[ Temba (Action + Network) | Not!Tembla (Action) ]

[silenziobruno]

WHO: Alberto and you~ OTA
WHERE: Both in Temba and Not!Temba
WHAT: Exploring around: finding food, shelter, and getting into places he shouldn't probably be.
WHEN: Late July & Early August
WARNINGS: None so far. Will upload if needed.

TEMBLA

I. Around the City - Say aloe to my little friend.

[ Being new here, the first thing Alberto does is try to memorize what places in the city are the best ones best to find food and shelter. He's using one of the cup leaves to carry what he can find and ends with a mixed assortment of goods: bavonroom, cakesponge, crunchy persimmon, cyananas...

It's only when he walks by one of the Holdfast Vines and brushes the vines that he gets into trouble. He's not expecting the tree to move, much less to have a vine suddenly wrap around his wrist and grab him. ]

Wha--? Ey! Let me go! [ He lets out a startled yelp and tugs back trying to free himself but with no luck. He would welcome any help, really. ]


II. Beach - Fancy places call this Sushi

[ The view of the beach is a comforting one, even if the sand is the wrong color and the creatures in the water are not what Alberto is used to seeing. As he had promised Cayde, he's been finding and collecting alive fish for the Exo to add to his tank at the Deep End.

Anybody walking by the beach by the early afternoon might find him sitting by on a rock, straight up munching on raw a fish like it's no big deal, because to him, it isn't. Next to Alberto, there's a big metal helmet filled with ocean water, the fishes he's got for Cayde swimming in it. Alberto underestimated how much the helmet was going to weigh once filled up, and he's trying to come up with a way to carry it to Cayde's place. He's still thinking about that when he hears someone approaching and looks over them, gesturing to the helmet with a; ]

Ciao! If you are hungry, suit yourself. I think I fished too many.


III. Mines / Network

[ Some other explorers, before adventuring into the caves, might come up with a plan to check the air quality, make sure the walls are safe enough, perhaps they even bother to bring in some weapons...not this kid, though. Alberto can see well in the dark unless it's total pitch black, he's small enough to get through any tunnel, and he likes exploring, so that's exactly what he does.

Fortune favors the brave, as they say.

He gets further into the caves, and the more he sees, the more curious he gets. The rusted metal door only makes him pause briefly before he continues, and in no time, Alberto finds himself staring at the powered-off display and the possible places where energy crystals could go. The equipment is broken, and he knows how to fix it, even if he's never seen it before.

This has been happening since Alberto touched the engineering data point a few days ago,. He can now look at all that strange alien tech and remember what it is supposed to do, what it needs to be done to make it functional. It's weird, but weird it's also his usual, so he just assumes that's how life is goign to be from now own. He starts pushing all the buttons he can reach, paws at the powered screens, and basically touches everything that is touchable before giving up.

Tsk, he's going to need to make some crystals to make any of this work, but maybe other people already have some. With that idea in mind, he opens the communicator and chooses the video function, typing is still difficult for him. The connection is spotty at best, being deep into the mines, and there are dark shadows over his face, but his green eyes are still clearly visible. ]

Hello? Can anybody hear me? I'm in one of the caves and there's all this stuff...[ Alberto swings the communicator around, so it shows the different machinery and screens. ] They need crystals to work, I know how to make them but I haven't got any yet. Does anybody have a few to spare?

NOT! TEMBLA

Alien Target 2

[ Unlike the clothes in the Department Store of Tembla, the ones here have the right number of sleeves, and Alberto is looking around to see if he can find anything useful to wear. Most clothes are too big for him or he has no idea how to wear them, but he eventually finds a soft cream-colored sweater that is close to the right size to fit him.

It prompts him to bury his face in the sweater and laugh, the sound reverberating around the (supposedly) empty building. He's never had clothes this soft before, everything he's worn until now had been scavenged and threadbare, and it's just SO.SOFT. ]

Comments

Alien Target

[kree_soldieress]

[The laughter draws attention in the otherwise quiet store. Lauri-Ell, who had been searching for items worth bringing back to the train and thus to Temba, moves to follow the noise, until she at last arrived to find a boy whose face was, well, buried in a sweater. Interesting. Perhaps the child does not know the purpose?]

That is for your upper body, not your face.

Re: Alien Target

[silenziobruno]

[ He jumps a little at the unexpected voice, quickly looking up and clutching the sweater to his chest. He's about to say that yes, he knows what a sweater is for when his eyes land on the person in front of him. The very blue, very odd looking person in front of him. ]

Woah...[ She has no fins or visible tail, no scales either, so it's not a sea monster like him but also not a normal human either. It's like she's stuck in-between forms. ] You're very pretty.

[kree_soldieress]

[Yes, she was very blue. Very blue, extremely tall, and more muscled than most weight lifters. Definitely a sight to see. BUt to have such a thing said to her, and so bluntly at that, makes her blush briefly, her cheeks deepening to an even darker blue.]

I thank you for the compliment, young human.

[silenziobruno]

[ The size and muscle are hard to miss, and they also make it very clear that she's not someone to antagonize. Her reaction is funny, though, because Alberto imagined that she must get complimented on a daily basis, she was impressive. ]

I'm... [ Oh, right, yeah, he's 100% human here. Nothing else, uh huh, no ma'am. Alberto manages to say a sheepish; ] You're welcome! [ before he looks down at the sweater for a few seconds and then back at her. ] I didn't know they made clothes this soft.

[ If Lauri-Ell gives him a good look, she might notice that Alberto is dressed only in a tank top with brown shorts held up with a rope, and that he's also barefoot. New clothes are clearly a novelty for this kid. He offers her a hand to shake after a moment, smiling. ] I'm Alberto Scorfano, piacere, signorina.

[kree_soldieress]

[Perhaps she was complimented regularly. That did not mean that she regularly recognized said compliments. Humans never said the things they meant. It was frustrating. But that wasn't something she was thinking of now. Instead she looked the boy over. Given her limited interaction with humans, she actually didn't know that what he was wearing was by any means strange.

Instead she just took his hand into hers to shake, and it could very easily consume his for sure.]

I am Lauri-Ell, and I do not know those other words of yours.

Say ALOE!

[usedtobesmoller]

[ Steve himself is trying to get used to the area around here. He goes for regular walks and fills up his jacket with whatever he can find. Knowing him he's probably gonna be allergic to something but he'll figure that out later. For now he's just enjoying using the jacket like a basket at the grocery store. Except here he doesn't have to worry about affording things.

But, apparently, there are other things to worry about. ]

Woah!

[ He sees the other boy held up by the vine and searches around for something to use. There's a sharp-edged rock which he scoops up before smacking at the vine. When that doesn't work, he just uses the rock to sever off the part connected to the boy's wrist. ]

Not a dull moment around here, huh?

[silenziobruno]

[ Alberto has only limited knowledge about what kind of animals and plants could be found on the surface of his own world, so he doesn't find the flora and fauna of this new planet all that strange, having no previous point of reference. He should probably be more careful about the things he tries to eat, but in all honesty, he's never done that before.

The unexpected tug-o-war is not working in his favor, no matter how much he pulls at the vine. The relief is obvious on Alberto's face when Steve appears and eventually manages to break the plant. ]

Not really, no. Trees shouldn't move and grab people, that's just rude! [ The kid pulls away from the tree, glaring at it and rubbing at his wrist after he untangles what's left of the vine and lets it fall to the ground. He stops glaring after a few seconds to give Steve a grateful look. ] Thanks, I couldn't get it to let me go on my own. Are these things normal here?

[usedtobesmoller]

[ Steve looks at the vine and honestly has no idea if he's seen them before or not. ] No... I don't think so. I haven't been out in the woods too much but I can't say I've been grabbed by them before.

[ He looks at the kid and offers a smile and a hand. ] Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you, son. You a new arrival like me?

[silenziobruno]

Lucky, that wasn't fun at all. [ Alberto would kick the tree out of spite if he weren't worried that it would try something again and get them both in trouble. He might be a hothead but even he knows his limits and the plant is too strong.

He gets over it quickly, turning to face his savior and giving Steve a smile as he shakes his hand rather effusively ]

I'm Alberto Scorfano. Un piacere conoscerti, Steve. I've been here only for a few days. Everything about this city is really weird. Do you know how we could go back home? Maybe there's a train?

Mines/Network

[heypartner]

Hey, kid, take a breath. [ There's Cobb, face with some healing bruises and his arm is still in a sling but he's steady and calm in the video. ] We know that's down there. What are you doing in the mines alone?

[ No one should be down there by themselves. And when did this kid get here? Cobb didn't remember him. He was clearly a new face. ]

[silenziobruno]

[ Alberto quickly turns the table around when he hears Cobb's voice. Ey, someone answered! Looks like he managed to make this right, great. ]

I can hold my breath for a long time. [ The kid says cheekily, smiling and peering down at the network. He knows how it works now, but it's still surprising to be able to talk with people who are far away. Ah, if only Luca and Giulia had one. ]I've been exploring! There's a lot of rusty stuff around here, but it's just a matter of un-breaking it and the devices will work.

[ Once he takes a good look at Cobb, he finally notices the bruises and the sling. He winces in sympathy.]

Oh...did you get hurt?

[heypartner]

I'm fine.

[ Really, it's nothing. He's had worse. Cobb is more worry about the kid exploring the mines alone. ]

Kid, come back to the surface. We know it needs to be fixed and we're working on that. You've got a chance to hurt yourself down there. [ And the kid didn't even have anyone to help him like Cobb had Starling when he got trapped and hurt. ]

[silenziobruno]

Hmm. [ That doesn't sound super convincing to him, maybe because Alberto says the same and just as quickly as Cobb when asked if something's wrong with him. He raises his eyebrows but then gives an understanding smile. ]

Okay, if you say so. I'm fine too, really. I've been in darker places. [ Underwater caves, for a start. He's not arguing with Cobb for the sake of it as he seems honestly confused by the man's concern. That's rarer than secret mines.

He does like being on the surface more, though, and if the guy on the screen says that others already know about this place, there's little point in staying put. The screen is still dark, but Cobb will probably see Alberto stand up and move towards the tunnel. There, he's behaving! He should go to the beach and find what he needs to make the crystals, to prove that he can be useful too. ]

Do you know what the machines are for? Everything here is much bigger than the singing lady box.

Beach

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra watches the kid eating fish worriedly. It's less that it's raw - he has an entire lifetime of fake memories of growing up with Japanese cuisine as part of his heritage, including sushi - but rather...

"Um. A lot of fish have toxic bits. Toxic to most humans, anyway."

[silenziobruno]

Alberto paused, looking at Ezra, then at the fish swimming in the helmet, and then back at the other man. Right, to most humans they were toxic, And he was 100% humans, yes sir.

"Oh." Still staring at Ezra, Alberto simply threw the rest of the half-eaten fish behind himself, good riddance. "Thanks for the warning. I wasn't going to eat the others, though, those are a present for a friend. But the helmet now weighs too much to move it."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra's relieved, but also...that struck him as a little weird.

"Who did you get them for? I can carry it." Whether channeling the Force through his body or straight up telekinesis, he's confident he can get move it.

[silenziobruno]

Alberto is a little weird, both as a 'human' and as a sea monster. He tries to act casual, but sometimes old habits and instincts are stronger than his common sense.

"Cayde. He's an Exo, he said. A really cool robot man that can jump on air." To say that Alberto was impressed by that is an understatement, he had a blast spending time with Cayde. He's also a bit surprised by how quickly Ezra offered help, and he gives him a more sincere, relaxed smile this time.

"You sure? It's pretty heavy and Cayde told me he lives in a tower with a clock, so that can't be easy to reach. I was going to see if I could find a wheelbarrow or something with wheels to move it."

Alien Target

[demjiin]

[ Kaz has been more generally browsing. He would wear a tailored three-piece suit usually but in concession to the heat, he was wearing black gloves, a black waistcoat, black pants, and the white spider silk shirt that Lark had made especially for him. With what sounded like a child laughing, his paranoia was assuaged enough that he did not change his grip on his cane to move silently, thus the 'thunk' of his cane punctuated his steps every time walked.

Kaz paused long enough to see some of the discarded clothes laying around. With a voice that sounded like he gargled with whiskey and broken glass every morning; a grizzled old man speaking from a teenagers mouth, he casually asked; ]

"It looks like you have explored here a bit. Know where the fishing line would be kept?"

[ It could get hard to hold onto, but it also made for an excellent garrot. ]

[silenziobruno]

Alberto is rarely still, and he isn't a jumpy person who gets easily frightened. Despite that, the tap tap tap of the cane is a welcome sound, because Tembla is a really strange city, and he still needs to learn what places are dangerous. Hearing someone coming before they get close gives him time to stop squishing his face against the soft fabric of the sweater and actually pay attention to his surroundings.

"Hello!" The grave voice was a little odd, but it didn't bother him at all. It was the clothes the man was wearing that got Alberto's attention. Fancy. Kaz reminded him of the handsome actors from the movies posters that could be seen on the streets of Portorosso.

"Oh, yeah, I know everything about this place." Not really, no but confidence went a long way, and he did spend all morning in the building, looking everywhere for interesting things to keep. And luckily for Kaz, anything fishing-related was something Alberto did know well for real.

"Uhm..." Alberto tapped at his chin for a second, remembering if and then where he's seen what Kaz was asking for. "I've seen a few of those in an aisle with a sign that said...Outdoor Recreation? I could take you there."

He's got nothing better to do and given the state of disarray of the Target, it would be easier if Alberto just shows Kaz where to look for what he needs.

Thanks for the format change <3

[demjiin]

"If you would, I'll follow you."

Kaz was perfectly aware that he looked attractive to some people but with his problem with skin, any skin, touching his, that made the chances of any sort of romance zero. He could also be surprisingly fast when he wanted to be, but at the moment he was walking a bit slower seeming to lean on his cane.

"I don't think I've seen you before in Temba either. I'm going to assume then that you're new?"

It's no problem at all, I'm happy to adapt ♥

[silenziobruno]

Alberto is a bit too young to really care about deep attraction, but he can appreciate people with a certain style, that for sure. He's also generally friendly and happy to be in other people's space, usually just with those close to his age and that he already has a rapport with, like Luca or Giulia. Kaz wouldn't have to worry about an excited child trying to hug him out of the blue or anything of the sort.

"Sure, it's no problem. We need to go to the east of the building." The boy stands up and puts the new sweater on a bag he's found around the Target. He's using to carry anything that catches his eyes, from a few new clothes to a coloring set and paper, he was especially happy about the latter.

"I wake up here a few days ago, everything in this city is very different from Portorosso." Looking up at the other man, Alberto offers a hand to shake and a name. "My name is Alberto Scorfano. È un piacere, signori."

Beach

[puddledancer]

After a long morning of hauling trash and debris out of the Arcade, Quill was more than ready for a dip in the ocean to wash off the sweat and grime so he could feel like a human again. He was already stripping off his shirt as he hit the edge of the sand, perching on a rock to take off his boots. When he looked up and realized he wasn't alone - and invited to lunch for that matter, he waved and grinned.

"Hey, kid. I'm about to jump in, so maybe after? I grew up with the 'no swimming right after you eat' rule."

[silenziobruno]

"Ciao! Oh...That's really a rule?" It was one that sea monsters did not have, for the obvious reason of living and eating underwater. And thus, Alberto looked fairly confused at that statement. He mentally shrugged, now keeping in mind the extra knowledge about human habits, and returned the man's smile with one of his own.

"S'ok! I'm not going anywhere for a while. This thing is too heavy now anyway. The water's nice at this hour, you'll have fun."

[puddledancer]

"Yeah, sure is. If you eat right before you go swimming you can get really bad cramps, and it makes it harder to swim. And if you're not careful you can drown. Least, that's what my mom taught me. And she never lied about anything important."

He waded into the surf up to his thighs, then crouched down to get wet while staying within conversational distance. With a sigh of relief, he tilted his head back and looked up at the clouds drifting by.

"Not a bad day. A. T'all," he grinned, looking back over at Alberto. "What's your name, kid?"

[silenziobruno]

"Oh, Ugh. Drowning it's really no fun...I doubt it would ever happen to me, though." He adds in the end in a barely audible voice. Drowning isn't something a sea monster ever worries about. This guy man seems nice, however, and Alberto jumps from the rock to move closer to the shore, so they can talk without shouting but he's careful to stay away from the waves.

"What happens to a human if you eat WHILE you're in the water?" He's assuming that maybe the reason why the cramps happen it's that the human body is just that badly designed. Of course, the kid fails to realize that he is looking totally humans now and that the question might seem odd from an outsider's perspective.

"I'm Alberto Scorfano! Nice to meet you!"