TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 10

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ SUMMARY: New arrivals drop into the lake and have to climb up a cliff to the Rent a Ride, where they are given their device and some headphones and can retrieve their personal materials. They travel to Camelot, which is a multiple day journey, so they stop at the Red Springs along the way and stay at an inn there. A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival KERPLUNK, SPLASH! Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly. (Though.. given how hot and muggy the weather is this first week, maybe you might want to ask him to toss you right back into the lake where the waters are still cool.) *Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go. These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with whole coconuts filled with tropical drinks and topped with tiny umbrellas. Strawberry daiquiris, pina coladas, margaritas, mai tais, and more... all frosty and in the spirit of keeping you cool during the sunny month of August. (Naturally, virgin editions are available for the underaged.) Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk. C ⦿ The Red Spring The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies. If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there. SUMMARY: The first attempt at using the mounts to travel en-masse up to fae territory is filled with problems: mandrake sprouts caused by recent murders drumming up requests to dig them up, two titanic creatures face off in the lake and catch characters in a maelstrom, and a mysterious underwater town with a strange curse being good neighbors with a last minute save... at a slight risk: becoming a merperson, naga, or cecaelian for a little while. With communications with Elphame in Celliwig disrupted by specters and Arthur temporarily decommissioned, the Hall of Mirrors is temporarily off limits for cleansing rituals. Celliwig has encouraged people to return to Camelot for the time being, which is just as well with all the newcomers flooding in. Last month's new arrivals through the old guard got an introduction to the new aquatic mounts and there are now plenty of people versed in how to handle and work with the magical alpacapies, mossatees, and deinosuchus. As scout parties head out further, there are a few problems that they've run into that need a helping hand from Camelot's otherworldly population. A ⦿ A Mandraconian Task Just as volunteers are asked to bring supplies for the journey to fae territory, a series of grisly murders involving strung up corpses appears around town (see this month's quest, "Not-So-Good Morning" for more details), and the dripping blood and fluids of these corpses seeps into the ground to give birth to strange, leafy plants that sprout leaves in all directions at once. They're small, and the locals seem weary of them, but ultimately they're breaking up pathways and making them into trip hazards... the locals recognize these plants as mandrake root, which is known in different cultures for... very different things. The mandrake root is a cursed plant that screams in a way that curdles blood enough to kill small creatures if they're too close and make a grown person go deaf. The reason anyone would pull them up however... well, their magical properties are astounding. It is said that Joan of Arc carried one in her possession to give her the power to take control of her own fate. Some religions claim that it has the ability to restore a person's fertility, and before clever manufacturers started using the name for tomatoes, Islamic tradition called the "apples of the jinn" and cause strong bouts of lust. Needless to say, a good many people are cautious about pulling them up, but more than willing to offer a fair sum of money to a newcomer who can get them out of the ground. The cause of their sprouting may be tragic, but there's no way that you're going to make it through town center with trip supplies without getting pulled aside and asked to help harvest the mandrake roots for a pretty penny... or maybe you're interested yourself. Either way, it may behoove you to practice a little magic with a friend to try to get them up. B ⦿ Clash of the Titans Finally everyone has gotten going and a mixture of brave Camelot citizens, Celliwigians, and otherworlders have headed back to Albion's White Cliffs to take off with their mounts (and partners... you're going to have to ride with someone, there aren't enough mounts for everyone to get their own!) and things are going well. It's about two days into the waters of Lake Avalon that things start to send a chill down your spine. Back on land, even for the first two days there, the weather had been hot and sunny, a beautiful summery start to August, but as the party starts to approach the southern banks of Dinas Emrys, they see a gargantuan beast run at bewildering speeds off the land and straight across the surface of the lake. The creature appears to be some kind of centipede formed of black clouds and lightning that illuminates its exoskeleton from inside of its body in deep purple and blue hues. Each of its legs kicks up a titanic wave headed straight for the party of explorers as it charges towards its target, what appears to be a tsunami wave containing a dark, shadowy figure emerging at least twenty stories above the water. The only part of it that isn't black are the blank, soulless eyes. As the lightning bug monster charges what some may recognize as an umibozu, it crashes into the tsunami wave and all three fall asunder... which is bad news for the traveling party, as the waters are now extremely choppy and lighting up with charges of the centipede's lightning. The result? As the two monsters dive down below the water, a maelstrom forms in their path and starts sucking everyone down! C ⦿ Fresh Waters Anyone who manages to escape the maelstrom will find that their mounts aren't moving forward this time around and are heading back where they came from, even with lost supplies. You may find yourself having to switch mounts with others nearby or talking to a strange beachball on the back of the alpacapie that's carrying your ass back to the White Cliffs... Or if you weren't so lucky, you may find yourself waking up on a slightly different shore. An underwater shore. An underwater town, in fact. After the initial panic of realizing that you're not drowning when you wake up settles in, you'll realize that you seem to be able to breathe underwater just fine. In fact, the real panic is probably about to start when you realize that like the fine people of this town that saved you, you've been temporarily gifted gills and a bottom lower half of either a merperson, a naga, or a cecaelia. Your caretaker, a nurse of the local town, offers the explanation that the only way to save everyone from drowning was to pull them into their territory, which is cursed to turn them all into sea monsters. Not to worry though, as long as you leave before the sun sets on the third day, you'll turn back to normal just fine. ...Though, they're not really sure when that was or if they battle is over, so you should probably find your friends and any possessions you had with you and start heading toward the surface. Not too much time to explore this strange, underwater town... especially since you don't have much practice not having legs to get you up to the surface. Don't worry, if you don't make it out in time, the Lady of the Lake will come fetch you... though perhaps not in time, so you may need to spend some time back in Camelot seeking out someone to break a curse. SUMMARY:After the recent event, people need to recover and heal. So Camelot's castle opens its doors for an open house, a swap meet and poetry battle auction, and a healing circle ritual. Arthur is injured and recovering, and news has spread on social media about it. There are lots of well-wishers and gifts being sent to the castle... enough that there's just too much for Arthur to do anything with it. He needs time to recover and rest and not be bothered, and as such declares that all those who need it shall share in the wealth and generosity of those wishing him well. The abundance (Especially from guilty Celliwigians who didn't realize what was happening right under their own noses) results in a few things happening... A ⦿ Open House Camelot's castle halls open up to all those who would like to come. Invitations are sent and a feast is prepared. A huge table with all manner of foods from different cultures is prepared. The only thing they ask is that you stay out of the wing of the castle that Arthur is resting in, as he is not available right now. Try new foods made from recipes from all around the different worlds or invite yourself to use the castle's royal public baths, remodeled from more ancient styles to include cool things like old architecture mixing with jacuzzi jets and waterfall shower rooms. There's even a water slide. It's more a water park than anything... Explore the library (except for the forbidden section, which has a very powerful magical barrier preventing entry-- even trying to tamper with it could result in your character glowing colors by their mood as punishment for messing with the magic). Those are dangerous texts in there! There's even a live show with a magician! Which sounds lame, but he's more or less showing off his skills in tricks, knife skills, and has a mean comedy routine to go with it. He's even willing to teach lucky volunteers how to escape death-defying stunts... hopefully. You may want to bring a buddy for backup. Or perhaps you're more interested in heading out to explore the rose gardens or finding a place to stay for the evening... don't worry, if you've had too much to drink or simply tired yourself out, you're welcome to stay in one of the guest rooms during this open house celebration. B ⦿ Swap Meet Not interested in exploring the castle? Well perhaps you'll enjoy the open-market bazaar that seems to have set up in the courtyard. All kinds of oddities are being exchanged in the castle courtyard and you may just find something rare.. or maybe it's a piece of crap. It's hard to tell, and the chances of getting swindled are just as high as the chances of getting an antique masterpiece. There is an auction for those willing to pay more for authenticity, but auctions in Camelot go a little bit differently... to win art, you must first prove yourself worthy of art-- all bid submissions must be performed in stanza. Haikus, rap, short poems-- all are valid, as long as they follow the rules of your chosen form of poetry and express why your bid deserves the win. The last person to falter wins their right to pay their bid, with at least 10,000G upped with each poetic rebuttal. C ⦿ Healing Circle After Party It's good to take care of yourself with a little fun, but if you're still stressed, hurt, traumatized, mildly upset, hung over, or just want to feel better about yourself, consider joining in some of the local witches and wizards in a meditative healing ritual. Step one: Gather herbs from the castle gardens. They've got all kinds, but you're looking for things like yarrow, apple blossoms, cinnamon, and lemon balm. Once you've gathered your herbs, join in the silent meditation circle with an available partner. Anyone is fine, but once you've entered the circle with someone, it's very important that you do not make any noise. Silence is important, and as you burn each of your herbs with your partner, you'll find that the smoke forms a barrier that surrounds the two of you. Put your hands together, and focus on the source of your pain. You will share your emotions with the person you're performing the spell with. They will feel everything you feel in that moment, and be able to share the burden without having to speak of or share what caused this pain. With the pain lightened, you will find that the smoke lights up and dissipates up at the top. Whether or not you choose to share with your newfound partner... well, that's up to you, but they sure are going to know how you're feeling right now, and that definitely wasn't warned about when you were asked to join the healing circle. MOD NOTES: • All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Comments

[prontissimo]

Woah— whenever you want?! Can you even do it now?!

[ He can’t hide his excitement, it’s an easy shift back. He leans forward, sitting fully up again now, holding his bare feet with his hands, wearing a smile once more with wide eyes. He’s clearly impressed — not so easy to achieve, either. What’s more, Alberto’s been trapped before, himself; he doesn’t know what a snare is, but he definitely knows what ropes are, so he just assumes it’s another kind of net, and that much he can relate to and sympathize with. It’s scary. He’d have probably tried to fight someone off, too, if he knew the full story. But for now, he’s keen to gloss over that rougher bit in the hopes that Robyn might… entertain him, frankly. That’s what so much always comes down to, in fact: entertaining Alberto. ]

1/2

[wolfhunted]

Er...alright, I suppose so.

[Even after several months here, Robyn still isn't really used to such enthusiastic responses when people find out she can turn into a wolf. Back home, she'd more likely be scolded for telling tall tales or pagan nonsense, and if anyone in town saw her as a wolf she'd be shot at.

She stands up and brushes the sand off of her before closing her eyes to concentrate...]

[wolfhunted]

[...and in a flash of gold, she's a wolf. She's a bit smaller and more slender than the average wolf, but anyone who's seen Robyn enough could easily recognize her by her blue eyes.

She's not sure how much experience Alberto really has with wolves, so she wags her tail a bit as a sign of reassurance.]

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto watches on eagerly as she stands and focuses herself, leaning forward even further and biting his lip in anticipation. When the gold flashes though, he leans back, startled, agape, but reorients himself as she completes her transformation... And gasps at the sight of her. He jumps to his feet, animated, thrilled, stunned, just generally shook, really. ]

Whaaa—! Per mille sardine! You weren't lying! Haha, oh my—! What even are you?! This isn't a dog— definitely not a dog! Santa mozzarella! Hahaaa!

[ He's grasping the sides of his face, ecstatic, practically tapping his feet in delight before he starts to circle her. ]

Wow, a wolf is way bigger than the dog in Luca's photo! Haaa, che bella! Can you talk?!

[ He's way too excited about this. But granted... he'd already told her he'd never seen a wolf. And she just, y'know, stood up and turned into one, so. It's pretty exciting, even for someone less excitable than Alberto. ]

[wolfhunted]

[The enthusiasm is still a bit much for Robyn to handle, especially when Alberto is circling around her like that, but at least it's positive. As for if she can talk, she shakes her head no; unless someone here has animal magic or is an animal themselves, most people won't be able to understand her if she tries to say anything.]

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto is no less delighted, even if she can't talk. He's starting to bring his enthusiasm down a notch, getting over the initial shock, but he's still plainly dazzled, his bright-eyed grin stuck in place as he crouches down and leans in closer to her face to examine her more. ]

Haaa... Mamma mia. This is amazing! And it's something you can do at home, not just here! I don't think humans can do anything like this where I'm from. Just look at you! Heh!

[ He stands again, his hands on his hips, contraposto, looking her up and down one more time as his dazzled grin settles into an appraising smirk. ]

Okay. Finito. You can change back if you want.

[wolfhunted]

[It takes a moment so Robyn can concentrate, but soon there's another flash of gold as she goes back from wolf to human.]

Well, thanks for tellin' me I can. [Her tone is only a little bit sarcastic when she says that.]

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto laughs at that out outright, Robyn's sarcasm landing just right. He likes this weird human girl, decidedly. And for all his outgoingness and chutzpah, that's not such an easy status to achieve in his book. He crosses his arms, smirk staying put. ]

Hah. So do you keep this secret or what? Will people hunt you here?

[wolfhunted]

I've told some people I'm friends with here. Nobody's tryin' to hunt wolves or cut down all the forests here, at least.

[It doesn't help that the reason she and her father moved to Ireland in the first place is because her father was called in to hunt down wolves. Or that the last time she saw him, he tried to shoot her since he didn't recognize her as a wolf.]

There isn't anybody I could talk to about it at home, other than Mebh.

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto's smile softens, but still stays in place, far more empathetic than snide now. He's an animated, expressive boy, and far more transparent than he thinks. ]

It was like that with me and my friend Luca, too... [ No elaboration on that, though? ] ...I won't tell anyone about your wolf-stuff. Even if people don't hunt wolves here. ...Do they hunt monsters?

[ Just. In general. Monsters. Y'know. He adds this a bit more hesitantly after a beat. ]

[wolfhunted]

Really?

[Even if Alberto won't elaborate on that, it's nice to know she's not the only one who has a secret about themselves that they can still share with someone else.]

Well...there are a lot of different creatures here, and some of them can cause trouble, so people can take jobs here to keep them from attackin' everyone or somethin'. But we don't really have to hunt them most of the time...

[There are a couple of Dark Web jobs that say otherwise, though Robyn's never looked at those.]

[prontissimo]

[ There's a considerable pause, for the fast pace Alberto's kept up until this moment, but there's a certain... distance in his voice, when he replies, something tugging his tone a little deeper. ]

...Humans hunt sea monsters where I'm from. So— if a sea monster were to go on land... They'd have to hide that they're a sea monster. Not get wet. Not get found out.

[ Odd? Still on topic, could just be speaking generally, but the hesitation in his voice leaves a bit of mystery hanging in the air. ]

[wolfhunted]

[Even if Alberto has been vague about what exactly he is, Robyn has gradually been putting two and two together from what he's told her. She's still not 100% sure if he's really a sea monster or not, but...]

I haven't heard of anyone huntin' sea monsters here, or those merpeople we met. But if it could be dangerous, then you don't have to tell anyone.

[prontissimo]

[ He looks rather startled when she says it. Guess it's not that hard to put together, though, huh... And that look softly melts into a rather sweet smile, a little cockeyed with warm, lazy eyes — endeared. ]

...All right.

[ A vague enough confirmation? He adds on, after a bit, though, a better confirmation — and a nicer one. ]

...Thanks.

[wolfhunted]

You're welcome.

[Robyn has enjoyed being more open about being a Wolfwalker here than she would be back home, but she can see why Alberto would want to keep his own secret. Hopefully things can at least be a little safer here for him, like it is for her.]

...I'm Robyn, by the way. Robyn Goodfellowe. [Because she just realized they haven't had time to exchange names until now.]

if she doesn't shake hands jlmk and i'll edit this out!

[prontissimo]

[ The introduction makes him realize the same, and it sparks that warm, soft smile into something a little brighter, more excitable.

Aaand he gets to show off his silly handshake to someone new, which is a precious rarity considering how few people he meets typically, let alone friendly enough to actually do it, so, y'know, there's that. That opportunity alone excites him about exchanging names, driving him a few steps forward to be near to her, a pleasant (but still that vague, near-constant smugness) grin on his face, his hand outstretched to take hers in a handshake. ]

Alberto Scorfano!

[ And if just the way he says his own name doesn't deliver his enthusiasm well enough, when she takes his hand, he barely skips a beat at all before he shakes it with some rather quick gusto — Piacere, a pleasure, he says as they shake — then returns to making things confusing for fun... his best talent. ]

Piacere! Girolamo Trombetta!

[ And as he gives... uh... s-someone else's name? Is that a name? Even with the linguistic magic of Avalon, it doesn't translate for some reason?! But as he rattles this off with clear practice and some self-amused bravado, he twists her hand one way and the other, then yanks her arm back and forth with faint force enough to jostle her — like a trombone...

The hell? But he releases her just as quickly and mysteriously and returns his hand to his hip with an even smugger look than he'd worn when he started. ]

It's a human thing. Y'know. In Italy.

[ It's. Not, though. Like— maybe a small friend group in Portorosso made this handshake up for fun and Alberto somehow caught wind of it, but, like... It's really, really not a thing. And he still doesn't even know what it's supposed to mean, himself. But, well— he's here in this place now, everyone's displaced and on their own, no one else knows what it means probably, either... It could be a thing now! Why not! ]

it's fine!

[wolfhunted]

[Well, it's nice that they're at least on friendly enough terms now that they can exchange names, despite a rocky start. Robyn wasn't expecting to be part of a weird handshake that apparently requires words in a language she isn't that familiar with, though she goes along with it, even if she's a little surprised by being yanked around a bit. At least he's not trying to sniff her armpit or chew on her hair like Mebh did.]

...oh. I've never been to Italy. I've seen it on a map before, though. I always thought it looked sort of like a boot.

[Kind of like the boots she's wearing, come to think of it.]

[prontissimo]

Welllll—

[ He starts off thoughtfully, not sure what to say because... he hasn't... really seen a map of the whole world yet. But, but! With his very vague idea of his world's geography, at least he has found a save in this conversation. ]

Maybe once we're back home— you can visit! It's beautiful, you'll love it. The food, especially! Well— the human food, at least. Heh...

[ Sea cucumbers pale in comparison to pasta. ]

[wolfhunted]

I think it's a long way from Ireland, but maybe I could try one day.

[And she'd still have to deal with the whole "turning into a wolf whenever you fall asleep" thing if she ever went abroad, plus traveling to other countries isn't easy in the time period she's from...but she'd rather not think too hard about that right now. It's still nice to imagine what she could do if she had all the freedom she wanted.]

What kind of food do you have there?

[prontissimo]

Uh, only the best in the world — all kinds of stuff! Gelato! Pizza! Ciabatta! Panini! Watermelon! But best of all— Pasta!

[ He delivers this with all the enthusiasm he can, rubbing his hands together before saying "pasta" with even greater gusto. He's never had such good food in his whole life before moving in with Massimo, and it wasn't just cuz he can't cook for himself... It's genuinely amazingly delicious. He chuckles vaguely, throwing his shoulders back proudly with his hands on his hips. ]

I can make some pasta myself, too, y'know— trenette al pesto~ Massimo taught me how. And I can toss a pizza dough in the air!

[ ...And have it land on the cat more often than not. But he's proud anyway. He got it right eventually. Doesn't mean he'll get it right again, though... He doesn't even know if these boasting points will resonate with Robyn, but y'know, Alberto can't resist bragging for his small accomplishments. ]

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn doesn't know what most of those foods are, but she does recognize that last one.]

Ooh, pasta! I've tried that here. We don't have that where I'm from, and it's pretty slippery to eat, but it's really good.

[One thing she's enjoyed about being here is getting to try different foods she's never heard of before.]

So you can make it? I wouldn't mind learnin' how.

[prontissimo]

Ha— really?! I can teach you!

[ He seems to light up at the idea. Like he likes being in a teaching role. And most especially... he likes pasta, too. Doesn't hurt. ]

I know everything we'll need! And I can teach you the right way to use a forchetta! That way it's not so slippery. Massimo taught me how.

[ "Massimo taught me how" is probably going be a phrase Robyn will hear repeated many, many times over the course of this budding friendship... Somehow just by this second time he says it, that seems clear. ]

[wolfhunted]

Forchetta...? You mean a fork, right?

[Robyn doesn't mind cooking, just so long as she's not being forced to do it day in and day out like she was in the scullery back home. And at least here, she can learn how to make something new.]

Is Massimo a friend of yours? [She may as well ask.]

[prontissimo]

Yeah! You have to twist it, like this—

[ He mimes twisting an invisible fork in the air, as if rolling up invisible spaghetti. He's grinning, though, lighthearted, that bravado he's put on so much now shed away. It's a refreshing energy — genuine. ]

Massimo is my friend's... friend's dad.

[ Shade to Giulia, shit, Alberto. But it is a bit more accurate; she's Luca's friend more than his. He's been closer with Massimo from the start. ]

My best friend Luca— when we went to the human town... we met this human girl, Giulia. And, uh— now Luca lives with her and her mama in Genova, where they go to school together... It's a big city, I guess? And, um— Giulia's dad Massimo lives by himself in Portorosso, and when Giulia and Luca left, he asked me to stay with him. So, I'd help him out in the pescheria he runs, go fishing with him— ...cuz I know all the best fishing spots, right, heh... So— y'know, I'm helping him out. And I stay in Giulia's bedroom. She only comes there in the summertime, anyway.

[ There's a strange wistfulness and vague melancholy that floats off and on through this explanation, his body language a little more sheepish and nervous than before, less eye contact, more fidgeting, shoving his hands in his pockets... It's even more transparent than before. Even if he won't fess up that it's him who needs Massimo more. It's mutually beneficial, though, it is. ]

[wolfhunted]

...that sounds nice. It's good that he lets you go fishin' with him.

[Unfortunately, Alberto's story reminds her of how her relationship with her father used to be similar, before things between them became more strained.]

Back home, I used to help me father hunt for food. But then we had to move to Ireland because he had to work for the Lord Protector, and he kept tellin' me I had to stay in town and work in the scullery at the castle instead. He says he wants me to be safe, and that work is prayer, but...

[But she knows that's not a life for her.]