[ It's a funny thing — they may still be quite new, but it took them several days to adjust before they decided to explore underwater. There was so much to explore in town, after all, and so many details to secure about their new daily lives since spontaneously arriving here. But with how exciting it's been to find themselves among so many other non-humans, it does beg the question: Are there any other sea folk here? So one afternoon, once they were better settled in and top priorities were squared away (you know, like food and housing, ahem, thank goodness for Giulia's good sense!), seeking out fellow sea monsters has finally made the top of the boys' to-do list.
They'd floated the idea over their light lunch that day, then excitedly made their way straight to the water, subito. Alberto's feeling cheerful and hopeful still as they walk and chat, encouraged by the possibility of encountering a whole new undersea culture; he readily lets his imagination run wild with Luca's on their way to Lake Omen. ]
So what do think they're like? You think they look like us? I bet they look totally different, heh.
[ Because obviously it's a given there must be people living down there... right? ]
( New or not, when an idea gets into Luca and Alberto's head, they aren't ones to backdown easily -- especially if it means that the both of them are in agreement to said plan. Despite Luca's slight nerves in exploring the depths (call it a habit at this point -- he was very much accustomed to the fear of being discovered for most of his life), he's excited to potentially meet not only other sea monsters, but potentially other kids who are sea monsters.
The moment that they came up with the plan was the moment Luca just sort of imagined what it'd be like to swim alongside other sea monsters here. He imagined swimming in the depths, meeting a group of sea monsters that were just like himself and Alberto. ... Maybe even someone who was a lot like Giulia, too.
Luca walks quickly next to Alberto, looking at him curiously when he speaks. )
I dunno! ( And a bit more quietly, tilting his head. ) ... But, if they're sea monsters too, do you really think they'd look different?
[ Alberto raises a brow at Luca quizzically, before flashing a teasing smirk. ]
Maybe they're crab people who keep pet fish — ha!
[ He nudges Luca playfully with his elbow as they walk along in step together. He has no basis to imagine anything by, but between all the goblins and elflings here, rather than humans, really: why not crab people? ]
( Luca laughs a little before taking in what Alberto says. He's just sea monsters on land walking.... like.... crabs...
And he decides to shake off that mental image quickly. His eyes are wide, and he blinks a few times before shaking his head. That's... kind of on the creepy side, somehow! Instead, he'll stop once they get closer to the lake. )
Even if we don't find anyone... We can see what else could be in the lake!
( Hey, there's all sorts of things here that are new to both of them. Who knows what might be lying in wait under the lake's surface. )
[ That idea gets an enthusiastic reaction out of Alberto, laughing a little, face alight. ]
Haha, yeah! Maybe we'll find all kinds of cool surface stuff!
[ Hardly surprising that's where Alberto's mind goes automatically; what else did he do undersea back home, anyway, but look for rusty old human things? Nevermind curiosity about the alien wildlife here, he just likes... stuff... They're still new here, their home doesn't have much stuff at all yet; maybe they're swimming into a treasure trove here! ]
( Not surprising, no. Though, Luca would be lying if he wasn't excited to find out what could be there. A whole new world meant that there were all sorts of things that they hadn't seen yet... Whether it be from the surface, or anything that belongs in the water!
He makes his way to the edge of the dock, offering a smile. )
[ Alberto grins at Luca ear-to-ear, locking eyes with anticipation. He takes a little step backwards as if to gear up, then shoots forward at a run, leaping off the dock as far as he can launch himself into the water. He lets out a loud, ambitious whoop as he flies off and makes his plunge, laughter tinting the tone of his voice. ]
[ But when he plummets beneath the surface... He's gripped with immediate shock. Panic. Fear. He opens his eyes and the water stings slightly, his vision isn't as clear, and— nothing else changes. Nothing else changes. Oh, no.
He flails in the water as he looks down at his legs and hands, still completely humanlike, feels the absence of his tail... He's also suddenly noticing the absence of air; he'd never considered how scary that must actually feel, not being able to breathe underwater. He scrambles around in the water, searching wildly for Luca, knowing he was about to jump in behind him.
[ It's a lucky thing the kids received their gifts from the faun so late into the month, because oof. It was not the lovely gift they'd thought it was. What's worse, though, is that Alberto never quite put two and two together about the magic at play. During Naiche's "gift"-giving game, Alberto had met one of their neighbors, Luz, and stayed out a while after to get to know his new friend. So it took him a day or two to remember to put on his new bracelet... and that's when The Underdogs' problems started. Once Luca, Giulia, and Alberto were all three wearing their bracelets at once, they suddenly tuned into one another's private thoughts — at random, uncontrollably, without clear explanation. Alberto helplessly chalked it up to the infuriatingly unpredictable nature of this world. Never once did he ever consider it was maybe because of their bracelets...? And perhaps it might stop if they took them off...? After all, their matching bracelets were so pretty, why would he want to take it off? He tied it to his ankle just the once and has never taken it off since — in fact, he may never take it off, period, because he likes it and he's never had any jewelry before! But this makes it much harder to connect the dots here. Maybe Luca and Giulia figured it out, maybe not, but for his part, Alberto never read the context right... and this proceeded to cause trouble at home.
The utter lack of privacy is frustrating for all of them, but as it turns out, Alberto's private thoughts are far more catty than either Luca's or Giulia's — because apparently Alberto still finds Giulia a lot more annoying than she finds him... which is upsetting for everyone. So Alberto's best solution to avoid hurting his friends' feelings is just to... avoid his friends. Which he knows isn't the best solution, but what else can he do? Clever as he is, Alberto's selectively intelligent. Even though he never made the connection with the bracelets, he at least figured out that their new telepathy powers only worked between the three of them. He also quickly realized that if they weren't around each other, the magic abated... and so naturally, he drew the wrong conclusions. Maybe he's just falling into old habits, reaching for some familiar discomfort by isolating himself, but in Alberto's mind (as Luca and Giulia may well know, since, well, they can read his mind now), distancing himself from his friends is an act of consideration toward them. Whether that's what they want from him or not. It's not like Giulia and Luca weren't aware of this reactive streak Alberto has; but only Luca knows where it comes from. Even beyond Alberto's petty hang-ups about Giulia, the other the dark imaginings that continue to trouble him all month are much darker than he'd like his friends to know, too... and they're only growing darker by the day. Just like everyone else in town suffering from paranoid hallucinations, his fears grow stronger the longer he bottles them up. Particularly thoughts about his dad — often dwelling on whether Alberto should still miss him or not, or else wracking his brain over what he'd want to say to him if they reunited. As time goes on, though, those thoughts shift from "if" to "when," as if Alberto's under the impression that conversation may well happen soon. Again, only Luca knew the gravity of these hypotheticals about his father, though — and Alberto really would like to keep it that way. Sorry, Giulia.
So for the tail end of October, Alberto's taken to spending as much time as he can alone outside the house. He spends the entire day exploring the city, chatting with townspeople, climbing trees, chasing squirrels, avoiding his friends... It's not his ideal solution, of course wishing they were all exploring this strange new world together, but it's the only way he feels he can protect his privacy and his friendships. After a whole week of full telepathic transparency, Giulia and Luca surely both know this by now, as Alberto always feels guilty when he does return home after nightfall. These not-so-secret struggles finally come to a head late one sleepless night. Despite her own nightmares, Giulia's managed to fall asleep, which Alberto's glad for for both their sakes; but the boys can tell they're both still awake — if not by telepathy, then by Alberto noisily sneaking outside in the middle of the night. He's lousy at being quiet even when he tries his best... He's ducked out to the balcony of their treehouse, hoping the crisp night air will clear his head. Maybe Luca will fall asleep before long, too, so Alberto can be alone with his thoughts — but frankly, with the especially unnerving day he's had, he can't help but think he'd rather not be tonight. A tacit invitation for Luca to join him on the balcony, perhaps.
Alberto just doesn't know how to casually let Luca know that, um, his dad is here in Somnius...? Thankfully, there's no need to: Luca can 'hear' Alberto ask himself that very question. And it's a chilling one to 'overhear' in the middle of the night, even if it provides a lot of answers... Alberto's bottled up these shocking suspicions for so long, he has to trust his gut by now, feeling so certain that what he's seen is real, and not just his mind playing tricks on him. His dad is here. He's really here! And as far as Alberto can tell, his dad knows his son is here too, and is also obviously avoiding Alberto — like some stupid karmic punishment? Surely not, that's silly, and it's definitely not his fault in any way; his dad probably just doesn't know what to say to him, either, right? Of course his dad would still want to see him after all this time — probably? No, no, of course he would! These are the late night thoughts Luca tunes into, just some of the worries Alberto's trying and failing to quiet. But unfortunately, with a revelation as conflicting and terrifying as this, their "Silenzio, Bruno" tactic just can't cut it. ]
( It isn't just Alberto who's feeling uneasy. There's been far more tension between the three of them than any of them would really like. Luca, in general, is rather fond of his friends -- but, there are times when he can definitely feel doubt in the things that he's told, too. He hasn't attempted to avoid the both of them as much as Alberto has, but he's definitely been more quiet than normal.
The most important thing is that he has noticed that Alberto has been avoiding the both of them. Considering that the both of them are normally glued at the hip, how could he not? However, confronting him about it is another story entirely. Pushing any of them right now could perhaps only lead to even more arguing than before, and with the way that Giulia and Alberto had last fought with one another... maybe it would be better to talk to Alberto alone.
He's having trouble sleeping when Alberto attempts to sneak out. When he hears shuffling outside of their bedroom, he'll make his way outside. His hair is messier than normal, and he doesn't bother to smooth his wrinkled clothes. He looks on a bit worriedly before speaking. )
[ Alberto isn't too surprised to hear Luca's voice behind him. It's for the better, anyway, and he knows it; he's had enough alone time to think in his life, after all. He turns round to face him, and his expression softens right away. He lets out a little sigh before he speaks. ]
Yeah. You know — Bruno.
[ He taps his temple with two fingers, offering a half-hearted smile, though his brow is still pinched with emotion. He leans backwards against the railing and crosses his ankles comfortably, as if settling down to ready himself for this conversation. ]
[ Willow wasn't surprised to find that Alberto and Luca lived together, and honestly it made things a bit easier for her. In the morning if they step outside, they will find a dried flower wreath hanging on the door, delivered by the mail mice. Attached to the wreath is a tag. ]
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branchandroot
backdated to early October;
Date: 2023-12-03 07:55 pm (UTC)They'd floated the idea over their light lunch that day, then excitedly made their way straight to the water, subito. Alberto's feeling cheerful and hopeful still as they walk and chat, encouraged by the possibility of encountering a whole new undersea culture; he readily lets his imagination run wild with Luca's on their way to Lake Omen. ]
So what do think they're like? You think they look like us? I bet they look totally different, heh.
[ Because obviously it's a given there must be people living down there... right? ]
nyooms in
Date: 2024-01-02 06:36 am (UTC)The moment that they came up with the plan was the moment Luca just sort of imagined what it'd be like to swim alongside other sea monsters here. He imagined swimming in the depths, meeting a group of sea monsters that were just like himself and Alberto. ... Maybe even someone who was a lot like Giulia, too.
Luca walks quickly next to Alberto, looking at him curiously when he speaks. )
I dunno! ( And a bit more quietly, tilting his head. ) ... But, if they're sea monsters too, do you really think they'd look different?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-12 08:29 pm (UTC)[ Alberto raises a brow at Luca quizzically, before flashing a teasing smirk. ]
Maybe they're crab people who keep pet fish — ha!
[ He nudges Luca playfully with his elbow as they walk along in step together. He has no basis to imagine anything by, but between all the goblins and elflings here, rather than humans, really: why not crab people? ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-18 05:28 am (UTC)( Luca laughs a little before taking in what Alberto says. He's just sea monsters on land walking.... like.... crabs...
And he decides to shake off that mental image quickly. His eyes are wide, and he blinks a few times before shaking his head. That's... kind of on the creepy side, somehow! Instead, he'll stop once they get closer to the lake. )
Even if we don't find anyone... We can see what else could be in the lake!
( Hey, there's all sorts of things here that are new to both of them. Who knows what might be lying in wait under the lake's surface. )
no subject
Date: 2024-02-21 02:59 pm (UTC)Haha, yeah! Maybe we'll find all kinds of cool surface stuff!
[ Hardly surprising that's where Alberto's mind goes automatically; what else did he do undersea back home, anyway, but look for rusty old human things? Nevermind curiosity about the alien wildlife here, he just likes... stuff... They're still new here, their home doesn't have much stuff at all yet; maybe they're swimming into a treasure trove here! ]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-10 05:40 am (UTC)He makes his way to the edge of the dock, offering a smile. )
Ready?
( He is when Alberto's ready to dive in! )
1/2
Date: 2024-03-11 01:00 am (UTC)Woohoooooooo~!
2/2
Date: 2024-03-11 01:10 am (UTC)He flails in the water as he looks down at his legs and hands, still completely humanlike, feels the absence of his tail... He's also suddenly noticing the absence of air; he'd never considered how scary that must actually feel, not being able to breathe underwater. He scrambles around in the water, searching wildly for Luca, knowing he was about to jump in behind him.
Something's wrong. Something's very wrong. ]
backdated to late October;
Date: 2023-12-05 05:31 am (UTC)The utter lack of privacy is frustrating for all of them, but as it turns out, Alberto's private thoughts are far more catty than either Luca's or Giulia's — because apparently Alberto still finds Giulia a lot more annoying than she finds him... which is upsetting for everyone. So Alberto's best solution to avoid hurting his friends' feelings is just to... avoid his friends. Which he knows isn't the best solution, but what else can he do? Clever as he is, Alberto's selectively intelligent. Even though he never made the connection with the bracelets, he at least figured out that their new telepathy powers only worked between the three of them. He also quickly realized that if they weren't around each other, the magic abated... and so naturally, he drew the wrong conclusions. Maybe he's just falling into old habits, reaching for some familiar discomfort by isolating himself, but in Alberto's mind (as Luca and Giulia may well know, since, well, they can read his mind now), distancing himself from his friends is an act of consideration toward them. Whether that's what they want from him or not. It's not like Giulia and Luca weren't aware of this reactive streak Alberto has; but only Luca knows where it comes from. Even beyond Alberto's petty hang-ups about Giulia, the other the dark imaginings that continue to trouble him all month are much darker than he'd like his friends to know, too... and they're only growing darker by the day. Just like everyone else in town suffering from paranoid hallucinations, his fears grow stronger the longer he bottles them up. Particularly thoughts about his dad — often dwelling on whether Alberto should still miss him or not, or else wracking his brain over what he'd want to say to him if they reunited. As time goes on, though, those thoughts shift from "if" to "when," as if Alberto's under the impression that conversation may well happen soon. Again, only Luca knew the gravity of these hypotheticals about his father, though — and Alberto really would like to keep it that way. Sorry, Giulia.
So for the tail end of October, Alberto's taken to spending as much time as he can alone outside the house. He spends the entire day exploring the city, chatting with townspeople, climbing trees, chasing squirrels, avoiding his friends... It's not his ideal solution, of course wishing they were all exploring this strange new world together, but it's the only way he feels he can protect his privacy and his friendships. After a whole week of full telepathic transparency, Giulia and Luca surely both know this by now, as Alberto always feels guilty when he does return home after nightfall. These not-so-secret struggles finally come to a head late one sleepless night. Despite her own nightmares, Giulia's managed to fall asleep, which Alberto's glad for for both their sakes; but the boys can tell they're both still awake — if not by telepathy, then by Alberto noisily sneaking outside in the middle of the night. He's lousy at being quiet even when he tries his best... He's ducked out to the balcony of their treehouse, hoping the crisp night air will clear his head. Maybe Luca will fall asleep before long, too, so Alberto can be alone with his thoughts — but frankly, with the especially unnerving day he's had, he can't help but think he'd rather not be tonight. A tacit invitation for Luca to join him on the balcony, perhaps.
Alberto just doesn't know how to casually let Luca know that, um, his dad is here in Somnius...? Thankfully, there's no need to: Luca can 'hear' Alberto ask himself that very question. And it's a chilling one to 'overhear' in the middle of the night, even if it provides a lot of answers... Alberto's bottled up these shocking suspicions for so long, he has to trust his gut by now, feeling so certain that what he's seen is real, and not just his mind playing tricks on him. His dad is here. He's really here! And as far as Alberto can tell, his dad knows his son is here too, and is also obviously avoiding Alberto — like some stupid karmic punishment? Surely not, that's silly, and it's definitely not his fault in any way; his dad probably just doesn't know what to say to him, either, right? Of course his dad would still want to see him after all this time — probably? No, no, of course he would! These are the late night thoughts Luca tunes into, just some of the worries Alberto's trying and failing to quiet. But unfortunately, with a revelation as conflicting and terrifying as this, their "Silenzio, Bruno" tactic just can't cut it. ]
HERE I AM
Date: 2024-01-06 03:54 am (UTC)The most important thing is that he has noticed that Alberto has been avoiding the both of them. Considering that the both of them are normally glued at the hip, how could he not? However, confronting him about it is another story entirely. Pushing any of them right now could perhaps only lead to even more arguing than before, and with the way that Giulia and Alberto had last fought with one another... maybe it would be better to talk to Alberto alone.
He's having trouble sleeping when Alberto attempts to sneak out. When he hears shuffling outside of their bedroom, he'll make his way outside. His hair is messier than normal, and he doesn't bother to smooth his wrinkled clothes. He looks on a bit worriedly before speaking. )
You couldn't sleep either?
helloooo here I am too lol
Date: 2024-02-21 02:50 pm (UTC)Yeah. You know — Bruno.
[ He taps his temple with two fingers, offering a half-hearted smile, though his brow is still pinched with emotion. He leans backwards against the railing and crosses his ankles comfortably, as if settling down to ready himself for this conversation. ]
What about you?
Gift Delivery (backdated 12/25)
Date: 2023-12-31 04:41 am (UTC)To Alberto and Luca,
Happy Holidays!
- Willow