He laughed a little, cocking his head for a moment. "Mm…I don't really know my zodiac, no." They replied, shaking their head and shrugging a shoulder. His fingers tapped gently against his pant leg as if playing a piano as he spoke, a soft little fidget that he didn't seem to be capable of stopping, because he hadn't even noticed he was doing it.
Con perked up at that, suddenly adjusting her position and spinning around to face him. "When's your birthday? I went through a horoscope phase when I was like, sixteen, so I can tell you all the basic information. Uh–" She almost seemed so calm down a little, though it looked like withering on her. "If you want to know, that is."
"July 1st." He replied after a moment, looking at her and wondering what that would mean. He hadn't ever really thought much about horoscopes or any of that, and so he had no idea what he was. Hell, he didn't know hardly anything about how it all worked, either."
Con blinked, once again brightening up, this time with a surprised smile. "We're only a few days apart, I was born June 20th. Like, at night. Hence the definite cusp thing. That makes you a Cancer though, you're a water sign. Cancers are, allegedly and according to horoscopes, the more caring and emotional sign. Imaginative, creative, and loyal! Your sign is a crab." She added, as though that would sell the whole thing even more.
He blinked, nodding slowly. "I see." They weren't sure if they thought it made sense or not, but it did sound like it rather fit him, at least a little bit. Then again, maybe it was all bullshit, he didn't know, and they weren't going to judge, either. It was fun, even if it didn't mean anything. "I suppose I can see how that would work, then."
"There's twelve commonly used signs, but historian people are saying there was a whole thirteenth sign that we like…ignored, but that we should have been using because everyone's horoscopes and signs are wrong now in that chunk where it should go." She said, once again reaching up to twirl a strand of hair around her finger. "Which would honestly be hilarious. That's like finding out we were missing three planets in the solar system or something."
((did you know each zodiac correlates to a greek god. i just found that out lmao, and con's would be hermes(gemini) and artemis(cancer), which means lucian's is also artemis and that's irony at play in the best way))
They laughed a little bit. "Yeah, I can see how that would be disorienting, to have a missing zodiac sign that's throwing everything off. But I'm not sure it can be compared to three planets in the solar system. Although, some scientists are saying there's actually another planet, planet X, that they just can't find. All the gravitational pulls point towards either another gas giant, or a black hole the size of a bowling ball."
(lmaoo it would be even better if Lucian's correlated to Apollo)
((artemis is apollos twin lmao, he basically got his aunt))
(I know, I'm just saying lmao)
"Maybe not three planets, then. But at least one, obviously." She said, looking up to the sky to look for the moon. "Do you know what time it is? I can't remember where I left my phone. No pockets." Every phone number she'd ever need, she had memorized, anyway. The couple numbers her mom had, her dad's, and the numbers of people to reach out to in a pinch. Her phone was ten dollars at a pawn shop, so losing it didn't waste any money, either.
He pulled his own phone from his pocket. "Yeah, it's about nine thirty." He said, looking over at her. "Why?" They were unsure if maybe she wanted to go back. Was she bored of their company? He didn't blame her, if that was the case. He would get bored of their company too.
"When do you have to go home?" She asked, looking back down at them. Her legs were crossed on the log, hands placed flat in the space created by the pretzel shape of them. She didn't have a curfew. Her mom knew she was careful, and safe. Confident in her abilities to either avoid trouble, or make it safely out of it. And the rule was, if Con was even slightly concerned or worried, she should and was welcome to call her mom.
"I'm feeling up to a small adventure before I leave tomorrow. Like…an appetizer adventure. Before a bigger one, you know? And it's always nice to have company on adventures."
They considered the question. Their mom was too out of it a lot of the time to really care what he was doing; it was a small miracle that they hadn't gotten lost or kidnapped as a child, and they knew it. "I don't have a curfew." he said slowly, shrugging a shoulder. "And I'd be willing to go on this adventure, if you tell me beforehand what you have planned. If it's drugs, than I'm sorry, but you'll be going alone. I don't…I'm not getting mixed up in all that."
Con, for a moment, looked absolutely appalled and offended. "Drugs are a bad adventure. There's not much fun in losing your mind to something that tastes or smells horrible, if you ask me." She said, tone properly offended. "Anyway, there's a Shakespeare in the park happening at ten, and we can make it in time if we hurry, it's pretty close to here. Or we could go to a museum, those are so fun at night. My third option has to be a surprise, but it's mostly legal and won't involve substance abuse or you getting mugged, don't worry."
They perked up at the mention of Shakespeare. "I would love to see Shakespeare in the park." he said with a little smile, thinking of the tattoos they bore and the worn copies of Shakespeare on the shelves of their room. "If you're alright with attending it with an admitted Shakespeare nerd."
(djgskbjdh Lucian eventually awkwardly flirting by quoting romantic-ish Shakespeare lines "shall i compare thee to a rose")
((i think it's fairly obvious responses are gonna be weird for a couple weeks while im gone lol. also dchd con would think it's sweet even if the actual context is a lil oop))
Con made a mental note of the excitement, doing her best to file it away. She might never come back to California, but she was starting to hope she might. Lucian was cool. Like the kind of person she could imagine herself being actual, honest friends with. And if she ever saw them again, knowing things he liked was important.
Shaking her thoughts away with a confident smile, she sort of threw herself off the log while grabbing their hand to tug him up. "I've been hearing about this for like two weeks straight from one of the actors–friend of mine. I think I can handle you being into it. All it really means is you'll actually appreciate it." She stated, not letting go of their hand as she took off down the sand. "We have just enough time to stop by a convenience store, too. I'll get Charlie his empanadas, and we can get some 'movie'–" She made air quotes with her free hand. "–snacks. What kind of snacks do you like?"
(that's fine, have fun! dkgbh yeah lol. I just have this picture of him just. using Shakespeare when he's anxious and she's just staring at them like "why are you reciting a whole three pages of Hamlet off the top of your head" and he goes "I'm stressed, leave me alone" and then continues with the monologue lmao)
Lucian let her pull them up. "Probably a cream soda and salt and vinegar chips, why?" he asked as they walked alongside her, back towards the party. "And do you have a vehicle or how shall we be getting around?" he had caught a ride with someone who he was sort of friends with, and they figured they would just send a text to said friend, letting the friend know that they had a ride and not to worry. "I don't have a vehicle, I caught a ride with a friend."
((local demigod recites the entirety of hamlet, act 2, before their mid terms))
"So I don't forget to grab them, obviously." She said, like it should have been obvious. With the faster pace, they approached the party a lot quicker than they'd left it. "Well, I was going to walk, it's close enough. But I can get a ride. I'll make sure you get home safe, and before one in the morning. And with all your shoes."
As they made their way into the crowd of party-goers, Con kept a tight but not uncomfortable grip on Lucian's hand. Her other hand generally appeared to stay at her side. She briefly bumped into someone, some guy who was obviously three sheets to the wind and looked about to pass out, but kept going at a steady pace. By the time they cleared the crowd a few minutes later, heading up the small hill towards the beach lot, Con lifted her hand, a set of keys dangling from it.
She'd made sure to slip the guy her number to get his car back, of course. But he was too drunk to be driving anyway.
"I'll drive. Do you have a license on you? I have one, it's just Italian."
(kgsdbfkhb yes. Lucian, in midterms, muttering under his breath– "to be or not to be, that is the question" while doing math problems lmao)
"I have a license on me, yes, why?" he asked. He blinked at the news that she had one, just Italian. He hadn't been expecting it to be Italian, obviously. "Have you made sure it's legal to use an Italian passport in America?" they queried, cocking his head faintly at Con.
"It's not a passport, just a license. I have…dual citizenship." She didn't mention where exactly those places were. To be honest, she wasn't even sure herself. She'd been born in Greece, but traveled so often that nowhere really meant home. Somehow, she was able to go anywhere, for any amount of time. That was probably her dad's doing. "An Italian license is valid in the U.S., it's just that most police officers in the U.S don't read Italian, so that can be an issue. So if we somehow get pulled over, you can vouch or whatever." Con clicked the unlock button on the fob, following the noise to an old Chevy truck. "Oh, nice."
"My bad, got confused for a second. I mean license." he replied with a quiet laugh, following her towards the car. They raised an eyebrow a little at her last comment, wondering why she seemed surprise at her own vehicle. They had assumed it was her vehicle, anyway, since it was strange if it wasn't her vehicle.
If asked, Con probably would have admitted to lifting someone's keys. Sure, it wasn't exactly moral. But she never returned anything in bad shape, and always made sure things were returned. So there was that. But Lucian didn't ask, and she didn't tell.
"My passport is Greek." She said, climbing into the driver's seat. There was a half consumed energy drink in the front cup holder, and she made a note to buy the owner a new one before returning the car. Two. Two made her next action–picking up the can to drink out of it–a lot better. "'Cause like, technically that's what I am. Not technically, just actually, but I haven't been back in a few years. Does two count as a few, or would that be a couple?"
"Two is a couple. Like we're a couple." They replied, then realized that that was not a good comparison. "Er– not that we're a couple! I'm just saying. We're a couple people, not a couple. Uhm. Yeah." He cleared his throat awkwardly, hoping she wasn't offended or upset by his words.
"I think it would be a couple of people." She said, tilting her head as she thought about it. Not seeming to notice his worry, she carried on, unconcerned with the accidental implication. "So it's a couple years, not a few. And I mean, we probably look like a couple to people who are into assuming. There's a lot of those out there. Hop in, we've got Shakespeare to see! They're doing Taming of the Shrew, that one's my favorite. Mostly because I like Ten Things I Hate About You."
He nodded slightly. "Yeah, of course. Oh, I don't believe I've seen Taming of the Shrew. I've seen plenty of others, but not that one specifically, I don't think." They ran a hand through their hair, pausing when they got to the truck.