. I think I'll ask mother- Even though she may not respond." He had gotten the idea from Thalia's pine tree. "I'll pray with you if it comes down to it." Now he was set in turning her late sister. Luca's a rather simple man but with twisted morals, but that's what made him likable with his friends. 

Luca is quite the child of Demeter. While most say he is the most typical- being a demigod who lived in a flora and fauna setting for most his whole life, he also lived in the countryside where technology is limited. So he isn't tech-savvy but he does actively learn about it when faced with it. That's why he sends letters instead of texting despite owning a personal cell. Thinking about it now, their stories felt so similar he could be convinced that Dahlia is his biological sister but given that they were able to connect almost instantaneously, he felt she is the sister he never had. She became the first on the receiving end of his affections and there are times when some campers thought they were dating... which is weird with them having the same godly parent.

"I am quite happy to see you too. I wanted to stay there to help by father but I want to come back here to learn more about my powers and how I can use them to help others." He paused. "That and I want to see my friends too." The first time he came back there, he was able to produce more crops than his father had imagined so they were able to make some money off of it because they were able to meet the demand. Happy to know they're going to the tree house, he moved to place his lips on her forehead and give her a gentle kiss. His eyes were closed for the moment before they opened, his hand already holding her's with their intertwining fingers. "Shall we?"

Luca was beginning to feel anxious when he noticed tears falling on her face when she managed a smile, followed by a frown. For someone who he found to be happy almost every day, he deduced that something must have happened for her to be like this. Something grave. It was not until he sat down cross legged next to her when she broke the news to him and his heart began to sunk. Brittany? Her sister?  He gulped but nevertheless wrapped an arm around her, a hand softly patting on her shoulder for a brief moment until it rested on it. He did not have anyone he lost so he knew he could not fathom her situation but all he could do was to comfort her. If she wanted to be alone, he will leave without question but to his relief, she did not ask. "Laney..." He scooched close to her, close enough for their bodies to touch. "I'm sorry to hear that. I don't know how I can help but I will stay here for as long as you need." Giving her a soft smile, he pointed towards the waves. "They're calming." Then to the flying seagulls. "They might be annoying but at least they're far away." And the ships sailing near the horizon. "What if Poseidon watches over them?" He asked in an attempt to pull her mind and have her think about something else. He did not know what to do but he was determined to help.

He then slowly lowered his head to lay on her shoulder while his hand went to caress the side of her body. "No matter what, I'll be there."

The child of Demeter could hear another child's foot steps growing louder as the strawberry plant matured until it became ready for harvest. That child's voice brought nothing but a smile to him as lifted his torso and turned to her. Dahlia is pretty like the flower she may be named after and perhaps one of the prettiest among their half- siblings which is why he keeps a dahlia next to a peony - the two flowers representing the two important people in his life. She already knows who the other flower represents. "Dahlia." He began with a happy tone and a brief embrace. "It's good to see you too." He kept his arms around her until she parted. It was enough for him to feel her body warmth but he is known to freely express affection which is why some people can't tell if he likes someone or not.

"It does, yes." He glanced at the grown plant before looking back at her. "How have you been? I am sorry for not writing back to you any time sooner. You know I have a problem forgetting things and my dad had to be the one to remind me. Maybe you can be the one to remind me to write him now that you're here." A soft giggle parted his lips, turning that frown upside down. "To make it up... Do you want to hang out by our treehouse?" Like Cabin 9 has a bunker in the woods, Cabin 4 has treehouse deep into the forest where they grow their rarest plants, safe from the other campers with the help of the dryads. 

Luca had kept in touch with his half-sister outside of camp. @ Dahlia Wakabayashi  is her name among the select few that he writes letters to - though sometimes he forgets to write back so his father had to be the one to tell him that someone wrote back. When the school year was ending, they decided to meet up on the strawberry fields and that is the first thing he would go to after putting his belongings in Demeter's Cabin. He did not bother to wear the usual orange tee but instead adorned a forest green tee with patterns of strawberries on it. Beige shorts covered his thighs and dress shoes touched camp soil, but he did not wear socks. The child of Demeter paraded towards the strawberry fields where the campers pick the fruits for them to sell and export to local restaurants and to Mount Olympus thanks to the joint effort between the Dionysus and his mother's Cabins. It's not just fruits that he liked to grow but flowers too as he liked to beautify the camp - which became a way to deal with his emotions.

As he walked on the open row, he admired the entire aesthetic of the field. Though when he gave a particular spot a closer inspection, he found a baby strawberry plant that he noticed was in need to grow. An index finger gently tapped onto it and it began to grow until it became like the rest as he hummed a happy tune. "There we go!" He sounded hype.

The child of Demeter's eyes were fixated on a potted flower he had kept inside the cabin. It is a white peony and he kept it inside because it reminds him of another camper who has a place in his heart. She had been there for him since she came around and one of the few people he first met in camp. She was quite nice to him and caring, characteristics he found himself to be in awe almost every time. In such a way, it felt like she is a down to earth goddess but she grew to be a great friend of his in time. After a while, he thought he needed some sunlight so the first place that came into mind was the shores of Long Island Sound. The waves provided a soothing sound for him and their smooth motion is pleasant to the eye. Seagulls flying by themselves or in groups while sounding out their calls to gather, it was like the perfect beach setting to him. Well- The only beach setting having lived in the middle of Kentucky. Dressed in his usual camp attire, he hurled himself onto the sand with a "Woohoo!". He never bothered to bring footwear as he knew he was going to take his time barefoot in here but a familiar figure sitting alone caught his eye. 

Eyes squinting as a hand gave them shade from the sun's rays, he recognized her instantly and proceeded to sprint towards her. His steps were growing loud so it was easy for her to pick up and look to where it came from.

That camper was @ Delaney Vance .

"Laney! How's you?"

It is the perfect day for nature. The sun shone on the flora and fauna of camp and the weather is just right. Luca was tending to the flowerbeds in collaboration with the children of Iris for their color coordination. The flora can be found in various places in camp thanks to the abilities of his half-siblings but this particular one resides in a clearing inside the woods. The adolescent leaned down to find a pink dahlia in front of him and let his finger brush against the petals of the flower. It reminded him of his half-sister with the same name whom he got along with simply because he liked her name. His nose wound up close to the flower, eyes closing as the nostrils tingled at the natural scent- only to be interrupted by his stomach growling. A groan parted his lips as he stood upright and made his way towards the Big House by touching one of the leaves on the stem of the dahlia. In the next moment, he was gone.

His figure appeared near the wooden building as he was picking up two feminine voices inside. They grew louder as his feet carried him to the entrance and two female campers entered in his line of vision. He glanced towards Laney first and then that one girl from the Nike Cabin. What was her name again? Kayla? MacKayla? He didn't know but soon brushed the thought so he could greet his best friend. "Laney! Hi! I didn't expect to see you here. And you-" He was looking at the other camper only for his attention to be diverted with cookies in their hands and then towards the plate that was filled with the confection. "You guys got cookies?!" The child of Demeter paraded to the counter and he had already begun munching on one almost instantly, showing how rather hungry he was.

✿ He specializes in Italian cuisine and will likely make you a pasta dish.

✿ He spends more time outdoors than in his own cabin, and would sleep outside if he wouldn’t get eaten by the cleaning harpies. True or not, he hasn’t pushed his luck to find out.

✿ He wishes he could talk to plants, even though he can be found talking to one.

✿ He maintains the flowerbeds with the help of Iris campers.

✿ He has a terrarium of every flower representative of his close friends and family.

✿ He has an entire team of Grass-type Pokémon in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond. Bulbasaur was his first starter.

✿ He doesn't like math.

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