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

[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?

cw: body horror

[monoceroscaeli]

[He sighs, recounting the events of the battle that had happened.]

The creature...the shadow that's been following many people around these past few weeks...it had fused into him. I don't think there was any way of removing it. I had to cut it out of his skin after he died.

[He doesn't go into detail. The tendrils gripping his neck and his wrists, using him as a puppet. The dislocated arms. It was something he imagined would come right out of the Abyss itself.]

[arclightning]

[ Mako lets out a little curse, glancing away at something off the screen with his jaw tight. ]

So whatever was happening had been happening for a while, then. That's... alright. That... can't have been easy. You doing alright?

[monoceroscaeli]

You could say battle is something I've grown accustomed to. It's not the first time I've slayed a powerful foe, though the kind of enemy this time was certainly a first.

[He's still processing his own feelings on the matter. Was he okay? Yes, but this kind of kill was different this time. He couldn't express it to Mako even if he tried.]

It's easier knowing that he will eventually return to us. I appreciate you asking.

[arclightning]

Easier, sure, but even if you're used to it—

[ Mako's bad with words, is the thing. He can't express, really, what he means: that he's done the same thing, killed someone out of necessity and watched the life drain from them. He doesn't regret doing it, and he would've done the same thing given another chance, to save Korra, but...

It's hard. And Mako's never taken the life of a friend, or someone he was trying to help. It feels like a useless platitude to tell Childe that Manabu would've wanted him to do it, or that he did the right thing. If Childe wanted to talk about his feelings, he would have said so: Mako knows that posting something as clinical as this can be a calculated move.

So he nods, careful, trying to ignore the press of worry and sadness and baseless, useless anger. ]

When he... does the squid thing, let me know.

[monoceroscaeli]

Of course.

[He double checks the username on this guy- Mako. The name instantly rings a bell.]

If memory serves me, you must be that friend Wu has mentioned. If I'm unable to contact you, I'll make sure Wu can let you know as well.

[arclightning]

You know Wu, huh.

[ It's not really a surprise: Wu has a lot of friends, arguably more than Mako, considering how easily to makes friends with people. ]

That'll work. We're both in the same place, so if he knows, I'll know. Keep us updated. And... watch out for the same thing happening to you.

[monoceroscaeli]

Thank you. I don't think I'll have to worry about it much, partially thanks to Wu.

[He really owes him one.]

Take care of yourself as well.