halfbloodhill_logs | Fly Away to a Cafe

Entry tags:

Fly Away to a Cafe

Who: Everyone who wants in!
What: The V-Day Café! (Yes, that's what we're going with, no, you can't make WWII jokes.)
Where: The Big House
When: Valentine's Day, mostly evening but various times
Warnings: I have no freakin' clue, it's probably going to depend on individual threads

At 6:00 sharp, the doors are officially open on the first ever Camp Half-Blood Valentine's Day Café. The two biggest rooms on the first floor of the Big House have been turned into dining rooms, one decorated in a much more traditionally "romantic" oeuvre for couples and the second into a relaxing place to hang out just among friends. Both rooms are serving the same menu, and both have a good number of tables set up to accomodate visitors. As people finish eating, the waiters and waitresses will roll around a dessert cart for people to make selections from. Enjolras will be ~~incredibly reluctantly~~ providing serenades in the romantic dining room with some assistance from Cosette, while Chiron's boombox has been borrowed and tuned to the local pop station for the casual dining room. Have fun, everyone!

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Oh wow. Anna smiled brightly at Gale and nodded. "I am! Follow me please!"

And so she leads the way to that hidden table, standing off to the side when Lydia stands up to greet him. "Um! So... your water's there and your menus and everything. Take your time! Your server's gonna be out soon... So, enjoy!"

And that was a bit too much giggling on her part, but oh goodness they made such a cute pair! She... might have stood there a fraction of a second too long before awkwardly excusing herself and rushing back towards her post.

He follows obediently, still wondering what he's been roped into, and makes a mental note that where they're going is separate from the rest of the couples out for a date. He pauses unintentionally when he sees Lydia stand, surprised and unsure of how to react, but thankfully Anna fills the awkward silence.

This must have been your brother's idea," Gale says when they're left alone. It explains why the guy had been so distraught over his clothes. Though it's fascinating to note that they'he both been surprised. "You, uh - you look great."

It's only slightly awkward, right?

"Actually, I look stunning." Lydia says with a grin, "But I'll take great. You look amazing. Uncomfortable, but amazing." She comes around the table, right up to him - she smells like strawberries - and reaches up to his collar to loosen his tie.

After a moment she removes it all together, unbuttons the top button of his shirt collar, and drapes the tie around her neck, letting it drape on either side. "Better?" she beams up at him. How can she not get into the spirit of the thing?

Well, he can't deny that. She is nothing short of beautiful.

"Much better," he agrees, taking a breath. "I'm not used to wearing things like this." As if it needs to be said. It's clear how out of place he feels right now, among all these fancy things. Lydia, of course, looks right at home, and he's not surprised by that in the least.

"You know, this isn't any different from talking with me in the stables." she points out gently as she retakes her seat. She really wants him to relax, so she's trying to put him at ease. "I mean really, the only difference is that our clothes are nicer, we don't stink, or have pegasus manure on our shoes."

She grins at him adding, "And since I'm pretty sure you know how to use a fork, I think you don't need to worry that I'm going to look at you funny because you like the food."

She tugs absently at his tie draped around her neck, the ends dangling down toward her neckline. "Don't be uncomfortable." she says. "The last thing in the world I'd want is for you to feel uncomfortable around me."

"I don't always have pegasus manure on my shoes," he says flatly, suddenly feeling a little defensive. It's not like he's on stable duty on a regular basis, or that he likes it.

But anyway, they've clearly been set up tonight, and there won't be any getting out of it, if he knows anything about Lydia's siblings. So he settles into the chair and tries not to think of how much more comfortable he would be in his own clothes.

"I didn't even realize what day it is," Gale admits, giving Lydia a faint, wry smile.

"I didn't say you did. But I've ended up with it on my shoes every day this week." she says with a wry smile in return. "My point is, this," she gestures at the table, their surroundings, "It's just window dressing. Don't let it make you uncomfortable. It's still just me, even if clearly my brothers and sisters have hatched a well-executed conspiracy on our behalf."

She lets out a laugh. "Yeah, I'd figured." she admits, and doesn't seem upset about it. "I'd honestly planned to throw myself into helping my cabin and anyone who needed help. But I have to admit," absently she toys with one of the ends of his draped across her neck with her fingers, "I'm glad they did it."

Lydia's right; he's just being... Well, being the legionnaire from a poor family and the least-liked cohort that doesn't know much of anything about all these fancy window dressings. He's not used to it, he's not comfortable with it, and he definitely does not belong here.

But even so, Gale can manage a smile for Lydia. "Where do you think they got the idea?" he asks, leaning back in his chair. Maybe after he'd left a note for Courfeyrac to send Lydia that flower? It wouldn't be unlike a child of Venus to assume something's there.

Though, to be fair, there is something. He's just not sure what.

"Me too," Gale admits finally. He's curious to see where this goes.

She lets out a little laugh. "Well, I have been spending a lot of time with you. And I'm not the only amokinetic in my cabin." She doesn't blush, not exactly, but there's a brief lowering of her eyes. "Not to mention jumping the border with you. I'd do it again, by the way."

Orders are taken, and Lydia keeps hers pretty simple. Chicken, rice, green beans. Nothing that will mess with her breath or get caught in her teeth. Not that she's thinking someone's going to get anywhere near her lips tonight or anything. No, of course not.

But as they await her food, she notes, "You know, I've been thinking hard about that thing we we were both worried about. That I might be...effecting you. In a way that isn't normal. I mean, I hope I have an effect on you." There's a faint smile. "But in a...natural way." That makes sense in her head, alright?

"So I realized something about how amokinetic influence works." She peers at him. "I aggravate you sometimes, don't I. I mean, you know I'm not perfect and sometimes I don't say the right thing and you don't gloss over it when it does. Right?"

That hits him hard and Gale catches himself staring at her in surprise for a moment, not sure what to say. Thankfully, a distraction is provided when they're asked about orders, and he asks for the chicken as well, with potatoes and carrots, hoping for a small reminder of home.

Lydia would help save his family again, huh? With any luck, the need would never arise, but Gale knows better than to count on that. There are few people that have expressed such a sentiment to him, though, and all of them have been in the Fifth. It's strange, but... refreshing, in a way, to hear that from an outsider. And a Greek, at that, when they'd been taught that Romans and Greeks could never get along. They've proven that wrong already, more than a few times.

But he has to tune those thoughts out, because Lydia's speaking again. "In a natural way," Gale echoes, the meaning almost lost on him. His brow furrows as he thinks it over. "I... Yeah, I guess you're right. What's that got to do with it?"

"If you were really under amokinetic influence you'd think I was perfection." she points out quietly. "Completely without flaw. You'd do almost anything for me without question, and while you might not be blind to my flaws, you'd ignore them instead of calling me on them." She nods, more to herself.

"I think that's the trick." she says softly. "Can you see someone and care about them, flaws and cracks and all."

He nods along as she speaks, the stories and his own experiences watching friends fall under the influence of amokinesis easily lining up with Lydia's explanation. He's seen guys risk their own lives because the object of their affections told them to.

But, as she's saying, Gale doesn't feel that need to please. He knows Lydia isn't perfect, and he doesn't want perfect. They've had a few problems before, and he's never failed to make it quite clear how he feels about them. It's hard to shake off such a deeply ingrained suspicion so easily, but the logic of it is too solid to refute.

"Maybe you're right." He knows she is. She's a smart girl, on par with the children of Minerva here.

Courfeyrac has nothing if not impeccable timing... And charm. After explaining his plan to Cosette, he grabbed her hand, pressed a kiss to it in thanks, and tugged her out to the secret table. She would have to start, but as soon as they were several feet away from the table, he gave her the signal to go ahead...

And he would join in when it was appropriate. He'd let her decide if they would just hang off to the side, crooning "I See the Light" at each other, or actually go up tableside to them.

She studies him sidelong a moment before taking a bite of her chicken. "I guess it's up to you to decide if I'm worth it." she says with a small smile. She makes no case for herself otherwise.

Courfeyrac's appearance has her peering in that direction. "Ah," she says softly, "I think we may have our culprit. I wonder what he's up to now."

Cosette lets herself be led, smiling and laughing as she follows Courfeyrac the whole way back to the table. It's probably a little straightforward, but if she's already interrupting their dinner, then there's really no reason for dithering about; she picks a spot close enough where they're not outright violating their personal couple space and gives his hand a quick squeeze before taking a breath.

"All those days, watching from the windows, all those years outside looking in..."

Courfeyrac remained at that reasonable distance from his sister, grinning when he noticed she caught sight of them. But all of that kind of stopped being relevant when Cosette started singing. He'd have to remind her later just how beautiful of a voice she has, because it entranced him right away...

And he nearly missed his cue. "All those days chasing down a daydream, all those years living in a blur.... All that time never truly seeing things the way they were."

"I think it's worth a shot," Gale decides, smiling back. No one ever could say he's not willing to take a risk. And if it defies how things are supposed to be, or everything he's been told it's supposed to be, all the better.

Following Lydia's gaze, his eyes narrow as it's revealed. He might have known it'd be Courfeyrac. No wonder the guy had thrown a fit when he'd seen Gale's clothes earlier; this is all his idea. He doesn't recognize the girl next to Courf at first, and he's wondering just what they're planning now when -

"Are they singing?" he asks, incredulous. The song isn't one he recognizes right off the bat, though the rhythm sounds vaguely familiar.

Lydia does not reply, because her hand is pressing to her mouth to suppress her urge to giggle as she watches and listens to Cour and Cosette perform. Yes, no doubt who the culprit is, now.

She inches her chair closer to Gale's, giving the pair her attention, or at least most of it, because she leans against the tall young man and murmurs, "It's adorable, though."

They do have lovely voices, and clearly Lydia is delighted without being wide-eyed about it.

Cosette perks up when she hears Courfeyrac chime in, pleasantly surprised by his voice; he may not be a child of Apollo, but she's frankly pretty impressed. She's still a little wonder-struck and blissfully dazed that she almost misses her cue as well.

"And at last I see the light..."

She's still belting her verses when she glances over at Gale's face, and has to use all of her willpower to keep her airflow steady and not laugh.

Courfeyrac wasn't about to claim himself the best singer, but he was proud of his decent enough voice. He couldn't look at Gale and Lydia, though, without wanting to crack up at his expression... So why not use this chance to serenade Cosette?

"And it's like the fog has lifted... And at last I see the light..."

Oh, and they were still holding hands, so he just gives hers a little squeeze, smiling brighter yet.

Cosette notices his attention turn to her, and starts blushing furiously, still smiling as she sings.

"And it's like the sky is new...And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted...All at once, everything is different, now that I see you..."

Major life goal accomplished, she's basically become a Disney princess.

There is definitely something more going on here than the two of them simply being serenaded as part of a surprise date. If Posy were here, she'd be squealing in delight right now.

"Looks like they're getting into it," Gale murmurs thoughtfully, pressing back lightly against Lydia. He likes having her against him like this, he realizes in mild surprise. Most of his focus is on the duet before them, however, intrigued that they've gone to such effort and almost a bit embarrassed that they had. But he can't deny that they sound amazing.

Lydia is staring at the pair for a moment, her mouth curving at the corners. Is there a little thing between those two? Maybe. Maybe it's just the performance. But she's definitely getting a little buzz.

Of course in relative terms, having Gale lean against her - because he wants to, not because he's compelled to (she believes it, she believes it so hard) is just about the most heady thing in the world.

She has to close her eyes for a moment and let out a breath; this is the closest feeling to a contact high that Lydia's ever had. Opening them once more, she continues to watch the pair, smiling and happy to applaud them enthusiastically when they finish.

Hey, Courfeyrac lives to make dreams come true. Actual Disney Prince Courfeyrac. Or something like that. Finishing the song with Cosette, he smiled even more, before glancing back at his sister and her date. Mission accomplished.

Squeezing Cosette's hand, he gave a slight bow when Lydia began applauding them.

Gale doesn't clap, or smile, really. But he does nod at them both with a slight curve upward at the corner of his lips. The performance isn't quite his favorite style of music, but they're obviously both talented, and he can appreciate that. Not bad, Courfeyrac. Not bad at all.

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