monoceroscaeli: <user name="optimisty"> (95)
Childe "I Can Make Her Worse" Tartaglia ([personal profile] monoceroscaeli) wrote in [community profile] insurmountable2021-12-31 10:35 pm

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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[personal profile] traversal 2022-01-26 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ lumping her in with him. that's even more irritating than having her undertaking get foiled in front of her. ]

And yet I still don't claim myself as a saint despite making those decisions.

[ those were difficult choices, choices that others shouldn't make. others who won't be able to deal with the burden of its consequences. lumine would rather that her hands are the ones stained with blood than anyone else's, willing to carry this war she started against celestia by herself. ]
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-01-28 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
You make less and less sense with every passing minute.

[ ... is this normal for any harbingers? it doesn't seem so, based on the reports she's received. the others seem to be a little less incoherent than this one; could just he hit his head far too many times getting into brawls.

lumine supposes it wouldn't hurt to indulge him, also feeling a little irritated by his presence and the fact that he's still following her around. a sparring session isn't something she's unused to, just something she hasn't done in a while. she doesn't stop walking, however, even as she considers his suggestions, instead lifting a hand in front of her just as a thoughtful expression crosses her face.

tendrils of abyssal energy slowly creep up behind him like living vines, slithering on the ground. keep yapping, childe, and she'll have your ankles ensnared and this sparring match over in a second.
]
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-01-28 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ she doesn't want to get his hopes up too much, does she?

lumine finally stops her tracks in the middle of another room, littered with ruin guards, many of which he's yet to deactivate. a mistake on his part, really, to try and challenge her in a place containing ancient technology from khaenri'ah. she might not even need to pull out her sword for this, she thinks as she watches several orbs light up in the dimly-lit hall like lanterns during liyue's festivals.
]

Think what you will, [ she says as she shifts her attention towards one of the ruin guards lumbering towards them, the mechanical giant kneeling in front of her and offering her a hand to climb onto. ]

But I'll let you play with them first.

[ she turns her head away as a cluster of missiles fire at him. ]
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-01-29 05:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ an entire minute is more than enough for the ruin guard to take her out of the room and move her to another section of the factory. slow as they may seem while walking, they can cover more ground with their size. but that's just a ploy, lumine slipping down from his mechanical hand to go down a different path while the automaton continues its way through the factory.

let childe follow that lumbering piece of metal once he's done fighting while she finally gets to explore this place and find the other sentinel that's still intact.

it doesn't take her long to find another room, hidden behind a panel of sliding doors, where several machines seem to be slumbering, littering the floor or hanging from the ceiling. none of them stir in her presence, as if realising who it was that's come to visit them. her eyes dart around in the dimly-lit hall, finding a hint of glowing red-gold.
]

... And here I thought the reports were mistaken.

[ buried under the wreckage of other robots, an intact sentinel orb still attached to an unresponsive body. she summons tendrils of abyss energy once more, cutting away its pieces and prying it from the pile. ]
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-01-31 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ she senses his presence, heavy and nauseating. it's difficult not to, abyss energy emanating from his body in waves and the scent of ozone in the air. lumine knows what's about to happen next, and she's unwilling to allow her plans to go to waste again, working harder on the unmoving sentinel.

but just as his blades form on top of it, poised to destroy it once more, she glances at him over her shoulder.
]

You're too late.

[ a portal opens beneath the eye, the orb dropping into the void of the abyss, and closes immediately the moment it's disappeared from sight. she then jumps away to avoid the lightning strikes, landing back on the ground gently. ]
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-01-31 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he doesn't pose a threat to her, not even in his transformation. which is why lumine remains fixed on the spot, simply watching him as he returns to his human form. it's taken a huge toll on him, that much is clear to her, and she's more than certain that he's just shaved off a few years from his life. all in exchange for power ...

it would be so easy for her to kill him right there and then. a flick of her wrist, her sword sharp enough to cut through flesh and bone, and it would be over. but she makes no move to take his life, waving a hand instead to summon a portal beneath his form.
]

Ley lines, [ she leans in to whisper in his ear as she watches the void of the abyss slowly swallow him like quicksand. ] That's the secret to the power you seek.

[ and if he feels something barely there, like a momentary tickle against his cheek ... well, does it really matter what occurred in that millisecond? especially when she starts to walk away, her herald welcoming her from another portal a few feet away. ]

Say hello to my brother for me.
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-02-01 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ look, lumine doesn't know where she's dropped him off. but she's always kept one nearby aether for certain, unpredictable circumstances. because while she's practically sent her twin off to continue his journey chasing after her, that doesn't mean she won't keep tabs on how he is, where he is, how he's progressing.

if only she'd known it would be in inazuma ... well, it works well to her advantage, in a way. no harbingers to chase after her while she does her work in liyue, unraveling some of the mysteries lying within its ruins. she's certainly riled him up and he won't take that lying down, a part of her expecting him to show up and challenge her again because of what she's done. and while she'd rather have him leave her alone, still ...

she presses her lips together, walking through the portal into the familiar structure of the palace, glancing at the mage who's received the sentinel's eye. it's still operable, it seems, but they'll need time to extract the information they need from it.
]

We have more than enough time. See to it that it gets done.

[ for now, she supposes she can walk around liyue in peace for the meantime. perhaps even visit the harbour while she's at it. ]
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-02-01 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she's not sightseeing, mind you; just because she's around the harbour doesn't mean she's there as tourist. for one thing, her face is far too conspicuous, far too similar with aether's that anyone who takes a second glance at her would immediately know that she's the sister he's looking for. for another, she wanted to see this city that's been ceded by its god, if celestia has intervened in any way.

besides, lumine didn't think he'd be back so soon. after all, even with the end of inazuma's civil war, things are still quite tense within its borders, the diplomatic ties between snezhnaya and the shogunate strained from the other harbingers' previous actions.

which is why she's momentarily surprised when he suddenly accosts her in the middle of the street, stopping in her tracks. the annoyance in his tone is, at the very least, something she expected.
]

It was enjoyable until I saw your face. [ she tries to sidestep him, averting her gaze from his expression. ] Quite a shame, really.
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-02-02 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ ... is it concern, she wonders? lumine cants her head to one side, lips curling just a bit.

the surprise is certainly something that's to be expected, as is his vexation after being tossed across the ocean through one of her portals. but concern? it seems out of character for someone like him, especially when she herself is more than aware of the missing person poster plastered all over the city.
]

And yet, Liyue Harbour has not given me a second glance to confirm their recognition.

[ she shrugs as people walk past them, clearly going about their day and uninterested in the exchange between the two. ]

Besides, why would that be a problem for you?
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-02-08 12:40 pm (UTC)(link)
You're quick to judge me, aren't you? [ to assume the worst of her when she's yet to do anything. ] Is it to offset the culpability of your actions against this nation, perhaps?

[ his attempt to drown the citizens of this city in the guise of following his tsaritsa's orders, only to stroll down its streets afterward as if he's done nothing wrong. what a hypocrite.

lumine tries to sidestep him once more, even at expense of hearing from her brother again.
]

You should look to your Tsaritsa first before you pass judgment on others.
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-02-24 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he always does, doesn't he? something to discuss, something to tell her. it's neverending and aggravating, and it almost feels like he's simply wasting her time for some reason. a distraction, to keep her attention elsewhere. ]

You think it'll be of interest to me?

[ how arrogant, to assume that he knows what her interests are, what would pique her concerns. ]

Is it related to Celestia? To the gods and how to bring them down? [ she glances at him over her shoulder, her expression turning frosty despite the sunlight in her eyes. ] If it's not, then stop wasting my time.
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-03-03 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ is it a bluff? another means to keep her attention engaged? lumine can't say that she's not interested; after all, it isn't as if there's someone who could offer her any information related to the gods or celestia. ]

Give me one reason why I should.

[ namedropping celestia is not enough. he's more than aware of her general plan, and he could simply be using this to his advantage. ]
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[personal profile] traversal 2022-03-03 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[ lumine says nothing for one long moment, her eyes simply narrow as they search his expression. a moment later, she lets out an amused sound. ]

I have been providing all the reasons? Aren't you being delusional right now?

[ to assume that all she's done is for him. such arrogance, though she supposes this should no longer surprise her. he's been consistent about it, to say the least, so much so that it's becoming a form of amusement. how is this different from dealing with the gods in celestia? ]

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