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[grice]

Who: falco grice, others, and you!
What: a catch all for the month including a player plot, general prompts and event prompts in the comments, all open!
When: december; date will be in the header if any!
Where: waves hands at too many places

Content Warnings: possession, violence, gore, self harm, child death, war imagery, child soldiers, racial oppression, genocide, forced experimentation, torture, mutilation, gun violence (against children)


see below for open prompts of all kinds! if you have any questions or would like to plot something specific, hmu at liberos!

Comments

[droptheious]

[They're total winners here.]

That wouldn't surprise me. There seems to be multiple Earths.

[Something that took him a while to get his head around. At the question, he shakes shrugs.]

I guess so? This is apparently the waking world that Deerington was part of? Not that we were aware of this place, just the dream and it looked very, very different to this place.

[grice]

[ so many people have mentioned deerington, falco has noticed, but he hasn’t gotten past the name of it. it gets him to nod in understanding, but bubble up a new question: ]

What was it like? [ he sort of realizes only after the fact, and gently backpedals. ] If you don’t mind talking about it—

[droptheious]

[It's a whole mess of another world, and Varian's aware the place sounds insane to anyone new coming here. He offers a smile all the same.]

I don't mind at all. In fact, I've got whole folders full of information on it, if you ever wanna read up on it. [He's glad THEY made it over with him.] It was a town- much smaller than this place, but more...well, for me it was futuristic but less so for most people. It was apparently like 1950's America, if that means anything to you?

[grice]

[ falco is someone who likes to know what’s happening. a habit, maybe, when reading up on missions and such— so he nods quickly to that, and will gladly, look into them when he has a chance.

the year, on the other hand . . . ]

It was 1961 in Santa Rosita . . . But I’m from farther back from both of those. Year 854.

[droptheious]

[Varian smiles at the nod- this is why he kept these records. Even if they're no longer in the dream, he knows there's plenty of links between this world and that one. Having something to look back on might be a lifesaver one day. ]

Off, I feel how that is. You're further back than even me. I'm...around 1820...something. It's been a while, it's harder to keep track of the dates. [He offers a wry smile.] Guess you know what it's like to be dumped into a world that's so far ahead in the future to you, it might as well be the space age, huh?

[grice]

[ hah. as small as it was, falco can feel himself smiling and loosening his shoulders. ]

I was lost for a while, but a lot of people showed me around. I think Trench might be closest to what I’m used to out of them all.

[ speaking of, ]

Do you know what movies are? And emojis?

[ yes. of course he’s going to ask, these things are awesome to talk about, and you know? since he knew what they were now and got the experience, he didn’t want to miss out on being able to share it. ]

[droptheious]

Same for me. It's way more familiar to home than Deerington ever was.

[And with that one question, Falco cements himself firmly in a position as someone Varian needs to be friends with. Congratulations. 'Tis both a blessing and a curse. Varian nods eyes wide. ]

Yes! Oh my god, people really love those things! Especially emmojis! And memes!!! Did they teach you about memes, because I still feel like I only understand them vaguely.

[grice]

[ this is, obviously, what kids want to talk about. ]

They’re jokes, right? I don’t get some of them, but I’ve seen Minions? [ HE SAID IT— ] They’re pretty funny.

[ he’s going to try drawing one in the sand with a finger, now . . . this is cursed. ]

[droptheious]

[It obviously is, gosh wow!!]

I think so yeah! I managed to send a chess one to my friend and he said it was funny when he finally got it. But he doesn't understand chess so well. His girlfriend loved it though.

[As WEIRD as it is to find comfort in Luna enjoying something he did. He frowns, watching Falco draw. ]

I've not seen those that... is that some kind of pill with legs?

[grice]

[ varian may have been closer to the rep, but falco . . . falco being twelve years old finally shines through: ]

I’ve always thought they were fruit? All they talk about are bananas.

[ which is— kind of funny?? he doesn’t actually laugh about it, but falco does have a cute little endearing smile on his face as he does his worst: pluck out his omni for the first time in a few days, and looks for videos in the dark section of the media library.

there’s no going back now, but he’s sharing his view with varian, in case he wants to choose something. ]

[droptheious]

[Bless his little heart. These things look so goddamn weird, but it's obviously Falco loves them and Varian can't deny him that. Let the kid have some fun, wow. ]

Huh. Bananas- well, I guess that tracks.

[Look, he's dating a sentient pile of grass that happens to be boy-shaped. Fruit people aren't that big of a stretch in all honesty.

He peers over at Falco's omni and...oh, wow.]

Uhhhh whatcha got there, Bud?

[grice]

[ there’s too much to choose from, so falco picks out the still preview that looks more attractive to the eyes. or maybe some in his history? he’s got a few, but . . . most of them are g-rated romance flicks. ]

Videos— I’ll send you one so you have more memes to send to your friends.

[ they’re settling on this one playing. ]

[droptheious]

[Falco is a hero to the entire universe here!!

Varian leans in to watch the videos with a fixed, confused smile on his face. What the holy heck is happening to him right now?]

Wow, there- well, there sure are a lot of them.

[grice]

[ okay, some of these are pretty funny. the kind of funny where falco has no idea what’s going on and the edits and cgi are way beyond his comprehension of technology. he shies his head away at the girls undressing, a modest boy, but finds himself chuckling softly at a mouse dancing with a banana peel. ]

They look so real . . . [ he’s realized too, that he actually chuckled, and broke out of his cold spot. ] Thank you.

[droptheious]

[The modest look is adorable, not that Varian's much better- he's always a little...awkward around this sort of thing. ]

Hah, they do. [His smile softens a little.] For what? Watching some videos? No problem.

[grice]

[ when he put it that way, it sounded even more stupidly simple minded. for that, he had to let him know, to, you know . . . give out proper gratitude. ]

I wasn’t feeling well. [ crying, alone with some photos was more than enough of an indicator. his death had happened, before, but— he’d not sure that’s something he wants to unpack. he’s done some already here and there, especially after visiting childe and working up the courage to find the others. and, of course! start living, even if he had an eldritch parasite hanging ten in him. ] I think that’s the first time I laughed this week— so I mean it.

[ he smiles and brings his attention back to his omni screen and just kind of hides it a bit . . . varian’s omni just got sent a ping! it’s . . . a mysterious message, that says you won’t believe who wins this match! 🤔 ]

[droptheious]

Oh. Well, I'm really glad that it helped, then.

[Because he's learned only too well how much this place, how much Deerignton, could weigh on a person. Being able to sit back and laugh at something, anything, really made a hell of a difference when it came to living in his place. He doesn't want to pry, but at the same time, he knows...talking helps.]

Do you...uh- want to talk about it?

[God it's so fucking tragic that Varian still doesn't know what a Rick Roll is. Because he just stares blankly at the video, then at Falco.]

It's...a. Interesting song?

[grice]

I don’t get what it means, [ the whole tricking someone to click a link thing seems doable, he just doesn’t know why it had to be this song, ] but the music is good.

[ he actually likes it and would not be annoyed if it popped up!

as for talking about it . . . falco pauses, his smile falters, but— at least he isn’t so beaten about it anymore. talking might be good. ]

Have you ever done something that affects a lot of people and . . . Feel the weight of it after?

[droptheious]

Me either. Like, it's just a song, right? It doesn't seem that bad?

[You sweet, summer souls.

And oh boy. Oh boy. Varian's expression shifts quickly. Something distant and painful crossing it, as he stares off into the middle distance. ]

...Yeah. I've definitely done that. In a big way. It uh- that sort of weight sticks with you, huh?

[grice]

It does.

[ it’s happened once before too, back home. an accident, an act meant to do good that was twisted with manipulation to do harm instead. he lost two friends that day and too many civilians— all because he thought he was delivering friendly letters from a traumatized war veteran to his family.

they weren’t friendly letters. ]

I always try and do the right thing, I guess . . . To make up for it. [ that’s not the word he wants, but it’s true all the same. ] I don’t know how to fix this one when the problem’s still there.

[droptheious]

[Oh boy, this sounds more and more familiar, and while Varian's got the benefit of years behind his terrible mistake, he knows the feelings surrounding it have never gone away. They've gotten better, yes, very slowly, but he always carries a pretty heavy weight of self-loathing around.]

...I can understand that, too. I- [he exhales] it's like trying to balance the scales, right? Like you but X amount of bad in the world so you have to put Y amount of good to make it...less bad.

[Varian knows his problems are at least gone now. Fixed. Even if there are wounds that will never heal.]

Is it something that can only be solved back home?

[grice]

I’m working on it, home.

[ it’s weight, certainly, but it’s something that he wouldn’t let come to pass on a greater scale— not again. if he has to dump every year of life that he has left into that, so be it. it was the price. ]

But . . . It happened here, more recent.

[droptheious]

That's good...that you're working on it. It's important to.

[Varian could sure agree with a sentiment like that. He did a lot, back home, to try and even out the weight. And then he chose to come here. It almost feels like running away, but...]

Oh. Well...you can work on making things right here, as well. Was it something influenced by the city?

[grice]

[ the easy way to explain it without running a motor—?]

A ghost— sort of. With me. [ falco’s hand gives a light pat over his chest, as if gesturing to a part of himself. ] I still have fault, though. I can’t just blame everything else.

[droptheious]

[Oh. Well. That sounds familiar. ]

Like... a demon? There are a few people here who have those with them. [With varying degrees of control of the people they possess.] Well, if you do have a fault, then this is a good place to work on that? One thing we have here is plenty of time to do better...uh, be better.