july catch-all (open + closed prompts in comments)

[grice]

Who: falco w/ friends, old and new (you)!
What: an open log with a few closed prompts here and there for the duration of july; falco will be going through some changes that have to do with this player plot! i have my plans here and here for reference! feel free to reach out on the plotting comments, liberos or owlie#3609 if you'd like to plot something specific! i can definitely do personalized tls!
When: july
Where: corners of trench!

Content Warnings: this will be updated accordingly! check out the headers for their appropriate cws! here you will find: rituals, possession, body horror, mentions of self harm, child death.

Comments

[theomachy]

[ following confetti is a little harder as the terrain gets worse, but erwin does manage to keep his balance as they make the trek, for the most part. there's one point where he has to use his hand to grip at levi's solid shoulder but the moment is brief and he's able to continue on after that stabilization.

it really isn't a murder cave, which is good, and although erwin does spend more time than levi taking in the glyphs and the way the ceilings glow before his gaze falls to the bird—titan—before them.

Erwin doesn't mince words about the titan before them being falco either; he accepts it because he trusts levi's judgment on it and also because his own judgment says the same thing. this is falco.

but levi's question is pertinent and he frowns briefly, looking falco over but coming to the same conclusion. it tracks: if falco had been able to come home as they know him best he would have, which begs the question: how are they supposed to help him get back to normal, exactly? obviously they have to get him home, but at this size...

well, any titan size would be a problem, but this is over and beyond. ]

It's good that we ran into Confetti, or we never would have known.

[grice]

[ oh, oh no . . . confetti looks overjoyed at this point, but falco looks like he's slinking down to the smallest of sizes. unfortunately, it's not physical. his body language careens him so close to the sand that he might as well be laying on his belly in apologetic submission, talons sinking into the black sand. the fairy roosts on top of his head, but the titan groans out a single word with strain: ]

Sor . . . ry.

[ what he was doing: erwin had the idea. he was too big to show up anywhere else highly populated. was he stuck— he hopes that the apology was a hint.]

[dirtdevil]

[ sorry? sorry?? holy shit. this kid... ]

Don't be sorry. It's not your fault.

[ actually, he has no idea whatsoever what happened that left Falco stuck in this form, but it doesn't matter. he can't fathom Falco doing anything that would put him in this situation on purpose, anyway.

damn. is he gonna have to kill someone here already? ]

We're gonna figure it out.

[ he does his best to look reassuring through it all, but that's never been a talent of his. then he looks up at Erwin, lips pressed in a thin line like he's afraid what he's thinking will just fall out of his mouth if they're not.

fortunately, thinking it is all he has to do: they're gonna have to cut him out of there, aren't they? ]

[theomachy]

[ the apology really hits him—it's got to be difficult to deal with, and falco apologizing because he feels that bad about it just makes the situation worse. ]

There's nothing to be sorry for.

[ sure, they were worried, and it's clear to both of them they still are, but he can't fault falco for his decisions: he's young, and it's difficult to make decisions while your mind is clouded.

levi comes to the same conclusion as him almost in the same moment and he lets out a slow, grounding breath.

then he nods. he doesn't have to, because he could just think it, but he does. just the once. ]

[grice]

[ falco looks between them— his gaze settles on levi for a moment, then back to erwin. they're . . . communicating. that's amazing. a relationship that deep— well, wait. they've just decided on something.

the titan makes a low drawling sound. it sounds a lot like huh?? ]

[dirtdevil]

[ oh, shit. uh. wait. he holds up a placating hand; they're not panicking here.

not yet, anyway. ]

It's okay. We're gonna fix this, I promise.

[ hopefully it won't involve cutting Falco out of that thing, but... well. what other options do they even have?

that's step one, he guesses. the cutlery doesn't come out until all other possibilities have been exhausted. ]

How did this happen? Can you tell us?

[theomachy]

[ honestly, there aren't many options at this juncture. he lets levi take point on the conversation briefly because he's sort of sinking into the mind palace that is 'all the fucking information he's read since they arrived,' which is a LOT.

he considers, just as briefly, the ramifications of what he thinks he can safely suggest.

well, 'safely' is subjective. it's cruel in a way to even think about it, but the fact remains...

he wonders, a little less briefly, if falco's titan transformation has anything to do with the blood-fueled beasthood that this place has. ]

Anything you could tell us would help.

[ warmblood can draw people back from beasthood.

he doesn't have to think this in a suggestion sort of way, even: he knows levi can follow his entire train of thought.

a last resort? or the second to last, with cutting falco out to be the last.

he can't quite bring himself to look at levi as he thinks it, though. ]

[grice]

[ there’s a hesitating pause from the boy-titan, body language expressing gentle retreat. he’s worried about saying it, but . . .

taking the necessary precautions, falco firsts starts with the universal “stay calm” gesture, with both hands. the probability of them knowing sign language was at an all time low, so he had to try something else. the sand seems like the closest vehicle he has— and so he writes, at their feet with a talon, the eldian letters that read: D I E ]

[dirtdevil]

[ oh.

oh, hell no.

it takes a second for him to process, but once he realizes it's "die" as in "I died," his eyes widen in horror. he looks up at Falco, and it's not the kind of horror usually on people's faces when they see a titan—the expression he's seen on countless dead bodies.

it's more like an apology. ]

What... how?

[ he's not sure how Falco can answer with such limited means of communication, but he can't stop himself from asking anyway. regardless of the answer, how could they have let this happen? what the fuck is the point of all of his supposed strength if he can't even prevent a kid from dying?

he doesn't miss Erwin's thoughts about the possibility of using his blood—and he would readily offer it if so—but for the moment, he's not thinking clearly. it's all guilt and anger. ]

[theomachy]

[ well, that complicates things.

he knows that people can die here and come back like what happened on their arrival, but he didn't expect to be exposed to it so soon, and with a child they've tasked themselves with watching over at that.

guilt bubbles up in him like bile too, leaving a sour taste in the back of his mouth as he tries to settle into something that's a little less self loathing. he can feel the guilt and anger coming from levi too, and he knows that it's going to go into a feedback loop if they let themselves sink into it too far.

still, it's a difficult pill to swallow. he puts his hand at levi's elbow as a grounding gesture that they both need. ]

Was it the result of a person?

[ he needs to know. for reasons. ]

[grice]

[ falco sees it in both of him— he is emotionally perceptive, one of his absolute talents, and resumes a calming gesture with his hands. what he writes in the sand next is further backed up with another easing hover in the air:

ACCIDENT. FRIEND IN WRONG MIND.
BEASTHOOD.
TRIED TO HELP.
PLEASE NOT BE MAD AT HER
SHE SUFFERED. ]

[dirtdevil]

[ Erwin's hand on his arm eases his tension a little; he looks up at him for a moment while Falco scratches out his answer, and this time there's no message to be conveyed. he just feels better when he looks at him.

after reading Falco's answer, the anger begins to dissipate; the guilt, not so much, but his expression softens a little, not wanting to traumatize Falco more than he's already suffered. ]

So you were trying to help your friend.

[ he's quiet for a moment, seemingly thoughtful. ]

That was very brave of you.