avalononline | video; un: signorvespa (backdated to Stephanie's beach party last week)

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video; un: signorvespa (backdated to Stephanie's beach party last week)

[ The feed shows, unusually, not a person, but the night sky over the water — exploding with blooms of colorful fireworks. At first all you can hear is a few booms, some indistinct chattering in the distance, like a crowd of people with muffled far-off voices, maybe some laughter, but as the fireworks display goes on, the attendees of Stephanie Brown's beach party are drowned out by another boom, boom, boom, fizzle, boom...

Then a rather young voice chimes in, loud and clear over the din, close to the microphone, and it's clearly that of a tweenage boy, just on the cusp of puberty because his voice hasn't even dropped yet, maybe even vaguely cracks on certain notes when he gets too excited. But indeed, his excitement is palpable even without seeing his face. He sounds sheerly amazed, and whatever he looks like, you can tell he's got stars in his eyes. ]

Ciao~! Okay, so— Someone in the Everything Machine, anyone who knows!

I need to know how to make these...~! Fireworks...!

[ The breathy wonderment in his voice on these words, wow— obviously the coolest things he's seen in this world so far, um? ]

What do I need to make these myself?! Where do I find the stuff? How does the "fire work?"

[ Another boom and loud fizzle and crackle as a red blossom erupts into a shower of golden sparks. Even in the background you can hear others going "oooh" softly in harmony. Alberto's voice is one of them, too. ]

Oooh~ Bellissimo! Okay, okay, ciao! Tellmehow!

[ Speedily tagged on with gusto...! The urgency with which he signs off with that ecstatic demand is, well... um... Too much? Yeah, too much. Should this child be playing with making fireworks by himself? Probably n-not...? But he's eager to experiment, let's give him that much credit? ]

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Yeah! ...But we should do it in the daytime.

[ His enthusiasm is cut short by a (rare) cautious thought, glancing back at the staircase in the cliffside behind them. He doesn't explain why it'd be better in the daytime, but it's true it'd be better if there were people around, in case— well, he doesn't think just in case, exactly. But at least a bit of sensibility from Luca rubbed off on him. ]

It's funner in the sunshine. And it's better when my cat's here, anyway.

[ All this is true. Too bad he didn't explain his cat is his familiar who regularly saves his ass when he's playing this game. The whole reason he figured out he could play this game is because of his familiar rescuing him the first time he crashed and plummeted to the bottom. But he doesn't explain any of that. Just sounds like... he likes his pet cat. A lot? ]

Heheh, sorry if I seem a little excited. I haven't really been able to make friends with a lot of other kids.

( It's probably not as dangerous... Asriel knows that there are monsters here that are actually ones that might hurt others here. )

And, we were going to make fireworks!

( It's pretty amazing that he's been able to get so far with his magic without his familiar here. They were here to help, after all. )

[ The comment about not having made many friends his age strikes Alberto, and for a split second there's a flash of insecurity, empathy, emotion that he can't hide on his face. He's met a few people his age — he could say he's made a couple friends... But he's so used to being alone. Even back home. He'd just relapsed back into that solitude to a degree with the shock of being spirited away here, right after the best time of his life where he'd actually made friends and wasn't alone... And here he is now. Alone again.

But he does feel like he and Asriel could be friends, already endeared to the other. And he was curious and entertained by his long talk with Chara online, even if slightly disconcerted at moments... it was, like, in a fun way. Maybe these kids are alone a lot, too, seems like, apart from each other, and that commonality resonates. To Alberto, that Asriel hasn't made many friends his age is a plus — just further endeared. ]

[ But he's not fessing up to all that. Just masks it with a grin. ]

Yeah! Haha, you should be excited! C'mon— Let's make fireworks!

[ He stands up a bit clumsily and puts his hands on his hips, standing contraposto, comfortable and confident with a smirk on his face. Diverting the emotional topic to an activity is best for him. ]

Okay, Signor Fire Magic, show me what you've got!

( For a moment, Asriel watches how Alberto's expression changes, and he can't help but wonder if he had said something to upset him. However, that expression shifts and Asriel offers his own tentative smile before Alberto speaks.

It's easy enough to relax a bit more when he hears just how he seems to bounce back, his own smile becoming less nervous. )

Oh -- uhm, alright! ( Asriel moves back at bit, extending an arm out and focusing on his own magic. It only takes a few moment before a rather large fireball appears, floating above the ground.

Considering that he's put most of his focus into his fire magic, it's what comes easiest at this point in time. He did do it to honor his parents, in a way. Fire magic is what came most naturally to Boss Monsters like himself. )

How's this?

[ Alberto's left wide-eyed and slack-jawed before his face breaks into a bright, wide-eyed, amazed grin. He takes a step back as if to observe the fire, but then he gets too excited by it and takes two steps forward again. He reaches his hand out to be barely near the flames, testing to see if they're hot, like real fire — which is novel enough to him in itself always. ]

Woah! You just made fire out of nothing! Hah, coooool!

[ He stands straighter and backs up once more, appraising the magic before him with a thoughtful smile on his face. He extends both arms out flat toward the flames, palms open and fingers splayed. ]

Okay, okay, so— Carlo's taught me two magic tricks. Making "hard light" and making "illusions," that's what he called it— I mean... He didn't say that, but, I dunno, I knew he wanted me to know that? Anyway, I bet I can change the fire's color or something...! What color should I try to make it~?!

[ Who the hell is Carlo and what is Alberto talking about? Well enough that he smooths right over that weird line and delves into his real intents. He's already looking more smitten over the idea and he hasn't even done anything yet, but he loosens up his stance, crouching slightly, his outstretched arms shifting to a more, uh... magical stance. Like he's pretending to be a wizard or something. He looks silly. But determined — and determined to have fun. ]

( Asriel puffs his chest out at that, looking rather proud of his efforts. It wasn't really a big deal, but it feels nice to be praised for it all the same. Hey, he could barely do magic at home, so being able to potentially already be on the same level as his Mom or Dad? It feels really cool, to say the least. )

Heheh, thanks! But, gosh -- you were doing a lot of light magic too, right? I bet our power combined together will be really strong!

( He... can't help but wonder who Carlos is, but he's paying close to what he's saying regardless. Whoever he is, he does sound wise. )

Oh, uhm! Maybe we could try all sorts of colors! Sort of like a rainbow. ( A part of him wonders if they could do that, but with how confident Alberto is right now he can't help but believe that they can. He's always been influenced by those around him, after all. )

Yeah! Well— ...No. I dunno if I can do that yet. But I can try?!

[ Alberto's quick to be excited, easy to have the wind knocked out of his sails, and even easier to bounce back and get back on his feet, feeling his oats again regardless of his actual capability. He recovers from failure impressively easily, so the threat of it doesn't really bother him quite the way it might others. ]

All right— here goes!

[ The fireball is already red and orange and yellow as fires should be, so it's a good starting point for the boy to introduce a few other colors. He steps closer to it, sticking his hands out at arms' length, palms flat and open facing the flames. He's looking with that same look of intent and concentration, but still somehow a lightheartedness about him, something about the look in his eyes, as he presses the tip of his tongue unconsciously between the side of his lips. And after a moment of staring and posing like this, legs spread like he's in the midst of some heroic act, he manages to produce some kind of magic... It's barely what he'd intended, but he's easily satisfied by anything he does, provided it's fun. The yellow tips of the flame begin to turn green, as the orange shifts into yellow, and the red center into orange, lightening up slowly... Until the tips of the flames turn blue, a gradient as the green climbs down, and the yellow replaces the center, making the fire seem far less hot than it surely really is. He's elated at the sight of it, though, and a wide grin spreads over his face. ]

Hey! Hey! Ha-hah! Look, I'm doing it, I'm doing it! Bellissimo!

( For a moment, all Asriel can do is watch Alberto - green-colored eyes looking to see just what he might be able to create produce magically. Asriel himself has never seen light magic, so they aren't too sure what Alberto would be able to do. However, when the the flame that Asriel created changes colors, he jumps up a few times, hands clasping together in excitement. )

Alberto! We did it! ( He had no idea they could make something this cool with magic! At the least, it's a step forward towards creating something the fireworks that they wanted to see. )

Boy, it's really pretty, too...

( The next step is to see if they can launch something in the air! But, this is a good fist step. )

Ahah, yeah it is! Whooooo! Okay, okay, um— Now make it explode!! Wait, no— Make it explode over there~!

[ He points enthusiastically toward the water, some feet away, but keeps one hand extended, palm out facing the flame that retains its brilliant color. This... doesn't sound safe. But at least he had the good sense to do it over the water.

Except it completely wasn't inspired by safety.

He wants to see the lights of the exploding fire reflecting over the water. Cuz it'd be even prettier. Th-That's it. ]

( Focusing for a moment, Asriel gestures for the fire to move forward, moving it towards the ocean before he lets his hand fall, watching it explode into various colors. Hey, he has nothing against being safe! )

Gosh, we really did it! Heehee, it's even more amazing than I thought...!

( He sort of had his doubts, just because he's never tried to use his magic like that before... )

[ Alberto is beaming at the display, eyes alight as if the reflections of the fireworks’ sparkles just slipped over into him. As the colors dissipate, he whoops, throwing his arms up triumphantly, fists balled. ]

Whooooohoo! Ahaha! That was amazing! Hey, you really are Signor Fire Magic! Hah! Well done!

[ Alberto’s encouraging, excitement contagious, smiling at Asriel warmly and placing a hand on his shoulder fondly. ]

Wanna do it again~?!

( Asriel can't help but look rather proud of their work. It's the first time he's ever seen magic come together to make something like this.'

He jumps a bit in excitement at the question, nodding his head. )

Uh-huh! Let's do it again...!

( He moves away a bit then, giving Alberto the space he needs. )

When you're ready, I'll use my fire magic.

[ Alberto laughs, a genuine and bright trill to his laughter, like bells — the way children should laugh, somehow. He readies his hands, spreading his legs, wearing a wide grin as he glances at Asriel and turns his gaze back on the waters in expectation. ]

Okay, go! What about, um— pink? And green! Like a watermelon!

[ He's smirking brightly, cocky and proud himself. But Asriel should be proud. This is an accomplishment for them both. ]

Andiamo! Go for it!

( The laughter is more than enough for him to do the same. It's... nice, to say the least. It feels like hasn't really gotten to play with someone like this without any worries in a long time.

Asriel focuses for a moment, making yet another fireball and pushing it forward -- expanding it this time as it hovers over the water. He looks to Alberto eagerly then. )

How about this?

[ Alberto's grin is nearly as bright as the fire, his eyes watching it float along the water as the flame dances in its own reflection. The red-hot center starts to ooze slightly magenta, hot-pink, pastel pink... Alberto has a look of intense focus on his face, biting his lip in thoughtful attention as the outer-ring of the fireball turns suddenly bright green.

Then, his eyes light up, and he comes up with an idea. He is really testing the limits of his magic. Which is, really to say, he's just fuckin' goofing around. He thrusts his hands out with even more force and useless dramatics, crouching down slightly as a smirk crawls over his lips. It takes a moment, but one by one, small pearls of deep purple, almost black, appear in the air before the fire, sparkling gold seemingly before erupting into white light, mimicking the shape he'd seen of the fireworks — Alberto's light illusions... as exploding watermelon seeds. Why? Why not.

He's so chuffed with himself over that, though, and his self-satisfied smirk turns to an ear-to-ear grin. He doesn't let up the illusion yet, though, throwing his eyes toward Asriel excitedly without a word. They've clearly got this. ☆ ]

( Asriel watches as the colors change, eyes seemingly lighting up more with each passing moment. Considering that Asriel's seen magic be used for both combat or more practical purposes, there's something all the more magical about using their abilities for something fun. )

Woah! You're amazing, Alberto! ( Asriel runs to the shore, jumping a bit before looking back to his new friend. )

We make a really good team.

( After all, Asriel wasn't even sure if they'd be able to successfully make these fireworks -- but, they were truly be able to do without far too much effort together. )

[ As their handiwork dissipates, Alberto's grin stays firmly in place. Seeing Asriel leap for joy makes his heart leap for joy, too. It's the most fun he's had since he got here, hands down. He throws his arms up triumphantly and lets out a loud whoop trilled with laughter. ]

Hahah, whoohoooooo!! Yeah-hahah, man! We did it! We're the Firework Masters!

( With all the darker things that has seemed to happen here, it feels nice to just have fun. He always has fun with his sibling, but it feels like the first friend that he's met here that's his age.

It's his turn to laugh when he hears Alberto laugh, eyes lighting up once they finally stop. )

Gosh, that was really fun! What else do you think we'd be able to do with our magic together?

( Well, maybe not tonight, but it's definitely an invitation to see each other again. )

[ Alberto grins brightly at that, and reaches a hand out to affectionately, firmly place on Asriel's shoulder. ]

Anything we put our minds to, that's what!

[ He's endeared for sure, feeling much the same. It's not always so easy for Alberto to make friends. Sometimes he's a little... too much. But Asriel seems to appreciate his too-much-ness more than anyone else here has so far. This was freeing, refreshing. And definitely an accepted invitation for more of the same. ]

( Asriel grins in return, small tail beginning to wag happily in response. )

I can't wait. ( He respond honestly. ) W-Would it be alright to meet again soon?

( Asriel tends to get overexcited at times, so he doesn't want to push things too much! But, he really can't help but ask. )

[ Alberto's smile stays put, eyes bright and warm, half-lidded and fond. ]

Yeah-haha, for sure! Call me on the Everything Machine whenever you want~

Okay! I promise, I'll call you so we can play again like this!

( He can't help but pause for a moment. )

Should we walk back to the inn together...? It's pretty late.

Heh— sure~ You live there too, eh?

[ Alberto's smile turns a little lopsided, softer, a dynamic and expressive kid if there ever was one. He collects himself and turns sharply on his heel, heading away from the shores, but waiting to fall in stride with his new friend. ]

Uh-huh. Chara and I share a room.

Even though we get money for going to school - we can't get our own place.

( Asriel walks side-by-side with Alberto, keeping at a comfortable pace for the both of them. )

Pffft...

[ He can't help but roll his eyes at the comment about school, blowing air dismissively. But he says nothing of it, just shrugs with a wave of his hand in the air. ]

How old are you guys, anyway?

Chara's 12, and I'm-- ( He pauses, as if he has to think about it for a moment. ) ... I'm 10.

What about you?

[ Alberto raises a brow at him; it's not like he can tell the age of some boss-monster-goat-kid by looking at him, after all... So... Ten it is. An endeared smirk grows on his face, barely more than a smile were it not for the smugness at admitting his own age by comparison. ]

Heh. I'm fourteen.

Edited 2021-10-22 04:43 (UTC)

( In a way, Asriel is far older than Alberto -- but... details. He doesn't need to tell him that. Not yet. There's no reason to bring the conversation down with a something sad in Asriel's opinion. )

Fourteen? Gosh... You and Chara are the same age.

There aren't a lot of kids here, so it's been sort of fun to meet others close to our age.

Yeah, that's how I met Chara— err, "met" Chara... They posted on the Everything Machine asking who all were kids here. So I responded.

[ He gives a shrug. He'd been pretty charmed by the idea of a "kid gang," but when Chara framed it like a support group, Alberto lost all interest. He was far more interested in just talking to Chara. In fact, it was one of the most fascinating conversations he's maybe ever had... and Alberto's pretty easily fascinated, so it's frankly saying something. Bravissimo, Chara. ]

Y'know— my best friend back home, he's twelve, too. Us kids gotta stick together, right? Chara seemed pretty independent, like you guys know how to take care of yourselves. That's good. I mean—

[ He throws shifty, uncertain eyes at Asriel, a kind of hesitant emotional weight sneaking into his voice, which is quickly (and rather obviously) disguised. ]

Ten is definitely young, but... Twelve, you can pretty much figure it out without grownups around. Heh. ...You're lucky to have Chara here, y'know?

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video; un: signorvespa (backdated to Stephanie's beach party last week)

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whoops idky i wrote that he stands up again in the last tag, sorry lol, disregard that

oh, no worries!

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