( closed ) sharp enough to kill a man

[unalign]

WHO: Lumine + others
WHERE: around Stygia + the Gallows
WHEN: November
WHAT: event shenanigans + notice board things
WARNINGS: 99% chance of violence because of Lumine's life choices

[ ooc: closed starters will go here. if you want a custom starter, send me a PM or comment on my plotting post and let's hash things out. ]

Comments

— callisto.

[unalign]

[ lumine's never been the type to get sick.

injured is one thing, as injuries are part and parcel of someone who travels the world. but illnesses? diseases? she doesn't even remember the last time she (and even aether) had been sick that's not related to some strange happening or incident. which only means one thing: this isn't anything normal at all. then again, there's nothing normal about coughing out petals of silk flowers.

or qingxins. or glazed lilies. or cecilias.

she presses the back of her hand over her mouth as she tries to ignore the reflexive tightening of her chest and the constricting of her throat while she walks down the streets of the harbor. not again not again not again—

lumine coughs, the reflex unhitching the breath, and consequently, the ticklish feeling in her throat that she's been holding back. in the process, she bumps unsteadily into another person, dropping the items she's been holding. ]

I'm sorry ...

[ a padisarah petal also drops, its edges stained red, and she grabs it in midair before anyone, most especially the guy in front of her, can see it. ]

... Oh no.

[ not directed at callisto btw; she hasn't even totally seen him yet. though the sentiment, should she finally realize it, will slowly reluctantly flutter towards that direction. ]

[uncourteous]

[ there was evidently something peculiar going on in this place. that shouldn't have been of any real surprise, no, but the thought that this place could unload even more on them was ... kind of impressive in its own right. as far as he is aware, he doesn't know of any sickness that leads to these effects. not that he's seen in people or felt himself. at least not prior to his arrival here, or what he's come to know of it.

while he doesn't think it's severity is anything too extreme at this time, he doesn't doubt the potential for it to increase in intensity.

at this stage, however, maybe he should be relieved at how mild it's been. which is why he's actually been wanting to focus his time and energy in something, if just to derail his own focus on his feelings or the growing discomfort he felt.

... and so while lumine appears at an opportune time, he sees that she...??? there's a pause as he seems to stare at her a second too long. ] About time you stopped putting on an act. [ he's about to say more...

to his token Mean Girl, but instead, he continues: ] But, even I have feelings. [ he's serious, but also not serious. it's obvious he's just trying to tease or make her feel bad. but, despite that, it doesn't completely mask the concern on his features. ]

[unalign]

[ ... really?

lumine squeezes her eyes for a split moment, wondering if she's just exhausted and dizzy from coughing all those flower petals that she's hearing voices—voices, mind you, that she doesn't want to hear while she's going through this mental and physical torment. but no, she's not that lucky, and she finds herself staring at callisto.

yet again, she finds herself with him. sometimes, she wonders if she's done anything terrible in her life that she deserved this kind of attention from a guy like him. the corners of her lips curve downward at that remark, already in the process of rolling her eyes—

only for her to cough harshly again, the sound reverberating in her chest. that hurt, and it hurts even more when another padisarah petal falls into her palm. ]

And here I thought I already stopped pretending when I coughed on you.

[ she forces a smile on her face, wiping the blood from the corner of her lips. ] Hello, Your Highness.

[uncourteous]

[ he scoffs at her greeting.

it's a strange sensation to be called that here in this place. "your highness." for something he's heard all his life and for him to stop being used to it in just a few weeks, he curses the resilience of the human mind. regardless, he decides not to focus on that, instead, he focuses on the sound of her coughs. it's palpable on her features despite everything that appears a bit more tired. even with her own quips back at him, it seems to lack something he can't quite put a finger on.

or maybe he's just using his own standards to judge. regardless, he sticks to his instincts and the clear fact that she was obviously ill. despite knowing the answer, he continues: ] You've got a lot of grit to still argue in a situation like this. [ he says nonchalantly. but, it's true a little blood never bothered him.

that said, he reaches into his pocket, if just to offer a handkerchief. it surprises him how he still has one despite everything. ] Here, take this.

[unalign]

[ the nickname fits, she thinks.

and had he called her out on it, she would've given him her reasoning. after all, he looks, talks, and acts like a prince, even if the latter two don't really subscribe to an image of a charming fairy tale prince. if only he'd shut his mouth and didn't grin like a maniac, then maybe, just maybe he'd pass off as one.

but a part of her wonders if she's mistaken about it, blinking twice at the proffered handkerchief, pristine despite everything in this world. it takes lumine a full minute, completely dumbfounded, before she accepts the piece of cloth, gingerly holding it. ]

Let it be said that I don't back down from any arguments, even when I'm not feeling well.

[ understatement of the century right there, and she's sensing the growing prickling in her chest again. ugh, anyway. ]

... Thank you. Are you sure it's okay if I use this?

[uncourteous]

[ her statement is oddly comforting in a situation like this. there were a lot of unknowns in this land. a mysterious sickness, a lack of cure beyond word of mouth, and the various undertakings of people just struggling to survive. ... and yet, she remained persistent and steadfast.

it spoke a lot to her character, he thinks. or she could just want the last word, but even that was a bit relatable. but, maybe it's fortunate that he doesn't express any of these sentiments out loud; just permitting them to stay within his own headspace. his considerations aside: ] Why does that sound like you have every intention of arguing with me moving forward?

[ but, at the last bit. ] Don't feel burdened and just use it as you please. I don't need it back. [ he seems to mean it as reaches over, almost about to touch at a bit of blood on her lip, but instead pulls back a bit short with a touch of a smile as he seems to be waiting for her to use it. ]

— childe.

[unalign]

[ the arrests had been a surprise: quick, efficient, no questions asked or answered. but that's what made her a little suspicious.

lumine has heard of the incident last month, of the murders during the festival. that had been puzzling for her, to begin with; after all, they're dead. how can they die again? and yet, clearly, it must've raised alarm bells within the hierarchy. why else would they be in such a tizzy to arrest those they think are perpetrators of the event?

then again, it's also clear that the arrests are not exactly legal and even those unrelated to the event are being taken into custody. which begs the question, do they even know who really is at fault here despite the supposed investigations they're facilitating?

obviously not, she thinks. otherwise, she wouldn't be taking matters into her own hands.

lumine sprints through the narrow streets of the harbor, splashing water and mud all over her white boots. she can sense the guards right behind her, hot on her heels as she tries her best to evade them. the plan is to get suspected and arrested, obtain information about the gallows (possibly even the keys), and then pass it on to kokomi.

the plan did not include her running through stygia while hacking up flowers, petals falling from her mouth every few feet she runs. she's slowly getting exhausted, much to her dismay, and it won't be long before they catch her.

eyes catching a stairwell heading to the lower areas of the harbor, lumine decides that she'll give them a bit of an exercise. she sharply turns, surprising the guards, and then jumps over the railing to the crowd below. is it stupid? probably. will she regret it? maybe later. ]

Look out!

[ also, sorry about that shower of cecilia petals ... ]

[lackluster]

[ Something's wrong with the way this entire scenario is going down. Even someone like Tartaglia can see that the arrests are nothing more than smoke and mirrors, but as for what they might be concealing, he has no idea. This has already ruined a perfectly good and wholesome celebration thrown together for the "grand opening" of the apartment complex he now lives in, but what's more— they didn't stop there.

They aren't just messing with people he was getting to know, but now they're messing with someone he knows very well.

One way or another, he's made his way to the Stygia to get in the way of the arrests. Causing trouble is what he's good at, so once he catches sight of a familiar blonde girl not too far in the guards' pursuit, he's on the move almost immediately, tailing after them. Thank Archons he's spent some time earlier on to familiarize himself with the streets so taking detours aren't too complicated right now.

(Maybe it also helps that he isn't the one coughing up petals, even if a weird tickle in his throat won't go away.)

It's not long before he's managed to get ahead of the wild goose chase, but instead of getting the chance for an amazing entrance, he looks up just in time to hear the warning: Look out! And before he knows it, Lumine launches herself into the air, bringing with her a rainfall of cecilia flower petals.

Tartaglia can't help but smirk at what he's seeing, and of course, because he is the way he is, he catches her effortlessly before she crashes into someone else. ]

Hey there, girlie. [ Guess who's carrying her like a princess now? ] Missed me that much?

[ Not that he gets a chance to hear her answer since the guards are coming right next. He murmurs a quick, hold on tight, before sprinting forward. Time to make a quick exit. ]

[unalign]

[ it's crazy just how her plans seem to be getting derailed over and over again.

step one: jump over the railing
step two: land in the middle of the crowd
step three: let the guards surround and arrest her in front of everyone
step four: raise attention to these senseless arrests happening

—or at least, that's what she had in her mind in the split second that occurred when she spotted the stairway and made a choice. maybe she should've left the brainstorming to kokomi.

the last one is wishful thinking and quite possibly pointless. lumine has no idea the kind of hold the hierarchy has over the other restless in stygia, if it's anything similar to the kind of hold the sages have over sumeru. but it was worth a shot, and she's more than certain it's not just the people she knows who are being grabbed and accused of a crime they didn't do.

still, she doesn't even get to step two, plopping into the arms of the last person she was expecting to see and staring up at him as if he's just grown a second head, his smirk not helping her disbelief at all. ]

Childe!

[ her next words die on her lips, not just because he started running away from her target and she had no choice but to cling to him but also because of the harsh cough and the white petal that just spilled out of her mouth and onto her lap. she grabs his shirt, tugging to get his attention. ]

No, wait, stop—

[ he has to put her down right now before the guards lose her. ]

[lackluster]

[ The harsh cough, followed by the flurry of white petals, only serve to tighten Tartaglia's hold around Lumine, protective and secure. Whatever is going around seems to have affected her too so that just means he has to be careful while handling her, nevermind how difficult it is to mind his step when the harbours are pretty crowded thanks to all the arrests going down. It seems even in death, people can't help themselves but watch incoming tragedies. ]

No can do.

[ His answer is quick and brief as he keeps up the pace, wanting to put as much distance between them and the guards coming from behind. He hasn't quite figured out where to go just yet but maybe somewhere in Serene might be easier to lose them. Luckily, even with someone in his arms, his speed is something he can continuously rely on. ]

What did you even do to piss them off? I thought I was the bad guy here.

[ You know, he really shouldn't be talking so much while running, but it shows how much he isn't worried about getting caught... ]

[unalign]

[ oh no oh no oh no

lumine's gaze trails behind him, her expression looking increasingly desperate as childe places more and more distance between them and the guards. the crowd isn't helping either, milling in the streets and filling the gaps where they've managed to slip through, preventing her almost-captors from catching up to them.

and despite the harbinger's height towering over a number of the restless, she's slowly losing sight of the people chasing after her. this can't be ... ]

Childe, you have to put me down. [ she squirms in his arms, ignoring her body reflexively seizing to prepare itself for her coughing. ] Now, before they lose sight of me. And they soon will, in this crowd.

[ she trusts that the guards will be persistent enough to try and find her before she finds them. it wouldn't be too convincing if she walks up to them, wrists held out for a voluntary surrender. ]

I'll be fine.

[lackluster]

[ Despite Lumine's distress, Tartaglia shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He does, however, look incredulously at the one he's got in his arms. What does she mean by putting her down before they lose sight of her? Isn't the whole point to get away? ]

What are you talking about? I'm not going to let them catch you.

[ All that squirming is only making him hold onto her even tighter. She seems so frail, but maybe that's just a figment of his imagination. ]

Besides, you don't look so good. You've been coughing since I saw you.

— rosa.

[unalign]

[ returning to the gallows makes her a little queasy in the stomach, and not just because her current ailment has subsided.

lumine still feels feverish and out of breath, coughing out petals of various flowers from teyvat as if she's a walking flower shop. still, to alleviate the symptoms of whatever this disease is, she simply closes her eyes and leans against the wall. after all, there's still so much to do, individuals still stuck behind the walls of the gallows, cries of torment echoing within its stone walls.

her shadow doesn't help, its chuckles sinister and in tune with the dark thoughts swirling in her head. she needs to go, she needs to do something, she needs to stop pretending she's sick and just move.

the only thing that's stopping her from going all out is the presence close by, not at all menacing or threatening. lumine offers them a smile as she finally straightens to her full height, taking a deep breath and recalling the passageways and guard routes she's memorized while she was in there. ]

Ready?

[declass]

Yes, let's.

[ at least for rosa, the effect hasn't hit her nearly as hard. it's probably a blessing on many levels, but as much of a blessing that not being attached to too many people here can be.

still, though... she casts lumine a worried glance. she doesn't know her that well, but lumine's demeanor kind of implies that she might be the type to run into danger no matter what. it's very admirable, and there's a small surge of jealousy that hits rosa at the thought. she'll try to ignore it. ]

I wonder how many guards are posted...?

[unalign]

[ a blessing, indeed.

and there's a part of lumine—the noisy, naggy, unrelenting part of her that hasn't shut up since she's woken up in this world—that somehow revels in her cursed suffering. she probably should've remained alone, unattached and unaligned. everyone's existence has always been a pain, and even more so no—

lumine takes another deep breath, pushing down the desire to hack out a lung and away the thoughts slowly filling in her head. she has to think, and rosa's musing is a much-welcomed inquiry to settle on. ]

There's one guard patrolling the top of each wall surrounding the Gallows, two in the main corridor leading to the cells, and two in a room overlooking the cells.

[ she closes her eyes, recalling the map she's drawn for kokomi and the guard routes. how she even got out and why she's even back here is a mystery—or masochism—on its own. ]

The rest are scattered in the dayroom and outdoor areas just in case someone breaks out.

[declass]

I see... so, we move as quickly and quietly as we can. Hopefully we can avoid the guards, but if not then we should try not to make a commotion. [ ... ] Although that may be easier said than done.

[ it would be best to slip past the guards without alerting anyone, but if that were simple then there wouldn't be a point in jails. and the risk of knocking one out is that another might uncover them. but it may be a risk they'll have to take.

rosa sighs at the messy attempt at planning; she can't say she's an expert at this sort of thing, and she can only hope her inexperience doesn't get in the way. ]

We can take your lead, but if something seems drastically different from how it was setup before, we may need to back out to somewhere else.

[unalign]

[ messy, but there's not much that they can do. and despite having had the chance to check things out during her arrest prior, lumine isn't certain if they've changed anything with the patrols or the schedules of the guards; she can only go by what she knows and make adjustments from there.

not the first time she's had to make plans in the heat of the situation. ]

There are passages in between the walls of the Gallows, but I didn't think to explore them.

[ there was no time, anyway, when she's in the middle of escaping and trying to help out other people. she gives rosa a slight nod. ]

We can use those to back out if we're caught. [ or if the situation goes out of hand. ] I'll distract them first in one part of the prison, and then we can try to slip in. Ready?

[declass]

[ if lumine had time to explore them, then rosa would seriously question the security of this prison. so, she can't really fault her for not-- one of the last things on your mind should be taking the scenic route when you're escaping. ]

Ready.

[ there isn't much point in dragging it out even if she wasn't. the longer they stay in one spot, the higher chance they are to get caught-- might as well rip the bandaid off and get moving. ]

Just be careful, okay?

[orobashi]

( The breeze by the water is nostalgic, even if it is lacking for a variety of reasons.

Kokomi is waiting patiently by the harbor, arms folded as she thinks. She's lost deep in thought, currently going over every possible plan she could imagine in her head. She's expecting the Traveler any moment now, after the text message she had sent that morning:

Dearest Traveler,

I hope you are doing well. I've heard some talk of strange illness moving through the crowds. But that's not why I'm contacting you now.

If you would be willing, I'd like to meet at the harbor in the early afternoon. I have some ideas I can only discuss with you in person regarding recent incidents.

Sincerely,
Sangonomiya Kokomi

In the meantime, she'll think deeply about her prison escape plans. Each and every outcome has to be taken into account, after all. )

[unalign]

[ oh man, of course kokomi would learn about the current ailment that seems to be possessing everyone. and there's a part of lumine that doesn't want to see the divine priestess, considering her current condition. she's a healer, after all, and someone who cares for her subordinates; she doesn't want to needlessly worry the other girl.

but then, she has no choice. not showing up would also make her concerned. and it's for that reason that lumine wanders over to the harbor as requested, hoping that she doesn't outwardly show any signs of discomfort or desire to cough out any internal organs.

she gives kokomi a slight wave and a smile. ]

Hey. You called?

[aflowers]

[ Aerith is, at this point, all too aware of the strange illness sweeping through the various inhabitants of this place. She's dealing with a strange tickle in her own throat, too, a slight cough that persists even through honeyed water, but nothing compared to the types of things she's seen some of the others going through.

And while of course she's more than happy to see more flowers around the place, the way that they're appearing is nothing to smile about, especially when it's resulting in so many people finding themselves coughing up not just the petals and the flowers themselves, but blood; when people are genuinely, horribly sick in a way she doesn't know how to help.

Nonetheless, it's the trail of flowers that draws her attention this time as she walks through the streets— they're unlike anything she's ever seen before. Each beautiful in their own ways, of course, and between the ones that look like little glowing blue lanterns and the ones almost alien with their purple stems and seedless blooms, she's somewhat enamored.

Enamored enough that is that for a moment she forgets that these must have come from a person, and she's busy picking up the ones that are still relatively blood-free, following the trail along until she sees Lumine ahead of her.

Aerith's heart sinks, and she hurries up to the other's side... although she's careful not to drop any of the flowers along the way. ]

...Lumine?

[unalign]

[ lumine can't tell if it's getting worse or better.

it must be the latter, isn't it, if she's finally expelling everything in her lungs? then again, it seems to be unending, the plant inside of her seemingly eternal as it continues to blossom various florals, filling up her throat until she's stopped herself from stifling them: cecilias and lamp grasses, qingxins and glaze lilies, padisarahs and sumeru roses.

it's inconvenient, especially when she's in the middle of a commission, and somehow puts make several restless uncomfortable. she's uncomfortable too, if someone were to concernedly ask her, which is mainly the reason why she's ensconced herself in a nearby alley until the symptoms have stopped. it seems to go away after a while, she's noticed, but not soon enough that someone doesn't notice it.

she looks over her shoulder, blinking away tears that welled in her eyes from all the coughing, when she hears her name. ]

Aerith, what are you ...

[ her gaze falls to the flowers in her arms, wincing inwardly. oh no, she saw. ]

[aflowers]

[ Unfortunately for Lumine, Aerith has two traits that are going to make her practically impossible to shake in a situation like this: first, when she cares about someone— which she does all of her friends— she wants to look after them; second, she's impossibly stubborn. Together, they make a strange combination, the type liable to drive the stoic hero type insane with frustration.

The concern is already on her face as she takes in the situation, looking from her new friend to the flowers and parts of flowers strewn around her and then back. The temptation is there too, the selfish question on her lips as to what sort of flowers some of these are, the types she's never seen before— but for now, she holds that back.

At the very least, perhaps Lumine will be relieved to see that there's no discomfort, Aerith choosing to move to sit beside the blonde, putting the flowers to the side as she reaches out, putting a comforting hand on the traveler's back. ]

You have it this badly, huh?

[unalign]

[ lumine would've appreciated it more if aerith asked about the flowers. it would've been a welcome distraction from the craziness of this disease. but as it stands, the other girl is certainly the worrier type, putting lumine's condition over her open curiosity. something the traveler could never resist no matter what she does.

still, her company is very much appreciated, even if she had hoped no one else she knew would see her. withholding information about her own condition seems to worsen it, and lumine has a feeling she's nearing that point where she might just cough her lungs out. ]

I'm glad you're not affected by it, though.

[ she says it sincerely, knowing that she too would be worried if some of the people she's gotten to know in this place are also afflicted with the same ailment. ]

Don't worry, it's not too bad.

[aflowers]

[ She probably should tell her the truth— that she thinks she might be affected in way, even if it's nowhere near as bad as some of the others she's seen. She has that same cough, after all, that uncomfortable tickle at the back of her throat... just no flowers. Which perhaps is ironic in a way, given her affection for the things.

But seeing how unwell she is, Aerith just can't bring herself to talk about it. Lumine is struggling enough without the knowledge, and she doesn't want to give her cause to worry about something that so far has been a great load of nothing. ]

Not too bad? [ She shakes her head, alternating between rubbing and patting Lumine's back. ] I don't know if I can agree with that, you know. This is one of the worse cases I've seen.

[ ...Sorry, Lumine. She's nothing if not honest.

(About stuff she's not hiding from other people, anyway.) ]