Luca Cassano Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 "I'll see you later, Dad." The young man spoke to the older man as he looked down at him. His father was still in his classic white 1974 Fiat Cinquecento looking up to his son with the window down. After exchanging a brief good bye, the two parted on the street and the one sporting an orange shirt seemed to be walking towards Delphi Strawberry Service, which really is nothing but a farm dedicated to growing produce depending on local demand with a peculiar specialty to grapes and strawberries. Though as the young man walked up the hill, it is not all what it seems to be. A pair of Doric columns stood before him, both of which are somewhat covered by vines that sprout from the rich, earthy soil. This could be the work of Dionysus, a child of Demeter, some other mythical power, or just the magic of nature. Craved on the frieze above is Camp Half-Blood with a Dalek font, a conspicuous display to anyone with an invitation to the area beyond the pillars. The young man could argue that they could do better with Ionic columns, but who would be willing to change to something that's been there for who knows long? Passing the entrance revealed to him is what he had expected to be a snowing landscape, but a thought occurred to him that only Mr. D could decide on the weather within the barriers. Nevertheless, having anything but bad weather and precipitation is almost reassuring. When he visits camp every summer, this time of the year became an exception when his father went to go on a business trip. There was not as much campers as he had seen during those times, but he was glad he could stick around for the holidays. Approaching his mother's cabin, it was being decorated by some of his half-siblings. Lights were hung on the walls, socks with the names of every Demeter child, and many more on the oak tree. With an exchange in greetings and short conversation on the surprise visit, he decided to check in with a cabin leader in the Big House so that they know he's around. He went inside with a more 'winter' outfit, now that Mr. D finally decided to play along with the weather trends. A pair of jeans, leather dress shoes, and a red-green ugly sweater with a pattern of snowmen and reindeers to observe the holidays. More Christmas decor can be seen in the main room's interior, somewhat hiding Mr. D's horrible taste in adornments. The campfire kept the room warm, but the faux leopard head above never ceased to vex him. He was always fond of animals, but he didn't like them being used as wall mounts, even if it's fake. "Goodness me, I'm hungry." It was not until the smell of cookies perked his spirits. A plate of several chocolate-chipped cookies are found on the kitchen counter, along with a glass of milk. Without the thought of someone else possibly and potentially snacking them, he took one to satisfy his craving. @ Luana Cardoso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luana Cardoso Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 (edited) Despite the multiple years Luana had spent at Camp Half-Blood, she had never gotten truly accustomed to low temperatures and especially not snow. Even winters in Brazil had been only the slightest bit cooler, with a few bouts of chilly winds to allude to the fact that it was no longer a warmer season. With the weather at Camp being pleasant most of the time too, Luana rarely had any clothes that were appropriate for the biting chill of snowfall. When she'd woken up that morning to see snow out the Athena cabin window, she had let out a displeased sigh. For the better half of the morning, the demigoddess shut herself indoors and stayed bundled up in her bed, leafing through an old book on Ancient Roman architecture. That only distracted her for a few hours, but the chattering of a group of her half-siblings nearby broke her sense of calm. Eager to escape the cabin, Lu found herself tossing on a thick, beige, cable-knit sweater over some baggy jeans. On her way out the door, she snatched the fuzzy earmuffs she left on a table near the entryway, stumbled into a pair of fleece-lined boots, and then wandered out into the white landscape. The bite of the wintry air hit her face at once, tinging her cheeks with pink and encouraging her to walk as fast as possible through the snow towards the dining pavilion. A pleasant aroma floated around the icy air, warm and inviting. A quick glance around the tables told her what the scent was. Chocolate. While the dryads would usually offer fresh fruit and barbecue, the ones darting around now serving the sparse group of campers outside held plates of chocolate chip cookies. "Hot cocoa, please," she murmured to one of the goblets, smiling as it filled itself up with her drink of choice. Perhaps the snow wouldn't be as terrible as she initially had thought. That sentiment didn't last long. It took five minutes, tops, for the brunette to shiver. As her teeth began to chatter, she began her trek towards the Big House, taking sips of the hot cocoa to keep herself warm. The journey took double the time it had taken her to get to the pavilion, but the warm air inside the building wrapped around her like a soft embrace. The main room was peaceful as she got there, so she settled down the plate of chocolate chip cookies on a table nearby and decided to enjoy the calm of the space. It was then that she realized she was still carrying the now-empty goblet in her hands. In her hurry to dart towards the door of the Big House again, she hadn't noticed the boy who made his way into the room as well. She abandoned the empty goblet on some of the patio furniture before returning to the room. "Now that that's taken care of-" Lu froze. Her gaze landed on the boy right as he took one of the cookies from her plate. They narrowed ever so slightly. With a scowl that was more accusatory than intended, she stalked over to him and crossed her arms. Her accent shone through even more than usually as she fought to rein some of her vexation in. "Those were mine. I don't suppose you're a Hermes kid, yeah? Tendency to steal and all that." @ Luca Cassano Edited January 5, 2023 by Luana Cardoso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luca Cassano Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 Most bits of his social awareness had went away when as soon as he set his eyes on the plate of chocolate chip cookies. The smell was enticing enough but seeing it allowed the pastries to direct his hand to grab and munch on one. Crispy golden brown on the outside, tender and chewy inside with a pronounced brown sugar flavor, subtle butter, and vanilla notes in the background. Semi-sweet chocolate chips and overall temperature was warm, the perfect gooey texture of its kind, he believed. It didn't matter what sort of cookie he ate, but it was this one that hit the spot. He isn't confident that he could recreate the cookie at home, but there are times he and his father baked for themselves or others. With his father being a chef, Luca can be found helping out with preparing and cooking meals. It was the year that he first arrived at camp that the two of them started learning the art of baking. Tasting these cookies reminded him of the good times they had trying to get the perfect cookie, albeit the kitchen would wind up being a mess. There was not anyone here he knows of that could bake confections of such caliber so he deduced that it was the work of the dryads with his siblings occupied with cabin decorating. He was enjoying some mere moments of bliss when a voice had interrupted him, prompting him to turn around to see who it was. Even though they were her cookies, he continued to chew albeit slowly. Someone who ate another's cookies by mistake would usually grow flustered but this young man was different. He just resumed eating as he stared at her with indifference and finally speaking up as soon as he finished chewing. "I'm not a Hermes kid. Though..." It was then that he found his action to be a bit rude. Not many people know this, but he can be a bit slow when it comes to social cues. "... Sorry. I didn't know. Could I have some though?" He asked nonchalantly with a smile. He already is aware this could produce bad habits, but it somehow slipped his mind. His tone slightly changed in the next moment. "Is this glass of milk yours? I want to ask before taking a sip." As if he hadn't eaten her cookie in the first place. It could likely he hers, but any sort of annoyance she was going to express would need to be clear for him to understand her feelings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luana Cardoso Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 Luana had always been the type to judge quickly. And now she was judging, judging hard. Her gaze turned even angrier-- if that was even possible --as she watched the boy chew slowly and deliberately. In her mind, he had done this on purpose. Her quick judgement offered her this: they would likely never get along. And she most surely would never get that cookie back. It didn't matter that the plate still had others, or that he was choosing to apologize. What mattered was that he had taken something that was hers. Her lips dropped from a scowl to a mildly distressed frown, and she forced herself to take a deep breath or two to regain some of her composure. As a daughter of Athena, she knew it was only right to keep a clear mind in the face of conflict, even if such conflict pertained to something as trivial as chocolate chip cookies. Well, he wasn't a Hermes kid. Good. Maybe he wouldn't take more from her in the future if she chose to stick around in his company for more than a few minutes. The wheels in her head began to turn, her natural curiosity begging her to put together the pieces of whose demigod son this boy really was. Maybe she would find out if she kept the conversation going. Mystery Boy offered her some amusement on the dreary day, whether he knew it or not. She drew in a heavy sigh. "Looks like you already did. Have some, I mean. I suppose I can be generous enough to share. " Luana settled in the seat across from him, playing with the frayed ends of her sweater. "De nada," she murmured under her breathe, a bit bothered that he hadn't even said 'thank you' for the delicacy. She would say 'you're welcome' regardless. At his question about the milk, she scoffed. "Oh meu deus!" Oh, my gosh. "You really don't learn, do you? Even if the milk isn't mine, it isn't yours." It was almost funny, how ridiculous the interaction was going. Ever the type to offer solutions, Lu stood from her seat and gestured to the door. "The dining pavilion has all these things, you know." @ Luca Cassano 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luca Cassano Posted January 6, 2023 Author Share Posted January 6, 2023 Luca held no remorse for what he did and the lass's reaction did not stir him one bit. Many of his friends found this to be bizarre, others just plain annoying. The child cared little about what others think of him, but that could change depending on the person. His slow pace chewing returned to normal once she had expressed her intention to share with him in spite of the boy already having one. He'd normally be the one to hear an angry tone by now but he was happy that she did not raise her voice at him - at least, kind enough to even let it go. Once he finished his cookie, he drank the milk in question anyways, not minding whoever would come inside and claim that it was theirs. It was his need to quench his thirst after devouring that circle of sweetness and they could have not left it there if they actually wanted to drink it. But to find two things that were for two different people, he thought it was a bit amusing. He had no intention of apologizing for the milk since that person wasn't here. "I came here to check in with a cabin leader since I'm sticking around for the holidays. The pavilion just... slipped my mind I suppose. What else were the dryads' serving out there?" Luca helped himself to another cookie to savor that same texture, flavor, and sweetness that he so loves while he was still curious about the camp's seasonal menu. Some of the crumbs fell on to his ugly sweater and he patted that spot so they fell again towards his jeans. It was barely noticeable to him and easily forgotten now that he's entered a conversation with the owner of the plate of cookies. It sat in the middle of the table while the half empty glass of milk was more on his side. "Thank you." He added, a bit he also felt like was missing. Even if it was too late, he felt it was better to say it now than never. "I'm Luca. What's your name? Are you sticking around for the holidays too?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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