[ Alberto's on alert right away, as soon as Luca moves away from the older siren and bumps into the other, rising slightly in the water. The siren Luca bumped into, shocked herself, swims out of his way, pivoting to keep her eyes on him. In fact, all eyes are on him — he's captured everyone's rapt attention, and something has Alberto feeling ill at ease suddenly noticing it. As Luca puts more distance between him and the others when he pops off back at the siren, Alberto zips closer to Luca protectively, still keeping off to the side respectfully as they talk, but making sure he's in between Luca and these other folk... The conversation doesn't seem to be improving... Indeed, it only darkens. There's an almost palpable ripple through the group at Luca's final question, and a pregnant pause; for once, there's no whispered commentary from the back of the group, though they do exchange furtive glances. The elder siren swims forward toward the boys with a cold, yet eerily soft look in her eye; the more biting siren follows after her, speaking to her in a hushed tone. ]
M'lady...
[ But the older siren again simply waves her off. She doesn't approach the boys in a menacing way, but in slow, regal movements, before she's placed herself in between them once more. Alberto glances nervously to Luca, suspicious, but his attention is drawn back when she reaches up and pulls up her long hair to expose her neck and décolletage, her gills flaring when she extends her neck. Upon closer inspection, it's now plain to see: scars. Lots of scars. She flips the tip of her tail in such a way to draw attention to it, too, as she lowers her hair once more, and looking at her in this deafeningly silent context, her caudal fins being so frayed seems to maybe not just be... old age... There's a strange hum amongst the rest of the group, emotional and eerie in its quiet harmony, in reverent sympathy of the eldest siren. A couple other sirens subtly incline their heads to draw attention to some missing spines on their fins, or twist their bodies to show other scars. But none are worse for wear than the eldest, who's steady watching the boys' faces to read their reactions.
Alberto can't help but glance down at his left arm, unconsciously drawing attention to his own scar from a time he'd gotten caught in a fisherman's net and hit with a harpoon... And that was just one hit that actually left a scar after it healed, let alone just one harpoon that actually hit him. He's had so many more run-in's than that. And these women seem to live— a really long time... if they thought Luca and Alberto were forty. He's not entirely sure what to make of that, but he's certain he's still feeling quite sore and affronted by them, even if their twisting the knife is having the desired effect — just in the wrong child... But when the elder siren notices Alberto looking at his own scar, she'd not expected him to act so cowed at this — so perhaps she shouldn't throw out all hope for him... Even if he is brain-damaged and probably permanently delirious from life on land. She extends a hand out for him to take, just as she'd done to Luca before, which of course he denies. ]
...You see. The humans have already tried to hurt you before. The both of you— I'm sure of it. The same in the Ligurian Sea as they are here, those monsters — to even try and murder children... "Water flows the same in every sea," as they say.
[ Alberto meets her eye with a renewed determination, insult wrinkling his brow, but there's still something defused compared to before, even as he stands up to her again. ]
No... You're wrong. Not everyone is— I— We— ...They changed their minds! The humans back home stopped all that — f-for us! Because they accepted us! Not all humans are like that, a-and— People can change!
no subject
M'lady...
[ But the older siren again simply waves her off. She doesn't approach the boys in a menacing way, but in slow, regal movements, before she's placed herself in between them once more. Alberto glances nervously to Luca, suspicious, but his attention is drawn back when she reaches up and pulls up her long hair to expose her neck and décolletage, her gills flaring when she extends her neck. Upon closer inspection, it's now plain to see: scars. Lots of scars. She flips the tip of her tail in such a way to draw attention to it, too, as she lowers her hair once more, and looking at her in this deafeningly silent context, her caudal fins being so frayed seems to maybe not just be... old age... There's a strange hum amongst the rest of the group, emotional and eerie in its quiet harmony, in reverent sympathy of the eldest siren. A couple other sirens subtly incline their heads to draw attention to some missing spines on their fins, or twist their bodies to show other scars. But none are worse for wear than the eldest, who's steady watching the boys' faces to read their reactions.
Alberto can't help but glance down at his left arm, unconsciously drawing attention to his own scar from a time he'd gotten caught in a fisherman's net and hit with a harpoon... And that was just one hit that actually left a scar after it healed, let alone just one harpoon that actually hit him. He's had so many more run-in's than that. And these women seem to live— a really long time... if they thought Luca and Alberto were forty. He's not entirely sure what to make of that, but he's certain he's still feeling quite sore and affronted by them, even if their twisting the knife is having the desired effect — just in the wrong child... But when the elder siren notices Alberto looking at his own scar, she'd not expected him to act so cowed at this — so perhaps she shouldn't throw out all hope for him... Even if he is brain-damaged and probably permanently delirious from life on land. She extends a hand out for him to take, just as she'd done to Luca before, which of course he denies. ]
...You see. The humans have already tried to hurt you before. The both of you— I'm sure of it. The same in the Ligurian Sea as they are here, those monsters — to even try and murder children... "Water flows the same in every sea," as they say.
[ Alberto meets her eye with a renewed determination, insult wrinkling his brow, but there's still something defused compared to before, even as he stands up to her again. ]
No... You're wrong. Not everyone is— I— We— ...They changed their minds! The humans back home stopped all that — f-for us! Because they accepted us! Not all humans are like that, a-and— People can change!