2nd Battle | UN: Childe / Video

[monoceroscaeli]

[His transmission is short. He sits at home, holding his Omni up in front of him while his fox omen sits in his lap, curled up. Possibly one of the few times it wasn't causing all sorts of chaos.]

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I figured there would be at least a handful of you who would like to know.

[He pauses for only a moment.]

If you knew Manabu Yuuki, he was killed. I imagine he won't be back for at least a few weeks or so. His corruption had gotten the better of him, so I made sure his death was quick and painless.

Comments

video; un:mako

[arclightning]

[ It takes Mako a long, long time to even turn on the video and respond to this.

It shouldn't be surprising. It isn't even the first time: he knows Manabu died back in Deerington, and he knows that he wasn't doing well when Mako saw him recently, but—

This still sucks, and Mako's face is pale and set when he turns the feed on to ask an important question. ]

Where is he?

[monoceroscaeli]

He's here. I've iced his body to preserve it the best I can for his return.

[He's never had to do this before. He hopes that it's enough.]

[arclightning]

Good. Let me know if anything weird happens. What—

[ Spirits, this is hard. There's nothing Mako can do, and that's always been the toughest thing. Yes, Manabu will probably be back, but Mako should've been able to—

Fix it. Somehow. Talk to him. ]

There wasn't a way to bring him back from it, huh?

[Video] un: Alberich

[unmelting]

[Now, Kaeya has not met this Manabu yet, but that doesn't stop him from showing up on video here. After all, he has met Childe, and Diluc has told him of another mercy killing that Childe had stepped up to in the place they were before this.

So. He can't help but being curious.]

That does seem to be a common hazard as of late, here.

[Curious, and maybe just maybe, concerned.] Are you all right? Being the bringer of death does have that tendency of being heavy at times, even when it was necessary.

[monoceroscaeli]

I assure you that I'm quite alright. It's hardly the first enemy I've struck down.

[He is, but he's not. It's a lie, but it's easy to tell it without breaking the facade.]

I do appreciate the concern though.

[unmelting]

No, I'd imagine not. But I imagine this one didn't exactly start as an enemy.

[A thoughtful hum and the shrug of a shoulder.]

Just remember that. I'm a conscientious and excellent friend.

[He even says this with a straight face.]

video | un: spcschnee

[winter_bestowed]

That is regrettable to hear. Do you know what lead him to become corrupted to such a level?

[monoceroscaeli]

I imagine it was the same thing that almost consumed me. I'm sure you are familiar with the corpse-like beings that followed others around?

[winter_bestowed]

Yes, I've seen several and stopped a few when they became hostile.

video

[ghostharasser]

[He can't say that he's met Manabu, but he's seen the name around. He does know Childe, though, and the heavy implications of this post definitely leave him feeling a little unsettled.]

[Still, there are questions to be had.]

Hey, if you're up for talking about it, what exactly happened? How did the "corruption" get the better of him?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He takes a deep breath, mostly for himself. It's still a fresh memory, and despite killing countless monsters in the past, this one hit a lot differently for very obvious reasons.]

He'd stalked me as I walked through town. When I turned, I found a monstrosity- the curse that had been laid down upon Trench had fused with his body. It was an unsettling sight, to be sure.

[ghostharasser]

[Dipper swallows. His blood had given him the sight to see some of these strange specters following people around. None of them had fused to the person, though.]

Yeah, I bet. It sounds like ...it was a pretty awful thing to have to do. I'm sorry, man.

[A pause, thoughtful.]

I've seen those weird ...entities following people around, but when I see them the people in question are usually alone. I wonder...

video; un: naruhodo

[convene]

He's dead?!

[He just talked to him - was there something he missed? Something he didn't see? It was days ago now but still, maybe he could have helped.]

You had to kill him -- what became of him that you needed to do something so drastic?

[How is murder justified in this case? What does it mean that his corruption got the better of him? Sorry he's new to all of this, but he needs to wrap his head around it.]

[monoceroscaeli]

Heh...

[He laughs, because the image of what did become of him was fresh enough that even a logical question like that seemed almost ridiculous.]

The very shadow that plagued him and many others consumed him. It...fused onto his back. Made him its puppet.

[convene]

The shadow you mean--

[He never was attacked by his, not that he could see it. What a horrendous thing to have happen. It's clear in his expression that he's too shocked for words, at least at first.]

How? [He doesn't understand, the idea that Manabu became some sort of monster is something he's still trying to wrap his head around.]

text; un: wulala

[royalfling]

[ This is not what Wu was expecting to hear today. He saw Manabu just a few days ago, and, yes, he wasn't doing great, but he wasn't corrupt.

Was he?

It hurts down into his bones, hurts that his friend could go that far. That his other friend could take Manabu's life. He can't spare much to be confused or concerned or angry-- he knows how Deerington works, and it seems Trench works similarly, as much as he wanted to deny it.

He can't really bring himself to say much. Normally, he would be on video, but he's feeling too raw, too sad, too lonely, to show his face right now. Maybe he helped Childe, a week ago, but now? Now he couldn't help Manabu, not well enough. Now, he's useless and floundering and can barely think of what to say, but he has to acknowledge his friend's death. ]

Thank you for telling us. I'm sorry you had to do that.

I tried to help him. I guess it wasn't enough.

[monoceroscaeli]

[If he knows Wu at all, he knows there's a chance that he might be beating himself up over this unnecessarily.]

I've lived a good portion of my life on the battlefield. Sometimes these things happen.

[Though usually not quite in the way they've happened right now.]

I know if you tried to help him, that you tried your best. I think the lesson here is that perhaps sometimes, even the brightest light cannot uncover every corner of darkness if we hide it away well enough.

un: eudaimonikos; video

[eudaimonikos]

Aw, man, did he?

[Michael and Manabu have never really been close, but they're still housemates. He's kinda used to seeing the guy around.]

I can bring some of his stuff by, if you want. Fresh clothes for later, or whatever.

[monoceroscaeli]

That would be wonderful. I have extra clothing here, but I'm far taller than he is, you see.

When should I expect you?

un: trienemybest; video

[droptheious]

[Well. Hell. Varian likes Manabu quite a lot- he's a decent guy, and this news drops on him like a weight. Cold and heavy and very much unwanted. They've not lost enough people yet (while conversely, they've lost too many for such a short period of time) to know for sure on how the death process works. ]

I'm really sorry that to hear that, I- he seemed okay when I last saw him. What- what happened?

[monoceroscaeli]

The corpse that was following him around consumed him. It fused with his body and used it as it pleased. I haven't seen a horror like that since my last run in with the Abyss.

[He wonders what Manabu had looked like just days earlier.]

audio; un: zhongli (private)

[brokebitchmountain]

If you wish to have an ear to listen...you are more than welcome to talk about it with me.

[ A pause. ]

Such burdens should not be overcome alone.

[monoceroscaeli]

Heh. You know well that I'm a Fatui Harbinger. The number of lives I've ended have long since made me numb to the harsh realities of life and death.

[That statement is mostly true. But he's been through a lot since he left Teyvat- Manabu's death stung far more than he'd ever admit to, to his own surprise.]

I must thank you for the concern, though.

Video | Clickclickbloom

[onekindsoul]

I've only talked to him once or twice before.

But I'm sorry you have to carry that burden now. I'm sure it wasn't easy.

[monoceroscaeli]

The battle itself was exhilarating. If given the chance, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[The killing part was easy. It was what happened afterward that was awful.]

But this is the life I've lived for some time now. Bloodshed is no new experience to me, as tragic as this was.