[ maybe it's best to say this in person too, so . . . here comes falco, even knocking on the door and waiting patiently in front of it, scarf around the lower half of his face and wearing a light green sweater. ]
[ Levi's moving stiffly when he goes to answer the door, but he can ignore the abuse he's suffered lately out of sheer stubbornness now that he's actually physically able to. He's dressed plainly, usually is, with the only features of interest being the handkerchief tied in his hair and a cardigan draped over his shoulders that's clearly several sizes too large. It probably ought to do something about his intimidation factor, but there's a good chance it really doesn't. ]
Come on. I'm dusting, so let's talk in there. [ He inclines his head towards the living room before leading the way towards it. ]
[ is that mister erwin’s cardigan or—? ah, no time to feed that thought. falco wastes little time in letting himself in once invited. he greets levi with an inclined head as he steps in and, before he goes any further, removes his shoes to leave at the door. defeats the purpose of cleaning if he walks in with them, he thinks.
next comes his scarf— the one he uses to mask the surgery, though he doesn’t feel so worried to keep it exposed with levi around. in fact, that’s why he was here in the first place. ]
[ It's never worth it to speculate about adults, Falco. It's fine. He doesn't particularly react to the boy's face anymore, hadn't since they'd been in those cages. It was what it was at this point, and he's not going to insult him with sympathy. ]
Sit down first. [ But he has to approve of the initiative. ] You've got something to tell me, don't you?
[ anything to please uncle levi. but with that— permission to go forth with his thought, that is— falco does what he’s told: he sits down, lips tensing down and coming to a still. he was already planning to say it when they were done.
it takes a second; he’s already been playing in his head how to ask him, and now that Levi’s waiting for it, he feels briefly at a loss of words. briefly. ]
I was wondering if you’d . . . Help me, [ both hands come up to cup his cheeks— what should’ve been them, at least. ] to get these off.
[ Alright, that gets his full attention. His concern is immediately visible only in the way his expression tightens, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes growing more pronounced and the dark circles looking like they were carved there. The grotesque mutilation of Falco's face is something else, but--
Well, shit, now he's not getting back to the dusting. ]
If I'd help isn't a question. [ He needed to ask him alone. Him but not Erwin or Cassandra. ] How?
[ the grisly truth of what that entailed had been obvious but lacked the overall safety many of those around him would seek. hell, he thought about it. breaking into the hospital to steal drugs and such, but how much more danger did they need to scrape against and run getting caught when he technically didn’t need to, especially after that phone call on the television?
it was messed up, but. in compensation, no one else would need to get involved and it’ll be over in the same day. he could handle it, and swallows tight when he decides to skip the actual details with something easier to understand.
why he didn’t tell his pseudo-parents yet, well. levi will get it. ]
[ Falco's a good judge of just who he should turn to for this. Levi's better than most at certain brutal necessities, and he won't try to over-plan it. ]
You're certain. [ His eyes narrow further, assessing now. He just has to look at this sharp, obedient kid as if he were meat to cut and bone to break. At least he's small, that'd make it easier. The fact that it's his jaw means he has to be mindful, nothing as simple as cutting off a limb.
There's no leaving this to someone else. ] I can do it, but there's no going halfway on this.
[ he could show him to confirm (that getting a paper cut earlier in the morning from looking at his notes had made it steam closed), but falco is certain that his word right now is enough. he’s positive and he makes it show. he just has to steel himself— ]
If you need to knock me out, sir, that’s fine too.
[ save the rest for people who actually need it more than him. ]
CONTENT WARNING: MUTILATING A YOUNG CHILD SOON, ABANDON SHIP
[ Well, he'd know if this wasn't going to work before he did permanent damage, he thinks, but he can see the determination in his eyes. ]
I don't have anything to guarantee you'll stay out the entire time. [ Falco has to have already known that much, but he certainly can knock a child out without a problem. ] I've got what I need to remove that in the garage. If that's your decision, we should do it before something else goes to hell.
[ That earlier in the year he'd collected a few convenient tools meant he had what he needed at hand. He'd just thought he'd be using them on other people for very different reasons.
It's not much, not really. Cut through the skin. Break bone and pry away where that monstrosity was attached. He'd heal up quick, having had time to get his stamina back after the shit they'd been put through in captivity. ]
[ the jaws were very close to the cervical part of his spine, they both knew that and if falco were to be honest, no matter how much gall he gathered to go through with something this ludicrous and what he was entrusting levi with— it made the pit of his stomach go cold when he nods and prepares to follow him to the garage. there wasn’t a way in hell that this wasn’t scary and chances were he’d wake up right in the middle of something traumatic. perhaps not as much as getting these things screwed on were, or anything else he’d lived through.
make a conscious choice, and all that. ]
I’m ready.
[ his voice cracks just an inch at his second word, but he won’t be any more prepared the more he waited to consider the risks. ]
[ Levi first shrugs off the cardigan he'd been wearing, folding it neatly and laying it over the arm of a living room chair. Strange priorities, maybe, it would do Falco a disservice if he were anything but completely in control of the situation. Having sympathy for the obvious fear he feels doesn’t change that, and he won’t give him a reason to second guess himself. Making a potentially fatal call at that age isn’t easy. ] I can respect that. Let’s go.
[ Leading the way through into the garage, he secures the door behind them with a slide lock that’s installed on the wrong side on the door. Only then does he fold his sleeves up and head to a standing toolbox that hasn’t seen much in the way of use. None of the tools have, in fact, nor the neatly folded drop cloth resting on top. ]
Lay this out for me. [ He indicates the cloth with a nod of his head as he busies himself. He doesn’t plan on giving him a chance to complete the task, intending on distracting him before knocking him out. It’d be worse to let him see it coming. ]
[ innocently enough, falco obediently scurries over to the cloth to be diligent, but just as easily as he goes like a moth to fire, or a mouse to a freshly placed trap, he doesn’t suspect a thing.
the last thing he saw was his own hand reaching for the cloth and his jaws clattering out his voice: yes si—. with a measured hit over the head or behind it, the boy is out like a light and may very well topple onto the cool floor if left to gravity. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ Sure, the kid obviously needs something, but that’s hardly the point. Levi’s finally able to dust his living room to his own satisfaction. ]
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Of course.
[ maybe it's best to say this in person too, so . . . here comes falco, even knocking on the door and waiting patiently in front of it, scarf around the lower half of his face and wearing a light green sweater. ]
no subject
Come on. I'm dusting, so let's talk in there. [ He inclines his head towards the living room before leading the way towards it. ]
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next comes his scarf— the one he uses to mask the surgery, though he doesn’t feel so worried to keep it exposed with levi around. in fact, that’s why he was here in the first place. ]
I can sweep the floors?
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Sit down first. [ But he has to approve of the initiative. ] You've got something to tell me, don't you?
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it takes a second; he’s already been playing in his head how to ask him, and now that Levi’s waiting for it, he feels briefly at a loss of words. briefly. ]
I was wondering if you’d . . . Help me, [ both hands come up to cup his cheeks— what should’ve been them, at least. ] to get these off.
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Well, shit, now he's not getting back to the dusting. ]
If I'd help isn't a question. [ He needed to ask him alone. Him but not Erwin or Cassandra. ] How?
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it was messed up, but. in compensation, no one else would need to get involved and it’ll be over in the same day. he could handle it, and swallows tight when he decides to skip the actual details with something easier to understand.
why he didn’t tell his pseudo-parents yet, well. levi will get it. ]
It’ll grow back.
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You're certain. [ His eyes narrow further, assessing now. He just has to look at this sharp, obedient kid as if he were meat to cut and bone to break. At least he's small, that'd make it easier. The fact that it's his jaw means he has to be mindful, nothing as simple as cutting off a limb.
There's no leaving this to someone else. ] I can do it, but there's no going halfway on this.
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If you need to knock me out, sir, that’s fine too.
[ save the rest for people who actually need it more than him. ]
CONTENT WARNING: MUTILATING A YOUNG CHILD SOON, ABANDON SHIP
I don't have anything to guarantee you'll stay out the entire time. [ Falco has to have already known that much, but he certainly can knock a child out without a problem. ] I've got what I need to remove that in the garage. If that's your decision, we should do it before something else goes to hell.
[ That earlier in the year he'd collected a few convenient tools meant he had what he needed at hand. He'd just thought he'd be using them on other people for very different reasons.
It's not much, not really. Cut through the skin. Break bone and pry away where that monstrosity was attached. He'd heal up quick, having had time to get his stamina back after the shit they'd been put through in captivity. ]
don’t try this at home 😳
make a conscious choice, and all that. ]
I’m ready.
[ his voice cracks just an inch at his second word, but he won’t be any more prepared the more he waited to consider the risks. ]
no subject
[ Leading the way through into the garage, he secures the door behind them with a slide lock that’s installed on the wrong side on the door. Only then does he fold his sleeves up and head to a standing toolbox that hasn’t seen much in the way of use. None of the tools have, in fact, nor the neatly folded drop cloth resting on top. ]
Lay this out for me. [ He indicates the cloth with a nod of his head as he busies himself. He doesn’t plan on giving him a chance to complete the task, intending on distracting him before knocking him out. It’d be worse to let him see it coming. ]
no subject
the last thing he saw was his own hand reaching for the cloth and his jaws clattering out his voice: yes si—. with a measured hit over the head or behind it, the boy is out like a light and may very well topple onto the cool floor if left to gravity. ]