[event] observation four; video
[The video opens with Astral, who looks... different. He's pitch-black now, opposed to his typical white and light blue. His markings are almost the same outside the vaguely heart-shaped red ones on his face. Did he get into a fight with that one Ferngully villain and lose? Yes, yes he did. The camera is at an odd angle above him, somehow it's suspended in the air.]
[Astral starts rather cheerfully:] Heeello, Network!
[His face twists into something that should be concern, but is nothing like it.] Isn't all this destruction just terrible? Does anyone know who caused it? [Dramatic pause! Tilts his head up towards the communicator, waiting for an answer that will never come.]
... I do! [The more he speaks, the more erratic his voice sounds. He's trying to mask it with his usual monotone, but he's failing pretty hard.]
I even went ahead and caught the perpetrator! No need to thank me. [Trying not to laugh at how corny he sounds. He can't-] I'm just doing my job as an upstanding Cityzen to- [Ok, no. This is just too hilarious. He doubles over in laughter. Give him a moment, he needs to get this out of his system.]
Ah, protect the City.
[The camera shifts away from Astral. Hey, it's Yuma! Hey Yu-oh. Smoky, black tentacles are everywhere. Well, that certainly explains how the communicator is in the air.]
["Let me go! Astral, can you hear me?! ASTRAL!"]
It's not like I'm not even here! C'mooon, Yuma.
["You bastard...!"]
Rude..! I'm sorry everyone, he's not being very cooperative. [He grits his teeth.] He's not even playing along.
We would've been so great together, Yuma. You and I... A truly splendid partnership! The whole world set ablaze. This Earth or that Earth, as long as it's an Earth, who really cares? But noo. [Yanks hard at Yuma's arms and legs while strangling him. Yuma kicking and flailing only makes Astral pull harder!]
You're too defective to be affected by my power. Almost half the entire population of this City falls before me, with more and more and more by each passing moment! [His other tentacles relent, the only one left is the one wrapped around Yuma's throat.]
But not youuu. Oh nooo, not you. [Considers his awfully sharp nails, not paying much attention to the communicator or Yuma.] Do you have any idea know how infuriating that is? [Suddenly he rushes forward, nearly nose to nose with Yuma. Yuma tries recoiling back, but it's not exactly feasible with a tentacle around his throat.] A city full of people, yet I can't even fully control a stupid human boy like you. [He backs away, only to cup Yuma's face in his hands. Those sharp fingernails cut into the skin right between his eyes. The kid screams as lines are carved around his eyes and across his forehead. Man, sucks to be Yuma.]
This could've been so easy, Yuma. So, so easy. But you always have to make everything so difficult for everyone. [Astral grins, wide-eyed and showing brilliant white teeth. The screaming is just so atmospheric.]
But that's okay. [It's eerie how fast his demeanor changes; the smile presses down to a tight line across his face, calm, almost neutral as he examines the blood on Yuma's face.] It's what you do. The only thing you're even remotely good at...
Y'know, I really don't have any use for you. I waaas going to let that stupid human law-enforcement thing take you or whatever, so you'd live juuust a little bit longer. Just long enough to see what'll happen.
Even though your body is still under my control, I can't touch your mind. There's no fooling me this time, Yuma. [Astral tweaks his nose.] I could simply force you to stop breathing and watch you slooowly asphyxiate. I doubt that'd be any fun though.
I've decided! I want to destroy you! I want to see your body break and have all that red stuff inside you stain the sidewalk..! [The tentacle wrapped around Yuma's throat tightens, pulling him through the air towards the camera - before suddenly changing direction, flinging Yuma towards the window. The sound of his body hitting and crashing through glass is simply music to Astral's ears, along with that wonderful little "ASTRAAAAL" at the end.]
[Now that creepy evil obsessive monologue and tossing Yuma out the window over with! Turns his attention back to the communicator with his arms akimbo.] Anyway. Hello, Network. Isn't all this destruction just terrific?
I can't stay for long! I've got someone to check on, on the first floor.
[Astral starts rather cheerfully:] Heeello, Network!
[His face twists into something that should be concern, but is nothing like it.] Isn't all this destruction just terrible? Does anyone know who caused it? [Dramatic pause! Tilts his head up towards the communicator, waiting for an answer that will never come.]
... I do! [The more he speaks, the more erratic his voice sounds. He's trying to mask it with his usual monotone, but he's failing pretty hard.]
I even went ahead and caught the perpetrator! No need to thank me. [Trying not to laugh at how corny he sounds. He can't-] I'm just doing my job as an upstanding Cityzen to- [Ok, no. This is just too hilarious. He doubles over in laughter. Give him a moment, he needs to get this out of his system.]
Ah, protect the City.
[The camera shifts away from Astral. Hey, it's Yuma! Hey Yu-oh. Smoky, black tentacles are everywhere. Well, that certainly explains how the communicator is in the air.]
["Let me go! Astral, can you hear me?! ASTRAL!"]
It's not like I'm not even here! C'mooon, Yuma.
["You bastard...!"]
Rude..! I'm sorry everyone, he's not being very cooperative. [He grits his teeth.] He's not even playing along.
We would've been so great together, Yuma. You and I... A truly splendid partnership! The whole world set ablaze. This Earth or that Earth, as long as it's an Earth, who really cares? But noo. [Yanks hard at Yuma's arms and legs while strangling him. Yuma kicking and flailing only makes Astral pull harder!]
You're too defective to be affected by my power. Almost half the entire population of this City falls before me, with more and more and more by each passing moment! [His other tentacles relent, the only one left is the one wrapped around Yuma's throat.]
But not youuu. Oh nooo, not you. [Considers his awfully sharp nails, not paying much attention to the communicator or Yuma.] Do you have any idea know how infuriating that is? [Suddenly he rushes forward, nearly nose to nose with Yuma. Yuma tries recoiling back, but it's not exactly feasible with a tentacle around his throat.] A city full of people, yet I can't even fully control a stupid human boy like you. [He backs away, only to cup Yuma's face in his hands. Those sharp fingernails cut into the skin right between his eyes. The kid screams as lines are carved around his eyes and across his forehead. Man, sucks to be Yuma.]
This could've been so easy, Yuma. So, so easy. But you always have to make everything so difficult for everyone. [Astral grins, wide-eyed and showing brilliant white teeth. The screaming is just so atmospheric.]
But that's okay. [It's eerie how fast his demeanor changes; the smile presses down to a tight line across his face, calm, almost neutral as he examines the blood on Yuma's face.] It's what you do. The only thing you're even remotely good at...
Y'know, I really don't have any use for you. I waaas going to let that stupid human law-enforcement thing take you or whatever, so you'd live juuust a little bit longer. Just long enough to see what'll happen.
Even though your body is still under my control, I can't touch your mind. There's no fooling me this time, Yuma. [Astral tweaks his nose.] I could simply force you to stop breathing and watch you slooowly asphyxiate. I doubt that'd be any fun though.
I've decided! I want to destroy you! I want to see your body break and have all that red stuff inside you stain the sidewalk..! [The tentacle wrapped around Yuma's throat tightens, pulling him through the air towards the camera - before suddenly changing direction, flinging Yuma towards the window. The sound of his body hitting and crashing through glass is simply music to Astral's ears, along with that wonderful little "ASTRAAAAL" at the end.]
[Now that creepy evil obsessive monologue and tossing Yuma out the window over with! Turns his attention back to the communicator with his arms akimbo.] Anyway. Hello, Network. Isn't all this destruction just terrific?
I can't stay for long! I've got someone to check on, on the first floor.