Our Fine Strawberries.

[Luca Cassano]

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.

[Dahlia Wakabayashi]

Dahlia found herself back at camp after her first year of being away. It had been nice to be with her father once again after all the craziness before she was claimed. So much made sense when she was claimed by demeter last summer. This was when she met her other half-siblings, Luca being one of them. The two promised to keep in touch over the year but she had not received a letter from him in some time. Knowing that summer was coming soon, she hoped maybe they would catch up at the strawberry fields like they had agreed. Dahlia had just arrived when she dropped her bags off before she she rushed off to the fields. Smiling as she closed her eyes as the sun beamed down on her. 

Seeing someone bent down on a row, she knew it had to be Luca. Walking up to him she stopped seeing that he was growing the strawberry "Ohhh that looks so much better doesn't it" she said as she would be doing the same throughout the summer. "It is good to see you Luca" she said with her hands behind her back with the biggest smile on her face. 

[Luca Cassano]

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. 

[Dahlia Wakabayashi]

Even before she knew about her mother, Dahlia could be found out and about near some kind of plants. It was just where she felt herself feel the most happiness. It took her back to the time when she lived in Kyoto with her dad. The two of them took care of bonsai plants which was how he dad met her mom anyways. The thought of her dad and mom bonding over the plants gave her even more joy to want to take care or be around them. It was as if she could be close to the bond they had at that time. Embracing her brother made her feel so happy as she had always wanted siblings but after what her dad and her went through. It was understandable that he never remarried. Luca had been one that was always so kind and loving towards her. 

The smile grew on her face as Luca began to apologize to her, which she had come to know was just his personality. "Luca it is okay, I am just happy to get to see you in the summers at least. But you know I will definitely help remind you to write to your dad. I know they must get lonely when we are gone" Both of their families had a lot of work, being on a farm. So when they were away at camp things could be hard at times. Her mind had trailed off to her dad when the mention of the tree house brought her back. "Ohhh yessss please, I miss that place" she said clapping her hands together. Her face was filled with excitement as she hadn't been back their since the end of the last summer. 

[Luca Cassano]

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?"

[Dahlia Wakabayashi]

Dahlia was a very expressive girl as she was one that was bubbly and sweet. So as her brother embraced her she could not help but have the happiest look on her face. Burring her face into she as she nuzzled him before pulling back. Oh how is was good to be back at camp as she had missed her family so much. She of course loved her dad but it was nice to have her siblings who understood her struggles at school and abilities. Hearing that Luca was also very happy to see her made her giggle. "Well that is good, I know a lot of campers will be happy you are back" her mind thought of his friend Laney or even the other cabin 4 kids. Camp was one place Dahlia had felt safe at for many reasons. "I can't wait to see what we learn this summer" she said with the biggest smile. 

The two of them agreed to go to the tree house in which Luca leaned in to kiss her head. "You are the sweetest Luca" the blush on her cheeks with the sweet smile. The lover her brother had for her was one she enjoyed. He made her feel truly happy even though her life had some sadness in it. Her hand was in his as the two of them began to walk towards the tree house. "Yes we shall.....Ohhhh so happened from the last time you wrote me??? I know you told me you were able to help you dad with the farm right?" The walk there would not take much time as the two of them knew the path well. 

[Luca Cassano]

"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."

[Dahlia Wakabayashi]

Luca was a sunshine in her life so she knew he must be in the others lives as well. He was one that could always make her smile which is why she loved his letters so much. To find out you have siblings was so great after not having some for so long. They could understand her in a way that her dad could not. But being at camp now, Dahlia was happy to have her friends and siblings with her again. Hearing Luca talk about the wood carving class with Leo, it made the excitement in her rise. "Oh that does sound like so much fun! I can't wait either! But I am excited for more time with the archery range and welll the Apollo campers" she said with a little bit of a blush on her face. Her thoughts went to Elijah, a boy that she had met the previous year and had a tiny crush on. He had been one that influenced her a lot in her training. 

Time with Luca was one always full of so much happiness as the two enjoyed their time together. Dahlia listened as he spoke about his dad's farm which she was very happy to hear. "Oh that is wonderful, I am hoping to get better with my abilities to do the same as well." He had helped his family out in a a way she dreamed of doing with her own. Luca lived in such a remote area that he did not get a lot of monsters. But as they grew the scent of the demi-god might bring them closer to his home as it was to her own. "Lucky you, I get them very often but fight them off with my bow and arrows" she said looking a bit worried. After almost losing her dad last year she did not want it to happen again. The pain was just too much!

The woods was such a calm place for Dahlia as she felt so connected to everything around her. Her eyes looked all around them with so much happiness as the place had not changed a bit. "Ohhh he is good now that we are together again.....last year I was a mess when I did not know if he was okay." she took a pause as she looked at him "Living in the Midwest is a quiet life but also a nice one since so many people are so nice" she smiled. The neighbors were kind of far away but they were one that she could always count on. "We would love for you to come see us, I mean my dad would be happy to meet someone he knew was watching after me while I am camp after all" she giggled. He was so protective of her. With Dahlia being so far away at camp made him feel so uneasy. 

The breeze was blowing through the woods which picked up her black hair as it flowed in the wind "Ohhhhh I do love it here" she said dreamily. 

[Luca Cassano]

"Archery range?" He inquired for the moment as it seems he could not recall what it meant to her. But before she could respond, the boy became wide-eyed. "That's right. You love the sport, I remember now." Luca was not aware of her business in there but he did not mind as he felt she grew happy from frequently attending their classes. So when she decided to show off one day, she almost hit a bull's eye from several meters away. The awesome sight made him clap as he was not exactly made for combat either but he preferred close contact over range since his plants can make up that range. Wood carving classes with the satyr is one of the leisure classes he wound up enjoying because he can somehow sense a precise location of wood. So if he ever felt like carving wood, that is where his ability comes to use. It seems like the both of them are in good hands when they are not talking about a class they are not reluctant on attending.

"Aw man. Just let me know if you need help and I'll convince my dad to drop me off." Luca became rather restless because of the rare monster activity back home. Upon hearing that mortal technology is how the monsters reach demigods, he even suggested to his father that they move to the city just so he can fight monsters more often. He wanted to like fighting monsters but he began to feel that life in the farm is getting dull. Why are other demigods facing monsters when he is like... once a month kind of thing. Luca is perhaps one of the few campers that are eager to face one and he hasn't even seen most of them. To make it up, he took the time to cultivate his abilities granted to him by his mother and continued despite facing some shortcomings as a result of using them like overgrowing the crops. 

When the pair entered the forest, Luca became distracted by the leaves rustling that he thought one of the dryads were calling him so he parted from his half-sister as she began her response. With slow steps that were somehow inaudible to her chatting, his head was tilted up as the clouds moved like molasses in the empyrean skies. Nope. Taniara isn't here. Or Lily. Luca pursed his lips. He was looking forward to seeing them again, but his eyes were latched onto a sunflower that happened to grow near the roots of a nearby tree. Leaning down to grab it, he yanked it off from the soil and returned back to Dahlia with the flower in hand - unaware that he had left her mid conversation.

"I love it here too. I found a sunflower nearby. I don't usually see this growing inside the forest."