[ Alberto never realizes how transparent he really is, for all the airs he always puts on. He gives a slow, awkward nod Yes, but his frozen smile softens some, his eyes awkwardly scanning the tabletop. It's his first instinct to brush everything off and just go "Yup, I'm fantastic!" when he's troubled — fake it til you make it, right? But this time, that seems not quite right, and he catches himself mid-lie; he keeps smiling, but his nodding Yes slowly turns into shaking his head No. He's being funny, sure; but not exactly joking. ]
Just— ...Heh. Rough week, huh? Rough week~
[ He lets out a little breath, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, trying to make a smooth save right away. But even that much honesty gets wrapped up in a bit of wry humor for protection. All the same, an unusually vulnerable remark from him. Some kids experiment with lying, Alberto experiments with telling the truth. It occurs to him, technically, there's no "reason" for him to pretend to be okay in this moment, which is a rarity for him. This may be their first time meeting properly, but it's an easy assumption this past week has been hard for them both. It's an unfortunate parity, but one that leaves Alberto realizing that maybe he can be open without opening up, exactly... ]
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[ Alberto never realizes how transparent he really is, for all the airs he always puts on. He gives a slow, awkward nod Yes, but his frozen smile softens some, his eyes awkwardly scanning the tabletop. It's his first instinct to brush everything off and just go "Yup, I'm fantastic!" when he's troubled — fake it til you make it, right? But this time, that seems not quite right, and he catches himself mid-lie; he keeps smiling, but his nodding Yes slowly turns into shaking his head No. He's being funny, sure; but not exactly joking. ]
Just— ...Heh. Rough week, huh? Rough week~
[ He lets out a little breath, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, trying to make a smooth save right away. But even that much honesty gets wrapped up in a bit of wry humor for protection. All the same, an unusually vulnerable remark from him. Some kids experiment with lying, Alberto experiments with telling the truth. It occurs to him, technically, there's no "reason" for him to pretend to be okay in this moment, which is a rarity for him. This may be their first time meeting properly, but it's an easy assumption this past week has been hard for them both. It's an unfortunate parity, but one that leaves Alberto realizing that maybe he can be open without opening up, exactly... ]