Signal Interference

[monochromatically]

Who; Mono and whoever happens to be around
What; Log
Where; Harbor district sewer entrance to start
When; Mid September
Warnings; I will update if specific warnings are necessary. To start I would say: Mentions of solitary confinement/isolation, and abandonment
Note;Mono is now canon-updated to the end of game, and he is not going to be particularly rational atm, so it'll probably take a while for him to calm down and get both himself and his abilities under control depending on the way your character approaches. For more information, see his canon update here.


A young boy stumbled out of the sewers in the harbor district, looking disorientated and somewhat skeptical of the world around him. He shouldn’t be there, really. Not in the ‘children should not be in dangerous places in the dead of night’ kind of way, so much as the… he shouldn’t be in this world, kind of way.

This couldn’t be real, after all. He’d spent months in that room. Months feeling eyes on him despite the presence of the walls he’d built up around him with his powers. Months alone to ponder and let the hurt and anger gnaw at him after his friend… After Six dropped him. After she abandoned him to make her escape from the tower alone, letting go of his hand in the last moment. Just as he had thought that they were going to be free and could resume their joint escape from the city in search of a better place.

This had to be a wishful delusion of a place far better than the Pale City. A place he would much rather be, with people who cared about him (or could they betray him as easily as she had?).

But it wasn’t real, it couldn’t be real. The more the thoughts spun in his head, the more anxious and angry he got at whatever had changed the appearance of the space around him to look like something he couldn’t have. “It’s not real.” He mumbled, the light static that flickered in his sclera more pronounced as he frowned at the sight of the harbor district around him. “It’s not fair. It’s not. Stop trying to trick me.” He balled up his hands into fists. Seeing a place like this, it was too upsetting. He didn’t want to see something he couldn’t have. Mono needed to change it back, to stop being taunted by it. “CHANGE BACK!” He yelled in a desperate and unsteady tone. Energy rolling off of him in waves that seemed to thicken the air unchecked as the already small, rundown harbor buildings around him shuddered almost as though they might really change back.

If he had been more clear minded, he might have remembered that if he’d been in his world… he wouldn’t know or remember this place at all. That fact didn’t even begin to edge its way into the child’s mind as a few windows nearby exploded in shards of glass from the strain. The illusion wasn’t changing, the surrounding images weren’t changing like they should be… It was more like when he’d been outside the tower still and trying to get the hang of his abilities to get to the tower faster before everything had gone south.

Why…? This couldn’t be that place. This couldn’t be real, right? So why…? Was that thing behind this? Was it taunting him out of boredom? Could it even do that?

Comments

[skyward_eyes]

He's summoned. Word of mouth can travel quickly between guards, especially when some were mounted on chocobos. And so the word gets back and he's summoned to find the boy that had been missing from his place in their lives for too long. The one Nida had feared had gone home, and so a part of his life had been lost. It takes a while for him to get there though. Takes a while for him to arrive, which is while a new set of windows explode nearby.

The Protect spell keeps them from falling on him in a truly bad way, the glittering shards slipping around the limits of the magic as Nida approaches, confident but slow. From what he'd heard, Mono was far from okay at the moment.

"You know," he said, trying to keep his voice conversational, "when I get mad I try to break things I can easily replace. Saves some money that way. Trees are usually good for it, near the forest."

[monochromatically]

Not okay was decidedly a decent way of describing it. Mono was currently a mixture of panic and anger at what seemed like such a cruel joke to be playing on him. It was like that thing must have decided just watching him sit alone in that chair wasn’t entertaining anymore, like it wanted a new show to watch. The world wasn’t changing back around him; it wasn’t bending to his powers the way it had when he’d ended up at the bottom of the tower in the first place. Instead of warping around him, things were just creaking and breaking instead.

The boy practically begged for the world to change back, to stop messing with him. To stop tricking him.

Then he looked up sharply at the voice, hands still balled into fists and the static buzzing in his eyes as his power, the signal he was the source of, flowed around him. At first he was entirely still, but then he began to edge back slightly. That couldn’t be Nida… Right? He couldn’t be here either. The boy’s form blurred and looked like it stuttered slightly as he edged backwards warily, before in a blink of an eye he was a few feet away.

“You can’t be here.” He mumbled with a surprising amount of certainty.

[skyward_eyes]

The static hurts and Nida is wincing when it builds up. Siren is practically keening in pain from the sound of it, and it's leaving Nida shaking. Which means he has to do something he hates. Which is to unjunction Siren, leaving him vulnerable without his magic and enhancements. At the same time it means he can hear without the great pain of it.

"Last time I checked, I could kiddo," he said, not taking another step forward, not yet. "Though I my boss might agree with you since the harbor isn't my beat most of the time."

[monochromatically]

There was a small part of Mono, the part that had been growing since he’d been left behind, that felt a certain satisfaction that the illusion seemed to wince under the force of the static signal that was thickening the air. Serves the thing right for trying to trick him, for showing him someone he missed just to tease him or lull him into a false hope that could be snatched away again as easily as Six had let go of his hand all those months ago.

“No ‘cause you're not real.” He mumbled again, a small quiver in his voice. “Adults can’t be in the tower unless they’re part of that thing.” Which meant they weren’t really human anymore, just part of the amalgamation. “You’re just a trick.” He flickered again, bordering on another skip away in his uncertainty. There was some truth to the other’s words, though, if he were thinking clearly. The harbor wasn’t where Nida usually worked, and he sounded terribly real…

[skyward_eyes]

"Last I checked I was real. I eat food. I sleep in a bed. I need to use the bathroom. Hibiscus still pecks at my hair."

This is a bit weird, but he supposes he understands. 'Adults can't be in the tower'. He went home. Like Llewellyn's husband had. And now he was back.

"Ig and I were worried about you, you know. Honestly, of everyone here who could go home, I never wanted you to. Place sounds like shit."

[monochromatically]

Mono still stared at the man with uncertainty, like he was trying to see through some elaborate trick or illusion… But it was starting to connect, starting to hit him that Nida was saying things that a fake probably wouldn’t know to say… Nor would he even know Nida if they were in his world. If they were in the tower…

If he remembered, then… He was back…? He was back in that weird other world where people were nice and were still people, where he had a home and a bedroom and people…? And… “Nida…?”

Oh… Oh no…

His form jerked and stuttered again as the broken glass on the ground around him made him realize just what he’d been doing before now… He hadn’t been changing the room in the tower, he’d been breaking part of the city he’d returned to in his panic. Now the boy was panicking for an entirely different reason, as his breath started to come quick and his form blurred as he started backing away, another ‘skip’ pulling him further than one would expect as he disappeared in a little blur and then stilled again.

He was the one who’d broken the Pale City, he was the reason people weren’t people anymore… Whether they deserved it or not… What if he did that here? What if he hurt everyone? He couldn’t control some of what he could do. He didn’t even know how to stop it!

Yup… The kid was running now, afraid for different reasons than before.

[skyward_eyes]

Hyne did he have to do this when Nida decidedly did not have a speed junction? Sure he was quick for a SeeD and had tricks he hadn't taught the kid yet, but something was wrong.

And, as much as he hated it, he settled Siren's junction back in place. He would need the enhanced senses as he bolted after the kid. Someone needed a hug.

"Mono! Wait up!"

sewer entrance

[soulsword]

There were very few people here that Illyana actually cared for. In most cases if they came or if they went was of no consequence to her. Mono however was one of the few that she would count as someone she cared for. There was a lot in him that reminded her of herself, for better or worse. When she'd noticed he was gone it hit her with a wave of sadness that took her time to process. Of course processing for Illyana simply meant avoiding others and avoiding discussions about anything that might be wrong.

It was a healthy way to handle things.

No it wasn't.

But it was her way. One could only expect so much from someone that grew up in a pocket hell dimension. At least she hadn't just run away completely. She'd still stayed around, occasionally looking for him both on foot and with various spells. One particular spell she'd set up around a talisman using something he'd owned while here. That particular thing she tucked in her pocket, hoping that maybe one day it would glow. Lo and behold it did! Immediately upon the first pulse she scrambled to follow it's trail to the sewer entrance where she saw him stumbling out.

"Mono?" she called out as she teleported the final distance to him. She reached a cautious hand out towards him to place it on his shoulder. "What happened to you?"

[monochromatically]

The boy gave a start, static clouded eyes looking up quickly with some obvious surprise and panic as his small daze was interrupted. The signal he gave off, spiking slightly with his uncertain emotions, leaving the air with an oddly thick quality. He wasn’t used to being approached anymore, nor was he used to the gentle pressure of a hand on his shoulder. The last time he’d been in contact with anyone else… It had been Six’s hand wrapped around his for those brief few seconds before she let go.

And Illyana couldn’t possibly be here, right? That had to be his imagination, or something… Something making him see her and the familiar city of Aterat instead of the walls of the room where he’d been sitting for so very long now. He blinked, breath coming quick as he tried to figure out what the trick was. What was making him see someone who was undoubtedly one of the most important people he’d ever met again after months of being alone. “I-Illyana…?” He rasped out, anxiety bleeding into his tone. “You’re not really here, are you…? This isn’t real.” He mumbled with a particular tone of resignation and sureness.

If he thought it was really his friend, it was just going to get yanked away from him by whatever had made the illusion in the first place. Whatever had warped the room around him.

[soulsword]

Confusion touched her expression for just a moment before it faded away to sympathy. She knelt down, trying to meet his level and attempted to make some sort of eye contact. There was power around him, rising power that she could feel prickling her skin but she had felt worse. She had felt so much worse. All she cared about at the moment was finding out what was wrong with him. He seemed so anxious, so frightened, and so confused. What had happened to him?

"I am as real as you are." Once upon a time she had found her brother suddenly after his alleged death. Her reaction had been similar to this. Fear. Anxiety. And ultimately she had fled convinced that he hadn't been real. That none of it was real. Whatever had transpired had to be quite a lot for him. She gave a gentle smile. "My imps have missed you. And I have been disappointed at our lack of a movie night. I thought we had an agreement."

[monochromatically]

It wasn’t quite as hard to get on his level anymore; the boy seemed… Slightly stretched, a bit more spindly than he had been last they saw. The tower had sustained him, somehow, but it had also begun to change him… Not much, not enough to say it was significant… But still not quite as short as he had been. His eyes darted to her and then away, then back again. It was a frantic and uncertain pattern as he wanted to believe that she was really there and that this wasn’t all some kind of cruel prank, but not quite being able to believe it.

“No, ‘cause you can’t be in the tower. You can’t be there, no one can be there unless they get dragged in and then you’re not even a person anymore. And you’re not from there. You’re just someone I wanna see.” He babbled slightly, edging away and feeling a prickling of tears in his eyes. He’s not really sure who he’s trying to convince though, and his form flickers and stutters slightly as the urge for flight was truly settled into him on instinct.

But then she was talking about the imps, and… The movie night… That thing couldn’t know about the movie night, that was something they’d talked about here. That was something only the two of them knew…

[soulsword]

Comfort was not something Illyana was used to offering. For Mono though she would try. He looked strange, somehow just a bit different and not just because of the flickering power. The differences were not as pronounced as hers had been when she had returned from Limbo, but they were enough to cause her concern to grow.

"The Tower?" Ah, he had mentioned that before. That was where he was trying to get to in order to save his friend, wasn't it? Clearly something had gone wrong there. Though she was a bit uncertain if she should push that particularly subject at the moment.

She shook her head. "We are not in the tower, Mono." Her voice was gentle but firm. "You remember me so you remember Aterat." Was that too harsh? Or was that the proper amount? Why was this so difficult. A little frown touched her lips. "Did you forget about our movie night then? A shame, I had the snacks planned." Perhaps this was the correct path to take. He seemed to react at least a bit to it.

[monochromatically]

Even as Illyana was unsure of her approach, it actually seemed like the right one for the moment. Her gentle words but firm tone were holding his attention about as well as anyone could hope for now. He still seemed to be on the edge of bolting, of course, but he was hearing her out. Listening as she reinforced what should have been obvious to him. That this wasn’t the tower, that he wouldn’t remember her or Aterat if he were there.

It took a couple moments for it to click properly, to settle in place and to feel… real… But it does all the same, and even as he was still panicked and anxious, he shook his head. “I didn’t forget! Or I did… I did ‘cause I wasn’t here. I was… There…” He mumbled, eyes unfocusing for a moment. “I’m sorry.” Escaped as he fussed with the ragged edge on his coat.

Mono glanced at her, and then suddenly his gaze widened. The static in his eyes buzzing a little as a new fear struck him. “But I shouldn’t be here! I should be there. If I’m here, bad stuff could happen here, I can’t… You should go!” He began babbling again, and his form flickered and seemed to stutter a bit before it solidified a couple of steps away like a tape that had skipped forward when you sped the image up.

Harbour

[faithfulsupport]

It wasn't often that Ignis came down here since there wasn't much that he needed. But he'd tried to stretch his chocobo's legs out and Nida was still at work. The house seemed rather empty now and Ignis would steal moments in Mono's unoccupied room while Nida was out. He had no wish to upset or burden his already grieving husband at how much he too missed the boy and so hid his own grief at the boy's departure.

Sighing, he dismounted the chocobo and stared out at the water after tethering the bird to a safe post. He didn't want to go far since he wasn't really up for fighting off thieves or anyone that might want to steal or harm his chocobo, but he would if he needed to of course.

Half of him thought he then heard Mono's voice stating something about something not being fair and so Ignis turned his head to the sight of nothing and no one. He sighed and figured maybe he needed to work less hours and he was hearing things. But still, he walked down the steps at the entrance of the sewers and thought he heard Mono's voice again, this time a command to change back?

"Mono?" Ignis called, before crouching and noticing the energy engulf the buildings. He himself had to duck into one of the sewers to avoid the onslaught.

[monochromatically]

Mono was decidedly… not himself. Or at least not the ‘himself’ that everyone was used to him being. Having been trapped in the bottom of the Signal Tower for several months alone without company, save perhaps for the many eyes of that amalgamation that resided there as well (blocked by the walls he’d built around him) had unfortunately changed him somewhat. He was stretched out a little more, limbs a bit more spindly than they had been, and the static in his eyes was more pronounced than it had been. The changes were at least not as bad as they could be, but more time in the tower would probably have left him entirely unlike what anyone remembered.

On top of that… Mono was actually more powerful than he’d ever really realized. He’d had ideas, of course, but he had only ever used his ability to teleport through televisions before. When asked if he could do other things, the boy had only ever shrugged and expressed uncertainty. Now… well, he’d been through enough to have a better idea of what he could do. Unfortunately, while the powers could be good and helpful given the chance, some of them were also quite destructive as well.

At the very least, not being attached to the Signal Tower here was sparing the city from something much worse. A few broken windows and creaking buildings trembling under the weight of his emotional outburst were better than the kid bringing them down entirely, after all. If this were the Pale City, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see them practically bend in half. But this was Aterat, and so there was only the sound of windows breaking and a certain thickness in the air as the signal he gave off ran a bit wild. The air smelling like ozone around him, and a constant, practically begging tone coming from the boy asking for whatever was trying to trick him to stop.

Vaguely the boy thinks he hears a familiar voice, but that seems like another layer to whatever was trying to fool him into some kind of false hope. “Stop trying to trick me. I’m not stupid!” He Another window exploded nearby, scattering across the cobblestone audibly.

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis braced himself by flattening himself as much as he could while the place continued to be torn. This was the power the boy hadn't quite showed, but the whole static thing made sense now that this devastation was going on. He didn't have any means to protect himself but he was determined to get to the boy he'd began to see as son he would never have. He hinted around at the idea of Nida feeling that way too, but always stopped short of his husband giving him some speech or another as to why that would never work and that it would never happen.

The advisor heard windows breaking and placed a hand up over his glasses to try and see whatever was going on. "No one's trying to trick you and no you're not stupid!" Ignis called almost desperately. "We've been looking for you, Nida and I! We've been worried when you disappeared from the house and we couldn't find any trace of you!"

There had been so many things Ignis hoped to do such as reading to Mono, and going on more grocery trips. It was always fun to have the boy help around the house and in the kitchen. Ebony loved Mono and was often found trying to creep into Mono's room in an attempt to sleep next to him. The advisor also wanted to teach the boy how to ride a chocobo and help around in the garden and maybe even cook. But all of those hopes had been dashed when the boy had gone missing.

[monochromatically]

Mono was trembling slightly, the emotions rushing through him were overwhelming. The anger, the hurt, the loneliness and the fear of a hope being dashed upon rocks again. He didn’t want to hurt again, didn’t want to get his hopes up and have that thrown in his face. It had been months of solitude in that room, so very long since he heard a voice other than his own or the distant sounds of whatever shows were being broadcast on the televisions around the city. The televisions connected to the signal tower, to the signal he was the source of.

But there was a voice on the edge of his awareness, the voice of someone he’d gotten so close to in his time here. Someone he looked up to, who always seemed to try to take care of him… Who probably shouldn’t have, all things considered. Mono knew what he was now, after all, knew what he was going to do… Knew that part of him was going to be glad, was going to like it… That wasn’t a good person, by any means.

The boy finally looked up, though, at the voice, despite his certainty that he couldn’t be hearing it. The gray cloud of static in his eyes picking up as they widened in shock at the sight of the man trying to reach him despite the broken glass sometimes bursting around him. A certain recognition there, a realization just creeping in on what this was. “Mr. Ignis…?”

They had been looking for him, worried about him… Ignis and Nida shouldn’t have, and the boy edged a few steps further back. His form starting to stutter and blur a bit as his ability for ‘skipping’ started to kick in as the need to put some distance between them struck him. Not for him, but for the safety of those he cared about. He didn’t want to do to them what he’d been doing to the people of his world. “You shouldn’t, you should go!” He finally yelled back, before he seemed to blur and then reappear a few more feet further away.

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis wasn't sure if he was getting through to the boy or not, but he hoped that somewhere he had. He had no idea what Mono had been through and had he known, he would've torn everywhere down to keep him safe. There had been so many times that Mono had brought him happiness and had restrained himself from using that 'l' word. It was too soon, he and Nida differed on how to best approach this, but the advisor did see Mono as a son of sorts. And telling the boy he loved him was always shelved because it wasn't appropriate nor would it be welcome.

After Mono left, that regret seared through him repeatedly.

A relieved slight smile hit his face as Ignis took cover again against the wall as more debris passed him. "Yes, it's Mister Ignis." At least that much had been established. And he took a few breaths just to readjust and refocus. This was so very important.

But at hearing he should go, kicked in the royal advisor's stubborn button so to speak. "No, I am not leaving you. You left us, and that wasn't your fault. But I am not letting you go again. You are very important to me, and I am going nowhere. I will wait as long as I have to for you to come home where you belong."

[monochromatically]

Mono knew Ignis didn’t understand, couldn’t understand what he was suggesting. If he did, maybe he wouldn’t be so stubborn to convince someone as dangerous as Mono to come home… right? “I’m tellin’ you that you should!” He’s not what everyone thought he was, not at all. He knows that now, and knows what he’s going to become one day… What he kind of is already, even if he hadn’t quite grown into it yet. “I don’t wanna hurt anyone, so just go!”

The boy took another few steps back, not sure where to go… But he at least realized that staying where he was now wasn’t a good option. Not if he didn’t want to break more windows or hurt anyone who might be near them. “I just break stuff, I’ll break the house and I’ll break people!” He added, trying to get through the man so he could just leave and save them both the hurt that the boy wasn’t sure he could handle facing again. Not after Six… Not after she left him.

Maybe he could get outside the city. That might be better for everyone… right? If he couldn’t go back, then maybe it would at least be better if he wasn’t anywhere that people could get drawn in and changed.

[silent_beauty]

It had been the echo of shattering glass that had called the young princess to deviate from her usual path and turn towards the edge of the harbor district. She knew that this district could be dangerous but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong and that this was the path she needed to take.

Her hair was tied back with a dusty pink ribbon, wisps of short and curled brown hair had broken free of the ribbon and framed her forehead and cheeks like a painting. She was wearing a light cream blouse and a short wool skirt that the orphanage had given her as soon as the weather began to chill. Her socks were pulled up to make up for the area of her leg that had remained uncovered while her usual boots covered her feet and warmed her ankles. The large notepad she usually carried was replaced with a smaller notepad that fits into one of her two skirt pockets while the second pocket holds the accompanying pencil.

She walked slowly, carefully darting between shadows the way that Mono had taught her. It was only when she spotted the familiar figure of her knight and friend that she exited her thinly veiled hiding place and stepped forward. That was until she saw him. The look on his face was unfamiliar to her and the boy she'd once considered a trusted ally froze her midstep. Cold fear slid down her body, settling uncomfortably within her stomach.

Mono?

The little princess forced herself to take a small step forward, now standing in the middle of the street, a single street light pointing down at her trembling form.

[monochromatically]

Once he was a little more… rationally… Mono was going to be rather upset with himself for a second reason than the main ones. The last person he would ever want to scare, or potentially hurt, was definitely Luna. She was his second friend his own age ever- well… More like his only friend near his age at this point, considering what had happened with Six.

He didn’t really register that she was there at first, so caught up in his own confusion and anger at the unfairness of what he thought was something in the tower, taunting him with seeing what he wanted more than anything. A place other than the Pale City with its faceless people and monsters, a place that had become like home in the short time he’d been there for. Aterat.

The static was still buzzing rather thick in his eyes as he looked up sharply as he caught a glimpse of a small figure approaching from the shadows, his mind only connecting with one possible small person at the moment. So, at first, all Mono thought of was Six in her yellow raincoat, watching him drop from view before turning and leaving the tower behind. The boy’s form flickered briefly as he tilted his head taking one step as if trying to decide what he was going to do… Before suddenly he was only a few steps away from her with his mouth fixed in a deep scowl, ready to demand answers. To yell. To maybe get some kind of revenge…

When suddenly it stuck out to the boy that the girl in front of him wasn’t wearing a yellow raincoat… She was actually quite different from Six in general. Long hair tied back in a soft coloured ribbon, dressed more like the kind of clothing you might see on kids in story books that weren’t stuck in a horrible place like the Pale City…

This wasn’t Six. This was someone else. Someone better. Someone he had forgotten when he went back, and somehow only remembered now. The grown fell away, shifting to something that looked rather frightened himself. “Luna…?” Escaped him as he took a few hesitant steps backwards, the light flickering above them before shattering as well.

[silent_beauty]

Luna didn't know what to do. Her feet were cemented in place while the frantic beat of her heart quickened, echoing like a thundering roar in her ear. The last time she'd felt this terrified she'd been facing the evil queen. The look in his eyes... that hate... it's been months since she'd been on the receiving end of such a glare.

Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as the young stranger stepped forward. It wasn't her friend or her knight... someone entirely unfamiliar stood in front of her. Her entire body trembled, her arms were folded protectively against her chest as if she could fold in on herself and disappear.

"mo...no..." She managed to whisper the syllables of his name, struggling as the unfamiliar sound tugged from her throat.

The light above them shattered and Luna screamed, her head curled against her chest while her arms protectively rose to cover herself.

'What's going on?' Her mind raced frantically but she couldn't understand.

'Why?' The word repeated over and over but only silence answered her.

[monochromatically]

Of all the people who could have shown up upon Mono’s return to Aterat, Luna was quite possibly the worst option to happen upon him. The boy wasn’t really in control of his abilities in his panic, and when everything was said and done? He didn’t want her to see what he was, what he could be… She should be far from here, where it was safe. Far from him…

The fact that she actually whispered his name gets a startled gasp from the boy as he continued to back up, wanting to put some distance between them to avoid breaking anything else near the girl. It really was Luna. She was actually there, and he was somehow back in Aterat. This was real and not some illusion… He was out of the tower, and the Pale City altogether…

But that might not be a good thing, not for Aterat or the people there. He was dangerous, after all. The boy knew what he was… Who he’d be… What always happened in the end, no matter how many times he started over to fix it.

“Luna, go home. You shouldn’t be here!” He finally said, the anger melting away to fear instead as his ability kicked in and his form stuttered slightly before it seemed to skip backwards. There one moment, then a few more feet away in the blink of an eye.

[silent_beauty]

The fear evaporated as Mono began to retreat and begged Luna to stay away. It was then that Rhy's definition of bravery caught in Luna's memory and played in her mind, mimicking a voice that sounded similar to Llewellyn's.

Her first step was sudden as the weak kind-hearted princess gathered her fear and pushed it aside. Her fear wasn't important. Mono was important. Luna ran as fast as she could towards Mono, throwing her arms around his shoulders when she got close, allowing her full 65lbs to slam into him in the process.

"N-no-" Her voice trembled as she forced out the words. She was trying to be brave and to truly fight her fears. The fears that kept her rooted in place as well as the fears that had chased away her voice before her arrival to the city. Mono was more important than all of that.

Luna hugged him tight, clinging to him while tears began to freely fall down her cheeks.

[monochromatically]

Mono was shocked to have arms wrapped around him so suddenly, to say the least, it had been months since he’d even been around another person, let alone this. So it takes him a moment to react, his form still flickering slightly as his powers stuttered and flared in his panic. The instinct to get far away strong enough that he almost triggered another skip, but the side panic of ‘I don’t know what happens if I do that with a person attached to me’ at least stopping him on some level.

So instead the boy could only let out a broken little sob, tears escaping his static filled eyes. “Luna, you shouldn’t be near me! It’s dangerous! I’m bad! I’m really, really bad!”