the unamused state

"Interesting..."Luca was dumbfounded by the woman. She collected albums based on the aesthetic of the album cover? Granted, he understood that the album cover in itself was a part of the overall artistry packaging. However, who is to say she picked up an album and the record was just random animal noises?

"You think this is bad? You should have seen some of the other shit I've brought into other people's homes. You gotta count yourself lucky that I didn't bring in a pet that I found on the street drunk one night. I'll tell you how that ended; it was a fucking raccoon that I accidentally mistook for a diseased cat. We couldn't find it come morning." And then she'd left and she remembered her friend telling her a week later that she'd finally gotten it. All ended well but crackers were innocent enough. "It's not about the crocs, it's about the little decorations." Those were what she wanted. "What do you need me to do? Seems like you've got it handled from where I'm standing at."

"That's bad even for you." A raccoon mistakenly thought to be a cat? Christ have mercy. He was going to have to vet James and her bags before she stepped foot in his townhome. The last thing Luca wanted to be doing was chasing a rodent with a broom out of his clean home. "Not about the crocs...but the decorations," he nodded, trying to grasp the fanfare. He was pretty sure his goddaughter wore crocs and that was socially acceptable, because she was six. But what did he know? "So, what decorations would you get. A sun?" he chuckled before putting the dish in the oven. "Yes, I am taking over because I don't need you to mistakenly mix baking soda for sugar," he smirked before handing her the bowl of cookie dough. "Mix and form into balls to put on the cookie sheet."

When it came to the Ricci family, Danny hadn't ever worked hard to ingratiate himself. He was in and out too often, and he knew how it looked. He wasn't exactly the prize steer that they were hoping CJ would bring home. Danny was fine with that — he played nice in the sandbox, but he didn't need to get too close. It also kept him from getting hurt, particularly when they were off. His airpods were in, and Danny was blasting his music while he walked, scrolling through his phone as he did so. He had just grabbed breakfast with one of his sisters, and decided to walk to the stadium, knowing he had a session with one of the pitchers in about an hour, and he didn't mind being early.

"First of all, good morning Danny. It's great to see you too." Luca couldn't give two shits about the relationship CJ had with the twat. They were both grown adults who were capable of making decisions. By Luca's standards, were they sound? No. However, he wasn't wiping the tears away off his sister's face because she was just as complicit in the weird ass cycle of their relationship. If that's what worked between the two of them, it really wasn't his business. However, seeing that CJ was his baby sister, Luca just wanted to make it clear that Danny would probably never be in good standing with him.

There were few relationships in Darragh's life that he felt were stable at that time, and the least of which would have been a relative of his wife's, but, Luca's reaction unnerved Darragh, as he'd expected something wholly different. "Triathlon?" Darragh whistled out a low tune. "I think my brothers and I once, and very hungover, tried to run the marathon here. I'm not sure how far I made it." He could feel his anxiety ebbing from his body as it was clear that either Luca didn't know, or, perhaps, didn't think it was his business. It was a marked difference from his sister, certainly.

"Yeah...one of the Spartan ones or something. It's about six of us guys training together. And yes, I'm doing this against my better judgment." It was funny to see the lot of them each a few months to a few years closer to forty trying to get fit and back into their spry and young shape of their twenties. Luca had always had a regular workout regime, but this entire ordeal was on another level all together. Albeit, Luca was actually enjoying himself more than he initially thought. It looked like he was gaining a new row of abs which was a nice touch too.

"These aren't shit cookies," she swats his arm as if he insulted her first born or dog. "okay, there's like two times i mixed the chocolate chip with raisins." She places a hand on his chest when she needs him to quiet down but she realizes that its her own chewing that isn't allowing her to hear. "what did she say? I swear it was something about crocs. You know, i was thinking of getting a pair only for those little tiny things you pop in the holes. What are they called?"

“The fact that you thought that was acceptable to even bring into a person’s home is the saddening part of the whole thing,” he chuckled, throwing his hand up defensively so he didn’t get hit again. If it was him and he knew he missed or messed up an intricate part of a recipe he would have just tossed it in the trash. Equating the whole situation to lack of time or accidentally burning the dish. That was far better than mixing chocolate chips and raisins. The horror. “Crocs? James. Who are you even? Crocs? Might as well walk barefoot out here,” he said, shaking his head as he returned back towards the kitchen. “Are you gonna help me or am I just working over here for free?”

CLOSED START FOR: @lucaxricci LOCATION: pilgrim roasters, manayunk

The last person he thought he’d run into was his good friend Darragh this early in the morning. Luca and four other guys were training for an Ironman for Connor’s 40th birthday. His wife told him she needed to shape up a bit and somehow Luca got dragged into the process too. The event wasn’t until July, but they were hitting the gym early at the crack ass of dawn to get their daily hours in. Plus, it was easier to be motivated when you were relying on four other people to power through with you. As he was grabbing sugar for his coffee, he had to do a double take, before smiling at the man and giving them a quick fist bump. How they were even still on their own two feet at this hour of the day was always impressive. “I am a good friend and am training for a triathlon. Don’t ask me too much about it or I may just cry.” It was the second week in and Luca was happy to just roll out of bed despite how much his body and joints hurt with each micro movement. 

"Of course," Clem agrees, smiling. "I guess that's kind of the question, though, isn't it? If the binary moral system is just a social construct? But you're probably right, it's a little early for that." Both hands around her cup of coffee, she runs her thumb contemplatively along the sharp edge of the plastic lid, head tilting in thought. "Do you think about this stuff a lot? Maybe it's just me."

"Well I'm telling you that it is. Do what you want with that information." Luca was known was a destructive force in the sense that he could blow up what was a seemingly good option for anything. Always wanting to push the constraints and limitations that people were always found in. Whether it was business related or on a moral path to virtue and wholeness. "Yeah, I do. Like the fact that we're in a simulation and I'm wondering where the key to putting it all to an end is located." Luca loved himself a good conspiracy theory and there were a few out there that are so inconceivable, that it was probably true. "Did someone put you in a box? Is that why you're contemplating this whole binary shit?"

Arms folded over her chest as she looked at her brother with a carefully neutral expression. Embarrassment wasn't something she felt often and even if it had been in this case, she wasn't about to let Luca know. Knowing her brother the whole scene had been crafted for the sole purpose of embarrassing her. "Are you for real? Maybe because it's not fucking Christmas?" Incredulous look was shot his way when the answered seemed so obvious to her and she didn't doubt that he probably knew that too. "You'd think at your age you'd know how to dress yourself." Eyes rolled before she took a step towards him, hand flung out towards him as the closest thing to an offer of help he was going to get. "Get your ass up, if I have to spend my day off helping you pick a suit, we're not leaving without one. You're making this way harder than it needs to be, Riccis look good in everything."

"But it's a stellar green suit and it's not atrocious." It was a very sophisticated suit in his opinion. Lined with silver embellished Christmas trees. It was the perfect thing for a ceremony. It would liven up the place instead of another dull and cooke-cutter ceremony. "I think once you hit forty, your start to rewind back to childlike tendencies. I read it online." Despite the fear that lingered with aging, Luca would like to consider himself still young in spirit. He was incredibly successful through his late twenties and practically his entire thirties. Plus, he was centered around family and friends, yet there was still something that felt off about this current course of trajectory. Reaching for his hand, he rose off the floor before muttering, "See that's what I told Gina and then she gave me a dirty look because she doesn't think the suit is great. Mind you, no one wants to go to an all-white wedding. What type of shit is that?" he scoffed.

"I appreciate it. They will too when they wake up." Breanah gave him a grateful smile, having gone a little too far in her own thoughts to have remembered to bring a bowl to put water in for the dogs. She gave another glance at the inside, glad to see that the rush had started to die down enough to where she could see some of the staff members visibly relaxing. "It looked like it could have been worse." she commented, knowing that it always looks like it could be worse than what it ends up being. "Ah," she gave a knowing nod, "usually not great tippers unless one of them feels bad for whatever scene they may have caused but not necessarily apologetic about it." she paused for a moment, thinking about the description she just gave. "Toddlers might fit that description too. Except I usually give them cookies or some small treat so I get some form of a thank you in the end."

"Yeah of course, no problem." Luca had a dog of his own and appreciated when businesses went out of their way to offer up a bowl for his pup or a treat to munch on. It was the small things that kept people coming back and it was merely a kind gesture at the end of the day. "Oh, you mean that rowdy couple? Yes, I'm pretty sure the blonde was about to throw her drink in the guy's face, so I stepped in before the roof blew off." Not that anyone would blame the restaurant for the dealings and matters of guest. There was a certain appearance they wanted to maintain. Fun, happy, healthy, family-friendly, and at night, a good old time who desired to have fun and drink to their hearts were merry. They were not that at all. "Yeah, I'm not really inclined to be an enabler, so I will stir clear of that. Although I guess it did work for the mouse in that book, did it not?" he chuckled. It was one his god daughter made him read to her religiously whenever he came over. "Anyways, can I get you anything else?"

"Seriously James? This is what you do? No wonder you keep bringing shit cookies from the supermarket over," he sighed as she turned on the oven. They had been working on a full meal spread with a dessert when his sous chef got distracted by some noise coming through the wall. As he walked over, he placed his ear against the wall, surprised by the commotion. "Why are your walls so thin?"