[ the time of the month that falco always tends to visit the boardwalk was this one: the usual influx of sleepers could mean familiar faces. that, and falco enjoyed offering his help where need be, then snatching something delicious at the end of the day. the best of both worlds! today, perle (his pygmy falcon omen) was riding a spring breeze off the coast in a hover, while falco himself had chosen to select a spring roll to try. he happens to be carrying an egg-thing in a sling that keeps it close to his chest; the thing in question is a togepi— and when it comes to food, he’s quite impatient, reaching and making whatever grabby movement he could with feather stubs for hands. ]
I need to try it first. [ he warns, not out of greed because he really did need to make sure this didn’t come with an adverse effect he shouldn’t be exposing confetti to. sadly, confetti is not happy with the choice and begins to squeeze out tears. just bouncing him on his knees, hush hush— nothing seems to be happening? aside from his hair strands becoming home to thin stems blooming firefly sunshines. the sudden blossoming has confetti pause to then chirp, and giggle at the change— and that’s when falco found it best to mouth feed his friend ever so gently.
who is to say he’s keeping still, though? falco walks right across the boardwalk with his head up (and occasionally making sure that confetti can handle what he’s chewing)— he double takes when he sees a flash of tall blond, that could be anyone. but, those eyes, the nose, and who was with him—
there’s a boy there, in the middle of the coming and going newcomers who has planted himself in the middle enough that he needs to evade.
because he’s staring right at levi ackerman and erwin smith. ]
[ having Erwin back feels like a miracle on its own. truthfully, if no one else he's ever known ever washes up on that beach, he'll be okay. still, with something so seemingly impossible bringing them back together, there's reason to believe it won't necessarily stop with the two of them. who knows who else might show up?
it's just that he knows an outrageous amount of dead people. having the chance to see Erwin again, it feels like pretty much anything could happen.
but neither of them spot any faces they recognize. he overhears that this whole thing is like a cycle that happens on a regular basis, so while they do appear to be alone now, things could be different a month from now.
he's just about to relay this sentiment to Erwin when he hears a familiar voice.
familiar is really the best he can do at this point. his mind is still a little bit hazy; it took him a full day followed by a harrowing nightmare to fully remember Erwin, and he's not even sure if he remembers everything about himself. when he turns and sees Falco, it clicks.
...kind of. his eyes widen, half mild shock and half "oh sweet fucking lord there's an actual child stuck in this place". ]
What the hell are y—
[ stupid question. does anyone know what they're doing here? no, more importantly, Falco doesn't look like he just wandered in half-braindead off the beach. he has some sort of... egg... little egg guy, for one, and he just doesn't look like he's seeing all this shit for the first time.
or that's his guess, anyway. he's not the smart one. ]
You've already been here for awhile, haven't you?
[ he has no idea how that's even possible, but he's also standing next to a dead person. clearly the rules have changed. ]
[ erwin is still counting his blessings for having gotten what he does have. it's strange: some details of his past life are still fuzzy around the edges, but he doesn't struggle to understand them just yet. he's trying to give them time, which makes sense, but it is starting to prick at the corners of his mind the things he just can't quite remember.
he's happy enough with how things have been so far here, in large part from the understanding of and reunion with levi, but there are certainly other aspects, like being alive at all, that are encouraging.
he hears the address when the boy speaks, but only turns when levi does.
while levi has a click of recognition, erwin doesn't, and he looks vaguely bemused while levi addresses him. it tracks that levi would know people he doesn't, considering their circumstances, so he just tilts his head and does that faintly friendly look he's so good at, letting levi guide the conversation this once. it's clear he's attentive, just not recognizing who's in front of them.
he's unclear if he should or not in the first place, frankly. ]
[ falco must stop staring between them, but he can’t. it’s a mix. he wants to cry and embrace them. erwin, especially, a man that’s meant so much to him in santa rosita, then briefly in trench— this was a reunion that would not go as expected, immediately, but the boy swallows and holds his egg.
he straightens his back and posture with respect when addressing levi: ]
I— yes, sir. Sirs.
[ a short bow of his head to erwin; while he doesn’t say anything, he’s still there and still deserves an acknowledgement. falco’s heart flies to his throat in the meantime, looking between the two men, perhaps already dreading the answer to the question he already had planned in his head, on his tongue: ]
[ okay, first things first, he waves a dismissive hand at the formality. he's done being a 'sir,' he thinks. at ease, little man.
...littler man. ]
You don't need to do that.
[ it's kinda bizarre that Falco's here, and it's really bizarre that he's carrying around a little egg dude or whatever the fuck that thing is, but it's what he says that's the weirdest thing of all. Levi eyes him, suddenly far more concerned; he's not trying to be scary, but whether he's succeeded or not is probably subjective. ]
...What? Why would we remember it?
[ he has a feeling he's not gonna like the answer. ]
[ erwin is quiet a moment more: levi has a recognition that erwin doesn't, so he's letting levi take point with the conversation. the young man recognizing erwin puzzles him: he dredges his mind for something to latch onto, but he doesn't come up with anything.
that unsettles him far more than the weird egg thing he's holding. things are strange here, that much is probably normal.
but his thoughts on knowing him or not flutter to half-recognition at the question, if only for the situation. ]
I heard people speaking on the beach about people coming and going. Were we here before?
[ falco nods, quietly and slowly. that had been one stone to kill two questions at once. he has a feeling that adding here and other places would be more confusion on a plate that wasn't necessary. it was hard for falco to let go of formalities with the two to begin with— they were respectable and cherished men to him. he can feel his eyes and the inside of his nose begin to sting the longer he looks at the both of them, his gaze falling to keep his composure. ]
Both of you, for some months.
[ he'd like to hug them. he missed them, he's realized, now with them here in front of him once again. but there's an unspoken distance between them now that he can't seem to cross. it feels gaping and empty. ]
It's . . . nice to see you, though. I'm Falco. [ ah, and— the egg creature in his arms cradled like an infant. he gestures only with his elbow and a slight raise of the togepi in the sling its in, front the bottom, and nibbling away at a bread roll. ] —This is Confetti.
[ it's cute, and it shrills at them; but it seems to have noticed a balance in the boy and eyes him from his chest. ]
[ there's something uniquely unsettling about someone having memories of you that you don't share. Levi has never been able to get drunk, so there's never been a gap in his memory like this.
he doesn't like how it feels at all.
but that's not Falco's fault, and he doesn't want to make him feel like it is. so his expression softens a little; he glances at Confetti briefly and then turns his attention back to Falco. ]
Just because I don't remember this place doesn't mean I don't remember you.
[ he gestures with his head toward Erwin. ]
You'll have to forgive this guy, though. He's getting old, so his memory is starting to go.
[ it is even more unsettling to know you've been somewhere, done things, that you don't remember. it doesn't translate into his expression, though: that remains mild and neutral, looking at falco and then confetti and then falco again.
he's about to say something when levi speaks so he pauses long enough for him to finish: he can't agree with the first half because he doesn't remember him, but the last bit startles him just enough that he lets out a low laugh. ]
He's not wrong. I can't be held accountable for my own memory.
[ joking about it makes the moment less strange, he thinks, in the way that pressing forward with living makes everything about this place a little less strange.
still, he's gathered from this conversation that levi met falco after erwin had died, and that sobers him a little, like he's looking in through a window at a conversation he'd never been meant to hear.
[ —! if levi remembers him, then . . . when had been the last time they met, together? levi's face, or the rest of him, was clearly intact. it wasn't after the battle in shinganshina, or the start of the rumbling. ]
The air ship—?
[ that's the only time that made sense for him— when he and gabi were beaten and tied, threatened to be thrown off the airship and only talked down because they were still children.
falco looks between both of them and weighs his words. he knows that erwin has passed on at some point. he knows how levi's future looks. well— he can at least say, it's good to see them together again. they were meaningful to each other. glued to the hip, if they could.
he finally has an answer and swallows, prepares his voice— a voice that briefly cracks. he's grown a year older here, and has entered a very awkward growing fase. ]
Do you both . . . Have a place to stay, yet? [ elaboration— ] I'm staying at a home, alone. There're extra rooms.
[ the truth is that while he does recognize Falco, he might as well be a stranger. but that's clearly not a mutual feeling: Levi is not exactly an emotionally intelligent person, but even he can tell that he and Erwin not remembering any of the time the three of them supposedly spent together is a huge disappointment for Falco, and it's not hard to imagine why.
still, even if they can't remember it, it's plain to see that they were important to Falco, and he has no reason to believe Falco wasn't just as important to them. he's just going to trust in that.
he shares a quick glance with Erwin—meaningful? maybe, it's hard to tell with them—at Falco's mention of his living situation. ]
We stayed in some abandoned house last night. I wouldn't say I'm very attached to it, though.
[ there's a part of erwin that's desperate to get those memories back. he wants to know, he hates feeling known without knowing in return, and it's an issue he's a little at odds with.
however, this just makes him more willing to get to know falco again because if he saw something in him before, there's something in him now that's worthwhile. he thinks that over time, they can dull that feeling of disappointment in him.
the look levi gives him is met with an almost imperceptible nod and he lets levi guide the conversation a moment before putting in his own thoughts. ]
It's very generous of you to offer. I feel that it's smart to congregate with familiarity, even if on our end we're working back to it. I think I speak for both of us when I say we'd be more than happy to accept.
[ it may be a little too clear that falco attempts to hold how wide his smile could go by sucking in his lips. for one, despite the visits he has, he lives alone. it’s positively lonely at night and costs the boy a few nights sleeping in other places that contain a loved adult figure.
confetti seems to feel this bubble of positivity and gives a happy shrill, waving his feathery stubs. ]
It’s this way, in Crenshaw.
[ he’d also be happy to show them, if they were willing to follow. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beginning of may (cw: slight plant body horror, but i didn’t make it very horror-y)
I need to try it first. [ he warns, not out of greed because he really did need to make sure this didn’t come with an adverse effect he shouldn’t be exposing confetti to. sadly, confetti is not happy with the choice and begins to squeeze out tears. just bouncing him on his knees, hush hush— nothing seems to be happening? aside from his hair strands becoming home to thin stems blooming firefly sunshines. the sudden blossoming has confetti pause to then chirp, and giggle at the change— and that’s when falco found it best to mouth feed his friend ever so gently.
who is to say he’s keeping still, though? falco walks right across the boardwalk with his head up (and occasionally making sure that confetti can handle what he’s chewing)— he double takes when he sees a flash of tall blond, that could be anyone. but, those eyes, the nose, and who was with him—
there’s a boy there, in the middle of the coming and going newcomers who has planted himself in the middle enough that he needs to evade.
because he’s staring right at levi ackerman and erwin smith. ]
Mister—?
no subject
it's just that he knows an outrageous amount of dead people. having the chance to see Erwin again, it feels like pretty much anything could happen.
but neither of them spot any faces they recognize. he overhears that this whole thing is like a cycle that happens on a regular basis, so while they do appear to be alone now, things could be different a month from now.
he's just about to relay this sentiment to Erwin when he hears a familiar voice.
familiar is really the best he can do at this point. his mind is still a little bit hazy; it took him a full day followed by a harrowing nightmare to fully remember Erwin, and he's not even sure if he remembers everything about himself. when he turns and sees Falco, it clicks.
...kind of. his eyes widen, half mild shock and half "oh sweet fucking lord there's an actual child stuck in this place". ]
What the hell are y—
[ stupid question. does anyone know what they're doing here? no, more importantly, Falco doesn't look like he just wandered in half-braindead off the beach. he has some sort of... egg... little egg guy, for one, and he just doesn't look like he's seeing all this shit for the first time.
or that's his guess, anyway. he's not the smart one. ]
You've already been here for awhile, haven't you?
[ he has no idea how that's even possible, but he's also standing next to a dead person. clearly the rules have changed. ]
no subject
he's happy enough with how things have been so far here, in large part from the understanding of and reunion with levi, but there are certainly other aspects, like being alive at all, that are encouraging.
he hears the address when the boy speaks, but only turns when levi does.
while levi has a click of recognition, erwin doesn't, and he looks vaguely bemused while levi addresses him. it tracks that levi would know people he doesn't, considering their circumstances, so he just tilts his head and does that faintly friendly look he's so good at, letting levi guide the conversation this once. it's clear he's attentive, just not recognizing who's in front of them.
he's unclear if he should or not in the first place, frankly. ]
no subject
he straightens his back and posture with respect when addressing levi: ]
I— yes, sir. Sirs.
[ a short bow of his head to erwin; while he doesn’t say anything, he’s still there and still deserves an acknowledgement. falco’s heart flies to his throat in the meantime, looking between the two men, perhaps already dreading the answer to the question he already had planned in his head, on his tongue: ]
Neither of you . . . Remember here?
no subject
...littler man. ]
You don't need to do that.
[ it's kinda bizarre that Falco's here, and it's really bizarre that he's carrying around a little egg dude or whatever the fuck that thing is, but it's what he says that's the weirdest thing of all. Levi eyes him, suddenly far more concerned; he's not trying to be scary, but whether he's succeeded or not is probably subjective. ]
...What? Why would we remember it?
[ he has a feeling he's not gonna like the answer. ]
no subject
that unsettles him far more than the weird egg thing he's holding. things are strange here, that much is probably normal.
but his thoughts on knowing him or not flutter to half-recognition at the question, if only for the situation. ]
I heard people speaking on the beach about people coming and going. Were we here before?
no subject
Both of you, for some months.
[ he'd like to hug them. he missed them, he's realized, now with them here in front of him once again. but there's an unspoken distance between them now that he can't seem to cross. it feels gaping and empty. ]
It's . . . nice to see you, though. I'm Falco. [ ah, and— the egg creature in his arms cradled like an infant. he gestures only with his elbow and a slight raise of the togepi in the sling its in, front the bottom, and nibbling away at a bread roll. ] —This is Confetti.
[ it's cute, and it shrills at them; but it seems to have noticed a balance in the boy and eyes him from his chest. ]
no subject
he doesn't like how it feels at all.
but that's not Falco's fault, and he doesn't want to make him feel like it is. so his expression softens a little; he glances at Confetti briefly and then turns his attention back to Falco. ]
Just because I don't remember this place doesn't mean I don't remember you.
[ he gestures with his head toward Erwin. ]
You'll have to forgive this guy, though. He's getting old, so his memory is starting to go.
no subject
he's about to say something when levi speaks so he pauses long enough for him to finish: he can't agree with the first half because he doesn't remember him, but the last bit startles him just enough that he lets out a low laugh. ]
He's not wrong. I can't be held accountable for my own memory.
[ joking about it makes the moment less strange, he thinks, in the way that pressing forward with living makes everything about this place a little less strange.
still, he's gathered from this conversation that levi met falco after erwin had died, and that sobers him a little, like he's looking in through a window at a conversation he'd never been meant to hear.
he won't say that, though. ]
no subject
The air ship—?
[ that's the only time that made sense for him— when he and gabi were beaten and tied, threatened to be thrown off the airship and only talked down because they were still children.
falco looks between both of them and weighs his words. he knows that erwin has passed on at some point. he knows how levi's future looks. well— he can at least say, it's good to see them together again. they were meaningful to each other. glued to the hip, if they could.
he finally has an answer and swallows, prepares his voice— a voice that briefly cracks. he's grown a year older here, and has entered a very awkward growing fase. ]
Do you both . . . Have a place to stay, yet? [ elaboration— ] I'm staying at a home, alone. There're extra rooms.
[ a room that they used to share. ]
no subject
still, even if they can't remember it, it's plain to see that they were important to Falco, and he has no reason to believe Falco wasn't just as important to them. he's just going to trust in that.
he shares a quick glance with Erwin—meaningful? maybe, it's hard to tell with them—at Falco's mention of his living situation. ]
We stayed in some abandoned house last night. I wouldn't say I'm very attached to it, though.
no subject
however, this just makes him more willing to get to know falco again because if he saw something in him before, there's something in him now that's worthwhile. he thinks that over time, they can dull that feeling of disappointment in him.
the look levi gives him is met with an almost imperceptible nod and he lets levi guide the conversation a moment before putting in his own thoughts. ]
It's very generous of you to offer. I feel that it's smart to congregate with familiarity, even if on our end we're working back to it. I think I speak for both of us when I say we'd be more than happy to accept.
no subject
confetti seems to feel this bubble of positivity and gives a happy shrill, waving his feathery stubs. ]
It’s this way, in Crenshaw.
[ he’d also be happy to show them, if they were willing to follow. ]