[Luca's on his stomach on the floor, feet idly kicking in the air, head propped up in his hands while he reads an astronomy textbook, fantasizing about all the different stars and planets when he's snapped back into reality by the slam of the door. He looks up at Alberto, eyes going wide when he sees the state his friend is in. He looks bad. Was he attacked? Did he jump off a rock and hit some rocks?]
Alberto! Holy carp, what happened?
[At least, no matter how bad Alberto looks right now, even though whatever it was clearly was bad enough to have him cursing, it's not so bad that Alberto doesn't have the energy for a dramatic lead up to whatever explanation he's going to give.]
[ Alberto lifts his head enough just to shoot Luca a look through narrowed eyes. Not aggravated at him, by any means, of course, but more for almost comedic effect... Still genuinely pretty pissed about this, though. ]
That bird. That big mean bird in the park you said tried to get you...?
[ That is to say: it got him. He rolls over onto his back dramatically, letting out a little "ow" and and "oof" as he does, minding the bruise on his side from the goose's powerful wings. He stays splayed out, staring at the ceiling blankly for a second before turning his neck to face Luca with another comically flat face. ]
[ Finally he leans up, propping himself up by his elbow in the nest of cushions. But he looks far from comfortable — affronted, like why should Luca even ask. "Wait, this is Alberto," indeed; even Alberto agrees with that statement. ]
I got away, but it got me before I did... I didn't even do anything! I was just walking!
[ The drama is so thick in his voice, lamenting, aggravated, exhausted. It's frankly pretty comical, though, truth be told. ]
[ He points a finger at Luca, narrowing his eyes. He didn't really have a least favorite bird before; but now he does. ]
C'mon. I'm gonna take a bath. I've got goose on me...
[ He pushes himself up with exaggerated exhaustion, and heads off toward the bathroom, waving Luca along to follow him to keep him company. Because even if one of them is in the bath, the other can still hang out and talk — y'know, like friends do. ]
[ He gives a shrug, before drawing the water in the tub and undressing. The goose not being able to follow him is a good thing but of little comfort. He legitimately just got beat up by a goose. It landed a better hit than Ercole did. Alberto's so outraged inwardly... ...and outwardly. He's also outraged outwardly. ]
Nah, not feathers. Like— goose spit... goose dirt. I dunno. I probably got a feather stuck somewhere, though?
[ Not to mention his arm is a little bit bloody from the bite. But that's his own blood. The goose made it out just fine. Well— apart from being punched. It's fine. It'll be fine. ]
[ Alberto would do well to learn when to run away and when not to fight. But that's... gonna be a long, long lesson. Today, he has not learned it.
He sinks into the tub, only a few inches full, enough for his tail to grow and his feet to turn to flippers. He lets one arm hang over the side of the tub lazily, and slides his tail over the side of the tub just the same, the end of it swaying idly as they chat. Luca's comment draws a wry smile on his face, though, in spite of himself, as he leans back and closes his eyes. ]
Pssh... Y'know, of all the crazy things that've happened to me here? This is the dumbest.
[ He pauses, glancing at Luca suddenly with one eye. ]
[ The tub is starting to fill up by now, Alberto now about halfway submerged and halfway transformed. He reaches for the cereal bowl he keeps on the side of the tub just for this reason, scooping up water and pouring it over himself to complete his transformation. Sometimes he gets a kick out of staying half-and-half a while, but he's not in the mood. He just wants to feel at ease. He keeps talking as he does so, already imagining the worst of this goose.; Luca's far more forgiving and hopeful. Alberto's holding a grudge. A-Against a bird... ]
What if the goose smells the food? It could just chase us and attack us to try and get the food. Can gooses smell?
[ Period, can they smell. How should he know if every land animal can smell or not. All he knows is he does not trust this bird. ]
[Luca likes relaxing in the bath in full sea monster form and frequently makes use of the cereal bowl, so Alberto's choice makes perfect sense to him. As for his question...it's a reasonable question. Geese might not be able to smell, who knows how land animals work? But, of course, Luca, having even less experience with the surface than Alberto, has no idea.]
Um...I don't know. Maybe? I mean, it's already attacking us whenever it sees us, so it's worth a shot.
[ He narrows his eyes at Luca and lays the dramatics a little more thickly. At least for how aggravated he is, he's still keeping his good humor about him. He idly dumps another couple bowlfuls of water over his face, leaning his head back again as they chat. ]
We've still got that chicken in the freezer, I think. That's not weird, right? Fish eat fish. Birds probably eat birds. Cuz I'm not giving it the salami. Or the prosciutto. We're not rewarding it for attacking us, ha...
No, that's not weird at all! I mean, gooses and chickens are totally different animals, just like sharks and minnows! I bet the goose will eat chicken.
All right, then let's do that. You bring fish and I'll bring chicken.
[ He pauses, before a thought occurs to him. ]
...Think I'm supposed to cook it? Or just— give it to him?
[ Even if they googled "can geese eat raw chicken breast..." they wouldn't find an answer. Because no one but these children has ever wanted to find this out. ]
[ Alberto barks a laugh at that, sliding a little further down into the waters of the tub comfortably as it fills up more. ]
Hah! You're right. And I don't want to cook for it! Perfetta~
[ He sticks a finned foot out of the water and uses it (with a couple clumsy, slippery tries) to turn off the faucet. He wiggles to get comfortable, adjusting his tail, and looks to Luca with a lazy smile after a beat. ]
So how was your day, Luca...? Assuming it was better than mine. Hah. D'you go to the practice school again?
[ Cuz that's what summer school is for, right, practicing to go to school for real...? As far as Alberto's concerned, it must be. At least for kids like them. ]
I did, yeah! It was fun. We're learning math stuff!
[As far as Luca's concerned, Alberto's probably right about it being practice school. He lights up when he talks about it, preferring to think of school far more than he wants to think of that horrible goose.]
[ Alberto cocks a brow, having of course learned only rudimentary maths from his father — so he's not really sure how much else there is to be learned... He has no concept of anything beyond basic arithmetics. His father certainly wasn't even quizzing him on square roots and exponents, let alone anything more complicated like Luca's probably learning in school. But nevertheless, he's supportive and glad for Luca's sake. And hesitant (read: resistant) as he is about joining any kind of formal education, his father's hodgepodge lessons not really leaving the best impression on him, there is a growing part of him that wonders how different it might be... He's interested in what human kids their age should know by now, curious what all Luca is studying — and maybe a tiny part of him that feels some competitive need to keep up with him. Even if Alberto doesn't have any intention just yet of joining Luca in school, he also doesn't want to be left in the dark behind him.
He offers a wan but encouraging smile after a beat, then lifts a leg out of the water lazily, stretching his muscles with both hands tugging against the sole of his finned foot. Even snugly relaxing in a bathtub, Alberto's not able to keep still for more than a second. And unconsciously, it also sort of helps distract him from his many looming question marks... ]
Yeah? I didn't think math stuff could be fun, ha... Is it real different than Giulia's school in Genova? Or are you learning pretty much the same stuff?
That's okay. I sometimes lose track of and later find threads.
It's similar stuff. I mean, of course there are some differences in what they're teaching us, but it's similar. It feels a bit easier than Giulia's school? But that might just be because I've had a couple of weeks to learn the basics before I got here. Oh, and the building is way bigger.
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schoolingfish) wrote2022-05-26 12:33 pm
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Alberto! Holy carp, what happened?
[At least, no matter how bad Alberto looks right now, even though whatever it was clearly was bad enough to have him cursing, it's not so bad that Alberto doesn't have the energy for a dramatic lead up to whatever explanation he's going to give.]
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That bird. That big mean bird in the park you said tried to get you...?
[ That is to say: it got him. He rolls over onto his back dramatically, letting out a little "ow" and and "oof" as he does, minding the bruise on his side from the goose's powerful wings. He stays splayed out, staring at the ceiling blankly for a second before turning his neck to face Luca with another comically flat face. ]
That is the worst bird to ever bird.
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[Wait, this is Alberto. Did he even try to run away?]
...you tried to fight it, didn't you?
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[ Finally he leans up, propping himself up by his elbow in the nest of cushions. But he looks far from comfortable — affronted, like why should Luca even ask. "Wait, this is Alberto," indeed; even Alberto agrees with that statement. ]
I got away, but it got me before I did... I didn't even do anything! I was just walking!
[ The drama is so thick in his voice, lamenting, aggravated, exhausted. It's frankly pretty comical, though, truth be told. ]
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[Of course he did.]
At least you got away? I don't think we should fight it. I think that goose is too mean for any of us to actually win.
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[ He points a finger at Luca, narrowing his eyes. He didn't really have a least favorite bird before; but now he does. ]
C'mon. I'm gonna take a bath. I've got goose on me...
[ He pushes himself up with exaggerated exhaustion, and heads off toward the bathroom, waving Luca along to follow him to keep him company. Because even if one of them is in the bath, the other can still hang out and talk — y'know, like friends do. ]
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[It's not like Ercole who they could pretty much run into wherever. Well, except inside Giulia and Massimo's house. Or the ocean.]
Okay.
[Luca follows Alberto to the bathroom, ready to hang out and chat about the evil goose. Like you do.]
And when you say you got goose on you...do you mean like...feathers?
[Or blood? Or goose poop? How exactly did this fight go?]
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[ He gives a shrug, before drawing the water in the tub and undressing. The goose not being able to follow him is a good thing but of little comfort. He legitimately just got beat up by a goose. It landed a better hit than Ercole did. Alberto's so outraged inwardly... ...and outwardly. He's also outraged outwardly. ]
Nah, not feathers. Like— goose spit... goose dirt. I dunno. I probably got a feather stuck somewhere, though?
[ Not to mention his arm is a little bit bloody from the bite. But that's his own blood. The goose made it out just fine. Well— apart from being punched. It's fine. It'll be fine. ]
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[Since there are a lot of bites. Alberto really needs to learn to run away sooner and not try to fight.]
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He sinks into the tub, only a few inches full, enough for his tail to grow and his feet to turn to flippers. He lets one arm hang over the side of the tub lazily, and slides his tail over the side of the tub just the same, the end of it swaying idly as they chat. Luca's comment draws a wry smile on his face, though, in spite of himself, as he leans back and closes his eyes. ]
Pssh... Y'know, of all the crazy things that've happened to me here? This is the dumbest.
[ He pauses, glancing at Luca suddenly with one eye. ]
...Not me. I mean the goose is dumb.
[ Of course. ]
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[Luca follows Alberto into the bathroom, sitting on the toilet seat to chat while Alberto got cleaned off.]
Maybe the goose is like Machiavelli. Maybe it won't be as mean if we give it food.
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You wanna try and find out?
[ Because Alberto, for one, is not so keen to revisit the park any time soon at all... let alone make amends with the goose. ]
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But I guess if we want to go to that park for any reason, we could bring food to throw at the goose to see if it works?
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What if the goose smells the food? It could just chase us and attack us to try and get the food. Can gooses smell?
[ Period, can they smell. How should he know if every land animal can smell or not. All he knows is he does not trust this bird. ]
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Um...I don't know. Maybe? I mean, it's already attacking us whenever it sees us, so it's worth a shot.
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...Fine. Let's try it. What do gooses even eat? Fish? Like seagulls? I mean— seagulls eat almost anything, though...
[ He's not wasting good pasta on this goose, that much he knows already. ]
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[His knowledge of geese is strictly limited to being chased by one.]
Probably some kind of meat with how much it wanted to bite me, though.
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[ He narrows his eyes at Luca and lays the dramatics a little more thickly. At least for how aggravated he is, he's still keeping his good humor about him. He idly dumps another couple bowlfuls of water over his face, leaning his head back again as they chat. ]
We've still got that chicken in the freezer, I think. That's not weird, right? Fish eat fish. Birds probably eat birds. Cuz I'm not giving it the salami. Or the prosciutto. We're not rewarding it for attacking us, ha...
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[ He pauses, before a thought occurs to him. ]
...Think I'm supposed to cook it? Or just— give it to him?
[ Even if they googled "can geese eat raw chicken breast..." they wouldn't find an answer. Because no one but these children has ever wanted to find this out. ]
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I don't think it wants the meat cooked.
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Hah! You're right. And I don't want to cook for it! Perfetta~
[ He sticks a finned foot out of the water and uses it (with a couple clumsy, slippery tries) to turn off the faucet. He wiggles to get comfortable, adjusting his tail, and looks to Luca with a lazy smile after a beat. ]
So how was your day, Luca...? Assuming it was better than mine. Hah. D'you go to the practice school again?
[ Cuz that's what summer school is for, right, practicing to go to school for real...? As far as Alberto's concerned, it must be. At least for kids like them. ]
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[As far as Luca's concerned, Alberto's probably right about it being practice school. He lights up when he talks about it, preferring to think of school far more than he wants to think of that horrible goose.]
oof, sorry for the long delay!
He offers a wan but encouraging smile after a beat, then lifts a leg out of the water lazily, stretching his muscles with both hands tugging against the sole of his finned foot. Even snugly relaxing in a bathtub, Alberto's not able to keep still for more than a second. And unconsciously, it also sort of helps distract him from his many looming question marks... ]
Yeah? I didn't think math stuff could be fun, ha... Is it real different than Giulia's school in Genova? Or are you learning pretty much the same stuff?
That's okay. I sometimes lose track of and later find threads.
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