( 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

[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.) ]