prontissimo | kaisou inbox

[ The way Katsuki flips it on him shoots Alberto upright, leaning forward in a flash to grab the cake off the table and hold it protectively away from Katsuki. Entirely unnecessary but his usual over-the-top knee-jerk reactions. His typical theatrics. ]

What?! No! We want it!

[Katsuki snickers. There's a little of the Alberto energy he's used to.]

That's what I thought. It's damn good, too. You'll see. It's one of my favorites.

[Leaning back to rest on his elbows, he shoots Alberto a grin.]

Worth a lesson in sewing.

Okay... Good...

[ Alberto eyes him suspiciously, letting this little hiccup slide, before setting the cake off to the side — on the cushions beside him now, furthest away from Katsuki, ahem. He goes ahead and plucks the example pair of pants up off the table, idly fiddling with the tail hole in it before they start, ready to get down to business. ]

Mah, dai. Shall we commence?

[ Look at him, "shall we commence..." Slowly been picking up hodgepodge smatterings of human-isms and more elevated language than he's ever used before, since picking up school four months ago. Things he's been ~~forced to~~ able to glean from reading short stories in English class, having regular vocab quizzes, needing to really rely on using context clues to figure out the vast bulk of any story he's assigned to read. He does pretty poorly in English class because he doesn't have the context, granted. But bewildering as most of it is to him, he's still been learning a lot, even if his grades don't show his progress accurately. He's still kinda... not quite using this language incorrectly, but may be a bit socially tone-deaf in how he's using it, since it's clear in his tone that he's not trying to be facetiously formal or tongue-in-cheek or anything. He's being completely serious and unironic. The Alberto Katsuki met in the woods definitely wouldn't have asked him "shall we commence" with a straight face — couldn't have asked him... He didn't know those words. These days, every now and again, some little slaps of education just come flying out of left field like that. Even when he's not trying to be, the kid's just funny. ]

[Really something, this kid. Not just that line being dropped so seriously. But the way he sets that cake away from Katsuki like he thinks he might really try to take it back.

He sits up, grabbing the other bag he brought with him. Practice pants to try this out on. Fishing out a pair, he turns his body so he can face Alberto, giving him full attention.]

I'm ready when you are. Where do we start?

[ Alberto scoots closer to Katsuki and holds out the example pair he'd grabbed from the closet. He reaches one hand inside to splay out the hole in the seat of the pants, sticking his fingers through the hole (and wiggling them for added effect) as he flips the seam over to show Katsuki his work more clearly. ]

First — this is what it's supposed to look like. You can use whatever you want to close it. I like these little snappy things best, I never had those back home, but if you— I mean— ...do you even need to close it?

[ Alberto none-too-subtly leans backward and eyes Katsuki's butt trying to catch a glimpse of his tail again with a discerning look. ]

Does it ever go away? Or is this just— the new you?

[ Guess that's an important question to establish before they get into the mechanics, huh... ]

[The tail is still there, now tucked through the hole in the borrowed pants. Fluffy and white and obnoxious as ever.]

It can go away. I'm still learning how to keep it away for any period of time. But I'm not giving up on fighting the damn thing into submission. So I wanna be able to close the hole.

[ Alberto nods in understanding, taking this surprisingly seriously, no jabs or jokes at Katsuki's expense. He just turns his attention back on the pants in hand. ]

Okay, then. So. I like the snappy things. Your tail can just come right out. My dad used to use buttons — which are fine, but, eh. These are easier. After Luca showed up, I tried the black — [ he makes a scratchy noise by sucking his teeth, emulating peeling something in two with his hands — his best impersonation of Velcro, for which he's forgotten the word... ] — scratchy stuff for a while. That also works well, better than buttons, but it feels weird on our scales. It'd probably suck with your hair, too. So these little snappies are the best, I think. I'll give you some. We've got a ton.

[ Even if his terminology is not so pro, his tone is tempered and thorough, taking this task seriously. For all Alberto's many mistakes and messes, the kid does have a surprising amount of knowledge — stuff like this that one wouldn't expect, that he can just whip out authority on from his back pocket. Nothing he does is ever so polished, and his sewing knowledge is no exception, but, in fairness, as he snaps the fasteners on the hidden seam back in place, someone really wouldn't notice there's a secret hole in these pants if they weren't looking for it. The things Alberto needs to know how to do well, he does well. ...Well... sometimes. Some of it. Usually. Results may vary. ]

[That sure is one way to describe velcro. Effective. Because Katsuki does know what he's talking about from that display.

He also proves as good a student as he is a teacher, giving Alberto his full and undivided attention.]

Yeah, velcro and fur sounds like a nightmare. If you say the snaps work best, I'll go with that.

[ Alberto nods decisively, already making a mental list of sewing supplies they can part with to share with Katsuki. He splays the hole in the seat of the pants open again with one hand, holding it open and pointing along with his free fingers as he talks. ]

All right. So basically this is what we're gonna do: We're gonna cut open the threads here, then we're gonna sew the snappies on this little ribbon, and then sew that ribbon on the seam we made. So the stitches from the snaps are, one, hidden, so it's extra secret and no once notices, and two, so the backs of the snaps don't pinch you in the butt when you're sitting down. That part's prooobably more important with fur on your butt.

[ Seems like Alberto's perfected this. He certainly wasn't so advanced with it back home, and really didn't take such extra care until recently, after starting school. He used to just sew the fasteners directly onto the denim and dealt with it; he spent most of his time on his feet until the autumn. But, like anything else with his endeavors living in the human world, over time he's slowly gained more polish. The tempered way he's holding himself today, plus the (for once) credible authority with which he speaks about this little tutorial, it's good proof of Alberto's progress and competence. It's spotty and hodgepodge, but all the same, he's making it work, clearly. ]

Okay. I think I got that. Hands on experience is gonna make a difference though.

[He learns best through experience and he stubbornly won't give up until he's perfected something. Which is how he's so ridiculously skilled at so many things.

He eyes the pants in his hands and shifts them so the seam he needs is easy to access. Then he's waiting to see what Alberto is describing in action so he can follow suit. Completely focused and... honestly this is probably the quietest the two of them have been in the same space before. They're both kind of loud and energetic people.]

Mah, di certo. S'just practice. Lots of practice. It took me a while after my dad taught me. But at least you've got lots of pants, right? Ha.

[ Those tiny tells Alberto's good for... He means to make a wry joke, but it stands to reason, even with as little as he's revealed about his childhood or upbringing, yeah, Alberto probably didn't have a lot of spare clothes to practice on, growing up. Reasons unclear, but still fair enough logic. Sea monster on land and all...

Alberto leans forward to grab a seam ripper for Katsuki from the supplies he'd gathered, only to realize he'd forgotten to grab one. So with that worrying wry joke, he finds excuse to bolt and smooth right over it, jumping up out of his seat to dash over to his workspace again. From a jar crammed with paint brushes, he produces... a steak knife. He runs back over to their spot in the cushions, totally unnecessary in such a small flat, and uh, when carrying a knife. But he plops down with it just as carelessly as one might expect of Alberto. Listless as he is, it seems he's getting his spark back bit by bit the more time he spends with Katsuki today. He hands the knife over, blade first, thinking nothing of it. ]

Here. Rip open the threads to make your hole.

[Every time they touch on Alberto's childhood, Katsuki gets the sense that it's a giant can of worms. These little details sprinkled throughout their interactions sure paint an interesting and kind of sad picture even without the whole story.

He eyes the knife being held out and, in typical Katsuki fashion, can't just leave details like that lay. He's careful taking it, but makes sure to point out;]

Never offer the sharp end like that. Someone isn't looking, they'll get hurt grabbing for it. Shouldn't run with sharp shit either.

[Little things. But important. And the kind of details he pays attention to. But he doesn't harp on it or raise his voice like he has in the past correcting Alberto. He's come a long way since that day in the woods of Stardew Valley. Still firm and gruff in tone, but he's not yelling now.

He does as he's instructed, tip of the blade catching a seam and popping the stitch.]

[ Alberto stares at him with a curious look on, but it's almost clear he's absorbing this piece of advice. It's a good point, which he'd never thought about. The running with sharp shit rule he knew. Has no intention of following. But duly noted.

Alberto watches as Katsuki gets to ripping the seam, then grabs the needle and thread off the table while Katsuki's at it, preparing to show Katsuki the next step. He unravels a long string off the spool, but rather than getting up and going to get some scissors, or just waiting for the knife, Alberto instead just... gnaws the thread with his teeth to cut it off the spool. A means to an end. He's, uh, surprisingly proficient at it, too. Oy va voy. ]

[Just more of those weird little mannerisms. This one's harmless and Katsuki knows how to pick his battles on this kind of thing. If only he'd learn to pick his battles when it came to... actual battles.

That does bring him to a question though, seemingly out of the blue.]

Do you guys have to brush your teeth?

[Because... I mean... coming from the ocean and all... but maybe sea monsters invented their own little underwater toothbrushes. He doesn't know, okay?]

[ Alberto's wetting the end of his thread (by just sticking it directly in his mouth) to prepare it to go through the needle when Katsuki poses the question, and it catches him off-guard, freezing with the thread on his tongue and looking at Katsuki with raised brows. But after a second, he cracks a grin, amused by this question, and goes ahead threading the needle clumsily as he replies. ]

...Heh. I mean, do you, really? Ha! But no. We never did before. We do now, sometimes, but... That's just cuz we like it, ha.

[...they like brushing their teeth. Forever amazed how... bizarre these sea monster boys are. He's never met anyone who claimed to like brushing their teeth...]

I mean I have to. Unless I want them to rot and fall out.

Oh, is that what happens? Eugh.

[ ...These kids are really out there just brushing their teeth for gits and shiggles. Alberto doesn't even know what it's for! He gets the idea that it's cleaning their teeth, but why it's important to clean their teeth, and what will happen if they don't, has been a pretty vague idea til now. Look at them, learning so much from one another. Alberto teaches Katsuki about sewing, and Katsuki teaches Alberto about... basic dental hygiene... ]

Yeah. Gross and painful and expensive problems come from not brushing your teeth.

[Lessons learned! They never seem to have normal conversations. But that's... fine, actually?

Anyway, now that he's seen Alberto at work, Katsuki is going to try his hand copying the actions. Adding the little snaps. Quaint little activities somehow not jarring against the conversation about rotting teeth?]

[ Alberto nods along at this information, but understandable as it is, he just shrugs. Duly noted. Good to know they're doing something right even when they didn't know how or why they were doing something right. Their blind mimicry helps sometimes!

He goes ahead and shows Katsuki how to sew the snap on the strip of bias tape, and lets him get to work doing it himself. The only way to learn anything, in his book. Alberto, meantime, starts fidgeting in mindless ways, playing with connecting the unattached snaps, twisting and twirling the ribbon, whatever to keep his hands occupied in this nice moment of silence. It's still a bit eerie, Alberto and Luca's apartment being quiet for once, but at least the air is lighter now than it had been when he'd first walked in; Alberto's cheered up by the company and tasking. Talking about— whatever they talk about... They always chase rabbits. But enjoying a comfortable silence is a true mark of friendship, too. ]

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