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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[ how diligent.

lumine falls silent as she debates on where to send him off to. there are already lectors and heralds working in certain places, and she'd rather not send him there to complicate matters. more cooks spoil the broth, and in this case, delay her plans even further. ]

Snezhnaya, [ she murmurs quietly before she looks up at the eternally dark sky, starless even in middle of the night. ] I currently don't have a Herald or Lector in that country.

[ at least none that's actively lingering in the region. a mission or two perhaps, to survey the land or explore some of the ruins. ]

So, why don't you go and take up the mantle of a Harbinger once more?

[ only this time, serving a different sovereign. ]

You want me to spy on Her Majesty the Tsaritsa?

[Wow, not the first mission he was expecting, and he has to stop and consider it. He's not declining this or anything, it's just...there's a lot to it. Logistics, excuses he'll have to make for that short absence he's taken in Teyvat. His family would be delighted to see him, as he'd have to stop at home to get his things...

He turns to her, his hand over his chin as he thinks aloud.]

Huh...that's quite bold of you, but I can't argue the strategy. They'll only of suspected me gone no longer than a day or two at this point. But you do realize, once I "return", there is a possibility that they will try to send me to a different country on a mission of their own. I may not be able to stay in Snezhnaya, as much as I'd like to.

[His posture and tone of voice suggest aloofness to the situation, but his eyes swirl with how he's piecing together the situation to make every step, every move fall into place perfectly. No flaws, no mistakes.]

Will that be acceptable? After all, when I left home, I was still in Liyue. And I suspect that Inazuma will be my next assignment, given some...circumstances in the country right now.

[ and what's one or two days of slacking off from work, right? surely, he's done something similar before; truancy can be quite common to those in higher positions, after all.

but he does have a point. she doubts that his tsaritsa will keep him in snezhnaya while the rest of the harbingers are sent off to different regions in teyvat. it's a typical move for someone who wishes to dominate the entire continent and control every aspect of it. there will only be certain instances or scenarios where he will need to return to the archon's side. ]

Mm, I don't expect anything to develop at the moment, anyway.

[ and those that will soon have already been put into place, the cogs of her plans already moving and turning even before he's joined their side.

she glances at him over her shoulder, a mild expression on her face. ]

You will not falter, will you? Simply because I've sent you back to your beloved Archon.

[Huh. Testing his loyalty at the same time, isn't she? She's already putting him in a difficult position, one that he's confident he can navigate. And while he still has the utmost respect for the Cryo Archon, it was because she was a true warrior, not because he felt chained to the gods. That respect was lost when he found out that all they had to do was take his vision from him and render him as a lost soul, without any ambition.]

You'll find that when I set out on a task or a mission, I will fulfill it. But, if you're using this to test my loyalty, you're going to be pleased. Though, let me accomplish this by my own methods. They do, after all, bring results in quickly.

[He steps forward, cocking his head to the side with a smug look on his face. As if she has anything to worry about from him.]

Though I do tend to cause a stir wherever I go. I hope that won't displease you, princess.

[ how assertive.

or is it more apt to use the word arrogant instead? after all, he may declare all these things to her, but in the end, the results are what matters. all of his words are going to be useless when he can't even deliver what's being asked of him. ]

Nothing different from the mages and the Heralds, then.

[ a few of which have a mind of their own, unsurprisingly. though that is the result of being bathed in the abyssal energy. chaos reigns in this dark place, even under her sovereignty, and the harbinger only grows even more as he stays longer underground. it can't be helped.

she meets his look of self-satisfaction w ]

It doesn't matter how you execute it, so long as the results remain unchanged.

[He grins wickedly, glad to hear that the new leash on him from swearing fealty to the Princess will be even longer than the one the Tsaritsa had on him- at least he hopes this is the case. A weapon, free to challenge all that stand against him, that is the freedom he wants. He gives her a small bow, his hand coming up over his heart as he does so, though his eyes stay locked onto hers. An unspoken promise, he'd deliver and perhaps even moreso if given the chance.]

Your generosity in such a matter is appreciated, Princess. I'll set off at once.

[Straightening his back, he turns to leave, strangely happy with this outcome. There's something exciting about the prospect of being among the Harbingers once more, and won't it be incredible to cause the upheaval later...and maybe get his chance at squaring off with the Tsaritsa finally.]

[ she waits until he's gone, his footsteps finally fading back into the palace, before lumine summons one of the heralds. it bows at her in deference as it steps out of the portal. ]

Follow him. Make sure that he stays on his path.

[ there is honestly no reason for her to do this, the entire order unnecessary, and even the cryo mage that joins her side asks why after the herald had gone off to trail the harbinger. but lumine says nothing in response and simply continues with her walk around the garden, instead steering the conversation towards a different direction.

if childe were to complete his task, then it would be to her advantage. if not and he betrays her instead, then it's also to be expected from someone like him and her herald can take care of it. it would be a loss, but it would be an insignificant one. ]

[His return home is a surprise, the fresh snow of Snezhnaya shining in the cold light of the sun before him. Of course, his family was surprised. They thought he'd be gone much longer, but he dismisses it with a wave and a smile- plans changed. He finds his vision and mask, and dons his Harbinger outfit once more. Three days may only have passed in this world, but three months had passed in the Abyss. It feels strange, wearing it again, yet the familiarity of it doesn't go unnoticed. It's comfortable, and to be a double agent, well...being comfortable in his old skin would be essential to be able to pull it off.

And now, it's easy to get back to Liyue, now that he too, can use portals to wherever he needs to go. It's not long before he finds himself back in Northland Bank, chatting it up with Ekaterina and explaining his three day absence away. Not that it matters much, because he's assigned to go to Inazuma now, in search of Scaramouche. He's gone from the Abyss for some time, as he investigates the country, but he finally finds a moment to slip away, a portal opening as he steps inside without anyone knowing.

Well, except for the Herald he's noticed keeping an eye on him. No matter, it doesn't bother him.

He appears inside the palace walls, the abyssal power that he'd grown so drunk on at times rejuvenating him. It had been too long, and he strives to find Lumine as quickly as possible. He has a report to give, and a plan.

When he finds her, he bows in respect, a cocky grin on his face.]

It's been a while, Your Highness. I hope you have a moment to listen to my report?

[ it's not unusual for any of the members of the order to be gone for long periods of time. they all come and go when needed, at times, for extended periods of time. but again and again, they all return to the darkness of the abyss to recover and regroup, to once more immerse themselves into the abyssal energy that they all seem to crave. it's an addicting power, she knows, so it's not surprising his return so soon.

he finds her in the throne room, receiving another report from one of the heralds regarding the ruins under liyue. it won't be long before it catches her twin's attention, then. she doesn't know if she finds that unsettling or useful.

and if aether is around, then no doubt ...

lumine holds a hand to gesture to childe, allowing the herald to finish before dismissing it with a wave. and here she thought she can return to her quarters and retire for the rest of the day. ]

Has the Tsaritsa met her end already? Is that why you're here?

[ because she sure hasn't heard anything from the other members of the order. so what, then, is the reason for his return? ]

Ha, perhaps if I were able to be in Snezhnaya. As I'm sure you're already aware, [he says with a knowing smile,] I was assigned to investigate Inazuma. So, things have gone exactly as I predicted it would.

[That's just the life of a Harbinger though, being shuffled around from country to country sometimes. At least, that's how it is for him. It's like they don't want him around at home. It makes him laugh.]

But, I wouldn't return to you now if I didn't have something of importance to tell you. I've been put in charge of retrieving a certain gnosis that's fallen into possession of a certain Harbinger who's gone missing suddenly.

[He looks up expectantly at her.]

That seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up, don't you think?

[ for good reason, no doubt. he's already a distraction in the abyss, her heralds and lectors babysitting him instead of doing something else, and she'd rather that he doesn't disrupt the current organisation they have by sending him back to teyvat.

still, that's a rather interesting development. lumine knows that the tsaritsa has been collecting the other archons' gnoses as a form of rebellion against celestia. but to learn that one of her own harbingers had stolen a gnosis instead of surrendering it to her ... how ironic.

she leans back in her seat, resting her cheek against a closed hand. ]

To have the upper hand over your Archon?

[ it's a roundabout way, and in a sense, doesn't really play a part in her own plans. plus, does she really want another device bestowed by celestia in the abyss? ]

And you're certain your can bring it to me?

[He notes the way she says that. Over "your" Archon. Sounds like she may still doubt him, but he lets that fact roll off his shoulder. Opinions were just that, opinions. Results are what matter.]

Of course. I've no doubt that I'll be able to take the gnosis from Scaramouche. But, the reason I'm here now is because once I take it, there will be a lot of questions surrounding why I haven't handed it over.

[The smirk fades from his face. He's all business now.]

If you want to keep me as a plant inside of the Tsaritsa's forces, coming up with a plan to make the gnosis 'disappear' out of my possession will be necessary. There's more advantages than not to keep this little facade up; even if my failure will earn severe repercussions. It won't take me long to make up for my dereliction of my duty, haha. After all, we only need one gnosis to get to the Tsaritsa.

[ so basically, he's simply telling her that what happened to his colleague might happen to him if he doesn't surrender the gnosis over. that would make sense, after all, as someone who was sent to retrieve it and ensure it's relinquished back to the tsaritsa. but if he were to hand it over to the abyss instead ...

lumine presses her lips together for one long moment, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. it's true that there is an advantage to be had in this scheme, and it allows her to adjust her own plans if necessary to enact an even bigger blow to celestia. ]

The Heralds can take it from you.

[ is that what he wants? to make it an open show to his archon that he never hid it, never kept it from her. but instead, it was taken away. ]

The Lectors can come as well, since I'm sure you simply won't "hand it over lying down", yes?

Of course.

[He smiles back, glad that the two of them seem to be on the same wavelength here. It's a bit of a sneaky plan, but a plan that accomplishes that while still being put right in the open for all to see. It will still be a small blow to his pride to 'lose' to the Abyss in this scenario that they are constructing. But ultimately, it'll allow him the chance to fight the Tsaritsa herself one day.

Two true warriors laying it all on the battlefield. He wouldn't want it any other way.]

Let's make it quite a show of force. Something that puts the Fatui on edge. Fear will spread among the ranks if we show them that the Abyss can pop up anywhere, at anytime and decimate their forces. If they can 'beat' me, then what's stopping them from dying themselves? Even the Harbingers are wary of the Abyss.

[It's the perfect plan. What could go wrong?]

[ a lot of things could admittedly go wrong.

that's always the case with her current mission. nothing is set in stone, everything and anything can be upended at any time. and that's why she prefers slow, meticulous planning, one that spans decades and centuries until success is all but imminent. but now that her twin brother has awoken, everything seems to have been thrown in disarray. ]

If you're successful in this, then I'll give you what you've wanted from the beginning.

[ he wants to fight her, doesn't he? it's what he's been itching for a very long time now since they've first met. lumine supposes that's a fitting reward should he carry out this mission and succeed with flying colours.

but if he were to fail, then punishment needs to be meted out. ]

[Childe seems to stand up straight just a little more when she dangles the reward of getting to fight her if he succeeds. That's a fine reward, as far as he's concerned, and the bright yet cocky smile returns to his face as he bows to her.]

Excellent. It's almost frightening how well you already know me, princess.

[If he's being sincere or not is hard to tell, the undertones of teasing her present, as if he's ever really hidden his intentions or desires from her. He looks up, to finalize some thing before he goes, the clockwork of his mind already setting up the necessary measures needed to pull the entire operation off.]

If you could, tip the Fatui off that the Abyss are in the area, so it's no surprise when they show up. Small little slip ups, ones that might normally not matter. Make them think we're stupid, and then tip the scales in our favor when the Abyss inevitably crushes the Fatui forces that show to stop them. Then the gnosis will be yours.

[ getting pestered multiple times the last time he was in the abyss and on teyvat was more than enough to give her a decent impression of him. honestly, she'd rather that her heralds take care of it, but clearly, they're not enough to rein his enthusiasm at fighting.

lumine lets out a quiet sigh under her breath as she waves a hand, a lector stepping next to her to whisper words in her ear. she gives it a slight nod before the lector bows and leaves, dismissed just like its fellow mages. ]

Worry about yourself first rather than what the Heralds and I will do.

[ she nods, just as three different heralds reappear right behind him. she gives them curt instructions in the abyssal languages, and they all bow simultaneously in obeisance. ]

You may return to your duties in Teyvat. If this mission fails, then you know the consequences.

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

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