Alberto "oh no" Scorfano (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
prontissimo) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
avalononline2021-11-30 09:34 pm
prontissimo) wrote in avalononline2021-11-30 09:34 pm
text; un: signorvespa
i hate this
the sky has been leaking for DAYs... WEEKS??
it's so cold my eyes are frozen!
i hate this weird white water
i want to go outside...
[ A photo of a colored pencil drawing is attached... depicting Alberto "(in a blanket)" beside his familiar Carlo and his pet compsognathus Sofia, trapped inside his home "(forever?)," labeled "cold, alone... and fed up!" beneath falling snow — AKA "weird white water??? (every day...!!!)" — outside the window... All of them clearly "very unhappy" — the sheer image of misery itself. ]
SO!
let's trade!!!
anyone who can help me find or make something like this, i'll cook you food or something, whatever, we'll talk......
but as soon as possible,
i need one of THESE:
[ Another image is attached of Alberto wearing what... seems to be a diver's suit? Or something??? Holding a "giant umbrella" in one hand and Sofia on a leash in a harness in the other, Carlo floating above, all "dry, safe, warm, and NOT at home..." There's still plenty ofsnow white water around them, "but not on Alberto!" Most importantly, though, in this drawing, they're all happy! — as... baffling as it is to anyone else, surely... No thanks, no niceties, just complaints and demands, urgent, desperate, and maybe a little, um, bizarre? Un po. The kid's gone mad with cabin fever, possibly? This is... well... th-this is something. Definitely something. Ahem. ]
the sky has been leaking for DAYs... WEEKS??
it's so cold my eyes are frozen!
i hate this weird white water
i want to go outside...
[ A photo of a colored pencil drawing is attached... depicting Alberto "(in a blanket)" beside his familiar Carlo and his pet compsognathus Sofia, trapped inside his home "(forever?)," labeled "cold, alone... and fed up!" beneath falling snow — AKA "weird white water??? (every day...!!!)" — outside the window... All of them clearly "very unhappy" — the sheer image of misery itself. ]
SO!
let's trade!!!
anyone who can help me find or make something like this, i'll cook you food or something, whatever, we'll talk......
but as soon as possible,
i need one of THESE:
[ Another image is attached of Alberto wearing what... seems to be a diver's suit? Or something??? Holding a "giant umbrella" in one hand and Sofia on a leash in a harness in the other, Carlo floating above, all "dry, safe, warm, and NOT at home..." There's still plenty of
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So. Lots to catch up on.
She gives a little smile to the cat creature - cuter than she'd thought Alberto would want in a pet, but hey, nothing wrong with that! - before taking a seat. ]
Take your time, buddy. I've got no other plans today... and my roomies know I keep odd hours.
[ Her sleep schedule being 100% screwed up from, again, living on the moon where sunsets/sunrises/THE ABILITY TO PROPERLY TELL TIME wasn't really a thing and she usually just slept when she... passed out. So, adjusting to having a regular sleep routine has not been easy - but this isn't the focus. What is the focus? Free reign to go through something's things! Neat! Time to let her curiosity take over!
Besides, this is something you'd like someone you like do, right? If you hated them, you wouldn't want them to touch your stuff! Yaaaay!
So with a happy hum, Della begins touching absolutely everything and anything she can get her grubby little hands on. Not everything is surprising, since he's a kid, a little boy, and just Luca in general - the Vespa doodle makes her chuckle again - oh, he's a really creative artistic type, isn't he? More ideas for future gifts bubble in her brain. Maybe he'd like a whole sketchbook, with markers and color pencils and paints...
And here comes the photos and "letters". Ah, another thing they have in common - Della's been doing similar entries, mostly in video form since that's what she's used to, as a sort of "letter" to her boys, just as she did on the moon. At least this time she knows ahead of time these can't go out, which is a bummer, but it's still been cathartic. She organizes it just a bit as she goes through it - once a Senior Junior Woodchuck, always a Senior Junior Woodchuck - mostly just keeping similar sizes together and trying to put the dates in order...
She's just about to ask who Luca is when she spots her own name, and she clenches up momentarily... oh! This first entry is awesome! Yeah, she's so cool! She made quite the impression on him didn't she? She's practically beaming with pride, glad that she rubbed off on him on the best ways.
Then comes 92. Her cheerful smile begins to fade. Even though Della would never claim to be a genius, it really doesn't take much to put two and two together. In fact, it's like a cliché fanfic -
Oh.
Oh. ]
OH NOOOOOOOO!
[ Absolutely horrified by what her past self has done, she drops the photos, clutching her hair, and all that previous self-hatred not only comes back, but it's TRIPLED. ]
WHAT DID I DOOOOO?!
[ What a silly thing, she knows exactly what she did! She called this well-meaning, sweet, trusting, friendly little boy DISGUSTING
TO HIS FACE
SHE IS THE WORST PERSON ALIVE ]
ALBERTOOOOOO!
[ With that, she BOLTS out of her chair, intending to run right towards him and, if possible, give him the tightest hug her body can manage. He didn't need all his bones, right? ]
I'M SO SORRYYYYYYY! OH MY GOSH I'M SO SORRYYYYYYY!
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However, when she grabs him into a tight hug, it catches him entirely off-guard, and he kind of, uh, screams... ]
Aaaah?! E-Ehh, wha— what?! Signora, basta!
[ Wh-What is happening...?! Pasta spoon still in hand and held out carefully, with one arm he vaguely pats her on the back, but uses that free hand to pry himself away, looking quite distressed and confused. Did she have a, uh— a mood swing? Her Bruno started screaming at her, or what?! This night becomes more and more confusing by the second. ]
È okay, è okay! I-I'm not mad!
[ Is that what this is about...? Because he was short a moment ago? He feels sheepish suddenly for not being mindful of his own moods. Did she take his frustration with the music that reminded him of Luca personally, or just... in her feelings again, whatever those bemusing feelings are? He's never known an adult who wasn't a severe authoritative figure to one degree or the other. The way Della acts— well, she acts like Alberto... but she's a grownup. And he doesn't know what to make of that exactly, glancing awkwardly to the plates of pasta on the counter, ready for them. But they're clearly not ready for it, apparently. ]
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You should be mad at me! I'm the worst! Here I am, saying just whatever stupid thought pops into my beak without thinking! You should hate me! I wouldn't blame you! I need to make up for what I said to you!
[ Of course how to do so is... not coming to mind yet. Surely a simple apology and begging on her hands and knees won't do it. She's partially tempted to tell him to smack her head with the spoon as many times he wants, but then again, teaching him that violence is always the answer to soothed feelings is probably not the route to go down.
It doesn't occur to her yet that 1) he's been keeping the sea monster thing a complete secret and thus has no idea what she's babbling about and 2) he also doesn't know she now knows said secret. She's just too overwhelmed with agony to really make another series of connecting dots. ]
I don't hate you, I promise! I never could! Humans are gross to me too, but I get along with them just fine!
[ Surely this will convince Alberto that her intentions are good - by admitting he was already "ew" to her, in a sense! Sure, sea monsters are way more "ew", but humans are already gross and she's actually had a traumatizing experience with them, thanks to Gene the genie.]
I would never hurt anyone just because of what they were!
[ ... anymore! one-time only thing with the mermaids! she promises! ]
And I am so, so, so sorry that I made you feel like you couldn't be accepted! No one has the right to ever make you feel like that! I was so wrong to talk to you like that! And I promise, I'll do whatever it takes to make up for how badly I hurt you!
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[ Alberto is completely gobsmacked, staring at her like she's some otherworldly monster he's never seen... despite the fact that, well, that's true. He'd never found her disgusting, though. Just weird. And while it has nothing to do with her feathers or her beak, he's finding her weirder and weirder by the moment tonight, completely flabbergasted and baffled by everything she's saying. He cannot follow her train of thought at all, and that's worrying him as to his own capabilities of comprehension, man. Like, he knows he's not the most educated kid in town, but— he doesn't fancy himself dumb...
And indeed, not dumb at all, after a good long moment of silent staring at her, groveling before him, as a bright flush of color rises to his cheeks... he does connect some dots. And that stunned, bemused expression slowly, softly, cautiously shifts into anger and indignation, locking eyes with her as soon as she'll meet his. ]
...Did—... Did you read my letters? Wha— [ He sputters, as realization takes hold, trying to compose himself, searching for the right reaction... but he fails to find it. Because he's fourteen. And abused and abandoned and traumatized. And emotionally stunted, at best. ]
Those were for Luca! I didn't say you could read those! You can read— obviously! They said "Caro Luca!" LUCA!
[ He slams the pasta spoon down on the counter, glowering at Della, and spins around to hide his face — hide his outrage. He's a child, he can't control his reactions, especially after two years in isolation... But— ...little does he know, they actually share this in common, which is largely why he's finding so much of her behavior so ridiculously confusing for an adult, but that's not come to light yet. Not even close. He grumbles to himself, wheeling around to glare at her, and— surprisingly enough...
...reaches for a glass pitcher of water and two glasses left on the counter, and shoves them at her. He'd already set out two forks, and points to those a lot more emphatically than is due, for forks, before waving his arms drastically back toward the desk all this misunderstanding — or, rather, this understanding — took place at. ]
Hrrr... J-Just! Go! Put these on the table! Okay?! The pasta is ready!
[ If she's not gonna act like an adult... he's not gonna treat her like one. Though, ostensibly, he's not kicking her out, either; this is a whole conversation that's been opened, and they need water, they need pasta, they need A Moment. He doesn't know what to make of this right now; his mind is reeling. On the one hand, good, the truth is out, he can just be frank. On the other hand... y5t8wufhieajkml;,bpso
It's a harsh conflict of interests, here. But not one they can't resolve. Just one that needs to simmer, like the pasta that had been boiling. This is an altercation best served al dente — not all give. With just a little bite back. And a lot of salt — y'know, for flavor. Nothing can be bland with these two, right? ]
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Uh, but, you said I could look through your stuff, and -
[ Actually, you know what? THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO DEFEND HERSELF. Sure, when it comes to stuff like "privacy" Della almost doesn't know the meaning of the word. To her, what's hers is everyone else's, so why wouldn't everyone else feel the same? But it's clear in this moment that this is not the hill to die on - it's not even a hill to step on. Just. Stop.
She physically mimes closing her own beak with her fingers, in other words, "shutting up right now." It's difficult for Della to not make any kind of noise but it seems every time she says things, things get worse, so maybe right now shutty the uppy.
It's a small relief when he thrusts the pitcher and glasses at her, since he's still not kicking her out - even though she's given him, like, at least six more than reasonable excuses to do so - and just scrambles to the table to put them down. Then she sits, hands on her lap, head down, not touching a thing. No sir. Just gunna sit here and be quiet and speak only when spoken to and stop messing things up.
At this moment, she really does look like the child in the situation, shrinking in on herself as much as possible. She's suddenly getting flashbacks to being a young duckling and being reprimanded for teaching her younger cousin swear words, even though that was hilarious... but oof, Uncle Scrooge had let her HAVE IT for a good long while.
So. Just gunna... sit there. And be quiet. Not making a peep. Not moving an inch. The struggle is real. ]
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However, it's clear that not only is she not kicked out, but that dinner's still on, and Alberto's even going to sit beside her at the same table... so even for all his grumping as he brings out dinner, conversation is surely on its way, too. And hopefully with it, resolution. But that, uh, will take a moment for him to figure out how...
He returns with the plates of pasta in each hand, wearing a softer scowl than before as he at least tries to compose himself. The shuffled music continues playing in his pocket, now blasting an eerily mellow but cheery pop song, which just draws even more attention and weight to this awkward silence as he says nothing upon his return. He sets the pasta in front of them a bit noisily, and glances up at Della awkwardly once he takes his seat. He quickly tears his eyes away, though, closing them and sighing... before a dramatic idea comes to mind, and that conflicting epiphany lights his face up again, though his brow stays knitted. He reaches over, pours Della's glass of water and his own from the pitcher, sliding each glass into place. But instead of setting the pitcher of water down and leaving it alone once he's done...
...he makes intense eye contact with her, staring her down silently, as he plunges his hand into the half-empty pitcher. And when he does, the most amazing, unexpected, yet clarifying thing happens: his hand transforms... It loses a finger and gains webbing instead, claws instead of fingernails, turning purple and scaly. He holds it up demonstratively, his scowl staying put but turning slightly more worried as he holds deliberate eye contact still. Then, hand still dripping wet, for good measure, he takes it and drags it down one side of his face, even along his ear and a bit of his hair. And that, too, transforms, purple and scaly, ear turning to a fin, gills opening along his neck behind it, whites of that eye turning yellow, part of his hair turning to frills... He keeps his webbed hand held up as he stares her down, half-transformed, without saying a word. After a short, silent moment like this, he takes his other, humanlike hand, and wipes himself down rapidly, wiping his webbed hand on his pant leg beneath the table; and just like that, just as quickly as he'd turned fishy, as soon as he's dry again... he looks human once more. He waves his now-dry hand dismissively, like "see...?" Indeed, it's a dramatic solution, but a solution nonetheless.
And he figures, this blatant demonstration shows all that needs to be said, without a word. Why he's "trapped" inside, why he's hating the snow, why he won't go sledding with her but will go sledding with Asriel, why he won't get wet, why he's "allergic to hose water," his apparent proclivity toward oceanic things like dressing as a shark ghost of all things for Halloween, his strange slip-ups talking about "humans" when they first met as if that didn't include him, everything... But most important of all, it explains why he kept his distance after she told him she found sea creatures and merpeople "disgusting." This is him. Disgusting or not. He wasn't mad that she felt that way, just disappointed, but... he is still kinda mad that she read his letters, but they'll touch on that later. They've gotta get this cat out of the bag first. ]
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And then comes the transformation. Her entire body freezes up, eyes wide due to surprise and... okay, look, an arachnophobe isn't going to be all gung-go about spiders instantly when one of their legs pokes them in the face, so Della's stomach is already flip-flopping, hoping it's not showing up on her face. Ew ew ew gross gross gross...
However! There IS a saving grace! As we've learned today, nothing can really stop Della's curiosity, including her own distaste - so when she notices that even his eye changes, that... prompts her brain to flip a switch. She furrows her brows, blinking a bit, and then leans in as he demonstrates, cupping her beak. ]
Wow... even your pupils change! That's... actually pretty fascinating! I suppose it's to be able to see clearly through the water... is your vision affected when you're part monster and part human? I -
[ But just as she's about to bombard him with a million and one questions, she reminded she was supposed to shut up, and promptly does so, leaning back with an apologetic expression. If he doesn't want to explain anything, she's certainly not going to interrogate him! ]
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Eheh... Uhh, um— yeah. I guess a little? Ehh, not really, heh. I see great either way. I mean— I can just see better under water, y'know... in the dark and stuff...
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Almost literally lightning up, her apologetic smile turns into a sincere, eager one, with a bit of pumped fists and totally forgetting the food. ]
You can see in the dark better under water? That's so cool! Are you faster on land or on water? Hey, do your insides change too? Like, do you gain fangs or a forked tongue?
[ these are totally normal things to ask children! ]
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Eheh~! Definitely faster under water, pretty much the fastest — I'm a great swimmer! And uh, I-I don't really know about, like, my uh— guts...? I mean, I get gills, y'know, to breathe, but— Y'know. Heh, here...
[ He's stalling his pasta, too, because... well, they need to get all this out of the way, clearly. And she's taking more of an interest than he'd expected her to, for someone who said sea creatures are disgusting. Maybe she just— needs to see for herself... That's what helps sea monsters find land monsters not so disgusting, too, he figures, right? So with that, but without announcement, he jumps up and all but dashes the short distance to the bathroom. But he hovers at the door, turning around with a nervous half-smile, a rare moment of second-guessing himself. ]
...Uh— D-Don't be scared, okay?
[ He's clearly anxious, but on the other hand, also clearly excited to sort of... show off, seemingly, like he so often is. Asriel got a big, fun, dramatic reveal under the pretense of Alberto teaching the goat monster how to swim at the lake. Robyn met Alberto as a sea monster first, under a similar curse herself encountering the merpeople here together, so he didn't even need to make any reveal to her — just an admission that he wasn't cursed, too. And Chara? Surprisingly enough, Chara's never seen Alberto in his monster form. They just know he's not human. So Della is set up to be one of a very select few, though Alberto's still apprehensive for obvious reasons... But like so many things Alberto does, it's kind of zero to one hundred with this kid. The little hint of shyness mixed in is an endearing rarity for him, though. ]
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When he makes the dramatic leap and run, she's surprised but it easily clicks what he's about to do. She doesn't want to make a promise she can't keep... He's still pretty gross, all things considered.
But... fear? Hm. She places a hand on her chest, eyes down thinking seriously about this... She then takes a deep breath, and then stands up, eyes steely with determination. ]
I've really screwed up a lot lately, Alberto. And... knowing me, I'll probably screw up again in the future somehow. But at the very least, I can try to fix what I broke. So...
[ With a deep breath, she then opens her arms, more for showmanship and dramatic flair - maybe a trait they both share. ]
... Show me everything you've got, kiddo!
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So this stark contrast? It actually has him a little wistful, and it's strangely exciting. His anger over her reading his letters to Luca is subsiding, and it feels a little less like "getting this out of the way" now that he's given permission to expose himself...
Not that he actually does, of course — staying dressed here, and it takes less than a minute for this big reveal. He just flashes her a bashful smile and darts into the bathroom, jumping in the shower fully clothed. Like Alberto cares about creating puddles on his own floor...? No, he doesn't clearly, as he pops back out of the bathroom seconds later, sopping wet, clothes soaked and dripping a steady puddle on the ground beneath him as he stands at the foot of the bed with arms and legs splayed dramatically, showily... tail idly whipping left and right. ]
Ta-da~!
[ ...Wait, tail?! In fact, the tail he's grown is very long (don't think too hard about how his pants accommodate this new member, it's fine, it's fine), with sharp dorsal fins not unlike a sailfish — surely indicative that he may just well be as fast a swimmer as he'd boasted. He's grown fins and frills, what used to be tanned, freckled skin now covered in iridescent blue and lilac scales. He beams at her with a wide, toothy smile, however forced it is, revealing a mouthful of sharp, yellowed teeth, just as Della had guessed at. The whites of both eyes are yellowed too, pupils elongated, and his nose has flattened some into his snout. But for all its change, his face is no less expressive than when he's presenting human, and there's an obvious, expectant look of shyness and hopefulness, trying to read Della's reaction as he stands there baring all with arms and legs and tail all thrust out, chest puffed and panting slightly just for sheer excitement and anticipation. Still obviously the face of a child — even if it's a maybe gross, probably slimy, aquatic child. It's still recognizably Alberto. ]
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Amazingly, the tail does save the day, in its own way. It quickly flips Della's brain right back into curiosity mode - where does the tail go when he's human?! As far as she's been learning, humans don't have any tails at all! Supposedly. She's never taken a look at a human without pants before. Mental note, get on that.
So when she exhales and lets go of the chair, she really does look at him again, and can see Alberto "through" the scales - his awkward body language, the desperate eyes, the charming little smile. The fangs are pretty cool, not gunna lie. A few more breaths, in and out.
Then, she pushes herself away from the chair, steeling herself for her next big move. She can't cure herself overnight, but maybe this baby step will become an adult step. She approaches him, looks him right in the eyes... and hugs him.
Not the desperate, choke-hold of a hug like moments before, but a gentle, motherly embrace, tucking his head to her shoulder. Yes, her stomach is still gagging from here to infinity, but she's not going to let him go right away. ]
... It's nice to meet the whole you.
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But what he didn't expect in the slightest was to be embraced... And the words that come along with it worry his brow, eyes and lip quivering as he's pulled into this gentle, accepting hug, and he's frozen in place for a moment processing what's happening. And though Della's hug is not the choke-hold it was in the kitchen, where Alberto had so awkwardly pat her on the back in turn, ginger and gentle and uncomfortable... Now the tables have turned, and it's him who rushes her into a tight hug, both arms abruptly wrapping around her waist and chest, as he buries his face close in her shoulder. Their height difference is not so much, so it's perfect fitting for hiding how moved he feels by this moment. His usual MO, as well.
He can't help but think back to his first hug with Massimo, having been stopped from running away after he'd been so certain he'd ruined everything, even Massimo's livelihood, as much a fuck-up of a kid as he'd been with his actual father... But when Massimo stopped him, all that was needed to break down those walls was admitting he, too, had been a fuck-up once — even someone so capable and admirable as Massimo.
"I once made my father so angry, he punched a hole in a brick wall."
"...Then what happened?"
"Well— we fixed it."
And that was all it took to fix it for them, too. Just that vague admission. And one tight, unexpected hug Alberto thrust on the man out of nowhere instead of words in return, despite words being what he'd so longed for from Massimo the whole time. Now? He was again at a loss for words, and Della's own elicited the same solution, after so much mysterious distance. A fast, tight, close hug, slimy and scaly and wet or not — she started it.
And that's what means the world to Alberto far more than the woman even knows. He could probably count how many times he's been hugged in the past two years on his hands — his sea monster hands, with two fewer fingers than when he looks human... which, of course, is nothing more than a natural defense mechanism. Because, truly, this is the whole Alberto. And every time he's revealed it... he's been proven it's okay to do so. Ironic that it was another sea monster had been the one to teach him, indirectly, that it's not okay to be himself, his father ever-critical and ever-fed up with Alberto's near constant Alberting, but... that's a revelation for another day. This? This is enough. This is more than enough. And the way he doesn't let go shows that without any words, after all. ]
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Another common link between them - on the moon, ten years, no physical contact with anyone. Maybe she needs this hug as badly as he does.
What about his family of gross sea monsters, or any gross sea monster friends? Did he have any of either back in his world? And how many people was he hiding this form from? How long did he plan to keep hiding it? She can feel her eyes getting wet again at all the awful possibilities of his home life, and remembering she contributed to his need to hide himself... Maybe he'll forgive her, though she doesn't deserve it, but she will never forgive herself. Add it to her ever-growing list of sins.
She has to do better. For him, for her boys, for everyone. She has to do better.
She holds him as closely but gently as she can, hoping he doesn't notice the tear or two rolling down her cheek. ]
It's okay. It's okay. I'm not going anywhere... Thank you, Alberto.
[ For giving her a second chance. How does she keep earning these? ]
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"I'm not going anywhere..."
And even being thanked? He's not even entirely sure what he's being thanked for, but it strikes a chord all the same. He's absolutely hiding a tear or two rolling down his own cheeks, which he just nuzzles in Della's shoulder to dry off. And it dries off most the water on his face, as he feels his scales retract and nose grow slowly. Something about making the Change right now by accident, just by virtue of hiding that he's even slightly tearful, kind of makes him laugh, which just retracts those tears, too, as he lets out a vague huff of a chuckle and pulls back from the hug at last.
He keeps his hands on her shoulders, seeking eye contact with a soft, lopsided smile, but draws back. He gives himself a good shake off, giving an even better example of how the Change works, transforming back into a "human" in an instant as he dries off in the heated room... And yes, his tail magically retracts into his body, too. It is fascinating, from a biological perspective. But for him, uneducated as he is? This is just him. Plain and simple. Take it or leave it.
And for all his doubts and suspicions, for all his certainty a scene like this would never happen between them, Della's apparently decided she'd rather take it than leave it, gross sea monster or not. Alberto's not mature enough to thank her outright. But, well, in his own way, he still does: ]
Eheh... Uh— Th-The pasta's gonna get cold, huh...? Dai, mangiamo.
[ If she has more questions, he'll answer them, but, whew, he needs a Moment, he needs an ice breaker, he needs to keep his hands busy twisting a fork, but most of all, he needs to fill his mouth with pasta...! For having such a sharp, silver tongue, Alberto's emotional intelligence doesn't exactly follow his expressivity and emotive nature, so in an unapparent way, it's really no surprise why he's attracted to reticent adult men like Massimo and Lan Wangji... But an equally expressive but awkward adult woman? A game changer? He doesn't know what moms are supposed to act like, but if this is it... maybe he was missing out and never had a point of reference to realize it. He admired his father so much despite everything; but that didn't mean he related to him. It's a lot to chew on... especially without anything to actually chew on. He goes ahead and steps back toward the table, waving her along limply, pasta thankfully still warm and waiting for them. ]
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Not gunna lie, I completely blanked about the pasta... and I think we both drained all of our strength for all this touchy-feely stuff, so we'd better carbo-load ourselves pronto.
[ Her stomach has decided that it's better to be full than nauseous, apparently. She makes a beeline right back for her chair - giving his hair an affectionate ruffle as she passes him - and once her duck-tail is seated, she's going to forgo all manners and just wrap as much pasta as her fork can handle before cramming it into her face.
Mmm. Mutual understanding and emotional bonding. No sweeter spice than that. ]
... Fiff if freally guut!
[ "This is really good" in mouth-full-of-pasta-speak. ]
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He resumes his seat, and he's even more pleased to see Della's reaction to his food. It's not so unlike his own reaction to Massimo's trenette al pesto the first time he had it, too... except, y'know, Della knows how to use a fork and doesn't shovel it into her mouth with her hands like a wild man. It's his second time ever cooking for an adult, and knowing now that even Della herself doesn't know how to cook, he's filled with pride, feels it swelling in his chest. It even takes him pause to take his own first bite of pasta, because he's too smitten with seeing how much Della likes his cooking, just staring at her, kvelling. Like a creep. A really happy, proud creep.
Finally, with a little puff of a chuckle, he snaps out of it and starts wolfing his own food down, too, just as well-practiced as she clearly is at piling as much pasta onto his fork as he can manage. Too much alike... Too much alike. ]
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In fact, one could argue she's a bit too sloppy, even in the presence of a kid - once the pasta has pretty much vanishes, she's licking the fork AND the plate for any remaining bits and sauce. No shame, no regrets.
Once it's established there's simply nothing left on the silverware, she leans back on her seat, hand on her belly, and lets out a pleased BURP. ]
That might be the best pasta I've had in a really long time.
[ It... might also be the only pasta she's had in a really long time but shhh semantics. ]
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He leans back on his stool a bit, carefully balancing himself to sit crosslegged on it, biting his lip as he fails to wipe the proud smirk off his face. She has no idea what that compliment means to him, no idea what any of tonight means to him, beyond the tiny unspoken inference she gleaned from the way he clung to her in their hug. The kid craves validation way more than he craves pasta... And even if he's quick to brag, and hesitant to talk so openly about his true emotions, there's some strange truth that reads between the lines of the two, which surely she'll tune into over time, if not even tonight this very moment, with the way he beams at her over their empty pasta dishes, clutching his bare feet in both hands without falling off the stool, even if he wobbles a bit. She's paid him a high compliment in more ways than one. ]
Heh— Benissimo~ Ahah, y'know, my boss back home taught me how to make it... Massimo. He ran the pescheria I worked at in Portorosso. Trenette al pesto was the first human food I ever had, actually!
[ For as much as Alberto keeps a stiff upper lip, though he's not at all what you'd call stoic necessarily, he is fond of talking about Massimo. Massimo and Luca. And that's about it. He'll reminisce about his very short time in Portorosso in great detail if anyone gives him the chance to. Just the way he says his boss's name points to that somehow — a certain unplaceable dazzlement in his tone and smile. He practically doesn't even need to say this man was a father figure, if he's a human teaching him how to cook and employing him in a human town, right? If Alberto was this eaten up about revealing himself to someone who's not even human herself, it goes without saying that such an arrangement was no small favor. ]
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So after stretching her arms, she moves to slightly copy his body language, more out of affection and showing she's ready to listen - her 'good' leg propped up on the stool, her metal leg hanging back and forth. ]
He sounds like a pretty cool guy... why don't you tell me about him? I wanna hear every last detail, no matter how small. Give me all you got.
[ After all, she knows that by learning about Massimo, she's really learning more about Alberto. It's a win-win. ]
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Oh, uh— We-he-ellll..... Uh... M-Massimo is my friend Luca's friend— well, I guess she's my friend too, uh, Giulia— Massimo is Giulia's dad. And, uh, he runs a pescheria in Portorosso by himself. That's the human town I moved to— I went there with Luca... And, uh, Giulia comes in the summer, but otherwise, he's alone, sooo— he asked me to help him out, heh. And in exchange, I lived with him, and he cooked food, and he paid me some soldi, I mean— not a lot, but enough to go see a movie and get gelato or whatever. And he taught me, like, everything — how to cook, how to fish... I help him cuz, y'know, I know all the best fishing spots, and then when we're done, I go deliver the fish to the townspeople on Giulia's bike. I'm, uh— heh— I'm better at the fishing part... But Massimo's great! He's the best fisherman in town. And, hah, probably, like, the biggest human ever?! Like—
[ He suddenly climbs up to stand on top of his stool, towering over Della, and spreads his arms out as wide as they'll go, voice even more emphatic than before, for sheer obvious admiration even just over the man's size, for such a gangly noodle of a boy. ]
This big?! He's huge, hah!
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He sounds like he's got a heart as big as the rest of him! No wonder the two of you get along so well - I bet he's really glad to have such a great assistant like you around.
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[ There is something about the mirthless laugh laced through that sentence, the way his smile falters ever so slightly as he climbs down from the stool again and resumes his seat, that maybe implies he's, uh... not a great employee. But he'll lie to save face without hesitation. He's more interested in praising Massimo than himself right now, anyway — for once, he's not interested in boasting. Amazing. Della's asking all the right questions by giving Alberto the stage here. ]
I'm probably, like, the second-best fisherman in the world next to Massimo, hehe... You should see him on his own, hah— he's so cool! The first time we ever went fishing with him, it was amazing, he pulled the net out of the winch and it had some driftwood stuck in it, so he just put a knife in his mouth and sliced it off, like it was nothing!
[ The dazzlement is interrupted for just a second, to point out an important explanation at that, cuz— otherwise that might sound a little weird... ]
Oh, uh— He only has one arm. He was born like that— though, eheh, he tried to joke with me once and say a sea monster ate it, but... that was before he knew... He, uh, heh, used to hunt sea monsters before Giulia met us. Obviously not anymore, but— He's got a cool tattoo of a sea monster on his arm, too! I mean— even though it has a harpoon through it, ahah, but, uh, y'know... It's still cool...
[ So Massimo knows Alberto's truth and still hired him and adopted him into his home, stopped hunting sea monsters because of his relationship with the boy. That's important subtext there.
But as charming as it is worrisome, of course Alberto would be infatuated with Massimo's tattoos. Of course he would be. And you bet your bippy he draws fake silly tattoos on himself with markers all the time, even here, copying the man — Della just hasn't had occasion to see yet. But she surely will catch him on a "tattooed" day sometime...! ]
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But as she listens, she gets a bit thoughtful, cupping her beak before she voices her next opinion. ]
Huh...! You know, that in case, since you were the first "friendly" sea monster he ever met, and maybe the first one a lot of people have ever met... You're kinda like, their ambassador!
[ ... like he even knows what that is. She tries again. ]
Like, you represent all sea monsters! People can go "Who is the perfect example of a food sea monster?" And we're like, "Alberto!" If anyone has sea monster-related questions, we can go right to you. Cause you're the expert on them! And you're out there making a good name and example towards all sea monsters! You are living proof we can all get along!
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