kaisou | 001

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antonio madrigal

001

WHO: Antonio Madrigal
WHERE: Network, Around the Park
WHEN: March 1, Late Afternoon
WHAT: Small little boy wants to befriend people but it's awkward. Also, small boy shows tiger questionable tiger art.
WARNINGS: N/A

A. Network: Video; un: antonio

[If one were to look at the network, one could see a small little boy mumbling to himself. He wanted to say something, but he isn't sure what. As he looked down at the ground and shifted his weight, he took a huge breath in. If one can hear clearly, one could hear him say "You can do this."]

Um...I don't know what's going on but I think there's a lot of things I need to know. With the sky look weird and me having new powers, there's something I'm not getting.

[He said before looking around in his room. As he looked toward the door, it was as if he was waiting for someone to come in.]

I know mama and papa said I shouldn't talk to strangers online, but I hope we can talk to each other. Because I want to know if I can make some friends here.

B. Around the Park

[What is a small little boy doing out in the park without his parents? Who knows but that doesn't stop him from venturing into the zoo in search of some animals! Looking around the area, it appears that nobody was around him. As his gaze turn toward a tiger, he couldn't help but smile brightly at it!]

Hey, how are you doing? I hope that you're doing okay! I wanted to show you a picture I drew! I worked really hard and I hope you like it!

[He said before flashing the questionable tiger art to the animal.]

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[ Alberto’s eyes go wide, cocking a brow slightly and staring at Antonio as the smile fades, before letting his eyes drift back to the tiger. Green eyes and amber eyes lock, and while Alberto can’t understand the tiger, and doesn’t immediately assume that Antonio can either, something in the tiger’s expression lends some truth to Antonio’s words. This knocks some of the wind from Alberto’s sails, and he backs up, taking a couple steps away from them both. ]

Eh? …S-Sorry, sorry…

[ He doesn’t know if he should be apologizing to Antonio or to the tiger, so he looks back and forth between the two, divvying up his apologies confusedly. After a beat, though, he lets out a sheepish chuckle, an uncomfortable hand searching to rub at his neck idly. ]

Ehehe, I, uh— I’ve never seen such a big cat, ha. It’s a cat, right? Tiker-cat.

[ That… is not what Antonio called it, didn’t quite get that right, Alberto, but okay. Weird guy. Weeeird guy. ]

No, it's okay! At least you know not what to do the next time you see him!

[Although, he was surprised to see Alberto so calm about knowing Antonito's little gift. He was wondering how this boy would react knowing he could talk to animals. He had to admit, he was worried that he would look at him a little strange or treat him differently. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary just yet.

Looking back at the tiger and then back at Alberto, he gave a chuckle or two.]

But it is a tiger! I'm guessing you never seen anything like it, have you? They're really scary creatures if you make it mad!

[All the while pointing to said tiger's teeth.]

[ Antonio is giving Alberto too much credit, connecting the dots so quickly that Antonio can communicate with animals. Alberto's selectively intelligent. But what he lacks in smarts, he makes up for in enthusiasm. His smile grows, a bit crookedly, as Antonio points out the tiger's teeth and explains. ]

Heh... Really? I mean, all cats are really scary if you make them mad! But I definitely don't wanna make him mad, hah~!

[ He has no idea how zoos work. Could this tiger leave on its own? If it wanted to come after Alberto, as far as he knows, it could! He'd rather stay in the animals' good graces... He barely survived attacks from Machiavelli, he felt, and while he's not entirely certain Machiavelli couldn't win against this tiger... he'd rather take Antonio's word for it. ]

But tigers are a little different! They're a lot bigger and that's why you shouldn't make him mad!

[He said with a chuckle. While He just met Alberto, it was nice to see another kid around. As he looked at the tiger, he tilted his head toward the teen before the animal raised an eyebrow at him. While he couldn't completely understand the tiger, he was able to somewhat communicate with him using gestures.]

Otherwise, he might really get you!

[Was Antonio being serious? Who knows. That was up for the teen to find out.]

[ Alberto grimaces awkwardly, funnily, but nods sagely in muted agreement. ]

Hey, you seem like a tiker expert, ragazzo. You know about these other surface animals? Like, uh, that one?

[ He points at a monkey exhibit not so far off, the next pen over. He still hasn't figured out Antonio actually can communicate with the animals... just trusts his expertise already, even with their age difference. When you know something, you know it, yeah? ]

Tiker? Surface animal?

[He said as he looked at all the other animals Alberto pointed to. As he looked at the monkey and then back at the tiger, that's when it dawned on him.]

Oh you mean animals that can walk on land! I don't think I'm an expert but I know some basic stuff! [That being said, he couldn't help but lean in a little closer to Alberto before giving off a low whisper.] You don't know a lot about these kind of animals, do you?

[ Being whispered to like that actually... affects Alberto more than he'd expect, endeared by the younger boy. He's still very much youthful and playful for his age, even if he fancies himself very grown in other ways, but being an only child all his life, and working most of his short time in Portorosso, it's kinda cute being around a little kid... He leans in toward Antonio in turn, crouching to be a bit more level with him. He's got a lopsided, shy smile on, and shakes his head, lowering his voice slightly right back. ]

Uh-uh. I know about cats, turtles, bugs, and seagulls. And kinda about dogs. And, like, every sea animal ever~

[ His tone is almost a bit conspiratorial, huddled here whispering together... Admitting to a little kid that he's not an expert on something is unusually self-effacing for Alberto, but Antonio called him out so gently. He's not gonna put on the bravado — although he still can't resist bragging a little... He's all too curious about actually learning about these weird animals, anyway. He's never seen anything like these animals back home. ]

[At first, Antonio was a little surprised to see Alberto also leaning toward him. He was older than him, right? Shouldn't he react a little differently? Shouldn't he supposed to chuckle at his little act and not take him seriously? He wasn't sure but the five year old didn't mind.]

Oh yeah? What kind of sea animals do you know? I bet you don't know what a megalodon is!

[Was Antonio taking it a little too far? Probably but if this teen was being just as childish as he was? Then it was okay to act like a kid around him, right? After flashing a smirk, he crossed his arms just to prove himself. He might not be an animal expert but he knows a few things!]

[ Alberto narrows his eyes, his lips growing taut. It takes him pause, but he clips back with some thickness in his tone: ]

...We don't have those in Italy.

[ Which is a no. He doesn't know what a megalodon is. But won't admit it. ]

[Oh. Well, now Antonio feels bad. That being said, he stared at the teen before he gave him an apologetic look. Alberto might not have said it but he could tell by what he meant.]

Really? I didn't know that.

[Pause]

But they're really huge! They're one of the biggest sharks that have ever been seen by people!

Edited 2022-03-13 20:56 (UTC)

Oh. Well, if it's a huge shark, then the land monsters probably hunted them all. Maybe they all moved to the Deep to get away. I'unno.

[ He shrugs, letting this very dark statement roll off so nonchalantly, literally looking the other way. He points to the monkey exhibit again, and taps Antonio gently on the shoulder as he stands, waving him along to follow. His energy perks up again on the flip of a dime as he takes off with a long, over-animated stride. ]

Dai, c'mon, tell me about those things.

No, I don't think so! It's really really huge, it's even bigger than a tiger or an elephant!

[He said while expanding his arms wide to prove his point. Although, as Alberto wasn't interested in learning about the shark, he gave a small sigh. As he followed along toward monkey, he gave a small frown.]

Well. I don't really know a lot about monkeys but they are pretty tricky. You better be careful, they might pull a prank if you're not careful!

Yeah, yeah, giant shark, got it...

[ He waves them along at that, prompting him to come along. But as they walk along and Antonio explains a bit, what the boy has to say takes Alberto by surprise. ]

"Pull a prank?" Like what? Are they bullies?

[ He turns to Antonio with a cocked brow, frowning slightly. He's being very earnest and sincere in the way he's talking to Antonio, not condescending or patronizing as many do when talking to children, even with eight or nine years between them. He's taking everything he's saying about animals as if he were talking about people, almost. And clearly has interest only in land animals, but despite that, is trusting Antonio's expertise. Somehow, anyway, there's less pride to lose with a young child, rather than another preteen or teenager... He can admit to not knowing some things.

...and then when he does meet some teens he wants to impress, will brag about this knowledge gained from Antonio, without at all mentioning he learned it from a five-year-old. That's inevitably how this will pan out. But he's ready to lap up any bit of information the kid can offer about these weird land animals he's never seen. ]

[Now that was a question Antonio wasn't expecting. While he shouldn't be surprised since Alberto wasn't familiar with them, he couldn't help but wonder just how much he knew.]

No, they're just animals that like to play a lot. They play a lot of pranks because they want people to be happy.

[With that, he tilted his head to the side before looking up at the creatures. While he couldn't understand them completely, he did have a general idea of what the monkeys were trying to convey. While they were giggling a little at Alberto's question, Antonio gave them a small frown. Mischievous or not, it was still rude to laugh at someone who didn't know what they were like.]

Or at least, that's what they want people to think they are like. [Because otherwise? A lot of information he knew about zoo animals were from educational TV shows he saw and from school. Despite this, Antonio couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself for telling all of this to a teen.]

[ Alberto listens intently, though his brows do raise at the last bit. "That's what they want people to think..." He narrows his eyes a bit at the first monkey who'll make eye contact with him, cocking a brow, as he crosses his arms over his chest. ]

Sooo... They're like— land dolphins. Except they actually want people to think they're nice, and not just smart snobs. Got it. Can they talk, at least?

[ ... The fuck? "Can they talk?"

Seriously, how much does this kid know? Antonio, you're opening up a whole new world for this preteen boy, here. ]

[Now that made Antonio question just how much Alberto knew. Even if he didn't know anything about monkeys, there was no way that animals could even talk!]

No because that would get them into a lot of trouble! Can you imagine what they would say to humans if they can talk to us?

[But he kept his mouth shut for he was too polite to say anything. That being said, he looked at the monkeys and then back at Alberto.]

But I know I can talk to them. Just a little bit though.

[ Alberto smirks at Antonio's comment about what monkeys might say about humans. Alberto loves humans and human stuff, but even he has some gripes and jabs... But the little boy's next statement knocks any quips that might have been forming, right out of his mind. He turns to him with a raised brow again, but a vague look of amazement is growing as Antonio's words sink in... ]

Wait, wait— you can talk to them? What're they saying? Wait— you're not a monkey, right...? You're a human.

[ A+ deduction, there, Alberto. Detective Sherlock Scorfano.

But yet another plainly weird thing Alberto has said... Sh-Shouldn't that be obvious...? ]

I mean, they kinda look human-y, but monkeys can't change to look like humans — can they?

[ Yeeaaahhhhh, no, that should be obvious. ]

Edited 2022-03-25 01:03 (UTC)

I am but I found out I can talk to animals a while ago! It's pretty cool that I get to know what they're saying and I can befriend them!

[And yet, despite this, there was a slight hint of a smirk coming from the boy. He didn't mean to impress the boy but he couldn't help it. Seeing Alberto's reaction by learning all these various animals was enough to fuel the confidence in him.

That and Antonio can't help but wonder why doesn't Alberto know anything about land animals.]

But no, they can't. Who said that monkeys can turn into humans?

[Because why else would he ask these questions anyway?]

I-I dunno! I'm just asking questions!

[ He gives an exaggerated shrug, splaying his hands out in the air for emphasis. ]

I've never met someone who can talk to animals... Why? How'd you find out?

[ Curiouser and curiouser... Alberto's on the hook now, Antonio. ]

Just a few days ago when I asked him if he was lonely!

[He said before pointing to the tiger nearby.]

I think it had something to do with this app I got and it's making me get all these powers.

[Although, he lowered his head before giving a pout. He wasn't sure if Alberto would be one of those people who didn't believe him. However, it was worth a try to see if he would.]

Huh...!

[ He has no idea still what "app" means, he's still calling his cellphone a "Magic Everything Machine" so he's not so savvy with the lingo yet... But that doesn't dampen his amazement at all, looking clearly both bewildered and impressed. It gives him pause, then another spike in energy shoots up, as he smiles brightly again, and slaps Antonio gently on his shoulder, waving him along once more as he takes an exaggerated step forward, leg straight out before he sets off with a bounce in his step. ]

C'mon! Tell me about the other animals! What about those guys? What're they talking about?

[ He points to... some ducks. Just normal ducks that are not part of any exhibit, only here for food and a pond nearby that is an exhibit. So are just wandering around the pathways like any free bird, quacking amongst themselves quietly. Buuut Alberto's never seen a duck, either — or a zoo in the first place — so how would he know.

He wasn't even expecting to be in a zoo, he just was wandering and managed to bypass the attendants at the entrance. You get away with so much sneaking when you don't realize you're sneaking; you don't seem suspicious when you exude confidence and nonchalance, people just assume you're in the clear, don't even notice. Still almost always guarantees trouble, of course — just delays it a bit. ]

[This teen was getting stranger by the minute. One moment he doesn't know what monkeys are and now he was just so excited to see some ducks? Was there something he wasn't understanding because why would he be so happy to see some normal looking animals? But then again, who was he to ruin his enthusiasm for learning about animals?]

Well, those are ducks but I don't think you want to know anything about them. They're really not that exciting?

[He said as he walked by the pond and looking at the other birds. As he walked closer toward them, he gave Alberto a shrug.]

And not when they're talking about how dull the food is that they're getting. I don't think you would want to hear anymore of something that might be boring to you.

[Because talking about stale bread is obviously a conversation worth talking about, right?]

[ Alberto gives a snort of a laugh. They're talking about being bored with their food? He's about it. But indeed, it does sound boring, once Alberto's attention is distracted by the pond they're standing beside. He turns and notices and rushes the fence again, clutching the rail to lean over slightly as he points at some flamingoes. ]

Woah! Giant pink seagulls!

[ ...They're not seagulls... Alberto turns to Antonio with renewed enthusiasm — acting far more childish than the literal child beside him... ]

What're those birds?!

[At this point, Antonio couldn't keep up with the teen. On moment he wanted to talk about tigers to monkeys to ducks and now flamingoes? Crossing his arms, he wondered just how to approach this teenager.]

Um...those are flamingoes? I'm surprised, you never seen anything like them at all?

[Pause]

Tell me again, where do you live? Because you should have seen pictures of flamingoes before, right? [Otherwise, what kind of strange place did he live in??]

Nope! Never seen a giant pink bird in my life.

[ He says without a care in the world, face still stuck on the birds in front of them, finally staying in one spot for once. He likes the flamingoes, it seems. ]

Never seen pictures, either. Heh— Look! He's standing on one leg!

[ Alberto idly mimics the flamingo, one foot on the bottom rung of the wood fence, holding himself balanced by clinging to the top rung with both hands, as he folds one leg up for funsies, leaning back with a wide grin on his face. This is delighting him way more than most kids his age, that's for sure... ]

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