Welcome to Aurora Bay, [LUCA COCHRANE]! I couldn't help but notice you look an awful lot like [FRANÇOIS ARNAUD]. You must be the [THIRTY-NINE] year old [OWNER OF THE ROCK & BOWL] . Word is you’re [DEPENDABLE] but can also be a bit [STUBBORN] and your favorite song is [HOPELESS WANDERER BY MUMFORD & SONS]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER]. I’m sure you’ll love it!
full name: luca callum cochrane
gender: cis male
pronouns: he / him
sexuality: heterosexual(ish)
birthplace: san francisco, california
age: 39
date of birth: september 13, 1986
zodiac sign: virgo
residence: seabrook quarter
occupation: business owner, rock & bowl
time in aurora bay: as a full time resident 10 years. also every summer 1989 - 2002, partial summers after
languages spoken: english (native), italian (badly, learned from his mother’s parents)
very minor tw: passing mention of death of grandparents
For Luca, his earliest memory of Aurora Bay was idyllic summers.
His mother’s parents had retired to the beach-side town in the late ‘80s when he was just a toddler (and his sister and brother had not yet been born). At the end of every school year, the family car was packed up for the hours-long drive from San Francisco so the kids could see their extended family.
To keep things fair, the family spent time out east during the end of year holidays (either Thanksgiving or Christmas) since his father’s family still lived out there. But to Luca, the summers were his preferred vacation.
He had always been called somewhat of a thoughtful child. From a young age, the praise was that he was someone that people could lean on and look to as a role model.
It had always made him feel special that as the oldest, he had a specific relationship with his grandparents that the younger kids didn't seem to get. That meant learning his nonna's recipes from her family back in Italy, or to learn exactly what her and nonno were saying when they thought people didn't exactly understand.
Eventually, he had started to age and while he still loved the beach, and his family he wanted different things. He was more involved with a small stable of friends and as he had had a major growth spurt in the 9th grade was recruited for multiple summer league baseball teams. He didn't want to let them down, he told his parents, as they were relying on him to fill the shortstop hole as they went for back-to-back championships. He still went to Aurora Bay, but not for the extended periods he had as a younger kid.
If it meant potentially having his parents out of the house so he could have some other, more private visitors during his high school days - well they never needed to know that.
After college, Luca had gone into the financial world in San Francisco. Living with multiple roommates had been part and parcel of the long hours, each like ships passing in the night. After a few years of that, his salary had been comfortable enough to finally, finally live alone for the first time in a long time.
In the finance world, it hadn't taken long for him to realize that what he loved was the analysis. The taking data in what felt like a complicated puzzle and turning it into an easy to understand picture. The rest of it, he could tell was going to quickly lead to burnout.
When his parents had let the kids know that nonna and nonno were ill, it had been an easy decision between the siblings. Luca would move down to Aurora Bay to live with them and the others would be there as much as they could with finishing college and starting their careers.
He had an amazing two years with the both of them, before they passed within months of each other. He ended up with their house in Seabrook Quarter, slowly fixing it up with the family's blessing.
He'd always had good memories of the visiting the Rock & Bowl in those idyllic summers, so when it went up for sale five years ago it was an easy decision. He could work for himself, finally, putting down roots in Aurora Bay.
He only hoped that his grandparents would be happy, that he'd equally fallen in love with their happy place.
Appearance
6'3", athletic build
Brown hair, generally lets it do what it wants but isn't a stranger to styling wax/pomade. The ends of his hair start to curl up if he lets it go too long between haircuts but hasn't let it get overly long to full curls in a long time.
Hazel eyes
Generally has some kind of facial hair, usually more on the tamed but scruff side. Can and will grow a fuller beard but tends to do that less as the weather warms up.
Has never met a t-shirt sleeve roll he doesn't like.
Has a plethora of random tattoos mostly with a nautical theme. The largest are two on his back, one on each shoulder blade (the right side is very similar to François' in look and placement, the left is a lighthouse). The next largest is the pirate ship on his left bicep. The rest include a compass on his right tricep, a mermaid and tiny symbols for his siblings and himself on his left arm and wrist, text on his right forearm, a tiny anchor on his chest (which started it all) and a fishbone on his hip.
Random Facts
Totally a golden retriever human, which is why an ultra-competitive world like finance would never have worked
Might come off as more of a pretty face with nothing upstairs (aka the classic himbo) but actually went to Stanford for Economics. A Bachelor's degree with distinction, even. But don't go spreading that around, he has a reputation to uphold.
The (almost) entire Cochrane family has a group chat -- this would be Luca + siblings, both parents (even though his mom is a Cochrane by marriage), his kooky uncle with the heaviest Boston accent in the universe, and cousins out east and even now some of their spouses. His aunt has boycotted because there were "too many notifications" so she is the only one not involved. It now has the (in Luca's personal opinion boring) name 'the Cochrane Family'. Alas, he is no longer allowed to rename said group chat, they voted. The kids (Luca, siblings, cousins + cousins in-law) have a side chat which is where the good stuff happens, aka the gossip and shit talking (lovingly).
Will absolutely play on your intramural baseball team, thank you for asking
Loves the ocean, but once tried to learn surfing and ended up breaking his toe so he and surfboards are mortal enemies forever
🌷 = Is your muse likely to be the one to make the first move, or would they wait for the other to make a move first?
"Usually wait for someone else to make a move first. I've tried it in the past and it hasn't gone well so at least if the other person does you know that they like you?"
Ash can't help the belly laugh at the face recognition mention, and he shakes his head. "I can't ever use that. I always end up getting the photo at an angle I can never recreate, so the fingerprint route is the way I gotta go."
Save for the off chance Ash somehow loses all his fingertips, he thinks it's foolproof. Safer, too, considering he forgets every pin and password he comes up with, and he has to keep them in a notes app behind said fingerprint security wall.
"Right! Super easy. Gilly's truck will be parked out front for you to find it. I also slapped some stickers on the mailbox, so that's an easy identifier. One of my buds told me I should throw a housewarming, so that would be pretty baller, yeah?"
And a great way to break in the new backyard.
"Never threw one, so not sure what it's about. Just like a regular party or something? Who freaking knows."
"The truck and the mailbox, got it." Luca tapped the side of his head, as if physically representing that he was committing it to memory. Realistically, he would probably half remember it at some random time - especially with a couple of drinks involved. Or if he ran across said mailbox, it would all snap in place somehow.
"I think it's like a regular party, but everyone comes to view the new place?" He wasn't entirely sure either, giving the other man a slight shrug. "Maybe people give you house related gifts, potentially?" His voice raised a bit, since he was unsure if it was exactly a gift-giving occasion. "Are you two looking forward to having a big party or want to keep it pretty chill?"
Mei found herself relaxing as he assured her the food was wanted, her shoulders loosening as she smiled, "Okay, good. And yes, of course. It's...nice, having someone I can have an actual meal with who's not learning times tables and watching Bluey all day." She joked softly.
And as she spoke she moved around with him to start opening up the bags. "Wine maybe, if you wanted? Or we can just stick with water, or really spice it up and I can grab a few cans of cherry Coke from my fridge."
"I would bet you can only take so much of that Australian accent, huh?" Admittedly, other than that they were cartoon dogs that was about all he knew about Bluey. If Luna were to ask, he was going to have to fake it 'til he made it, he supposed.
"Of course wine, if you want." He didn't have that big of a collection, since it tended to be either for recipes when he was alone, or more when guests were over or if his siblings were in town. "Make it an actually adult meal," he joked, getting out two glasses to go with the rest of the table setting, going for some serving utensils to be able to dish everything out as she unloaded it. "I think I might even have both red and white, if you really want to go crazy with choices. What are you feeling?"
"I think he's cool with it? He hasn't really said anything one way or the other. I um....well, I just hope another move won't potentially affect him. And I'm also hoping that this'll be the last time for a long time. I want him to have stability." As much as he could get anyways. Mireya always worried that the loss of his parents was going to affect Sammy eventually, and if that day ever came, she worried she might not be able to handle it. She could only hope she was wrong.
"That's not too boring?" She replied with a soft laugh. "Sometimes you need a little monotony in life. Recharge the batteries, so to speak." Reya explained as she smiled at him, "But if you're wanting to spice things up, we can get you out there a bit? Sign up for dating apps, or just spiff up the wardrobe, go to the Lounge? Oh! Or Skylark. It's pretty incredible up there."
"I think so long as he has you that goes a long way. Even with some of the changes like moving again. And it's more space which is a good thing!" Being nearer by was a big thing too, that at least it was within the same town and close enough to all of his familiar landmarks. He knew Mireya was trying her best at this, and wasn't something she had likely ever expected to have fall into her lap in a way at this point. But she was doing a great job at it, and he was glad to try to help as much as he could.
"I guess I should just do the apps or something again," he considered. They admittedly hadn't been his favorite thing but it was making some kind of effort, he supposed, since he wasn't getting any younger. "At least break up some of the monotony, you know? But how about you, are you able to have any time to enjoy yourself?"
"Song?" she asks, scoffing teasingly. "Sir. I had an entire playlist at one point--The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, Thursday... Definitely some Fall Out Boy on that thing too." Zoe laughs. "I was so happy when they added the playlist to the music player. Like stupidly excited. It felt life changing." When he mentions the Top 8, her amusement grows. "Ohh my God. I bet friendships were lost over that damn Top 8, too." She shakes her head, smile remaining. "I remember when they switched it, too, and you could have, like, a Top 12 or Top 16? But real ones knew they were still in the top eight slots of that."
Her expression goes briefly wistful, but she laughs it off. "Is it sad I still kind of miss the innocence of MySpace though? No constant ads, no algorithm always trying to keep you sucked in or learn about you. Just you and your friends and the 87 bands you were following, everything just showing in your feed chronologically. The good old days."
Her eyes stay with him, and Zoe smiles again as he talks about cooking and his grandma. She can't fully relate, but she can appreciate the sweet sentiment in that, too: a grandmother wanting to teach her grandson family recipes and secrets. The expression softens some.
"I think as a kid my plan was to grow up and become so rich that someone else would cook for me," she admits with a smirk. "But that sort of fell through, and I had to learn to do it myself. My older sister kind of taught me the basics when I was staying with her... which was, like... late teens to early twenties. She is an amazing cook. Just does her thing and makes it look effortless. I... have to follow the recipes. Unless it's something really easy. Like eggs or something." She pauses briefly, then perks. "So what's your kitchen specialty?"
@lucacochrane
"You're speaking my language here," he laughed, placing a hand on his chest. "Right out of my high school and college iPod right there. Though I think they're still some of my most played on Spotify too," he confessed. Maybe he had never really grown up entirely when it came to music taste in some sense. "I don't miss the drama, of course. But yeah, I like that it was simpler. And so much more creativity if you wanted to go that way. And no ads, what a different time."
"I would still love to be rich enough for someone to cook for me," he confirmed with a wider smile. "At least not have to think about it, like it can magically appear? A dream." Was it realistic, probably not. But he couldn't help but sound a little wistful anyway. "I usually follow recipes too, but I do wander into the trying to adjust them mode once in awhile. But specialty? Good question. I probably don't make it nearly enough but a good totally handmade pasta kind of beats all others. Anything you absolutely won't eat or cook?"
"Are you any good at the balloon dart game? There's a stuffed animal I want from it, but I hate carnival games."
It's less a request for help and more of a demand, if Luca does admit to possess any skill with his hands-on-eye coordination, which is why Aeris stands there, sipping his cocktail, and waiting expectantly.
"I'll pay for the game, obviously, as long as you don't burn a hole in my wallet with a hundred rounds."
"What level of stuffed animal are we talking here?" Luca squinted, already suspicious of exactly how much effort this was calling for. "I can probably hit one or two, but if you want one of those giants that need however many," he stopped, trying to read the ranking list where it was already in half-shadow. "then I'll probably either need some help or we'll be here all day," he finished.
Juno had been on her best behavior during the carnival, which meant leaving Juno the writer of one of the biggest tabloid publications in the country at home and just being Juno the person who had no social life and was always trying to get one. Food was always the first in her list and that had her sort of thinking where to go. “ what’s your go to carnival food? If you have one?” Cause admittedly she didn’t have one herself.
"Ooh, good question!" Food was absolutely a topic that Luca could continue to go on about, and had been talking about some of the best options for carnival food even back at the Flower Fest. It was like a warm-up to the big event now. "Probably totally unhealthy for you, but anything deep fried in dough. Like funnel cakes, or fried Oreos? It feels very carnival to me. Have you ever had either?"
"I'm going to try. It's already busy enough as it is with everything going on." Running a business was complicated enough, but he knew that Luca knew that. "We'll see, but I'll tell you if we can get it going." Maybe he'd get some help from his employees. A nice raise for anyone who wanted it. "I love games just as much as I like comics." He needed new projects to keep him busy.
"I guess. I mean like nothing outside the norm." He sighed. "My personal life is falling apart. Like really falling apart. It's okay though."
"Whoa, that sounds serious." Luca let the subject be entirely away from work stuff for the moment and toward the personal life - something they both likely needed to figure out sometimes on where the line was between the two.
"That's definitely not okay though. What's going on there?"
“ okay. I’ll take that bet. What do you think then, loser buys the winner some food?” Gabe noted as he watched the guy painting his copy. “ judging by how hard he’s staring at the other one I’m gonna say it’s 50/50 just cause he’s really trying to replicate his own one perfectly “
“ I feel like you should give yourself more credit it’s way better than elementary school. “ he nodded before finishing his “ I was just worried the paint would drip and he looked like he was melting but I think I’m all good “ @lucacochrane
"You're on," Luca agreed with a laugh. He would offer to shake on it, but their hands were equally messy for the time being with the task they were both rapidly approaching the finish on. "I think the original version is going to need a mark somehow, in the case of switching," he tilted in a bit, so the subject of their conversation wouldn't catch onto exactly what they were betting on. "Because the other one is looking mighty similar."
He knew that Gabe could see it as well, which was still kind of hilarious to think about. At least all parts of his own were covered, and all things considered Luca could take a look at it now that only a few of the finer details remained. "The start of a good collection, you think? Yours looks garden-ready, once he's dry. Mine might need a higher perch if my brother comes visiting with his dog, so he doesn't accidentally become the victim of some vicious zoomies."
"I never got to do anything in Northern California. I hit Vegas on the way here." She'd meant to do that when she was chasing her brother, but never got the chance. Now she was convinced her brother wasn't living here anymore. She wasn't really looking though. "That seems like a good idea. I'd love some ideas," she nodded. "I haven't decided. Depends on how many days I can get off work."
"You can do a whole ride along the 1 and the 101 and stop as much or as little as you want, if you've never seen any of it." It was the usual route that he took when he went to visit San Francisco or coming back down to Aurora Bay when he was doing the drive between the two cities, so Luca had probably seen much of it by now. "I think the ride is a little nicer coming back south, since you can be in the lane closest to the ocean but that might just be me being a little biased," he admitted lightly. "Any types of things you're partial to visiting?"
“ I mean yes but no? My sister could get them but she doesn’t drive. I’m usually her chauffeur. “ he explained. Though he had another car aside from the hearse. He just felt awkward and a bit awful that he forgot the keys in the hears. “ yeah no problem. I don’t mind waiting. I just didn’t want people seeing me try to break into a hearse “ @lucacochrane
"That might complicate things, then. If you're the driver but you can't for obvious reasons," he gestured toward the locked door being the main one. But he could only agree. "Yeahhh, that might send a little bit of a wrong message." Even if everyone knew it was his hearse, probably not the best look to be creeping over it in case someone didn't recognize the owner at first. "I've got a bunch of random tools meant to reach long things, I think we might be able to make this work. Give me a few." He left the other man with a wave, continuing the way he was going so he could find whatever might work for the car and tossing it all into a random bag in his office to tote it all back.
"Alright," he greeted Hutch again with his collection. "Let's see if any of this might DIY unlock."
"That makes sense," she nodded. Juniper really did like living here so far. It was different than living in England, but it was a nice change. "It was strange to be honest. I mean my mum had me with a summer fling before marrying my dad. He was a lot richer than my mum's family. I liked France, I guess. I liked the manor too. Lots of room for books."
Juniper liked her siblings. She remembered when they were born. "It makes sense because my grandmother was a twin. Having a bit of a gap between siblings is probably a lot easier. I have a niece and nephew. They're both under 10." That had been a bit of tension with her and her sister.
"Yeah, isn't it strange? Out of all the places. He's from Scotland."
"Sounds like you were able to make the most of it then, for those visits?" he asked gently. He could imagine that family things were always complicated especially if there were layers to it like it sounded with June and her family.
"Yeah, I've heard it runs in families so that's not really surprising then." A nod followed, as she continued to speak. "You can be the cool aunt then, the one who lives by the beach, of course."
"That's so funny how things work, that both of you from England or Scotland and yet find each other in California of all places. How do you feel about that?"
