[ falco lowers his head and wets his lips, but his hold remains— even tightening, both out of concern and attempting to reassure him, somehow. it was harrowing. he knew there was something going on. he saw it, in parts. ]

Perle didn't let me see a lot of the conversation, but . . . I saw most of it. [ it turns out falco's omen has something of a built-in adult content filter. to be fair, it was much better than the one he actually had built into him on his torturous adventure in santa rosita, california. the boy thinks, and walks through a memory that had felt similar, in a way. ] Do you think he would—? Has he? To someone else?