video | un: falcogrice

[grice]

[ on the feed and fixing the device's angle from his lap to hold just a half an arm's length in front of him is a young boy, definitely no more than twelve, with expressive, too-tender doe eyes and a certain amount of calm as he preps to speak. he's also incredibly tiny for the furs draped over his shoulders, now falling into a slant as he brings a hand up to give a little wave. for the most part, he tries for a smile, but the only thing his lips really feel like doing is subtly curving in one direction before he can't bring them to go all the way. the sorry excuse for a smile gets masked by pressing his lips quickly together in an awkward rush. talking to a camera to record these things is always weirder than text, or speaking to people in person. ]

Um, Hi. I'm Falco, and I woke up a few days ago. It's nice to meet everyone. I have a few questions? Not about The Trench, I think I'm all caught up with what's happening. [ at least close to what everyone else seems to know, by asking around, network snooping— it's no wonder that he's spent a few days just to let the information ruminate in his head and settle in. by staring at the ceiling.

either way, he clears his throat! ]

I know some Sleepers might have been in Deerington— but does anyone remember being to other places that aren't your home? Like, different worlds. Specifically South Sister, or California. Or the year 854, if that's familiar? The second thing is . . .

[ falco doesn't say anything and instead, signs: anyone understand? ]

Just curious. [ since if everyone can understand languages . . . ] And, for last. I'm looking for priests that don't use blood for their rituals. For, ah— Exorcism rituals. [ and after an inhale as if he was about to say something more, like an explanation, he shuts up and holds his breath. instead, he starts to scribble something down on spare notebook paper, ] —I can't talk about it if everyone is listening, but if someone can help— [ and then holds up the paper, showing what he's drawn: two "S" marks, put back to back. ] I'll let you know.

[ he supposes that's it, and nods— or more like bows his head. he's beyond polite and respectable as he says: ]

Thank you for watching, and stay safe.

Comments

[grice]

[ it felt like an oxymoron saying that, but falco could kind of . . . get it? because of south sister, at the very least. ]

I kind of feel like . . . I know what you’re saying.

[ he just wished gabi was here for that sort of fun, but at the same time didn’t. it was that push and pull all the time. ]

Does my home still exist?

[ it was a shithole, sure— but he still has important people there. ]

[entreats]

[ There's not an instant answer, but thankfully it doesn't take forever for Ange to answer either. ]

I mean, I technically can't be sure. [ Not like Ange can look beyond this world and into other ones, after all. She isn't on that level as a witch. ]

But I don't see any reason for our home worlds to no longer exist, just because we're not in them. Instead.. they're probably just going on without us.

[ Which can be a sad thought entirely in its own right - for people who had something to leave behind in the first place, anyway. It's why it doesn't hit Ange as hard. She never had anything there. ]

[grice]

[ should he have expected a reassuring answer in the first place? anxiety spikes in widened eyes that attempt to look elsewhere. falco knows he needs to be home, he's an asset— so suddenly everyone that was on his back is now falling to their deaths from sky height? but what about the other times when that wasn't the case? he'd wake up right where he left off as if nothing had happened in the first place. and what if deer country and trench were different.

being reborn as a squid set him off, big time, but after running his hands through his hair and giving a shaky bit of silence, only finished off with an exhale: ]

I-It's really hard to tell wherever we are, huh?

[entreats]

[ There's a slight pause. As if Ange is considering something.

Thinking.

The reason for it becomes rapidly obvious when she speaks up, just with: ]

You're worried.

[ Ange sure doesn't have any magical emotion-sensing powers, but it kind of feels like it's radiating off the other ayway. In that tone, the stutter, his body language. ]

[grice]

Well, um—

[ lies? bravado? falco doesn’t have any of that, much less a habit of it to begin with. if it’s lying, he’s either trying to save himself or someone else’s time. he’s not the sort to try and look brave, as well. either he is, genuinely, or he isn’t.

the way his frown pulls and his cheeks spread red are an open book as is. ]

I need to be home.

[entreats]

Why do you "need" to?

[ There's indeed a certain emphasis on that word as Ange echoes it back to him. It's not necessarily a sceptical emphasis though. Sure, Falco may be young, but it's not as if young people can't have an impact on other people's lives. On the world.

If there's anything she has learned, it's that.

Which is why her tone remains a little more gentle than usually as she speaks, like she's trying to show it's alright for him to talk about it to her. That he doesn't have to worry about speaking, at least, when he seems so fussy. ]

Is there something waiting for you? Or is there something counting on you to be there?

[grice]

. . . People.

[ gabi, miss annie, the rest of them trapped on an apocalyptic puppet titan with nowhere to go but up, by his wings. ]

People are counting on me.

[ even the dead ones who made that even remotely possible. ]

[entreats]

[ The thought is a little unfamiliar to Ange. People waiting on you. People counting on you back home.

But it doesn't mean she can't imagine it. It's not all that hard to imagine people in situations where that sort of thing could exist for them. Though perhaps Falco seems a little too young to have that many people relying on him already - but who knows what circumstances are like where he comes from. ]

.. I hope you can return home soon then. If you really want to.

[ Sure, Ange doesn't wish for it for herself, but if it's really what he wants, then someone as young as him shouldn't be stuck in Trench instead. ]

[grice]

[ he should playing with legos and whirlybirds, not off to help end an apocalypse— but at least it all pays off in the end. at least for falco, there’s a sweeter ending to his bitter way up the story ladder. ]

Thank you, Miss . . . [ a beat, ] I didn’t get your name.

[ and he wants it, to properly address her. ]

[entreats]

Ah..

[ It's only a faint sound, but there's still something slightly surprised about it.

As if Ange herself didn't even realise that she didn't introduce herself yet - especially since her manners aren't the best, so she accidentally skips this sort of thing half of the time. ]

.. Ange. It's Ange Ushiromiya. [ There's a slight pause, and then she adds-- ] You can find me on here just by looking up my last name, it's pretty unique.

[ There's a hidden implication in those words, of course. That he can contact her whenever he wants to. But Ange is just a tad too tsundere to say that so easily, even though she kind of wants to. ]

[grice]

[ you can’t hide your intentions from him, girl. falco needs to repeat it under his breath, it’s a little foreign, but once she says it’s easy to find her— ]

It is! Thank you, Miss Ushiromiya.

[ said with a slight pause in between syllables. had to not butcher her name! ]

I’ll keep that in mind.