[ It's true, the bar is low. No matter what they do now, it's just going to get better and better... And next year's only guaranteed to top it, because for next year's birthday, apparently they'll be getting their Vespa. Which Alberto wasted no time in relaying to Luca once Bruno'd left their apartment that morning. And has already brought up multiple times since then. And will probably bring up again. And again. All week. Maybe longer. He's also tried the helmet on three times already...
So he's double-checking his hair in the kitchen mirror (b-because they have one of those) after finishing up lunch himself. He wants to look nice today, being his birthday and all; but that's usually about the level he celebrates at. Taking particular enjoyment in the little things, like eating his favorite foods (cheesecake for breakfast, trenette al pesto for lunch, he's living the life — better than roe and raw oysters!) or wearing his favorite clothes, just doing all the things he likes most all at once, back to back. Whatever makes him feel good. That sort of thing was really the extent of what could be managed for his birthdays back home on the island, though. There was not so much to relish in... Even the "favorite clothes" thing is a luxury he's known only here. He's gonna be on Cloud Nine all day long. As far as Alberto's concerned, today's just supposed to be a laidback day of indulgence and doing the most. So he's at least not that far off the mark about birthdays, despite everything!
He turns to face Luca, a wide smirk on his face, but then points toward the kitchen doorway animatedly, stepping forward with a stiff, exaggerated strut at first. ]
Mmn. Dai... Andiamo!
[ But as he reaches Luca to walk side-by-side, he claps him on the back, flashes him a grin, and starts walking normally again to the front door, grabbing his wallet on their way out. They haven't even had their energy drinks yet...! Clearly more energy is what's needed here. ]
[ He grins at Luca, reaching the elevator as they nail down the plan and pressing the button with a little unnecessary flair. ]
You know, I bet we're gonna find something really cool we never knew about today... I dunno what, but we're gonna find something.
[ He says this with such gravitas and certainty, it makes it sound like less vague and empty a statement than it really is. Maybe one could argue he has a gut feeling; but even by that token, almost no matter what happens, he'll more than likely end up right. These are Alberto Scorfano-style self-esteem cheat codes, man... ]
"Yeah. We'll just look out the window while we're on the bus, and the second we see something cool we'll hop off and check it out!"
They probably will find something really cool that they never knew about before that day. It's especially likely with Luca who, while he knows significantly more about the surface than he had a few months ago, still has quite a few things on the surface that he's never seen or experienced. He leads the way to the convenience store, going inside and quickly finding the energy drinks. The one he'd tried was watermelon flavored, but now that they're here, there's a whole selection in front of them.
"Which ones should we try? Oh, and just so you know, they don't actually taste like the fruits they say they taste like. But they are sweet."
[ Alberto's eyes go wide at the array of options they have in the fridges in front of them. An awestruck smile slowly grows on his face, before stepping forward and pressing his hands and nose to the glass to look at them all closer. There's so many and they all have really cool looking cans, very colorful... Of course Monster catches his eye, though, and he lets out a little bark of a laugh before he opens the door and grabs one, handing it to Luca. ]
Ha! Well, we definitely need that one...~
[ And, propping the door open with his hip, now that Alberto's in the fridge... he's done for. No way Luca thought they were just getting one each, right? Alberto's already excitedly grabbing at other cans and inspecting them one after another. Ultimately, he just chooses two more, a cherry lemonade Bang and a Red Bull, and steps aside, holding the door open for Luca to pick his. He figures they'll get a few different types and just trade off to try each one. This is about to be one helluva birthday... ]
[Luca's not surprised when Alberto grabs several cans. At least until he holds the door open for Luca to pick one, too. Oh. Well. Looking in there, he sees that while Alberto picked the standard green Monster Energy, there was also one that was called 'orange dreamsicle', so he grabs that. He also selects something called 'rock star' and something called 'NOS'.]
Okay, I'll get these.
[Between the two of them, they'll have a lot of things to try. Between the two of them, they were going to be bouncing off the walls.]
[ Alberto grins at Luca, a bit mischievously, and steps away to let the door close. He grabs a couple random snacks near the register as they wait in line, often falling prey to those strategic impulse buy spots... But today is his birthday, so, whatever. He does make sure to grab a candy he's never tried before, though, sticking to today's theme. ]
Okay, so. We've got enough for the whole day. Maaaybe even more...
[ Surveying their armfuls of cans... Even he has to laugh at them a little. ]
Then, first bus that shows up, we'll hop on! This'll be great~ This city is huge, there's tons of places we've never been!
[Hopefully more than the whole day, although their sense of moderation can never be trusted. Once everything's rung up and paid for, Luca starts heading out toward the bus stop.]
I wonder what sort of places a city like this would even have? It's so different from Portorosso, or even Genova!
[Or their small underwater village, but that's so obvious it doesn't even need to be said.]
Well, I've seen a lot of the city, and there's a lot of a lot...! But there's lots of places I've never been to. I'm usually just working.
[ "Working..." He takes the bus from residential districts finding rummage sales and estate sales, to pawn shops on Shopping Street. That's it. He wanders and explores, sure, but he's almost always on missions. It's been since well before Luca even arrived that Alberto's just said "ah, screw it" and hopped on a random bus aimlessly. It feels good. And now with school, his life has so much structure and accountability he's not used to, he needs to grab at whatever lawlessness like this he can.
It doesn't take long before the next bus comes, Kaisou having such a reliable public transport system. Alberto doesn't even bother to check the number, he's immediately to his feet, shooting a grin at Luca with a tilt of his head. ]
[Luca's sure Alberto will know a lot more about the stuff they pass than he will, but like Alberto pointed out, he was working those times. This time Alberto will get to relax and really look at stuff.]
Yep!
[He agrees, following Alberto on the bus and paying his fare before settling down in a seat (next to wherever Alberto sits, of course). It's kind of exciting thinking about how the bus driver probably thinks they know exactly where they're going and what they're doing, even though they really don't. They're definitely doing the 'humans riding on a bus' thing perfectly. As the bus begins to move, Luca looks out the window at the shops as they begin to pass them by.]
So what's the neatest thing you've seen here so far?
[He might as well make conversation to pass the time and, after all, Alberto's seen so much more of this place than he has and he might have some interesting stories.]
[ Alberto smiles at the question, looking upwards in thought, holding his chin in his hand for added effect, then glances to Luca a bit slyly. ]
Beh, I dunno if it's the neatest place, exactly... But me and Luz went to this restaurant she heard about called Denny's. It was really hard to find, but we managed.
[ He digs through their plastic bag from the store, and pulls out his classic Monster first, handing the bag off to Luca as he goes on. ]
Thing is, it's timeless — like, there's no time there. All the clocks say it's two in the morning, even when it's— not? I thought the clocks were maybe just broken, but when you come out, it's still the same time as you went in... Really spooky. Definitely the weirdest place I've been, ha.
[ He pops the can open almost pointedly; when he takes his first sip, a wide smile spreads across his face, raising his brow at Luca emphatically. Energy Drink #1 Approved. Here we go... ]
Wow, we should definitely go there sometime! That might be helpful if you ever don't have enough time to really sit down and eat somewhere before you have to go somewhere else...although maybe not if it's hard to find.
[After all, if it's hard to find you might just end up spending all the time you save wandering around looking for this Denny's. When he sees Alberto's look of approval tasting the drink, Luca asks,]
[ He nods at Luca enthusiastically, silently agreeing to show him where the Void Denny's is — because it really is somewhere that could prove really useful, should they ever need some extra time. But for now, cool as that place is, their everyday energy drinks seem far more special. When everything's a novelty, anything's a novelty... ]
Good! Like-fruit-but-not, haha, like you said. Here.
[ He hands the drink off to Luca to try, grinning at him expectantly. He gives him a beat, trying to read his reaction to the first sip. ]
Wow, that is good! It's not like any real fruit I've ever tasted, but it's so much sweeter!
[And because this has only increased his curiosity about the remaining drinks, he hands the monster energy back for Alberto to continue drinking.]
I'm going to open another one to try and we can see how they compare.
[He reaches in and takes out the 'orange dreamsicle'. He's curious about what a dreamsicle even is, and he figures they might as well compare the two monsters. He opens it and takes a sip.]
This one's good, too! Try it!
[He thinks he likes the green monster a little better, but they're both good.]
[ Alberto takes the first can back, sipping once more, and grins when Luca takes out the second Monster. He may not be having a birthday party, but this totally counts. Already his best birthday ever — now it's just gonna get fast, too...
He swaps cans again to try the Orange Dreamsicle, taking a considerable swig and narrowing his eyes in contemplation. ]
This doesn't taste orange. Or like oranges. I don't know what it takes like. Maybe that's the "-sicle" flavor...?
[ Doesn't stop him from taking another deep sip before they swap back, nodding as he deliberates, then hands it off to Luca with a smile and a final verdict. ]
I think the green. We can share, though — they're both good.
[ Alberto clinks his can into Luca's something like a toast, some random human-ism he's recently picked up — so of course he needs to put it into practice.
When Luca points out the sporting goods store, though, Alberto's eyes go wide and he quickly stops sipping his drink, rushing to tug the cord on the bus to signal a stop. Say no more, Luca! ]
Sells stuff to make you good at sports. Let's go.
[ Said so matter-of-factly, like he's certain. But he's already standing, ready to go as the bus slows to a stop. Here they go... ]
Yeah, I agree. The green's the best, but they're both good.
[A place that sells stuff to make you good at sports? Well, they're both already great at sports, but there's always room for improvement so he's all for it.]
All right!
[Once the bus stops, he leads the way off, more than happy to go check out this sports store. Of course, even though Alberto's description isn't entirely accurate, he won't be disappointed when he sees what really is there. He hurries up to the building, and as they near it, he takes in the sheer size of it, much larger than any of the shops he saw around Portorosso and Genova.]
Wow...it's so big. I didn't even think you could have that much sports stuff to fill a building that big.
I'm imagining like a Scheel's or Bass Pro Shop or something, yeah?
[ Alberto also is marveling at the size of the building, even just from the outside. But once they're inside, he's all but overwhelmed. American sporting goods shops like these can go... a little wild. Alberto's immediately taken by an elaborate display in the hunting department, catching his eye almost as soon as they walk in. It takes him a second to realize they aren't real animals — which doesn't stop him from rushing them to get a closer look, even before he realizes they're models... ]
[ Alberto follows Luca’s signal, his face lighting up even more. He waves Luca along and dashes off to run the short distance over to the fishing section.
Once they round the corner and get a full view of the section, there’s a huge aquarium replacing a wall into the rest of the store, even extending into the columns, myriad salt water fish swimming by. Alberto turns to Luca with wide eyes, mouth agape. Some of these fish, he’s never seen before, which is exciting, but… there’s a certain irony in having a bunch of live fish imprisoned in a fish tank meant to decorate the section selling weapons to hunt fish. It takes a beat, but Alberto cracks an uncomfortable smirk. ]
Woah—! ...Well… This is awkward, hah. Ooh, but look, wow!
[ He rushes up to the tank and presses his hands and face to it, nose smushed to the glass, to examine a small shoal of rabbitfish. He glances to Luca, definitely already feeling the energy drinks they’d downed kicking in, as a wider smile spreads on his face, excitement un-dampened… ]
Way better than a bowl! I mean, it's definitely not the open ocean, but I never imagined that humans would build all this to bring fish on land! Although...
[He glances over at the fishing equipment before pointing at the fish, whispering to Alberto.]
[ Alberto grimaces and glances over his shoulder at a display of fishing rods, then to the fish, and finally to Luca, leaning over to whisper back to him. ]
Let's hope not. What if they're kept here to show shoppers how the stuff works? For fishing demos...
[ He notices a worker pass nearby, and points to him, grabbing Luca by the shoulder and whispering again (just for fun) ]
[ The "fish manager" seems pretty keen to be on his way, before Alberto trots up to him, holding up a finger to indicate he wants to talk. When the worker catches sight of him, he's fully assuming Alberto to be asking if he's seen their parents, or where to find soccer balls, or frankly anything but: ]
Signore, excuse me! Are you the fish manager?
[ The young man balks, glancing to Luca behind Alberto, as if he can read on his face whether he's being messed with or not. But he can't. So he just responds in earnest, his tone tentative and bewildered. ]
I, uhh— I'm the assistant manager? But, um— I know a bit about "fishing stuff." What's up? How can I help you boys?
[ Alberto seems satisfied with this level of authority, so presses on with a second question the man never expected to be asked. ]
We were wondering why you trapped all the fish in there. Is it to show people how to use the fishing stuff?
[ The man pauses before answering, his eyes following Alberto pointing to the aquarium display, before looking to Luca again as if to say "Is your friend for real?" He seriously can't tell if he's being goofed on... It's literally his first day here and it's his first time in management ever, he's on his way to his lunch break, and this is what he gets asked...? ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
schoolingfish) wrote2022-05-26 12:33 pm
no subject
So he's double-checking his hair in the kitchen mirror (b-because they have one of those) after finishing up lunch himself. He wants to look nice today, being his birthday and all; but that's usually about the level he celebrates at. Taking particular enjoyment in the little things, like eating his favorite foods (cheesecake for breakfast, trenette al pesto for lunch, he's living the life — better than roe and raw oysters!) or wearing his favorite clothes, just doing all the things he likes most all at once, back to back. Whatever makes him feel good. That sort of thing was really the extent of what could be managed for his birthdays back home on the island, though. There was not so much to relish in... Even the "favorite clothes" thing is a luxury he's known only here. He's gonna be on Cloud Nine all day long. As far as Alberto's concerned, today's just supposed to be a laidback day of indulgence and doing the most. So he's at least not that far off the mark about birthdays, despite everything!
He turns to face Luca, a wide smirk on his face, but then points toward the kitchen doorway animatedly, stepping forward with a stiff, exaggerated strut at first. ]
Mmn. Dai... Andiamo!
[ But as he reaches Luca to walk side-by-side, he claps him on the back, flashes him a grin, and starts walking normally again to the front door, grabbing his wallet on their way out. They haven't even had their energy drinks yet...! Clearly more energy is what's needed here. ]
no subject
[Luca's enthusiastic and walks beside Alberto, grabbing his own wallet as they go.]
So there's a small convenience store by the bus stop, did you want to go there for the energy drinks then drink them while we're waiting for the bus?
[And then once they're on the bus they can ride it until they see somewhere they want to go or they reach the last stop.]
no subject
[ He grins at Luca, reaching the elevator as they nail down the plan and pressing the button with a little unnecessary flair. ]
You know, I bet we're gonna find something really cool we never knew about today... I dunno what, but we're gonna find something.
[ He says this with such gravitas and certainty, it makes it sound like less vague and empty a statement than it really is. Maybe one could argue he has a gut feeling; but even by that token, almost no matter what happens, he'll more than likely end up right. These are Alberto Scorfano-style self-esteem cheat codes, man... ]
no subject
They probably will find something really cool that they never knew about before that day. It's especially likely with Luca who, while he knows significantly more about the surface than he had a few months ago, still has quite a few things on the surface that he's never seen or experienced. He leads the way to the convenience store, going inside and quickly finding the energy drinks. The one he'd tried was watermelon flavored, but now that they're here, there's a whole selection in front of them.
"Which ones should we try? Oh, and just so you know, they don't actually taste like the fruits they say they taste like. But they are sweet."
no subject
Ha! Well, we definitely need that one...~
[ And, propping the door open with his hip, now that Alberto's in the fridge... he's done for. No way Luca thought they were just getting one each, right? Alberto's already excitedly grabbing at other cans and inspecting them one after another. Ultimately, he just chooses two more, a cherry lemonade Bang and a Red Bull, and steps aside, holding the door open for Luca to pick his. He figures they'll get a few different types and just trade off to try each one. This is about to be one helluva birthday... ]
no subject
Okay, I'll get these.
[Between the two of them, they'll have a lot of things to try. Between the two of them, they were going to be bouncing off the walls.]
no subject
Okay, so. We've got enough for the whole day. Maaaybe even more...
[ Surveying their armfuls of cans... Even he has to laugh at them a little. ]
Then, first bus that shows up, we'll hop on! This'll be great~ This city is huge, there's tons of places we've never been!
no subject
[Hopefully more than the whole day, although their sense of moderation can never be trusted. Once everything's rung up and paid for, Luca starts heading out toward the bus stop.]
I wonder what sort of places a city like this would even have? It's so different from Portorosso, or even Genova!
[Or their small underwater village, but that's so obvious it doesn't even need to be said.]
no subject
[ "Working..." He takes the bus from residential districts finding rummage sales and estate sales, to pawn shops on Shopping Street. That's it. He wanders and explores, sure, but he's almost always on missions. It's been since well before Luca even arrived that Alberto's just said "ah, screw it" and hopped on a random bus aimlessly. It feels good. And now with school, his life has so much structure and accountability he's not used to, he needs to grab at whatever lawlessness like this he can.
It doesn't take long before the next bus comes, Kaisou having such a reliable public transport system. Alberto doesn't even bother to check the number, he's immediately to his feet, shooting a grin at Luca with a tilt of his head. ]
Ehi! That's us, ha.
no subject
Yep!
[He agrees, following Alberto on the bus and paying his fare before settling down in a seat (next to wherever Alberto sits, of course). It's kind of exciting thinking about how the bus driver probably thinks they know exactly where they're going and what they're doing, even though they really don't. They're definitely doing the 'humans riding on a bus' thing perfectly. As the bus begins to move, Luca looks out the window at the shops as they begin to pass them by.]
So what's the neatest thing you've seen here so far?
[He might as well make conversation to pass the time and, after all, Alberto's seen so much more of this place than he has and he might have some interesting stories.]
no subject
Beh, I dunno if it's the neatest place, exactly... But me and Luz went to this restaurant she heard about called Denny's. It was really hard to find, but we managed.
[ He digs through their plastic bag from the store, and pulls out his classic Monster first, handing the bag off to Luca as he goes on. ]
Thing is, it's timeless — like, there's no time there. All the clocks say it's two in the morning, even when it's— not? I thought the clocks were maybe just broken, but when you come out, it's still the same time as you went in... Really spooky. Definitely the weirdest place I've been, ha.
[ He pops the can open almost pointedly; when he takes his first sip, a wide smile spreads across his face, raising his brow at Luca emphatically. Energy Drink #1 Approved. Here we go... ]
no subject
[After all, if it's hard to find you might just end up spending all the time you save wandering around looking for this Denny's. When he sees Alberto's look of approval tasting the drink, Luca asks,]
How's it taste?
no subject
Good! Like-fruit-but-not, haha, like you said. Here.
[ He hands the drink off to Luca to try, grinning at him expectantly. He gives him a beat, trying to read his reaction to the first sip. ]
Well?
no subject
Wow, that is good! It's not like any real fruit I've ever tasted, but it's so much sweeter!
[And because this has only increased his curiosity about the remaining drinks, he hands the monster energy back for Alberto to continue drinking.]
I'm going to open another one to try and we can see how they compare.
[He reaches in and takes out the 'orange dreamsicle'. He's curious about what a dreamsicle even is, and he figures they might as well compare the two monsters. He opens it and takes a sip.]
This one's good, too! Try it!
[He thinks he likes the green monster a little better, but they're both good.]
no subject
He swaps cans again to try the Orange Dreamsicle, taking a considerable swig and narrowing his eyes in contemplation. ]
This doesn't taste orange. Or like oranges. I don't know what it takes like. Maybe that's the "-sicle" flavor...?
[ Doesn't stop him from taking another deep sip before they swap back, nodding as he deliberates, then hands it off to Luca with a smile and a final verdict. ]
S'good, though!
no subject
[He takes a sip of the regular monster in his hands.]
They're both good! So which do you like better?
[Right then he spots a shopping area out the window, and among the stores is a large building that catches his eye.]
Oh! There's a sporting goods store! What's that?
[He knows both he and Alberto like sports, so it's promising.]
no subject
[ Alberto clinks his can into Luca's something like a toast, some random human-ism he's recently picked up — so of course he needs to put it into practice.
When Luca points out the sporting goods store, though, Alberto's eyes go wide and he quickly stops sipping his drink, rushing to tug the cord on the bus to signal a stop. Say no more, Luca! ]
Sells stuff to make you good at sports. Let's go.
[ Said so matter-of-factly, like he's certain. But he's already standing, ready to go as the bus slows to a stop. Here they go... ]
no subject
[A place that sells stuff to make you good at sports? Well, they're both already great at sports, but there's always room for improvement so he's all for it.]
All right!
[Once the bus stops, he leads the way off, more than happy to go check out this sports store. Of course, even though Alberto's description isn't entirely accurate, he won't be disappointed when he sees what really is there. He hurries up to the building, and as they near it, he takes in the sheer size of it, much larger than any of the shops he saw around Portorosso and Genova.]
Wow...it's so big. I didn't even think you could have that much sports stuff to fill a building that big.
I'm imagining like a Scheel's or Bass Pro Shop or something, yeah?
Woooooah! Luca, look! There're a bunch of— oh, wait, nevermind. ...Still! Coooool! Haha!
Yep!
[There were some fake mounted fish near a display of fishing rods and tackle boxes.]
no subject
Once they round the corner and get a full view of the section, there’s a huge aquarium replacing a wall into the rest of the store, even extending into the columns, myriad salt water fish swimming by. Alberto turns to Luca with wide eyes, mouth agape. Some of these fish, he’s never seen before, which is exciting, but… there’s a certain irony in having a bunch of live fish imprisoned in a fish tank meant to decorate the section selling weapons to hunt fish. It takes a beat, but Alberto cracks an uncomfortable smirk. ]
Woah—! ...Well… This is awkward, hah. Ooh, but look, wow!
[ He rushes up to the tank and presses his hands and face to it, nose smushed to the glass, to examine a small shoal of rabbitfish. He glances to Luca, definitely already feeling the energy drinks they’d downed kicking in, as a wider smile spreads on his face, excitement un-dampened… ]
Better than a bowl, I guess? Haha~
no subject
[He glances over at the fishing equipment before pointing at the fish, whispering to Alberto.]
I wonder if they know what all that stuff's for.
no subject
Let's hope not. What if they're kept here to show shoppers how the stuff works? For fishing demos...
[ He notices a worker pass nearby, and points to him, grabbing Luca by the shoulder and whispering again (just for fun) ]
I bet that's the fish manager. Should we ask?
no subject
[He whispers back. What's the harm in it? And he has to admit he's curious about the point of all these fish in this giant tank column thing.]
feel free to write the fish manager's role too if you'd like! and again sorry for lateness, oy...
Signore, excuse me! Are you the fish manager?
[ The young man balks, glancing to Luca behind Alberto, as if he can read on his face whether he's being messed with or not. But he can't. So he just responds in earnest, his tone tentative and bewildered. ]
I, uhh— I'm the assistant manager? But, um— I know a bit about "fishing stuff." What's up? How can I help you boys?
[ Alberto seems satisfied with this level of authority, so presses on with a second question the man never expected to be asked. ]
We were wondering why you trapped all the fish in there. Is it to show people how to use the fishing stuff?
[ The man pauses before answering, his eyes following Alberto pointing to the aquarium display, before looking to Luca again as if to say "Is your friend for real?" He seriously can't tell if he's being goofed on... It's literally his first day here and it's his first time in management ever, he's on his way to his lunch break, and this is what he gets asked...? ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
they're so butch flisnjk I love it
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Wrap?