grice: (pic#14545075)
don’t make me go wumbo ([personal profile] grice) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2021-12-09 09:21 pm

🦅 🦅 🦅

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 [plurk.com profile] liberos!
laminae: ([gk] glance)

[personal profile] laminae 2021-12-29 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Fortunately, Fern is very glad Illarion is there. He too is the kind of person who is used to yeeting himself straight into a monster rather than providing support outside (he has, in fact, defeated several monsters in this fashion), so he's a bit at a loss as to how to best use his abilities to make sure his teammates don't die horribly.

He nods at Illarion's direction, more vines splitting and growing and twisting around the monster's head and neck.]


On it!

[It feels like ages pass. He so badly wants to just forget about holding the monster down, holding it down isn't cutting it and he can feel those thoughts creeping into the back of his mind. It would be a lot better if he just let go and attacked with his blade arm, or a sword, or his battle axe. It would be more satisfying than this.

Those thoughts don't feel like his, but he knows they are, and he's trying his damnedest here to ignore them, even as his grass twitches anxiously. The sound of Bigby's scream is a good distraction though, and he snaps his head up.]


That doesn't sound good!
unsheathedfromreality: (reflect on a thousand lifetimes)

[personal profile] unsheathedfromreality 2021-12-29 05:54 am (UTC)(link)
[There's poetic irony in the blind guy being the one with the clearest view of the entire unfolding battle--much as he's got reasons to wish he didn't. Wishing you didn't have a responsibility over the consequences that came along with it didn't change that you had it, though--and so.

Illarion throws Fern a high sign as the vines further immobilize the monster's head. Something else--the shrike can make a guess what--is helping them there but now they've got insurance, now they've got a guarantee of time between Fern's efforts and those of their doomed unknown ally embedded in the neck. Hard-won seconds tick by as the monster's thrashing falters and Illarion observes, by ((feel)) and through Iskierka's eyes, the efforts to cut through its neck and to its pilot.

There's the first moment of revelation, as Childe falters. And the second, as Bigby doesn't, and voices that horrible scream. The shrike's expression grows more remote than it already is. (It should have been him up there.)

That doesn't sound good!

Well, no. It wasn't.
]

They've killed it. Brace yourself! And them! [If this has half the animation of any dragon he's ever seen killed, it's going to be a wild ride for the two in the jaws as it falls.

And, possibly, the ground crew as well. He takes a step closer to Fern, balancing further on his toes, ready to jump both of them out of the way if it comes to it.
]
monoceroscaeli: iconsfortherain | dns. (148)

oh god falco im gunna cry

[personal profile] monoceroscaeli 2021-12-30 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Childe doesn't even have the strength now to stop Bigby. The monster roars past him so quickly it's almost as if he doesn't have the ability to react, helplessly watching on as Falco's heart is ripped from him and crushed before his very eyes. He still hasn't even had the chance to figure out if this boy was the perpetrator of all of this or a prisoner inside of this grotesque body, hooked into it by his very flesh so it could operate. Little does he know that he's right on both accounts, to an extent- but it doesn't matter anymore.

Bigby's anguish cuts through the ambiance, and even for a man who has taken countless lives on the battlefield, that scream shakes him. Perhaps, they knew each other, or perhaps the man inside of the monster has realized what he's done. But all he can do is look on while Falco wastes away in front of them, watching the steam rise and the body try to save itself to no avail. It would be interesting for him to watch if the moment weren't so doleful. With the boy's death, the effects of the saliva release his mind, and it's now that he's able to fully pull himself into the cavity and out of the throat.

He'll give Bigby only a second. With the operator dead, this body would surely give way and they don't need to be in it when it does.]


W̡̻͖e̟͎͉ h̝͚͜a̢̟̫v̙̫̠e͖͖ t̼͉̞o̡͓̫ g͖̞͙o̡͙͓.̺͉ S͚͇͜t͓͚͉a̘͚͎n͎͓͜d̡̻͙ b̙͔̪a̡̡̪c̠̘͜k̪͚ w̢͔̫h̢̻̠i̡̼̠l͉͇͍e̡̪ I͖̫͖ g̝̼e̡͔̺t̢̠̫ u̦̼͜s̪͍ o̟͙͜u̫̘t͉̻̞ o̼̞̻f̦̼̻ h̟̫e̺̘͇r̘̝̝e̻͓̙.̢̙

[He can already feel the body lurch, and thankfully Fern is out there to help them not tumble into the stomach of the titan anyway. His double bladed polearm appears in his hand, and with a charge of electricity, Childe thrusts it upwards into the back of the nape, searing away skin and muscle to blow a hole open to the outside as steam starts to rise from the giant body of the titan.]
enblightened: (i'll be upon you)

[personal profile] enblightened 2021-12-30 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Chains surge out from inside of the titan's stomach, somehow untouched by acid, the Silence's glaze slowly dissipating. It wraps back around Bigby, returning him to human as he starts to weep openly, uncaring for a moment whether he lives or dies. Death, surely he would deserve! He can't stop looking at his hand, covered in streaks of milky blood.

There, he'd crushed it, maimed this poor child's heart. He's just as wretched as all have claimed, surely.

But he does have a moment of clarity.]


Just-- just a moment--

[He's realizing that he cannot leave Falco's body in this thing. With shaking arms, he pulls the boy to himself, biting his lower lip as thick tears roll down his face.]

All right. Let's go.

[Even as he shakes, he's following Childe out of the Titan's body as steam surrounds them. It burns, but never as terribly as the brand that was once placed upon his head.]
laminae: (freeze)

[personal profile] laminae 2022-01-03 02:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fern is forever glad that Illarion is there, both to keep him from just yeeting himself into the creature's mouth with the rest of them, and to continue providing some direction as support. He isn't great at the support thing, he doesn't have a ton of experience with it, so at his new directions Fern nods, braces himself, and his vines. He's ready for the worst

Thankfully, the worst doesn't come. The monster goes limp - he feels that, and he knows what that means. The steam rising up is something also new to him but it doesn't feel bad, though he chalks that up to it being freezing out and his lack of body heat. Being a plant sucks, sometimes. Still, regardless of all that he doesn't let go, wanting to stay on guard until the others have emerged. The surge of electricity is a good sign, and two vines near the nape split and curl around the wound, ready to grab Childe and Bigby and yank them out.

Of course, he isn't prepared to see just who Bigby is holding. It isn't immediately obvious because of all the steam but the body is small and distinctly un-monster-like and as it dawns on him that it's another Sleeper his grass armour retreats, and he shifts back down to his usual appearance, albeit with his arms still looking like masses of vines.]


Oh, geez.
unsheathedfromreality: (reflect on a thousand lifetimes)

[personal profile] unsheathedfromreality 2022-01-04 07:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Something, at least, goes better than expected--the beast doesn't cause much further damage as it falls, in part thanks to Fern. Illarion settles back on his heels once it's clear they're not at risk.]

Well done. [How well he knows it's difficult to stand aside and be auxiliary to a fight you thought you could win. He'd say more in that vein, but their allies are fighting free of the felled monster's flesh, and Iskierka swoops low to follow them--low enough to witness the tattered, pathetic state of the corpse Bigby carries, and to catch the glint of tears on the man's face.

The shrike closes his own eyes, sightless as they are, and waits for five long and silent seconds.
]

Let us go to them, when they are down, [he proposes, in the wake of Fern's exclamation.] To see who it--was, and help, if they have need.

[He'll walk out to meet the Vilebloods by the vast and steaming corpse as soon as Fern's able to free himself and follow.]
monoceroscaeli: <user name="peerspie" site="tumblr.com"> (13)

[personal profile] monoceroscaeli 2022-01-04 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[The vines provided to help them both down are rejected by Childe- he doesn't need help, at least not yet, though the gesture is appreciated. He's silent next to Bigby as they exit, knowing right now that there were no words that would make this situation any better, nor did he want to share any. The man will need his space, and Bigby did what needed to be done.

It just really sucks that the death of a child had to be it.

He floats back down to the ground, feet tapping lightly onto it as he meets their other two comrades, nodding to Fern first and foremost.]


T̢̼͔h̝͉͖o̘̪s͇͍̻e͕͍̘ v͔̦͎i͔͙͇n̠̺e̞͖͜s͇̫͕ o̝͓̻f̝̪͕ y͍̟̘o̢͚͎u̫͖͖r̠͔̟s͖͕͖ k̺̪̪e͉͉͉p͔̝͍t͇̘͕ u̼̻̙s͇̙͕ f͓͖͚r̢͕͉o̘͕̟m̙̙̟ f̻̼̘a̙̫̺l̺̦̪l̡̘̼i͖͇n͓͚g͙͎ i͇̠͜n͖̘͍t̢̟͉o̺͕ t̢̡̞h̢̢̺e̡̙͕ p̟͇i̢͓̪t͍̞̟ o͎͚f̞͉͇ t̻͕̞h̘̙̠a̪͎t̪͍ m̡̙͙o̟͖͓n͓͚͔s͕͜͜t͕͕͓r͕̘̞o̺̪͔s̟͕͜i̘͎̙t͔̫̞y̙͇͓'͕͚̫s͔͎̦ s̡͇͕t͖̝̞o̡̼͍m̘͇a̝̞̻c̦͖͓h͓͍̙.͙̺͖ F̞̝̼o͉͓͔r̻͍ t̢͍̟h̪̞͜a̫͕͖t̡̫͜,͍͔͍ I̞̘̙ a̡̠m̡̘̻ g͍̞͖r̡̦̪a̫̫̦t̢̪͜e͉͔̦f͓͔͜u͓̞͜l͖̞̪.̙͓ [And, to the Shrike-] A͔̼͜n͚͖͓d̡̙ y͎̼͕o͙͎̦u͍̪̻r̢̙̞ O̫͜m̡̦̫e̢͚̼n̢̝͍ g̪͓͇a̞͍̙v͓͍͜e̠̼ u͙͍͎s͖͉̦ v͚̟̪a̡̢̡l͓͖u̝͖͔a̡̢b͚̝̪l͇͖͕e̢̞̼ i̫͚̘n͓̘̝f̻͜o̙̼͙r̼̘̼m̘̝͍a̡͓͜t̪͖̝i̪͍͍o̢̙̺n̼͜͜ t̘̼̘o̢͕͇ g̘̝͜e̞̼͜t͙͍ i͉͓͎n͖̝̦s̙͉͎i͓͚͜d̠͇̼e̡̠̠ o͔͙̫f͖̦̫ t̢̘̞h͙͉͜e̫͎̻ n͖̙͔a͍̼p͖͍̻e̪̫͜.̺̻͜ P̡͚̠r̟̞e̢̼͜t͎͕͜t͔͚̫y͍̝͓ g̡̟o̦͍͕o͓̺͍d͖̦̪ t͔̙͕e͚̞̙a̡̪͇m̞̠̻w̡̦͍o͖͓͜r̺̫͇k͔͉̘,͖̝ I̟̠͜'̼̙͔d͖͔̼ s̪͙a̺̘̘y͕̺̘.̼̺͖

[He looks back to Bigby.]

B͙̞̝u̦͖t̼͍͖ n͓͙o͇͖̦t̼͉̘ a̞̙͜l̙͚͜l̢̟̻ n͍͔͇e͉͍̝w͔͇̟s͚͍̘ i͉̞s̻͎͉ g͉͎o̺̟o̡͉̺d̢͙̪ n͕̘͔e̺̟͍w̝͔͖s̻̞͚.̠͖̟
enblightened: (by the moonlight side)

[personal profile] enblightened 2022-01-05 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
[All that they say are true; Fern did help them, even if he was willing to risk the pit of the titan's stomach again. But not at the sake of another, and not letting poor Falco's body be crushed with it all, already mangled as it is.

He wants to express his gratitude, his compliments. Nothing emerges.

Instead, he gazes down at the body in his arms.]


...I was not aware he was battling his own demons. I feel a fool for not realizing it.

How selfish I must have sounded to you, Falco.
laminae: (ahhh fuck)

[personal profile] laminae 2022-01-05 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
[There's a little wave of happiness that washes through Fern at the praise. He can't help it, no matter how much he's trying to get over those issues it's still nice to hear an adult figure who appears to have his shit together tell him he did a good job.

He did good! He did good and he didn't completely screw something up, which for him is kind of amazing. It's too bad he doesn't get to enjoy that for very long.]


Okay. [His vines will slowly start to pull back, especially when it's clear the others don't need them, shifting them back into arms and hands.] ... I hope they don't.

[He's mumbling that as he follows after Illarion, absently rubbing his right upper arm where his antler tattoo used to be. It's nice to hear even more praise, it's incredibly reassuring for someone as insecure as he is, and there's a portion of his mind that clings to it even as he sees the body and hears Bigby say that name.]

Falco...?

[Ohhh no, no no no. His nonexistent stomach drops. Falco was in that thing.]
unsheathedfromreality: (reflect on a thousand lifetimes)

[personal profile] unsheathedfromreality 2022-01-05 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[bold of fern to assume illarion has his shit together

Praise earned was praise due; objectively, despite the awful outcome, they had done very well for a spontaneously organized team of bystanders. Limited casualties, minimal property damage--what wasn't to be proud of, except a child's death. (And so many of them did die in violence, for far less reason.)

Illarion doesn't dispute the armored gentleman's assessment of their job, though the line of his jaw tightens to be reminded of all his Omen had seen.

Except you hesitated, he wants to accuse, unjustly, because there is Bigby in unconsolable agony for having struck that final blow. If someone else, anyone else, had taken it instead--

Except it is an unjustified accusation--projection of his own guilt--and as bad, gave more insight than he wanted anyone to have into how much he knew, and when. Such an insight could wait until he'd determined the appropriate reparation for his own inability to act in time.
]

You also did well. [The words are largely without inflection or emotion.] Though this is an end one does not relish praise in, yes?

[He turns his head as if he could look between Fern and Bigby, then steps forward to put a hand lightly on the latter's shoulder.] You knew him.

[Not a question.] Shall you take him to the shore or sit vigil for him?

[There are many other things that needed to be done in the aftermath of such a battle, but the shrike's realistic: No one's focus was there, and there are others around--Hunters and Trenchies--who could take care of those responsibilities for a time.]
monoceroscaeli: iconsfortherain | dns. (192)

[personal profile] monoceroscaeli 2022-01-07 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
[He hasn't much to say on the matter anymore- what's done is done, and as much as he relished in the fight, the ending was exactly what Illarion said- not exactly an ending he's relishing in. Only because this fight is the kind that has the markings of the same sickening thing that's already happened in the past- it's not a fight between two warriors, bearing their souls on the battlefield and leaving nothing behind- but rather, a fight that's been forced upon someone by this world, not even participating but having something participate for them. He'd seek out Falco later to confirm this of course, but he's got that nagging thought at the back of his mind.

With a heaving sigh, he can already feel the effects that the transformation has left on his body, and he can't keep it up any longer. He took a toll during the fight, and as he breathes out, dark energy around him presses outward from his core and the transformation breaks apart, revealing the human inside.

Childe immediately begins to fall, abyssal energy flicking and dissipating into the air around him. If no one catches him, he hits the ground hard, strugglnig to push himself back up at least onto his knees.]