isleofavalon | it's halloween, lo-ween, everybody / open log

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it's halloween, lo-ween, everybody / open log

🧙 WHO: Della Duck & You!
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-All for October - Babies, Pumpkins, and Cheap Scares!
🕒 WHEN: All throughout October - Last prompt takes place only on the 31st!
🗺️ WHERE: Throughout Camelot.
⚠️ WARNINGS: N/A.

Babysitting Blues

[ As part of the recovery efforts, Della has offered to help babysit while parents find jobs/housing! Since she missed out on raising her boys at a certain age, she’s more than happy to take on the especially young kids, and find out how she would have been as a mom back then. Surely she would been the perfect mama with the perfect kids!

Turns out, the vision in her head and reality is… quite different. ]

I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry! What did I do?! Oh, honey, darling, sweetie, please, just… give me a minute! I’ll figure out what’s wrong, I swear!

[ Della had taken one of the babies she’s sitting out for a stroll, but now it’s screaming bloody murder, as babies tend to do. She’s taken it out of its stroller and rocks it back and forth, struggling not to panic. Well, not panic more. ]

Okay, ummm…! You’re not wet, let me see if I can find your bottle, I know I put in the stroller somewhere… Geez, how did Donald do this at three times the volume?!

Pumpkin Mayhem

[ Della had been among those who was delighted to find some Halloween-resembling activities! With a big smile and a bigger knife, she was carving the spookiest, scariest pumpkins she could imagine. Sharp fangs for vampires! Glaring eyes for witches! Deadly claws for werewolves! Just as she’s about to carve up another one, that’s when they spring to life!

Della blinks… then smiles, turning her knife upward. ]

Ahahaha, SWEET! This place really knows how to celebrate a good holiday! So, who wants to be pumpkin pie first?

[ It only then dawns on her that she’s TOTALLY SURROUNDED by her own creations. Her enthusiasm begins to wane a little. ]

… Prrrobably should have stopped after five…

Halloween Haunts

[ Given the death and destruction last month, people probably aren’t in a festive mood for spooky shenanigans. So, Della resolved not to throw a Halloween party… but, c’mon. She’s got to do SOMETHING Halloween-y on the big day, it’s her favorite holiday!

So on the 31st, at the house she lives in with Fenton and Drake, there’s a big bowl of candy on the porch. Above it, a sign reads FREE CANDY.

If anyone falls for the obvious trap, or just wants a closer look, be prepared… because Della has prepared unique scares and surprises! For now, she lays in wait for her prey… ]

Wildcard
[ Want to get into other shenanigans? Hit me up on plurk (melcat33) or discord (melcat33#1997) to plot! ]

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[ Alberto watches her messing with her mess of a scarf, glances down at his own clothes, gives her the once-over, then starts scanning the fields for a— ]

Ah— there! A hose.

[ He points to a shed not far off. She seems a lot more concerned with wanting to be clean than him. Alberto's gross, truth be told, but. Y'know. He's fine with that. But he likes Della and wants to put her needs first. He doesn't respond to her silly joke, just sets off toward the hose with an exaggerated strut and a little wave of his hand to gesture for her to follow along. ]

Oh! That's convenient! Good eye, Alberto!

[ She happily follows along, taking off her pilot's cap to wipe some goo off the goggles. She then shakes her head hard, trying to get some off of her hair(??? feathers???) ]

Y'know, we make a really good team. Maybe we should team up on some quests sometime. I know there's a lot I can teach you, but there are definitely some things you're helping me learn too.

[ Mostly mom-related. If this is how her kids will act when they're older, best to learn now! ]

[ The suggestion lights up his face again. It'd been weirdly fun to fight these pumpkins with Della, even if it was scary at first. He didn't feel in danger after she jumped in. They were a good team, and fought like a team. Together. Alberto knows quests are the way to get money, and he knows he needs that — knows he shouldn't steal stuff, too — but it's tough to participate in quests when you're a fourteen-year-old lil Lost Boy whose primary skills are fishing, whittling wood, taking pictures, cooking pasta, and drawing. He's not even that good at drawing, not that he'd ever admit that... Fighting is probably a good introduction to his skillset in this place. ]

Really?! Yeah! That'd be great! I'd do more quests, but—

[ But he doesn't know how to fight. And he knows he doesn't know how to fight. Every fight he's ever been in, he can't quite say he's lost, because his friends came to his rescue before it even became a real fight, with Alberto being the only one who got hurt, even though he was always the one who'd escalate it... Invariably, though, every fight he's almost been in has ended with Alberto being held down, leaving no option but to turn tail with Luca looking like his knight in shining armor (or even worse, Giulia), and leaving Alberto with more bruises on his ego than anything else.

In the flash between finding his next words, he can't help but remember the night Guido and Ciccio pinned him against the wall so Ercole could sucker punch him in the gut, and how Luca then shakily threatened Ercole with a harpoon to free Alberto... How mad Luca was at him for antagonizing Ercole when he'd come up bullying them as usual, told Alberto he'd just made things worse... Made things worse by trying to stand up for himself, trying to defend himself and Luca — when in fact, Alberto couldn't actually deliver that protection, and his stubbornness and boastfulness just foisted that defense onto Luca, who didn't want it, but more importantly, didn't need it... because unlike Alberto, for all his fearfulness, Luca could defend himself. And Alberto.

Alberto's never been ashamed of stealing — still isn't, whatever Della thinks of it. But he is ashamed of weakness. Of incapability. Of not being able to protect the people he loves. Of needing the people he loves to protect him. Of making things worse... His brow furrows as these thoughts come in an unarticulated wave of memory that just emboldens his sudden desire for a sword, that vague look turning into a look of sheer resolve, eyes watching his bare feet walking through the field below. ]

...But I need a sword first.

[ There's a steely conviction in that conclusion that contrasts his excitement so suddenly, looking up again intently, brow still knotted gently, as they approach the shed. ]

[ Hmmmm. There's a lot of conviction, anger, and resolve in those words. Sounds like a heavy past - and boy, she doesn't like that. Not on him - but that fate and other people made a little boy go through a heavy past. She waits a bit, in case he wants to get anything off his chest, but it seems that's all he has to say about it.

In fact, while he's eager to 'brag' about himself, there's still plenty she doesn't know about him. Not for lack of trying, but he's just holding back a lot. It's difficult to find the balance between gentle prodding and outright prying. Hm hm hm hm.

At the shed, Della opens the door and begins rifling for a hose. ]

Well, until we get you one, we don't want you thinking you're completely helpless... I can offer you a few quick tips when it comes to defending yourself. For example!

[ Hose get! She begins pulling it out, twirling it around a bit. ]

There's the "Rule Of Thumb", and "Thing About Throats". Combine the two, and it helps you with a quick getaway. First, your first - always make it with your thumb tucked on the inside. Lot of rookies do the outside, and that leads to your hand hurting a LOT. But this way, you save your bones while still delivering a solid blow.

[ And of course, she'll demonstrate, holding up the 'proper fist'. ]

And the second thing? I've found that no matter what you're fighting - human, duck, confused aliens from the moon - a solid blow to the throat will stop them in their tracks. They gag, you run.

[ Alberto listens carefully, that same steely look on his face, and nods at the Thing About Throats. He balls up his fist, the way he might naturally do it on instinct — which is apparently wrong, so he shifts it to follow Della's example, examining it and shifting it back and forth, as if trying it on for size. That does make more sense, and feels comfortable — powerful. ]

What if I'm fighting more than one person? What if it's three against one?

[ Because of course, his first point of reference is fighting Ercole, Guido and Ciccio, in his mind's eye. Although, truth be told, if Alberto had managed to sucker punch Ercole back, he kind of doubts Ciccio and Guido would have jumped Alberto to defend him without his command... They were kind of spineless bullies. They at least abandoned Ercole in the end, but it was still a strong introduction to living in proper society for Alberto. And he's certain fights in this place aren't all going to be one-on-one. ]

That is gunna be trickier, I'm not gunna lie. But not impossible. The thigh is the special spot in that case, sweeping the leg and...

[ As she attaches the hose to a nearby faucet, she pauses in her words. It's one of the few times her common sense kicks in, and she knows when it comes ringing, it gets priority. ]

Uhhh. Before I go any further, you're not going to go around picking fights, right? I don't want you getting into scuffles without a good reason.

[ She doesn't think he's the type, and realistically she can't watch over him 24/7, but at the very least she knows she has to say something. ]

Oh— no, no, no. I mean, unless someone tries to pick a fight with me — people who are bullies, jerks, y'know...

[ Ah. Alberto's probably been bullied before, just judging from that comment. That likely makes sense somehow. He watches her set up the hose, and takes a cautious step back away from it, hands on his hips as he looks on. ]

I wanna be able to defend myself. Or my friends. I don't wanna fight anyone who doesn't deserve it.

[ Okay, so that's not exactly promising not to pick fights — just promising to finish them. He's not a bully, though. That much is clear. For all his cockiness and high energy and inexplicable oddities, even for all his stealing, he's obviously still a pretty nice kid, more or less. Has some kind of moral compass, even if it seems to be self-directed above all. ]

[ Thumbs up of approval! ]

Ha ha, yeah, I figured. But I had to ask, you know? If you suddenly started your own gang and laying waste to everyone you saw left and right, I don't want everyone pointing fingers at me.

[ But given that she's laughing and lightly nudging him, she's clearly kidding... well, mostly. She rolls her shoulders, ready to show off again. ]

Okay, so! Sweeping the leg. You drop to the ground...

[ She suddenly does so, squatting on one knee - ]

And with the back of your leg - not the front, or you'll just hurt yourself - you swipe across to hit them in the ankle. Done right, your bully falls over, and even better, might fall over on his cronies like dominos. Once you start building up muscle and strength, you'll be able to take them all down in one fell sweep - but right now, just having one guy fall is fine. The others will be so surprised and maybe help them out, you make a run for it.

[ She stands upright and turns on the faucet... full on blasting her in the face with water. Thereby eliminating any Cool Points she'd earned that day. She wrestles the hose away from her face, but she's soaked. ]

Gah! .... Who wants to pretend I didn't just do that?

[ He's listening with rapt attention, fingers wrapped around his chin thoughtfully and nodded along. But when Della sprays herself in the face, all that focus is broken. He takes the widest step backwards, practically leaping away, and starts wildly patting off his arms where speckles of water had just barely hit him, leaving shiny bluish periwinkle traces on his skin in their wake, if Della happens to catch sight of one quickly enough before he wipes himself down dry. Nothing quite alarming, not even enough to raise a brow, barely noticeable if not paying close attention to his skin. But certainly his behavior is enough to raise a brow, the rather phobic way he reacted to her splash of water, and the exceedingly nervous looking smile he forces on his face as he stands there stiffly now, out of range, hands uncomfortably on his waist in some hapless attempt to look composed. Weird kid. All the time, weird kid. ]

Ah ha ha...! Oops? Heh. Y-Yeah, though, yeah! All good to know. Goooood to know...!

[ Della thought she saw something in the corner of her eye... but now she's not sure. She blinks, wondering if was her imagination, or the water reflecting off something.

But yeah, that's not the face of a calm kid. The water definitely spooked him. Which, yes, is weird. Does he have some kind of water phobia or trauma...? She doesn't want to accidentally poke any old wounds. ]

Y'know... you don't have to watch me shower. If it bugs you out that much, we can always hang out later when we're both cleaned up.

No, no, no, it's fine, I just, um—!

[ Oh, god, he has no excuse for not liking the water, he never actually came up with one before he was discovered in Portorosso, uh...—! Think fast, Alberto! ]

I'm, uh— ...allergic... to, uh— h-hose water?

[ guirhsfjknv oh god this is his worst lie ever and he knows it even as he's telling it, which makes it come out strained with a grimace at his own self that he can barely suppress. He wants to slap himself in the face for that one but, well, the words are already out. Mannaggia, Albertino, dai... ]

[ That... is a new one. NGL.

However... she still doesn't know human bodies very well! They don't have them in her world! Who's to say they can't be allergic to stuff like that? So, yeah, amazingly enough, she buys it. ]

All right! I'll try to keep my distance so you don't get hit. I'll be in a couple of minutes.

[ She takes a few cautious steps away from him so she can be sure none of the water lands on him. With that, she begins lightly hosing herself down, humming as she does so. ]

Goggles, check... scarf, check...

[ Phew. Miraculous she bought it. He relaxes almost immediately at that, practically going limp. He steps back and leans against the wall of the shed, admittedly a bit tuckered out after all that action, and just quietly waits for her to clean up. He occupies himself idly wiping some pumpkin goo off his shoulders, flicking some pumpkin seeds off his tank top, before he absentmindedly starts picking his nose a bit, and flings whatever he finds up there off, too... Oy. Gross little boy. Clearly thinks absolutely nothing of it, though. He doesn't know much about human bodies, himself, let alone human etiquette. ]

[ Della does note the grossness, but hey, he's a little boy, comes with the territory. So it gets nothing more than a playful eyeroll.

In a few minutes, she's mostly clean, and all wet, but hey, better than she was before. She gives a little shake before turning the hose off. ]

If you're not busy digging for buried treasure over there, wanna grab some lunch? All that fighting really worked up an appetite!

[ Alberto looks a bit taken aback to be called out on his nosepicking. At least he wasn't eating his bogies and just flicking them away, but nevertheless, not a great habit... But who was there to monitor it? It's not like boogers are a problem underwater. The remark about digging for buried treasure may have caught him off-guard, but after it registers, it does draw a sheepish smirk on his face at the offer of lunch. The boy's smart enough to never turn down free food. ]

Iiii could eat~

[ And if she's paying, hey, who is he to insult her by saying no! ]

[ She playfully nudges him with her elbow before walking along, encouraging him to to follow. And yes, she is paying - no kid buys their meals when she is around! ]

Then let's find a place to chow down! We earned a hearty meal today!

Yeah! Lead the way!

[ It's not like Alberto's had any spare money to eat out... He's, in fact, never even been to a restaurant, truth be told. So while he's gleaned what they are, this will be a totally new experience for him... And, uh, eating with Alberto is. An Experience. Della just signed up for a treat of a treat. ]

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it's halloween, lo-ween, everybody / open log

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