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

[traversal]

Few knew about it? Are you sure? Lumi said you were with her in Liyue.

[ pls ajax, does he think aether's an idiot with his sister? he's more than aware of his sister's whereabouts, of the people she's had contact or ties with. he just refuses to intervene since lumine is an adult. ]

Look, you've been a good friend to me, Ajax. But I can turn a blind eye to this now that she's hurt.

[monoceroscaeli]

I didn't think Liyue had anything to do with this. All we did in Liyue was visit Dihua, stayed at Wangshuu Inn and stopped in downtown Liyue Harbor. I dropped her off at the university.

[That's the truth at least, with some very major details left out, but Lumine doesn't seem to of told him about that. He has a feeling he'd of gotten an angry phone call much, much sooner if he knew about their little stunt in the penthouse.]

I don't know what's going on but I'll get to the bottom of it. I don't want to see her get hurt either, believe me.

[If he could only emphasize how much he meant that.]

I need you guys to lay low for a while, while I figure this out. I'm sorry that's the best I can give you right now, Aether. I'm sorry about this mess.

[traversal]

You don't think that you hanging out with my sister in Liyue and being seen by people who were probably sent by your family's enemies had nothing to do with this?

[ ajax is intelligent and aether knows this, but that excuse is just stupid. and it's clear that he and his sister are hiding something from him, because he knows when lumine is being cagey. so this is honestly just frustrating. ]

Whatever. Do what you have to. Lumi's heading to Mondstadt in a few days, and I need to know she'll be safe.

[ otherwise, aether's keeping her in their apartment until ajax has sorted this out.

not that lumine is letting aether control her actions. she's still going to work, still heading out to have lunch meetings with clients and coffee runs with her assistant. there's a bandage around her neck, visible under the scarfs she wears, and her vision is in plain sight, the pale blue glass orb clipped on her coat like a brooch. if she's at least going to go around the city, then she might as well have that visible for everyone to see.

she's pretty sure it won't exactly keep people from doing something to her, but it's a warning nonetheless. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[He won't address what Aether's said about their enemies in Liyue- he can't really dismiss that fact. Aether's right. He's surprised that they were able to track him to Liyue so quickly, he'd left on a whim without telling anyone. But, these are modern days, they probably had a way of finding out. Maybe he'd gotten a little careless, getting caught up with his research into Childe and his past.]

Heading to Mondstadt after that? I wish she'd reconsider and stay home. But, there's no convincing her otherwise, is there.

[He sighs. Damn it, Lumine...can't you just stay still here?]

Okay. I've got plenty of resources to spare, so I'll make sure if anyone's out to get her, they'll get stopped before they even get the chance to look at her. Thanks for the heads up, Aether. I won't let it happen again.

[traversal]

[ no, she will never stay still. she will be everyone's problem since everyone has become a problem for her to deal with. also, because it's windblume, and other than the lantern rite festival, it's the one other festival she can't really miss or skip out on—even with the current threat on her life.

aether doesn't exactly have a choice but to let her go, unwilling to get into an argument with his twin sister. and while lumine would've preferred her brother to come with her, she also knows that he has a lot of engagements set already. she doesn't want aether to worry any more than he has to over her, offering reassurances and promises to regularly call and message him when she gets to mondstadt.

and so, she flies over to the city of freedom by herself, an itinerary already set and a room at the grand goth hotel booked for the next week and a half. it should be more than enough time to celebrate the festival with everyone and also meet up with the few friends she's made in the city, all the while bringing a bit of work to deal with during her downtime. with the amount of things to do, though, lumine does wonder if she'll ever get anything done.

her first stop is at the archon statue in front of the cathedral, hoping to see the ceremony. but even before she gets there, she's already accosted by a few guys, each one offering her a flower: a cecilia, a small lamp grass, even a still-whole dandelion, all being offered to her.

... and to think they don't even look drunk at all, yet. ]

Aah ...

[monoceroscaeli]

[The City of Freedom looks incredible from the sky, part of it still bearing some old traditional buildings in the city that have stood for hundreds of years. The cathedral being one of them, dating far back for as long as anyone can remember. Ajax had a few people arrive in the city before he did, here to ensure to Aether that his sister would be safe. He'd allowed them to take care of it last time and they failed.

He's here to make sure that doesn't happen again.

He's on the phone with one of them, eyes darting around to take in the sights and look for anyone that might tip him off, but if they were there he doesn't notice them. A bunch of tourists line the city streets, and it'll be hard to pick out the nefarious ones.]

She's at the statue? Alright. Thanks.

[He hangs up, heading in that direction. Rounding a corner, he makes his way up the long steps to the cathedral, before appearing at the side of its center plaza. The statue of the Anemo Archon Barbados, god of the wind stands tall, and he holds his hand up to block the sun to take in the sight. It's beautiful, almost as beautiful as-

Ugh.

He sees the first two guys give her flowers. Ajax feels his blood boil a little bit, but he pushes it down.

She's not your girlfriend, your lover, or anything. Calm down.

But it's the third one that sends him over the edge, and his feet start moving before he's got a chance to stop himself. There's a stall with flowers for sale, but he simply plucks a Windwheel Aster from one of the pots without anyone noticing, walking up behind her with a dangerous glint in his eyes that he flashes at the guy. The man seems to get the hint, backing off as Ajax reaches around from behind and presents the flower in front of her before she can even see who it is who's giving it to her.]

I think those flowers are nice, but this one suits you much better.

[traversal]

[ the sudden appearance of the windwheel aster surprises her for a moment, and lumine has to look up to confirm if her guess was right; then again, it isn't as if she's still unfamiliar with his voice, with the faint scent of his cologne that seems to linger around him. her expression twists, however, realising what's going on. ]

Ajax?

[ she doesn't even want to ask why he's here, of all places. there's only one person who could've told him about her trip to mondstadt, one person who would've reached out to him after that incident a few days ago. after all, her brother had been persistent in trying to get answers from her.

... of all the people to betray her, too. if it weren't for her love for her twin, she would've chucked aether into one of the waterways in fontaine. ]

Aether sent you here, didn't he? [ his flower remains unaccepted, still held in front of her. ] I can't believe you two.

[monoceroscaeli]

Send isn't the word I would use. Informed is more like it.

[Ajax had planned on staying in the shadows watching, but he really can't help himself- plus hiding really isn't his thing. He's never been one to work behind the scenes, always preferring to be right out in the open anyway. Sorry again Aether, he blew your cover here.]

Your brother told me about how you got attacked. He was concerned, and I was determined to make sure it didn't happen again. I wish you would have told me, called me before you left. I know you can handle yourself, but I still couldn't help but worry.

[He can feel his own heart squeeze as he says it. It's an admission he wasn't completely ready to make, but sometimes those words just spill out anyway, always saying or showing how he feels.]

[traversal]

[ so, aether ratted her out, and to the one person she didn't want to see or hear from again. unbelievable. sometimes she wonders whose side her twin brother is on.

not that she doesn't understand aether's concern. lumine realises that this is totally the worst time for her to leave fontaine, but then, she'd feel terrible if she remained terrified of going out. she wants to still be able to live her life, even with all the craziness that's been happening to her lately, much of which she's never told aether about.

on the other hand, ajax's concern confuses her. and she wonders, dreads if this is what she's warning him about—even if it's totally hypocritical of her to say. after all ... ]

I'm fine, [ she tells him, turning her gaze away from him once more. her fingers tug at the end of her scarf, hiding the bandages underneath it. ] The attack wasn't that bad ...

[ except it was, downplayed only by her deflection of questions thrown at her. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax pauses, before circling around to face her, the flower still in his hand. She's not fine, it's easy to tell, deflection or not. His head tilts to the side, looking at the scarf around her neck, and how she fiddles with it.]

Was it really?

[Because he doesn't believe her. Gingerly, he reaches out to pull the scarf down with his finger, revealing part of the bandages on her neck. He breathes out sharply, eyes narrowing. The bastards tried to cut her throat, but maybe they hadn't killed her because they needed her alive. That's the only reason he can think of.]

In my line of work, it's never "not that bad." Lumine...

[Apologizing to her doesn't make this better. Protecting her does. He's got a few ideas, but will she agree to it?]

Okay. Listen. Windblume is supposed to be a joyous occasion, so while you're here, please have a good time and leave your protection to me. I know you probably don't want to live your life cooped up in a cage, so....

[He sighs. He wants the blood of the people who'd attacked her, but he still needs to calm himself.]

When we return to Fontaine, would you be opposed if I gave you more tools to deal with things of this nature just in case?

[traversal]

[ lumine flinches when he reaches out to her, fingers gently pulling down the scarf around the neck. even if the wound is hidden behind it and the bandages, he's still the last person she wants to see her injuries. and she wants to retort and blame him for the incident, but she too had a hand in trying to chase this stupid wild goose.

shrugging: ] I'm still alive, aren't I?

[ of course she might not have been, only spared by her vision and the orders of whoever wanted to kidnap her. if things had been different, who knows where she might have been left to be found?

at his question, lumine looks up at him again, a quizzical expression on her face. ]

... You realise giving me a gun isn't going to go well, right?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He laughs, his eyes finally relaxing when she says that, smiling back.]

Yeah, for the one who's at the end of your pistol.

[Because she won't shoot him, right?]

I'd also like to show you a few things, in regards to your Vision. I don't know how much you've trained with it, but I think there's a few really cool things I could show you. No pun intended, of course.

[With the windwheel aster still in his hand, he reaches up and puts it in her hair on her right side, admiring her and how pretty she looks with it in. It's sort of like her counterpart, though those flowers were different than the red one in her hair now, but maybe that's why he did it in the first place.]

[traversal]

[ her expression looks like she's about to flinch again when his hand reaches out towards her once more. honestly, he's getting as touchy-feely as his counterpart towards her, and while there's a part of her that secretly enjoys that, lumine also wants to insist that there's nothing going on between her and ajax.

but whatever it is that she's expecting doesn't come, except for the windwheel aster he was offering to her being tucked in her hair instead. lumine blinks at him, confused, lifting a hand to touch the flower. her fingers brush against soft petals, dancing in the wind of mondstadt. ]

You do know ... what it means to give someone a flower on Windblume, right?

[ there's a faint blush on her cheeks when she asks, but she shakes her head instead. she's overthinking this, as per usual. ]

Of course, you do. You've probably done this before. [ she sighs, walking over to the statue. ] Where did you get this, anyway?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Did he embarrass her? His eyes sparkle a little when her cheeks flush, a light shade of pink dusting them. He really wouldn't mind it if that happened more often.]

There's a small stall over there. I saw it, and thought it suited you.

[Keeping his jealousy to himself, of course. He's sure to get some guff from the people he has watching both of them right now, but it doesn't matter to him. He'll just kick their asses later, for fun.

He joins her as she walks to the statue, focused more on her than the statue of Barbados, giving a small chuckle.]

But, you're wrong. I've never given anyone a flower during Windblume. Until just now, that is.

[traversal]

[ ... he's being facetious about that. he's definitely being facetious. lumine doesn't ever believe that he's never given someone a flower during windblume, if only because he doesn't seem like it. it's annoying, but that's the kind of impression he's always given her even when they first met.

there's a bard playing a love song underneath the statue, giving her a wink and a flirty smile while she offers a flower to the archon statue. ]

I hope this isn't your attempt at trying to con me into breaking and entering another house.

[ she's heard that the new grandmaster of the knights is a little stricter this time around, and with the festival in full swing and the number of tourists flocking in, security is tighter. which means they won't get away unscathed if they do something illegal. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Hahaha, no, I had no intention of the sort while I was here. Besides, I won't con you from now on, I'll just tell you we are and, well, then we'll do it.

[There's a playful lilt to his voice, giving ambiguity to whether he's being serious or not. He has no flower to offer to Barbados, so he doesn't, letting Lumine take care of that for the both of them.

The music is sweet on his ears, and he looks at her with expectation. Come have fun with him, Lumine.]

You know, I've really only been here a few times. I didn't get the chance to visit all of the establishments I wanted to, but Aether made it sound like you've been here quite a few times now. Got any recommendations we could visit? Preferably ones with food and drink.

[traversal]

[ lumine throws him a sharp look over her shoulder as if warning him about that plan of his. he should know that she'll be the first to toss him under the bus if anything happens, just so she can get off scott-free from his illegal shenanigans.

after she sends a prayer to the archon, unsure if this ritual even works after years of trying, she turns back to ajax. she is getting quite hungry after having walked around the city. ]

Good Hunter is a good place to go to. Though if you're looking for drinks, I think Angel's Share is still the best tavern in the city.

[monoceroscaeli]

Then, care to join me? If you're hungry, we can stop by Good Hunter first. I think I remember visiting there last time, and their food is exquisite. But I don't believe I've been to Angel's Share.

[He gestures for her to follow him, towards the stairs that lead down to the square proper where the restaurant in question was.]

The past week or so has been stressful enough as it is, so let's make the most of this. I've been dying to get my hands on the Dandelion Wine the city is so famous for. You know, they say that it too, dates back hundreds of years. Maybe even farther.

[He's got his men all around them, and if he's with Lumine, he feels as if she's pretty safe. Even if he is wasted.]

[traversal]

[ lumine follows him down the steps from the plaza, glancing around the area. ever since last week's incident after dinner, she's become a little wary about too many people around her, uncertain if any one of those will just grab and drag her to the side. and as tempting as it is to hold onto ajax's hand, she opts to hook her finger on the hem of his hoodie instead. ]

If it's Dandelion Wine, Angel's Share makes the best one in the city, though Cat's Tail also makes a good version of it. I brought a bottle for Aether last time I was here.

[ and her twin brother got wasted on it in under an hour. it was embarrassing, to say the least, and she's only thankful that they occupied the floor of their apartment and had no neighbours to listen to aether's ramblings. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Then that's what we'll do. Let's go.

[It's cute, how she hooks her finger in his hoodie pocket like that, heading down toward Good Hunter to grab some food. Just as he remembered, it was delicious, and he tries to steer their conversation in areas that don't concern their visions, the traveler or Childe, or the goons that had attacked her. His main concern is just to have a good time and try to relax. His own body needs it too, having been so focused on his research. He needed this just as much as she did, and he'll enjoy it as much as he can.

Ajax is just glad that it could be with her. For a while, he was sure he'd never see her again.

A little later that night, the two of them stumble out of Angel's Share, having drank their cares away in the night. When she's not looking, he spots one of his men, giving him a wink- they'll be fine. He's got this.

He hands the bottle he'd gotten for them over to her so she can take another swig of the Dandelion Wine, laughing. He felt great and there couldn't be anything that could happen to ruin this night.]

Hey, wanna go to Windrise? There's a shuttle over there and I still would like to see it. I heard it's remarkably beautiful at night, and that there's anemo crystalflies that have grown so used to people that they land right on people's heads sometimes.

[His drunk brain thinks this is a great idea. He can feel how hot his face is from all the alcohol he's had, throwing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him.]

[traversal]

[ it's been a very long time since she's proverbially let her hair down. lumine thinks it's back in her university days when she last got wasted, invited to a party by one of the organisations, but her mind is too clouded by the several drinks they've had in the past few hours.

she lets out a bubble of laughter when ajax pulls her against him, her own feet briefly giving way under her before she manages to compose herself, taking a swig of the dandelion wine from the bottle. the wind feels nice against her warm face, cooling down her skin. no one seems to mind them either, the other residents and tourists of the city just as tipsy as them. ]

I've been there before.

[ windrise, right? the tree from thousands of years ago still stands there apparently, shading the statue of the seven that seems to glow even at night. ]

We can just walk over, instead of riding the shuttle. [ and possibly upchucking everything they've drank and eaten. ] What do you say?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax makes sure to steady her when her feet lose their balance, amused at how she's acting now versus how she acts when she's sober. A happy drunk, it seems, just like him, which will make the night all the better.]

Hey, if that's what you'd like to do, then I don't mind. Walking never hurt anyone, right? And we've still got plenty to drink on the way there.

[He reaches for the bottle, taking another swig himself. The smooth liquid feels good down his throat, and his cheeks burn a little brighter with it. They'll have to finish the bottle before they get there, as they'll probably be forced to throw it away. So Lumine's suggestion is for the better anyway.]

Just make sure you don't trip all over yourself now, hahaha. But even if you do, I'll catch you, don't worry.

[traversal]

[ lumine rolls her eyes at that, easily catching herself anyway even when her heel digs into a gap in the pavement. please, she's mastered drunkenness while wearing heels even back at school. this should be a piece of cake.

or so she thinks when she slips her arm around his, taking the bottle back and having a long draft of the wine from it. ]

You couldn't even catch my shoe last time.

[ despite her alcohol-addled mind, she does remember some crucial details about the last time she's seen him in liyue, including their ridiculous shenanigans above northland bank. ]

I have little trust in your catching abilities.

[monoceroscaeli]

Hah.

[He's got half a mind to purposely trip her and catch her just to make a point, but she's got a very expensive bottle of wine in her hands. And he'd kind of like to drink a little more of it.]

How uncalled for, Lumine. You wound me.

[He reaches again for the wine bottle, trying to take it from her so he can have another drink. They pass through the old walls that had held up in Mondstadt for thousands of years, now passing into the city proper and walking across the bridge.]

I want some more, [he whines at her, his fingers wiggling as he tries to get it from her.] C'mon.

[traversal]

[ as if something like that would bruise his ego. if it would, his ego would've taken a beating already from all the quips she'd thrown his way.

lumine takes another long swig from the bottle before she hands it over to him as he requested, only for him to find it empty. she lets out a laugh when she does, sprinting across the bridge away from him, before he catches on to the joke. ]

Have some more then!