[ Luca's question sideswipes Alberto. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but that's a much nittier-grittier question than he'd anticipated, for sure. He chokes a little, smiling awkwardly at the both of them as he searches for his words, but manages an honest, earnest response — as per the game rules, after all. Just another marker of how much Alberto has grown since coming here...! ]
W-Well, eheh... I still think it's boring — sometimes, not always! Buuut I definitely don't think it's dumb. Anymore...
[ He glances at Luz. She wasn't there for the 'boring thing that takes us to the terrible place' outburst that led to their huge fight in Portorosso. He glides right over the unspoken memory, seeking Luca's eye again. ]
I've learned so much, and it's not easy, but— it's fun. Sometimes, not always! Hah! I know I wouldn't have made it without you, though. Both of you.
[ He smiles at each of them, warm and sincere, more open than he usually is. Cuz that's the game. Right? But he can't let well enough alone and of course has to tag on some joke to damper it, for his own comfort. ]
Though I do wish we were allowed to move around. I still hate sitting in one spot. I'll always hate sitting in one spot. It's a very stupid rule.
[ Very matter-of-fact. An important complaint he has never let up on since Day 1. Both Luca and Luz have heard his Opinions™ on classroom etiquette, his grievances about not being able to move around as freely as he's used to. It's almost physically painful for him to stay at his desk without disruption for hours. He fails at it. A lot. That... may never change, it's true. ]
It's school. Kind of a mixed bag, I think. You learn things you want to know, and some of it you don't find so important.
[Sometimes, like now? You coped. If you lost the people you cared a lot about and felt alone in those thoughts, you needed something to occupy your mind. School filled that gap at times, though luckily for Luz, Danny and Luca and Alberto filled out the rest.
She was so lucky to have them].
You're not going to like everything, and that's ok! The interesting thing, at least, is that you can start figuring out what you want to do later, and put your all into that!
Heh, actually, I have that problem too! Kinda have to have a few fidgeys to at least occupy my hands. Don't want to lose focus.
[Luz knew herself enough to understand when she needed a tool to help her focus on the lesson. She was not a girl that could stand still when she was riled up! But she knew when she needed to put in a little more effort. Clearly Alberto was having troubles of his own there].
Well...even though it would probably be better if school let you move around...
[At least for Alberto's sake, since Luca sits still just fine.]
And even though it's still sometimes boring, I'm glad you like school more than you thought you would.
[And this is a huge step forward compared to what Alberto thought of school before. He's curious when Luz mentions 'fidgeys', though. Maybe there's something that might help Alberto handle the stillness of school better?]
Honestly, I'll take any advantage we can get. Even if it's make them uncomfortable.
[Katsuki works on getting himself back on his feet. He's thinking. Actually...
Hang on.]
Got a thought. I've got really weak ice magic. Usually can only make small walls of it. But if you got water magic, maybe we can combine it. Your water, my ice, we could try to block the way behind us.
[Once he gets this horse under control of course.]
[ Alberto smiles at Luca's words, eyes locked on him for a moment. But he tunes back into the full conversation after a second of letting that resonate. He definitely would never have done this without Luca. He could've — but Luca being there with him made all the difference... He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about what school in Genova would be like, by this point... But that's a bridge to cross later, if he even remembers his experience in Kaisou at all enough to cross it. ]
Oh, I keep my hands busy. That's why I always have so many tattoos!
[ He holds out his arms, which have a couple disparate fading drawings here and there... He doesn't have too many right now, but they both know the ever-changing stylings that are his boredom-inspired classroom doodles on himself... And his pants... and his notes on pretty much every lesson... Alberto's never heard of fidget toys, but after fourteen years on the island, anything can be a fidget toy for him. His own hands are fidget toys, half the time!
He really is impressed by how Luca can keep it together all day in class, man... By the time they get to gym, their final period, Alberto's always just about ready to burst. ]
[Luz couldn't help but wonder if Alberto is slightly on the spectrum like her but knew better than to introduce something like that to him just yet. There was still so much stigma attached to not "being normal" that it would probably make him feel like there was something wrong with him.
Luz had, after all, struggled with that herself. Heck, she STILL struggled with that, if only because there were days where it feel like she couldn't do anything right. The echoes of past kids making fun of her was always on her mind.
Alberto didn't need that. She could just say it was her own weird thing].
Those are impressive. But you know, I bet I could sketch up something really cool for you too!
[Someone remind Luz they were still playing Truth or Dare. She would get distracted with the idea of drawing something cool on Alberto].
[Because of course, to the surprise of absolutely no one, Luca absolutely lets Alberto draw on him. He shows off a few doodles he had from Alberto. Then he looks back to Alberto.]
Heh, that's why you and me are such a good team — we're both always learning, even when we're not actually teaching!
[ He flashes him a wide, fond smile. And, really, that is true. It's always been such a compelling part of their dynamic together, this give and take, the way their different senses of curiosity mix. Luca's always teaching Alberto things, more often than not things Alberto doesn't even realize he's learning! They may often be much more intangible skills, like humility and sacrifice and restraint, but at the end of the day, Alberto knows he can give Luca credit for so much of the positive changes he's made in his life in the past year and a half, ever since meeting him... Alberto gets the credit for making the changes, sure, but Luca gets all the credit for the inspiration. And he's fine with that. Happy with that. Wouldn't have it any other way, hiccups and mistakes and all. ...Even when Alberto bit him. Ahem. They fixed it very well. ]
[ This isn't the moment to think Luca's funny and cute, but Alberto can't help it — making the monsters uncomfy is a pretty great battle strategy, whether or not it's a very effective one. He's still just so excited that Luca has magic, wow...! Though there's some odd feeling in the back of his mind he can't quite put his finger on.
But then Katsuki comes up with that idea, and it kind of pops Alberto's bubble. Useless. Right. That's the feeling. The same way he felt when he was on the rescue mission to save Bruno in October, fighting alongside Isabela... He felt like such dead weight behind her. He sits back down, fully back in the sled, and clings to his monkey in his lap, eyes darting between Luca and Katsuki and the demons chasing them. The best he can manage is protect the animals, he supposes...? So he reaches out and grabs Luca's chicken, too, bringing it closer to his side, keeping it tucked under his arm for safe keeping – which it doesn't seem to mind, frankly. The monkey, steady screeching and panicking and wriggling, peers over Alberto's shoulder, clinging to his coat, watching the demons chase them, too. They're not bringing much to the table here, either. It'd be real useful if the monkey or chicken suddenly gained magic powers like Luca just did, he can't help but imagine how that'd be so amazing. Though it'd be much more useful and amazing if Alberto did, too... ]
[ Alberto sees the way he's hesitating, and so... deliberately doesn't go first. Torturing all the people in his life who have the slightest sense of caution. He stands contrapposto with his hand on his hip, staring Katsuki down as he stares the water down... He raises a brow when Katsuki turns to him. ]
[She listens and she watches him and she does her best to understand the tangle of emotions he's feeling.
Boy does she ever know a thing or two about tangled feelings.
She maybe knows a thing or two about missing fathers too. Although, of course, her father died protecting his family. Her and her siblings and her mother. Still. It was a hole that never went away and she understands that.]
Sometimes things happen that we cannot expect. Even adults make mistakes.
[She pulls him close to hold him.]
I know that Bruno would not have broken his promises on purpose. But he did and it is okay to be upset about it even if he did not mean to do it. Unintentional hurt is still hurt.
Page 17 of 17