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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

[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.

[grice]

I don’t . . . Like the comfort in that. Other people having similar things.

[ of course, there was a certain solidarity toward those who were possessed by something or other, but falco really did dislike that it was comforting in the first place. these things shouldn’t even be in them to start.

but, that’s just a little thing that gnaws at him, and nothing that could be changed. an absent minded opinion that makes him feel bad for feeling like not being alone in that was something to feel good about. ]

I think— I need to be more careful. And think clearer, even if it’s easier not to.

[ talking about it might help sort it out. ]

[droptheious]

No...I guess it's not the most comforting thought, huh? Other people suffering like you do. But at least you have someone who...understands? I guess?

[He's pretty sure it would only be a complete sociopath who really took comfort in other people's suffering- at least without feeling bad about it. ]

Easier said than done, but it is possible. My advice is to take it a step at a time, try not to charge right into something. Every time I've done that, it's ended up a mess.

[grice]

[ it was funny that falco hardly charged into things much, but it was starting to become a little more habitual than it used to. he always thought before, at least when he could, and when he couldn’t think he did just shoot himself into harm’s way. mostly to protect gabi. or, someone important. ]

I can start with the smaller things again. [ baby steps, like varian said. ] It’s hard to think first when someone needs help, especially.

[droptheious]

[That's where it always got you, Varian found. Trying to save other people. It tended to put common sense out of the window. ]

Yeah, I know. I uh... I have a habit of trying to put other people before myself a lot. [Which is why his corruption is setting further and further in. ] So I know it's...not easy. Makes you feel like you're ignoring people who need you, huh?

[grice]

[ yes, absolutely yes, to the point that falco must inhale as he nods and looks up (at nothing in particular) as he considered. ]

There isn’t balance for that yet, is there?

[ like. he knows it’s the right thing to do, but his brain is also going: wrong protect loved ones at all costs! ]