insurmountable | you know i'm the type / type to risk my life, not afraid to die

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you know i'm the type / type to risk my life, not afraid to die

[Call it crazy, call it morbid curiosity, call it insane. A craving for battle, a craving to test his skills against the powerhouses of the Abyss, he follows a few Heralds into the portal they'd left behind as they whisked themselves away from the camp they'd set up for their next assault in Teyvat. He couldn't leave the Abyss without aid, of course, but if he could find his master once again, he'd be able to return to Teyvat. And maybe get a good sparring match out of her while he was at it. Either way, he's got his sights set on those Heralds who thought they were alone, announcing himself behind them as he brandishes his weapons with glee.

They look surprised. Good. That was the point.

The battle rages on for some time. They prove to be incredible foes, taking several on at once. One dies, cut down by the Harbinger- the others wounded badly. But what Childe hadn't counted on was that they'd get reinforcements so soon, and with more numbers, they manage to overpower him. The Foul Legacy Transformation still proves to be a large burden on his body, and with waning strength, he finds himself captured and chained. The remaining Heralds drag him to an incredible hollowed out ruin, one that looks like the very architecture of the ancient dynasty from Khaenri'ah itself. Finally, he's thrown to the ground in a room that clearly was made for some sort of royalty, his knees hitting the concrete hard.

His head bowed, he coughs up blood, knowing he'd really messed up this time. This isn't good, and he has no way out of it. His body is wrecked. It's taking all his strength just to keep from passing out, as he looks up and sees the leader of the Abyss...]

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[He follows through the portal, the next moment opening back up to his hometown of Morepesok, surrounded by the vast open sea that he remembers so fondly. The snow crunches beneath his feet, and it's like he doesn't even hear her question as his mouth is slightly agape with the view. He hasn't been home in so long, not even counting the time he'd spent in the Abyss.

Taking a few steps forward, he breathes in the cold, fresh air, wondering if his family was gathered inside of their home to keep warm. Snow falls from the sky, lightly coating the top of their heads. It's home, and he feels like he should be filled with nostalgia and warmth at the sight.

But yet, he still feels empty. His eyes don't reflect the emotions he should be feeling, and he sighs heavily.]

It's further into the village. It's a bigger house, one large enough to house a large family. Come, I can show you.

[ she lets him lead the way, waving a hand to her herald to return to the abyss. she'll summon him once more when she needs to return, he doesn't need to linger. it doesn't seem like there's any danger here anyway, the village being small and innocuous, other than the usual fatui encampment. nothing she can't handle. ]

Most humans would be thrilled to return to their homes and see their families.

[ not him, obviously, and she can tell that much. celestia has certainly done their brand of damage to this world. ]

I mean, I am.

[He says, with a clear amount of dejection in his voice.]

But I...

[Even he notices he's been dragging his feet through the snow now. Sighing, he stops, shaking his head.]

I can't let them see me like this. All I'm going to do is make them worry.

[ she moves past him, walking towards what's clearly the biggest house in the village. there's a yard out in the front, something that's to be expected from a family with several children, but it's empty, no doubt due to the snow that's starting to fall again. everyone's indoors, so it seems, shadows bustling through the window and noises coming through the door.

it's too chaotic, she thinks. not at all like when she was still traveling with aether.

she shakes her head at that thought, knocking on the door. she momentarily glances at her companion right before the door opens, a boy looking up at her curiously. the auburn of his hair gives it away quickly. ]

... Hello. Your brother is here with me.

[Brother!

Teucer runs outside, hugging Childe- it's hard, but he manages to put a smile on his face. Teucer...]

Hey! Long time no see. Didn't think I'd be home this early, did you?

[The child shakes his head, and starts going on and on about home and what they'd been doing, and how they'd prayed for him. Childe can only painfully smile back, even though he's so glad to see his brother and glad that everyone was doing alright. After that business is over, he gestures a hand toward Lumine.]

Teucer, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Princess...

[Oh no he doesn't know her name!]

[ she takes a step back when the boy practically jumps onto him, followed by several others who hear the commotion. her gaze flickers past the house and into the woods behind it, eyes narrowing just a bit when she spots her herald. but it disappears just as quickly, her attention returning to the group before her when she's addressed. ]

... Lumine.

[ not that she needs an introduction. she won't be here for too long anyway, and she won't be joining them either, watching his little siblings drag him indoors to their waiting parents.

lumine lingers in the yard, looking around the village and ignoring the muffled remark about how she resembles someone. she should leave ... but even before she can, the same boy from earlier rushes out to grab her hand, an attempt to drag her inside as well. but she simply shakes her head at him, offering a faint smile. ]

I have to go, but give this to him instead? Tell him not to fall into strange holes next time.

[ she leaves a glowing glass ball in the palm of his hands, chilled by the wintery weather, before she walks out of the yard and towards the direction they came from earlier. ]

[Once inside, he's greeted by his parents, surprised and happy to see him home. They thought he was still out working, deployed to another land. He shakes his head. It would be hard to explain his sudden appearance, and that's when his brother runs back in, happily repeating what Lumine had told him and placing the Vision in his hand.

His memories return to him, with his ambitions and dreams- and he realizes now what exactly had happened to him. He's left speechless for a moment, looking down at the orb in his hand, before he turns to his family.]

Excuse me for one moment.

[Rushing outside, he looks around for her, finding no trace whatsoever. The footprints in the snow are already being covered up by the snowfall, and they lead to a dead end anyway.

Childe lets out one long, deep sigh. He's left with more questions than answers, and he doesn't know when or how he'd ever be able to see her again. He didn't even have the chance to say thank you. He guesses that the only way he's ever going to get answers is to find her again.]

Lumine, is it? [He muses to himself.] Wait for me, I'll find you again.

[He turns back towards his home, to spend the rest of the night with his family, reminiscing on his experience in the Abyss as he walks.]

[ silence welcomed her back in the abyss, and she can tell there's a bit of an unspoken concern that she's released a harbinger out into the wild—a harbinger who was allowed to roam around the palace and learn more about them.

she finds that she doesn't really care and it doesn't really matter. for one thing, she doubts the tsaritsa will lead a vanguard into her realm, not when the archon knows the kind of monster it harbours; she'll lose more than she bargained for, and lumine's more than certain she won't risk it. for another, she doesn't think he would try intruding into the abyss again and relive the same experience all over again.

it's months later when she returns to teyvat, spurned on by new information that her lectors were able to collect. as always, she avoids the crowd, the places where her face can be recognised. instead she lingers around ruins and temples, areas where there's little to no people around.

her new haunt is lingju pass, the ruins half-sunken into the lake its overlooking. much to her dismay, however, she's not alone, her eyes flickering to the fatui skirmishers that suddenly surround her. ]

... No different from us, it looks like. How ironic.

[ sorry childe, but she's beating up your subordinates like it's a day ending in y. ]

[In turn, Fatui intel had reports of Abyss Order activity in the surrounding area in Liyue, and he's set off to investigate it himself. He has his own troops in the area, and he's off to find some of them to get a more detailed report of anything they might of seen in the meantime. As he travels through, he sees no signs of the Abyss, wondering if this was going to be a wild goose chase. In time, he finally arrives at the ruins at Lingju Pass, and he's surprised to see a familiar flash of white among the ruins.

He quickly makes his way down, seeing Lumine making short work of his subordinates. In a flash, as her sword comes down on one of his skirmishers, a hydro blade comes in and blocks it before she can finish the skirmisher off.

He holds her sword there, muscles tense from the effort. She's strong, and it's exciting. While he has the advantage of having his back to his troops, he winks at her- before swinging his sword upward to separate both of them, standing between her and them.]

I'll take care of this, [he says, watching them out of his peripheral.] Take the injured and head back to Liyue Harbor. Oh, and make sure the report is handed directly to my desk. I'll need to make some additions to it.

[Yes, Lord Harbinger! There's little time before they've scurried off, carrying their compatriots with them. He waits until he knows they've left, before breathing out a heavy sigh. There's no malice in his eyes however. If anything, they brighten with her presence.]

You know, it's been incredibly hard to track you down. This is the last place I thought I'd find you.

[ a look of surprise momentarily crosses her expression when her blade is parried, gaze narrowing afterward when she realises what just happened. lumine takes a step back, her stance defensive, unwilling to let her guard down until the other agents have left. even then, her sword remains in her hand as he addresses her, letting out a sigh as if she's at fault in any part of this scenario.

but when it becomes clear that he's not going to attack her, she wordlessly moves past him and towards the ruins across the lake, only pausing at the edge of the water. it seems like the bridge has collapsed ... which means that she'll have to find another way in.

... should she summon a portal? someone might notice and see it, and that won't be very conducive for her. she'll have to swim then, it seems like it. ]

Hey-

[He says as she walks right past him. Turning, he follows her up to the water's edge, seeing where she wants to go. But wow, didn't have to give him the cold shoulder like that.]

You're not going to just walk away and act like I'm not here at all, are you? We haven't seen each other in months.

[He leans forward so she can see his face just in case she hasn't turned her head to look at him.]

You know I can help you get across.

[ yes, that's exactly what she was planning to do, to simply walk away and act like he doesn't exist at all. after all, despite the weeks he's spent in the abyss, he can't exactly say there was any kind of deep, meaningful connection between them. she was his captor and he was her captive until she's decided to let him go.

isn't that more than enough for him?

but it's clear that he's not going to get out of her face no matter how much she tries to pretend he's not there. ]

Can you walk across water now?

[ look, she knows he has a hydro vision, and yes, she's familiar with those little presents from the gods. but she's yet to hear an ability that allows a person to walk across water. ]

Something like that.

[It's not quite walking across water, but it'll get the job done without getting either of them too wet.]

You'll have to trust me, though.

[He offers his hand out to her, wondering if she'd take it- not that he thinks she's afraid of him, or can't handle herself. Quite the opposite, in fact.]

[ her gaze flickers at his hand, her expression unchanging. a part of her doesn't trust that hand proffered to her, having proven himself unpredictable for the duration of his stay in the abyss. the fact that he has to say it out loud only drives her feelings home, and she takes a moment to weigh the pros and cons to this.

... again, there's always opening a portal before her. that's still an option, and one that's becoming more and more appealing. ]

Is it really necessary to hold your hand?

[ nope, she won't make it easy for him. ]

No, it's not, [He admits to her.] But if you're so concerned that I'm going to pull a fast one on you, believe me, I would have already done it.

[Besides, that's really just not his style.]

No tricks, just getting you from one side to the other without either of us getting sopping wet. Really.

[ she lifts an eyebrow at the admission before her gaze goes back to his hand. he can hold it out for as long as he needs or wants to, but she's not taking it. that should be clear enough for him, and yet, she's beginning to see how stubborn he can get. ]

If it's not necessary, then why are you offering it?

[ lumine glances above, her brows furrowing at the clouds gathering in the sky. that's not a good sign, and while the tree behind them is enough to form a decent canopy over their head, she'd really not get caught up in the rain. ]

Well, you'll have to hang onto me somewhere. I just thought this was the most polite way to go about it.

[He guesses he can't blame her for being suspicious. He did kind of threaten to snap her neck at some point.

His hand is still there, but he'll understand if she doesn't take it.]

[ the most polite way ... wow. ]

If only you'd shown the same amount of courtesy while you were in my realm, then I might have believed those words.

[ a kitchen destroyed, a room upturned—and she very specifically remembers threats of bodily injury and harm to her person as well. why is he even still here, lingering around her? she doesn't understand, she thinks as she reaches out behind her to unclasp the scarf around her neck. ]

I'll take my chances with the lake.

That was before I knew you were far kinder than the airs you put up.

[He was a prisoner, a dangerous one at that- and she just let him go.]

But suit yourself, if you want to get yourself wet and deal with the coming storm as well.

[Sounds like a great recipe for getting sick to him. He retracts his hand now- she can swim across.]

Edited (how does english work) 2022-01-13 01:12 (UTC)

[ she doesn't bat an eyelash when he withdraws his hand, her own tugging the scarf off of her neck in one fluid motion. it isn't that she's worried it'll get wet; she knows it will. but it's quite uncomfortable to wear when it's wet, sticking to the skin of her back like an annoying patch.

the lake is cold, goosebumps rippling across her skin as she slowly wades into the water. but she pays no mind to it, taking a deep breath to draw out the chill, and makes her way towards the ruins across. halfway through, rain starts to fall, the droplets fat and heavy. still, she continues her way, eventually hauling herself over the stone ledge.

she shivers uncontrollably when a cold wind blows past her as the storm finally arrives in earnest. for once, her mages would be useful for a fire that moment.

anyway, back to work! ]

[He watches her swim across to the other side, shoving his hands in his pockets. The rain begins to fall, and he welcomes it on his face. Rain was only something he'd gotten used to since he'd arrived in Liyue, as it was so rare if it ever did rain in Snezhnaya.

As soon as she pulls herself out of the water, he begins walking forward from the opposite side. The second his feet meets the cold water, he seems to skate across it, crossing quickly in only a matter of seconds, his body leaving a wake that cascades outward from the path he's taken, blue afterimages trailing behind him.

And he steps onto the bridge now, only having gotten the bottom of his boots wet, to rejoin her, hands still in his pockets.]

You look a little cold, [he comments with a smile.]

[ lumine refuses to deign him with a response to that comment, squeezing the water from her skirt instead. a portal would've worked just fine, seeing that this entire region of liyue seems to be empty and there's no one who would find it alarming. except maybe for her unwanted and unwelcomed companion, surprisingly still sticking around her despite her obvious disinterest.

she glances past his shoulder, watching as the rain pours down in sheets, her only respite from the weather the stone structure above her head. she wonders how long it'll last, if it'll hinder her exploration at all. ]

Why are you still here? One would think you'd be averse to lingering around the person who took your Vision.

[ she pushes her wet hair back, briefly disturbing the flower pin still clipped to the strands. once more, she debates braving the rain and simply using a portal to get into the ruins. but she doesn't think it'll work; she's never seen its inside after all. ]

Well, as you can see, I'm not terribly concerned.

[He's been over here before, though briefly- he starts walking towards where he knows an entrance is to the ruins, motioning for her to follow.]

I'll tell you once we're inside. It may not be snowing here, but even a cold rain can be dangerous if left out in it for too long. We can start a fire in the entrance, and dry you out a little.

Edited (i can't type today, i guess) 2022-01-13 03:36 (UTC)

[ she doesn't follow him, rooted on the spot where she's standing, her attention still on the pouring rain. this isn't what she had planned when she'd decided to explore these ruins—not the rain or the swimming, per se, but exploring it with someone else. worse, perhaps, exploring it with one of the archons' minions.

how frustrating this is. ]

... No, [ she sighs under her breath, holding a hand up to open a portal she can step it. the abyss yawns before her, stars seemingly dotting the void that starts to surround her. ] I'll do this again on another day.

Wait-

[He says, holding a hand up, as if that would be enough to stop her.]

I never got the chance to talk to you after you left that day. At least grant me this one moment.

[Who knows how long it would take to see her again if she stepped through that portal now. Especially since now she knows he's seeking an audience with her.]

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