i'm dragging a heart that weighs a ton / holding out for not just anyone

[monoceroscaeli]

[Fontaine: The technological hub of Teyvat.

For as long as anyone can remember, the country of Fontaine has always been the innovative center for the continent. High speed rail was originated here, and now spans across the entirety of Teyvat and beyond. High rises and skyscrapers pepper the skyline, modern Victorian buildings supporting a gear-like aesthetic from an era gone by. A thousand years ago, it was a much different place, but now it thrives with the bright lights and bustle of its people. One can hear the occasional street performer playing for cash, as businessmen and tourists alike walk down narrow cobblestone streets. People are buried in their phones, some take pictures as they gawk at the sights of the city, but one young man in particular walks languidly down the street, enjoying the life around him. He's in no hurry to get where he's going, as he has plenty of time to get there, noting a deli across the street from where he is now that he'll have to try.

Unfortunately, he is on business, so that'll have to wait.

Never being one to be dressed completely formal, he wears a comfortable pair of slacks and dress shoes, with a collared shirt that isn't buttoned up all the way under a grey vest. Various pieces of metal are woven into the vest, notably a crest on his right shoulder with a chain attached to it that hangs under his arm to the back. On his belt lies a Vision, glowing blue with hydro. The young man always seems friendly and easy going, but what lies underneath is something that not many are allowed to know- the heir to the family business of a company who develops tech for various products is also the right hand man of the mafia that runs the city.

And, their true business behind the scenes; creating Delusions to sell on the black market.

Today is a day where some investigating has to be done, and he's headed to see an old friend of his, from university. One that he's sure can help him with this problem he has. Entering the building, he swings in quietly to give a polite wave and a smile to the only person there.

Someone who looked exactly like their brother, whom he can only assume is the twin sister he'd yet to meet that he'd heard about.]

Hello, I was wondering if Aether was in today? I had a...business proposal for him, and I'm sure that he'd love to hear it. Unless of course, you might be of assistance instead.

Comments

[monoceroscaeli]

[He folds his arms over his chest as crosses his legs while he sits, giving the big slime a good pat as a thank you, and to let it know that it gets to live while it provides a service to them.]

I think it would serve both of you better to come sit over here.

[He pats the ground beside him, because that little slime looks like its starting to sweat itself.]

It's much cooler here. Isn't that right, Paimon?

[Ahhhhhh...Paimon is much cooler now, eheh. Come over and join us! It's nice and cool, just how Paimon likes it.

He gestures to her, as if to say see? The smirk on his face is undeniable, but at least he's not going to keep it from her.]

[traversal]

[ her cryo slime does look like it's starting to strain, and lumine lets it slide down her legs and bounce around her. that seems to give it a bit of energy, but then, its departure also leaves the warmth enveloping her again. what an inconvenience this is.

she huffs again at childe's remark before she gives in, shifting and moving on over to the space next to him. with the bigger slime nearby, it's certainly much cooler than when she had the smaller one.

lumine lets out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the slime's cold surface. paimon continues to bounce on top of it, thinking of various recipes for parfait. ]

I wonder if Tubby will let me bring one of these into the teapot ...

[monoceroscaeli]

If you can convince it to behave, I don't see why not. It doesn't seem like such a difficult task, after all. Perhaps you've already found the perfect candidate for it.

[Since this one seems to be behaving, if not only because of Childe's blade. His hand falls on the top of her thigh, only resting there as they enjoy the cold that's being provided to them, closing his eyes.]

When we arrive in Snezhnaya, I'll make sure we'll go ice skating and ice fishing. I have a small cabin out in the woods that we can use, overlooking a lake that has ice as clear as glass. It's a marvelous sight, and I can't wait to show it to you. I think you're going to love the motherland.

[So hopefully they'll be able to leave Natlan soon, though who knows what dangers are already brewing behind the scenes.]

[traversal]

[ lumine closes her eyes too, only for her hand to push childe's away. it's already hot even with the cold air being expelled by the cryo slime, and she'd appreciate it if they could put some distance between them for a while. he can resume his touchy-feeliness when she's no longer sweating buckets and feeling like a sinner in church. ]

I need to get out of Natlan first.

[ find the archon, sort out whatever problem it has, learn that they have no information about her brother—rinse and repeat, and yet she has to do it anyway. for this journey, for this trip.

are there pyro slimes in snezhnaya? paimon will need pyro slimes if snezhnaya is going to be super cold. ]

Don't worry, Pai. We'll find you pyro slimes that you can hug and eat.

[ so long as it doesn't burn their clothes off, she guesses. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[He can't help but chuckle when she pushes his hand away, letting it fall to his side and rest there instead since she doesn't seem so inclined to let him touch her. Instead, he falls silent, comfortable against the cold of the slime's body that continues to cool them off, debating on letting it live if Lumine deems it so. He doesn't answer Paimon's question, breathing out a sigh of content.

It's several minutes later of enjoying the cold that he looks over to her, thinking at least by now her skin shouldn't feel so sticky from the humid temperature surrounding them, reaching out and letting a finger twirl into one of the longer locks of hair that flows downward. His eyes focus on the gentle sweeps of it across his finger, the soft brush of red on her cheeks from the cold, her golden eyes that shine like a star in the night sky.

He just wants to appreciate that he has her here with him. He'd missed her in the time she'd been in Fontaine, and he's grateful now that a work opportunity has come up for him to join her in Natlan, weather aside.

A finger finds her chin, turning her face completely towards him, taking advantage of the fact that Paimon sat on top of the slime, out of view. He doesn't care if she sees or not, but at least now, he won't have to hear her screech about public displays of affection. He pushes himself closer, and his head leans downward and in to press his lips to hers, his feelings on full display of how much he'd missed her. There's a needy, selfish tone to his kiss, as if he'd been deprived of her for far too long. His tongue searches and plays with her own as he opens his mouth to take her in fully, not taking any rejection as an answer to his advances. Eyes closed, he drinks her in, taking as much time as he wants.


Ajax lives vicariously through Childe's memory, and he doesn't notice that the vision has ended. His mouth works against Lumine's, cupping her face with one hand that he didn't know had moved from her own hand upwards to do so; his own mouth slowly massaging hers over and over again, brain in a fog of desire and want for her. His eyes are still glued shut, his focus on her, before a sudden click and slam of the front door to the penthouse reverberates through the walls. Voices of confusion as to why the front door was unlocked start to sharpen in his ears.

That's when his eyes snap open, and he realizes Childe isn't kissing Lumine anymore.

It's him. He's the one kissing her.

And the owners just arrived back home.

Shit.]

[traversal]

[ somehow, lumine isn't surprised that this is how things develop.

she too missed childe during her time in fontaine, but she's never been one to openly show or say it. it's too complicated, and even then, she's never the type to show her heart on her sleeve. besides paimon, while not allergic to childe's bank account, seems to be averted to the topic altogether, and would've no doubt reacted terribly if she expressed anything remotely close to missing him.

so she doesn't really try to deny him, letting herself get coaxed into his neediness, his demands. her eyes flutter close when she feels his lips on hers, mouth parting to silently answer him.





an answer that seems to resonate to the present, lumine herself caught up in the vision and the shenanigans of her counterpart. she hasn't even realised it, drawn in by the vividness of the memory, that she too has found herself responding to ajax, eyes closed, hands curled into his shirt as she leans in.

the kiss was sweet, achingly so. and she can feel herself getting swept more and more in the softness, the warmth. she tugs him closer, breathes him in, tries to drink as much of him—

her eyes flash open too at the sound of voices, and lumine finds herself staring at a pair of blue eyes, looking just as much as surprised as she is. not just because of the sound of the owners returning, but the fact that they're kissing.

here. now. what is even going on?

lumine quickly breaks off the kiss as her gaze darts around, the voices getting louder with each passing second. her hand grabs his arm, tugging him inside the closet he was checking out earlier, closing the door quietly right before they're found.

it's only when the voices pass them by that she glares up at him. hissing quietly: ] What were you doing?

[monoceroscaeli]

[As she breaks the kiss, he too steps backward in shock, not understanding how he'd ended up with her hands entangled in his shirt, kissing him with the same amount of fervor he had been...

She tugs him into the closet, not daring to breathe as his heart beats hard in his chest. He's done a lot of things that could land him in a lot of trouble, and being caught in someone's house is hardly one of the things that would send him into a panic. But he hasn't processed anything yet, in regards to her, in regards to that intimate moment. He can see her anger in the small amount of light the shines in through the cracks under the door and on the sides, a man's voice faintly heard in the bedroom across the hall. He can hear him scold his wife for leaving the door unlocked.]

The same thing you were doing-! [He hisses back, trying to think of how he can get them out of this mess.] We can talk about it after we get out of here, ok?

[He's trying to listen again, to get a bead on where they are in the house. If they go back to the living room, kitchen or dining room, they can sneak out of a window in the bedroom, or the bathroom. Easy.]

[traversal]

[ lumine tries to ignore him, which is a little difficult to do considering the space between them (and the fact that her hand is still on his shirt, but details). but she does her best to focus on the noises and voices outside the door, the argument between the husband and wife (???) louder than she would've wanted it to be. at the very least, it gives her an idea of where they are.

she does wonder absently if they also know where they are, only because the pounding of her blood is loud in her ears. her breathing has gone short too, and every air she takes in sounds terribly deafening.

it feels like forever when she finally hears their voices fade, the couple seemingly has moved away from them. lumine gives it a beat, before she opens the door of the closet, peering out. ]

... I think they're gone.

[monoceroscaeli]

Hmmm.

[He thinks again. Bathroom is hit or miss on a window. Bedroom is the most likely they'll find one that will fit them to escape.]

The bedroom is right across the hall from here. Let's head there, quickly. Out the window.

[He keeps it short, urging her to move as they open the closet door and scurry to the bedroom. As he thought, there's a few windows to choose from, and he inspects them to see which will have a place where they can safely crawl out of without falling, given this penthouse is on the second flight up from the street below.

He opens one on the side, gesturing towards it.]

Come, you'll be able to step out here. Be careful, it's not a true walkway, just a little sliver of one since it's on the edge. Walk to your right when you get out, that'll lead us behind the apartment ok?

[traversal]

[ you know, this entire thing at least proves several things: that she's right, that ajax did steal (or did something) to the key, that they're not actually entering this apartment legally. but that is something she can throw at his face later on along with another punch.

hitting him can wait for a few minutes, not years while she's in prison for breaking and entering.

that doesn't mean, however, that lumine can't stare at him in disbelief when he gestures at the window. but she can't even voice out any complaints, concerned about being heard by the apartment's owners. instead, she simply sighs (she'll start to charge him with every sigh she sighs from here on out) and leans down to take off her shoes, holding them in one hand. ]

If I die, I'll haunt you forever. Give you dreams of making out with Aether.

[ with another deep breath, she moves towards and out the window. it's a long fall down, even if it's just one floor up. still, she braces herself, taking one small step at a time. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax follows her out, making sure to stay behind her just in case she does fall, sliding the window shut behind him the best he can while they both shimmy along the side of the penthouse to the more wide open platform behind the house. Thankfully no one's paying attention to them, and they safely make it there save for a single shoe that falls from Lumine's hand.]

Whew. I didn't count on them coming home so soon. That was a little exciting, don't you think?

[His hand goes up against his head, because he knows it's coming. He's very aware of what fury looks like, and she's got it written all over her face. Best to just take it now, let her hit him and yell at him or whatever she wants to do.]

[traversal]

[ exciting, her ass.

her heart was in her throat the entire time they were creeping down the path, both from the fear of falling and from the dread of one of the millelith seeing them. that thankfully doesn't happen and despite losing one of her shoes, lumine manages to get back on a more solid, sturdier, wider surface without any other incident.

the overwhelming feelings of panic and terror, however, quickly dissipate right away, replaced by indignation and temper slowly boiling towards the surface, her face positively warm from her unspoken fury. but even she has enough self-control to not freak out at him in public, and all she can do is throw her other shoe at his head and hope the heel knocks any sense back into him; impossible, he doesn't have any common sense whatsoever. ]

You idiot!

[ the passers-by seem to part for her as she storms away down the path barefoot, looking at her and then at ajax as if they've just witnessed some kind of lovers' spat. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Yep, there it is.

She yells and throws her other shoe at him, and he barely blocks it with his arm, the heel, sinking into his forearm before it drops to the ground. That was a pretty measured reaction to what just happened, and he's surprised she's not trying to slug him like she had back in her office. But he'll take that as a win, picking the shoe up and following her. Maybe he can find her shoe down on the ground level once they head there.]

Hey, [he says as he catches up to her,] I know you're mad and I'm sorry, it wasn't supposed to play out that way at all. It was supposed to be nothing more than a short visit, uninterrupted to gather more information, but...ah...

[Of course it didn't go as planned. His eyes turn downward towards the ground for a second, not knowing how to appropriately apologize to her for all of...that.]

[traversal]

[ lumine ignores him, taking two steps down the spiral staircase at a time. to say she's still furious at him is an understatement, her rage barely contained only because she doesn't want to be arrested by the millelith for rioting in public. she's only hoping that he at least leaves her be and lets her get back to dihua marshes in peace.

but that's obviously wishful thinking as he hurries after her, offering his empty apologies for involving her in what was very obviously unlawful entry of someone's private property.

when she hears his excuse, however, lumine whirls at him, pulling back her good hand to hit him across the face. almost immediately, a millelith patrolling feiyun slope approaches them to ask what's going on. ]

Ask him, [ she spats out, pushing past the guy to head back downtown. ] He's clearly the intelligent one here.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax is trying not to trip over his own feet as he follows her down the staircase. It's why he doesn't see the punch flying right at his face, connecting solidly and making his head snap to the side. His eyes widen in shock, his jaw feeling it. She had a good punch there, he's fought guys that don't punch quite as well as she can.

He rubs the sore spot, sighing as one of the Millelith approach them. He waves a hand in dismissal, quickly answering the man's question.]

It's fine. I deserved it.

[The man gives Ajax one look over, warning them to cut it out, and he nods in return to catch back up to his very angry accomplice.]

Lumine, is it too much to ask to have you stop for a moment? You're not even wearing shoes.

[And he's still got her shoe in his hand. Ugh, what a mess...]

[traversal]

[ great, he got out of that scott-free. maybe she should've told the millelith that he just broke into a private home ... ]

Yes, it's too much to ask, so stop asking!

[ does she care that she's not wearing shoes? not really, liyue harbour's pavement is well-made and well-maintained, and while it's hard on the soles of her feet, it's not as bad as walking along a dirt path. at the very least, her stockings mostly protects her feet—mostly.

it's pretty useless, however, when she reaches chihu rock, the pavement a little less smooth than that of feiyun slope. the small gaps between the stone cause her to wince as she steps over it, nearly tripping as she tries to avoid the next one. but it doesn't matter, if this means she can get to the main street and finally hail a cab. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[He doesn't let up, following her right to Chihu Rock, exasperated that she still won't give him the time of day or even so much as look at him. He can tell that walking here is starting to hurt her feet, and he finally moves in front of her to firmly grab her by her shoulders to get her to stop.

He's not going to tell her to calm down, but by the archons he wishes she would.]

Hey, would you listen to me for a minute? Stomping off right now isn't helping. I'd rather you sock me in the face again than walk off.

[And honestly, if she did, as long as she stayed put and talked to him, he'd let her have a few free hits in.]

Think what you want about what just happened, but we just got an incredible piece of information out of it. Doesn't that pique your interest at all???

[traversal]

[ why is he the one getting upset at her?

lumine tries to break out of his grip and continue walking away from him, as tempting as it is to hit him again, but that's futile. maybe if she kicked him between his legs instead ...

she glares up at him, her eyes narrowing at his sudden appeal for her to calm down. she should've followed her gut since last night, since earlier that morning. she knew she was going to regret this, and she was very, very right. ]

No, it doesn't, [ she replies flatly, the corners of her lips pulling to a thin line. ] Is it supposed to interest me?

[monoceroscaeli]

It should, [he says, not giving up an inch since he's finally gotten her to stop.]

If that vision was anything to go by, taking you to the nearest Statue of the Seven should be our next priority.

[Ajax stares back at her, the blue of his eyes intense and serious. That was, after all, the kind of thing he'd hoped to find. The rest of the vision was just extra, a testament to the relationship between the Harbinger and the traveler, as Childe had called her.

But that's not a conversation they should have right now, and he'd rather focus on any other part of it than that.]

[traversal]

[ lumine remains unmoved by this, even by his gaze as he mirrors her stare. she already said that she doesn't want anything to do with this anymore, not with whatever these images reveal to her, not with her counterpart's identity, not with ajax or childe or whatever his name is.

she pushes his hands off of her shoulders to escape his grip, taking a step back from him. ]

For what? For you to see if I'll suddenly gain whatever powers the Statue allows me to borrow? And then, after that, what then?

[ is she supposed to go to the other regions, do the same thing? are they supposed to indulge in this wild goose chase? until when? until they get exhausted, until someone gets hurt?

he's never really given any answers to those, only implored her to go with him. to see these visions, to complicate matters. ]

What are you hoping to get out of this in the end, really? Someone you can deem useful for your family? Entertainment for your boring life?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Staring back at her, his face scrunches up when she accuses him of wanting to use her as someone useful, or using this all for entertainment. He can't deny that someone who could wield the elements without a Vision would be wildly useful to him and his family. He can't even deny that one day he'd ask her to help with something that she certainly wouldn't agree with because of it. That's not why he's doing all this, but it's something that would certainly come up in the future.

As for entertainment...it makes him stop and think for a second. He'd gotten really caught up in all these visions, living another man's life through them with no real clear end goal to all of it. Perhaps having a goal was never a part of the plan to begin with.]

Listen, that's not it...I hadn't even considered when this all began that it could be useful to my family's ends. That's not why I'm pursuing this.

[Especially since he'd just learned that she might have this untapped power. He sighs, his shoulders sinking, as he looks at the ground to consider everything else. He has to give her an answer here, he can't keep dodging it like he has. And it has to be honest- if he lies, and she finds out, that's it.

He just needs to be upfront with her.]

I don't know if I'm doing this just because there's something alluring and exciting about it. Believe me, I don't have a boring life by any means, but... [He forces himself to look up at her, voice earnest.]

I don't actually care that much about the family business. Sure, it keeps my bank account filled and I do get the occasional exciting conflict to take care of every now and again, but it's not as if I ever wanted that to become the rest of my life. It's just expected of me, and I fulfill my duties to meet the high expectations of my old man. I want to make him proud, truly, and to see his will through, but...it's not what I want my true aspirations to be.

[Ajax has to take a breath, to pause as he finally admits the truth to her.]

So when this came around, I...I jumped on the opportunity. You have to admit, the entire situation is strange, and the more I learn the more intrigued I become. Living the lives of two people who lived over a thousand years ago? And to come to find out that they and their families share the same names as our own, and look exactly like us? Perhaps it is entertainment for myself, but at the same time, I cannot dismiss these facts. Lumine, this doesn't feel like an interactive history lesson. I can't shake that it might have real implications on our lives, and if that's the case, Aether isn't the only one I need to worry about protecting.

[Aether. He's got eyes and ears on him all the time, to ensure his safety. He's sure if he told Lumine that he actually gave a shit about Aether, she wouldn't believe him. Not that she has any reason to.]

And... [He stops himself, unsure if he should continue, given what he wants to say.] I don't know. It weighs heavily on my mind, and I feel as if...

[He stops again, shaking his head. No. He can't address that now.]

Nevermind. I think you get the idea of what I'm trying to say.

[traversal]

[ oh, so he's willing to tell her the truth today. except the more he rambles, the less it makes sense. it's still not at all clear to her as to what truly drives him into pursuing these ridiculous events, dragging her along the way; all she can get is the fact that this is something he considered an opportunity (for what?), an entertainment for himself (see?) and something that could have real-life implications on them and other people.

and that—that pisses her off, truth be told. making him wonder if he truly is being honest and not at all manipulative to her about all of this, because why is there a need to namedrop aether during this conversation? he could've mentioned his family, his siblings, but instead, he opted to mention someone who could very much sway her into doing things.

her lips pull to a thin line, hands clenching into fists once more. it could've been convincing for her—it would've been—but he just had to say aether's name.

sharply: ] You are not allowed to say that you're slowly getting influenced by Childe or whatever his feelings are for the other Lumine.

[ because those feelings are not theirs, and she can tell that this is where this conversation is heading. ]

I already told you that this didn't need to continue if we were to just go our separate ways and forget about this, because it's only becoming more and more complicated as we continue to chase it. And who knows if next time it's the Millelith who catches us? Or the Knights of Favonius?

[ she doesn't want to risk her life, freedom, or her brother's safety for something like this. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Her sharp remark makes him wince- that's not exactly what he was going to say about Childe. It's actually worse, but he'll let it be right there, very glad he'd stopped himself where he did. The terrible thing about it is, he won't have to say it for her to start noticing, and all the implications about it scare him. When she notices and distances herself from him, and if he'll begin to lose himself as he and Childe become less and less separate. He briefly wonders how it's affecting her. Surely he's not the only one getting swayed, being influenced.

And as much as he hates to admit it, he too, finds that he doesn't want to lose sight of her in his life either.]

Well, when it comes to the authorities, that's not something I actually worry too much about. We'd have to be charged with terrorism for the police to matter.

[Lumine please, he can get them out of jail with a snap of his fingers.]

And I know it's getting more complicated. It's with that realization that I have to admit that I can't do this alone. But if you joined me at my side, we could figure out why this is happening to us, and what it means. For us and everyone around us.

[traversal]

[ he's definitely manipulating her in some way.

lumine can hear it in his voice, the way he composes his words. each reasoning, each plea to her logic—it's very, very clear. and the fact that he isn't even batting an eyelash at this, even at the possible threat of being jailed or apprehended, is very, very concerning. she wonders if he can even hear what he himself saying. ]

You are impossible. Stupid and impossible.

[ she turns away from him again, storming back towards the main street to hail a cab. if she can get back to the inn, she can cancel her room and return to fontaine. maybe that's for the best. ]

I can't deal with you right now when you're not even thinking properly as to how this can affect us. Me. Aether.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax's voice catches in his throat when she turns, storming away from him once again. He was being open and honest with her, but he probably pushed too hard, trying to convince her to come with him. He lifts a hand, but lets it drop to his side in defeat, not chasing after her. He doesn't know what to say.]

Lumine...!

[Is all he manages to get out as she begins to get smaller and smaller in his vision, sighing. He still managed to blow it, his mind turning towards the reality that he's going to have to do this alone. Without her.

Without her.

The plane ride back to Fontaine was terrible. Conflicting feelings radiate through him, his mind flashing back to the visions, to mentions of an organization called the Fatui, to Childe and Lumine and back again. He tries listening to music, slipping headphones on and playing it loud enough to drown out the plane's engines and his own thoughts, but even the music seems to bring him back to thoughts of her.

If Lumine knew what was going through his head, she might punch him again. He's not sure if he'd stop her.

When he returns home, he spends his days on the internet researching as much as he can. About Snezhnaya, about the Fatui, Childe and everything else. Ajax becomes so engrossed in his work that he forgets to eat, returning to bed later and later every night. The only thing that tips off that there's something wrong is the bags under his eyes, as he's never been one to be a recluse, nor is he in the line of work to be able to do so anyway.

He doesn't text Lumine. He wants to, he stares at his phone from time to time thinking about it, but eventually decides against it. It won't help. She'll ignore him and he knows it.

But finally, he takes a night off, to go out to eat. He's by himself, having spent a better part of the night working on finding leads about the traveler and what history has to say about her. He's sat at one end of the restaurant, having asked to have somewhere more quiet to dine for the night. The restaurant is still busy, but more people are seated at sections at the front and the center. There's a second half to the place on the opposite side, where a lot of others seem to have been seated too. So he's thankful he'll be able to have a quiet dinner, digging into the pasta dish he's ordered for the night paired with the recommended wine.

It won't be long before that's interrupted.]