Lumine's sleep schedule could hardly be considered a schedule, so the fact that she woke before dawn was particularly annoying. Sure, there were plenty of things to occupy the time, but now she'd be stuck drinking coffee for the rest of the day. Coffee which cost her precious mora, because she still couldn't keep the damn plants alive in her garden. Apparently not even adeptal magic could cultivate her most vital life source, and that sucked a lot.
Her coping mechanism was therefore engaging the ceiling in a staring contest, sitting up, stretching, and indulging in her morning scream. The fortune of living in a magical teapot meant that no one could hear her. Besides maybe the teapot spirit. She had no idea if Tubby was even sentient, but she'd figure that out later. Right now, screaming calmed her nerves.
With that finished, she dressed herself and did all the mundane things that everyone else did. Things that most people seemed to forget she needed time to complete, except for Noelle, bless her heart. She attended to the library in the Favonius headquarters and often brought her their complementary tea. Because it was free it tasted terrible, especially since others drank it least, but it was usually caffeinated.
Most importantly it was free, and it was brewed by Noelle's expert hand.
The additional benefit of squatting in the library was that when she emerged, everything was quiet save the occasional opening and shutting of doors. That meant she had plenty of time to organize her thoughts; she pulled out her dogeared notebook, which she annotated with just about everything, and began to record her responsibilities. The list was entirely too long.
"Lumine! I hadn't expected you this early."
"Neither did I." She smiled as Noelle rounded the corner with only a serving tray in hand. The tea was probably steeping upstairs alongside the very important sugar cubes. "How much have you prepared for today? I can help you pack for Liyue, especially since it will be your first time there."
"Oh, I've already packed what I need. Though it would be a good idea to prepare some extra rations. I can also see if Mister Albedo has any spare potions."
"No need. I made some last night."
"Alright. I'll go check on the tea then. Three cubes today?"
"Four," she anticipated Noelle's surprise, "I'm tired. Albedo told me sugar doesn't actually make you more energetic, but I believe in the placebo effect."
"The tea is caffeinated."
"Never enough Noelle. Never enough." The maid rolled her eyes and clicked out of the room, her heels pleasantly fading into the distance. The rest of the early morning went just as smooth, the two of them working in tandem to tie up loose ends and run the occasional errand. Since they carried the majority of Mondstadt's busy work, they had a great influx of commissions before they left, but it was well worth it.
Now Lumine had coffee before they left, right on schedule. Ten am. She savored the heat of it as she lifted her cup for the very first sip-
"LUMI!" She recognized his voice, and the blast of wind confirmed it. He tackled her from behind, splashing the coffee up her face. The updraft he summoned splashed it even further.
"Venti!" The bard only laughed as she whirled around to frown at him.
"Ppft, you look like someone just shat on your face."
"Like you're one to talk, Stringbean. Are they not feeding you enough at the orphanage?"
"Nah, I know how to procure my own food. Unlike Lummox over here who can't tell a sweet flower from a hilichurl." Between them, Noelle looked incredibly confused.
"What do you want?" She paused to wipe her face on the back of her sleeve, and she took a long sip before she decided to care.
"You're going to Liyue right? Got room for one more?"
"Why do you need to go to Liyue? Don't you have enough problems where you live?"
"Funny! You're really hilarious actually, but no. Zhongli asked for a favor."
"Oh."
"Nothing to worry about." Venti gave her a gentle pat on the back. She doubted he was telling the truth. "Anyway, Noelle! My favorite maid. How's work with the knights?"
"That's enough." Xingqiu slowly peeled open his eyes, his face still stinging.
"M-m-mister Zhongli. What are you doing here?" Still clutching his wrist, Zhongli ignored his father,
"The young man is innocent. I have written proof that the truth is the reverse." For just a moment, the guard restraining Xingqiu seemed to loosen his grip. It tightened once more as another pair of footsteps approached.
"I've seen the evidence for myself and it's indisputable. For treason of this degree he'll answer to the Qixing."
"I'd hardly call it an instance of treason. The Fatui no longer have presence in Liyue."
"Article III, Section 3, Clause 1 of Liyue's Constitution: "Treason against Liyue, shall consist in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.*" Zhongli didn't miss a beat,
"No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt act, or on Confession in open Court.*" The silence in the room was thick enough to cut with a blade, and Xingqiu began strategizing.
Unfortunately, the exit stood behind them, and the plaza overflowed with guards on standard patrol. He could count the number of times he'd been in this building with one hand, so he had no way of knowing if there was another exit. But- if he could just reobtain his vision, he could break through the handcuffs with ease. He just needed a diversion.
"Two witnesses have reported to his deeds with written evidence. His father and his brother."
"The brother is incapacitated. He can't currently provide a reliable testimony." Xingqiu's guard shifted nervously, as the officer's voice rose,
"Are you a lawyer? I don't see any qualification on your person, and even so, my authority overrules yours. I don't even know who you are. Now, you can either surrender what is a valid suspect, or-" The officer wasn't given a chance to finish, as Zhongli deftly snatched the vision from his father's other hand. He tossed it to Xingqiu, who immediately broke his restraints with an upward-bound Guhua sword.
The sword collided with the guard's chin which forced him back. Xingqiu immediately slid along the marble floors and between his assailants legs. In his mind, he could hear his Guhua instructor cheering.
"Follow me!" Zhongli already started running, and he quickly caught up using the momentum from the slide to stand at the base of the stairs before them.
"After them!"
"To the right!" The guards were right on their heels, and Xingqiu's heart battered against his chest as his legs grew stiff. "Shit." They reached a dead end, with only a window overviewing the harbor in front of them. It was too late to turn back. "Hold still!"
A rectangular beam constructed from Zhongli's vision smashed through the window, blasting shards through the air; Zhongli grabbed his wrist. The guard reached for him, but he narrowly missed, tearing a portion of his sleeve clean off as they leapt through the open window. Having no idea where they jumped to, Xingqiu didn't expect the force from the stone wall as they collided with it.
He barely grappled the wall in time, and his feet dangled over the several story drop. Xingqiu forced himself to look only upwards, praying to the god of anemo, or really anyone who would hear him, not to let him fall to his death. They scaled the mountainside, finally reaching the summit after many long, painful minutes. He fought for his breath, his heart throbbing in his skull.
"We should keep going before they issue the warrant for our arrest. Guards will be on alert shortly."
"Oh," he gasped, an uncomfortable heat rising in his cheeks, "okay. I-I'm sorry I need just a minute."
Arrest. There was going to be a warrant for his arrest. He had been betrayed, again. Twice.
Weak. He was so weak. Water pooled in his eyes making it near impossible to see.
"You're going to be okay." He certainly didn't feel like it. "This can all be cleared in due time. I have what we need to prove your innocence, and the Fatui will pay for what they've done. To you. To our city, but first, we have to make sure no one else suffers the same fate. We also have to lay low ourselves."
"Alright. Okay." His lungs finally recovered and he wiped his face, expecting Zhongli to also move onwards.
"I'm proud of you Xingqiu."
