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

[ her name stirs her up once more, lumine blinking blearily at ajax as he shakes her awake. she tries to push him away, a little bit annoyed by the sudden disturbance of her sleep. it doesn't also help that her head is still throbbing from pain and there's a terrible stench surrounding her. ]

What? I want to sleep, [ she grumbles, leaning her head against him again. ] Ajax, you stink.

[ did she notice that he's sitting in a mess that she's made just a few minutes ago? not really. it's hard to think when you're drunk and in the middle of a weird dream/delusion/haze. ]

[The audacity of this woman.

He pulls a face when she tells him that he stinks, even though this is completely her fault that there's vomit all over him.]

The only reason I stink is because you threw up all over me. And, you're lying in it.

[He grabs her shoulders, pushing her away from him.]

Do not fall back asleep now. Look.

[It's all over him, it's all over her, and he needs her help to take care of this. He sighs- she's wasted, and maybe perhaps he shouldn't of bought that bottle of wine to take with them to Windrise...]

[ the push surprises her, wakes her up completely, and lumine stares at him, affronted. she doesn't completely acknowledge what he says, still feeling dizzy and disconcerted by this entire situation, before she gets up wordlessly from the couch. it's also only there that she realises that her shirt is gone, the cool air in the room sending goosebumps across her skin.

still, she doesn't say anything to ajax, simply grabbing her blouse and storming off to the bathroom. fine, she ... did vomit all over herself. and ajax. she can acknowledge that much now.

which is why she quickly sheds off her clothes, leaving them on the floor of the bathroom like a snake shedding its skin, and turns on the shower. it takes a while before the water warms up enough that it's soothing on the skin ... and lulling her sleep.

so much so that she doesn't step out of the bathroom even after 20 minutes, 30 minutes ... 45 minutes .... ]

[He doesn't get why she's getting mad at him, she's the one who threw up. He didn't drink so much that he got sick, though had he kept going he might of. He watches her go, sighing as the last view he has is her back, it's too bad he hadn't gotten to her bra before she threw up on him...

Shaking his head, he's careful to take his hoodie off, throwing it in the sink of the kitchen that was a part of the suite he'd booked for the festival. The shirt underneath is stripped too, and he tries to rinse out the vomit the best he can. He manages to get most of it off, keeping himself from gagging any more.

He changes into some pajamas, only consisting of a pair of sweatpants for the time being. He still feels like he should shower himself, but at least the puke didn't get on him, just his hoodie...

It's been a while though, the shower still on even after 45 minutes. He's been getting steadily worried about her, and walks over to knock on the door.]

Hey, Lumine, are you alright in there?

[No answer.]

Lumine?

[No answer, still.]

I'm going to come in, okay? Even if you're naked!

[No answer again. He frowns, forming a small pin-like object from his vision, the hydro in it glistening as he sticks it into the small hole in the front of the doorknob. He's grateful these knobs have a safeguard in them in case someone gets locked in, and it's a matter of seconds before he's inside the bathroom.]

Lumine? Answer me, okay?

[But when she doesn't, he pulls the curtain on the shower back- she's passed out on the floor. He gazes down on her for a moment too long, admiring all her curves, just as Childe had when they'd had their last night together before Lumine had left him for Fontaine.

Ajax shakes his head, trying to snap himself out of it, before reaching in and turning the water off. Waking her up sounds like a bad idea right about now though...

He puts the curtain back in place, sits on the floor next to the tub and reaches his hand inside to shake her awake once more.]

Lumine. Wake up...

[ lumine wakes up for the third time that evening, shivering from the cold brought about by the water drying on her skin. it has a more sobering effect on her, flinching when she presses against the ice-cold porcelain of the tub. the only warm sensation she feels is the hand on her shoulder, trying to shake her awake.

ajax's hand. right. where was she again? ]

I'm awake, [ she groans, pushing his hand away and out of the vicinity of the tub, tugging the curtain back in its place. her head hurts, though, like she's just run headlong into a truck, and it's more than enough for the dizzy spell to remain. ]

Can you pass my clothes, please? Or the towel? Whichever is closest.

[Getting up, he grabs a towel for her to start and hands it through the curtain. Unsure if she's just going to pass out again, he waits for a second to talk.]

You know, you passed out in here for quite a while. You really are a master at making me worry.

[He looks at the clothes, her blouse was fine but her skirt...]

Hey, I'll be right back with some pants for you to wear. I don't think you'll want to put your skirt back on.

[It's also covered in vomit.]

[ lumine wordlessly takes the towel in her hands and starts wiping herself down, trying to ignore the fact that he might have seen her naked. not that it should matter since their counterparts have had sex and they were practically in the passenger seat in that dream, but it's still mortifying to think of the possibility.

she wraps herself up in the towel, walking over to the sink. her face still holds traces of her drunkenness earlier, her cheeks still flushed with colour but a little paler now.

what has even happened? and where is she? where did ajax bring her?

thinking too hard on it is just making her head hurt, lumine leaning against the cool surface of the glass to soothe the weird bump on her head. a moment later, she's cupping some water from the sink with her hands, rinsing her mouth with it. ]

I'm not drinking ever again ...

[He returns as she's talking to herself, setting the extra pair of sweatpants on the counter.]

Hahaha, yes, I don't think I'll let you drink that much again. It's been quite an adventure since you hit your head on the Statue of the Seven.

[It'll be a night to remember, for sure. It's not ending quite the way he'd of liked when she started kissing him like that, but the fact that she's okay now is more important to him.]

How do you feel? Probably sicker than a dog, I imagine.

[ sicker than a dog is the understatement of the century. and she hit her head on the statue of the seven? what?

there are some vague traces of their time earlier that evening: drinking at angel's share, walking across the bridge, taking a picture ... a picture she'll have to bury somewhere in her phone, to be hopefully forgotten forever. and something else, an incident on the couch in this room ...

she takes the sweatpants, slipping into them and pulling them up under the towel. it's easy enough for her, used to getting dressed in front of her twin brother. ]

Where am I? Is this the Grand Goth?

[ archons forbid they're staying in the same hotel as they did in wangshuu. what a problem that's going to be again. ]

Edited 2022-05-18 04:25 (UTC)

It is, [he answers, wondering why she's asked.]

Seems that you've at least got your wits about you now. Do you also have a room here?

[He, of course, is unaware that this might be a problem, because he doesn't know what kind of crazy stalker her brother is.]

[ pls, aether is not a crazy stalker. he's a very normal, protective brother. ]

I do ...

[ lumine moves towards her other clothes, wrinkling her nose at the smell. her blouse, at least, survived, unscathed. but she's pretty sure why that is. her underwear, on the other hand, especially her bra ... well, if she's in the hotel, she can easily just return to her room surreptitiously. ]

... I should probably go back to my room.

Before you do, I need to make sure of something.

[He's still a little worried. She's passed out on him three times now, he doesn't know what state she's in, or how sick she actually is. He walks up to her gently grabbing her chin so he can take a look at her.]

Let me take a look. [It's hard for him to focus too, because he's still drunk, but.] Your eyes are still pretty dilated, how is your stomach feeling? Do you still feel nauseous?

[ her face flushes even more when he suddenly takes her chin, his blue eyes unfocused while searching her expression. lumine lowers her gaze almost immediately when he points it out, biting her lip. ]

My head hurts, but I'm fine.

[ nauseous, a little. but she thinks she's drained her stomach of whatever they've eaten earlier that night. ]

... Don't worry.

Haha, easier said than done. If you feel like you may throw up again, you should tell me, and you should stay here. I'd feel pretty bad if something happened to you, and you've already passed out on me three times.

[The concern doesn't leave his eyes, but he certainly isn't going to stop her if she wants to go. Even if he wishes she would stay. He's just offering because he's worried- and because it would give her an excuse to spend the rest of the night with him.]

You could use the bed. I don't mind sleeping on the couch.

[ lumine can't tell if she's still drunk. a part of her seems to indicate that she still is, her consciousness a mess of thoughts and memories. like someone has just shoved her brain into a blender and then placed it back in her brain. another part of her is starting to sober up, recalling certain instances, reminders ...

there's a rejection prepared on the tip of her tongue, purposefully worded. she doesn't want to impose, for one. for another, the last thing she wants is for them to have another ridiculous vision. ]

The bed is big enough for the both of us ... [ she averts her gaze again, frowning. ] Do you have a shirt I can use instead?

I do indeed. One moment.

[He leaves, walking into the bedroom and rooting around in his suitcase for a spare shirt he'd packed just in case. Returning, he hands it to her, a soft worn v-neck that he generally wears around the house.]

I don't mind if you want to share the bed either. Actually, now that I think about it, that might be for the best in case you throw up in your sleep. If you're not opposed, that sounds like a good plan.

[He turns, to walk out so she can have some privacy to put her shirt on. All that's on his mind now is curling up with her in bed and finally getting some rest after the last hour of dealing with vomit and worrying about her. The world still spins a little whenever he turns his head, but once he's lying down, he's sure he'll be able to fall asleep, especially with her there.]

I'll be out here, just let me know what you decide.

[ she doesn't stop him from leaving, only waits until he's gone before she takes off the towel and pulls his shirt over his head. it's a lot bigger on her, the collar dipping a little low on her chest.

still, it's better than wearing her clothes, her blouse wrinkled beyond belief and her skirt a complete mess. lumine runs it under the sink, washing it with the complimentary bar soap from the hotel. she'll have to request for room service to have it laundered tomorrow.

it's several minutes later when she finally steps out of the bathroom, glancing around the room. ]

Where's my phone? I need to text Aether.

[ it's a little late already, but she did promise her twin she'll be regularly in touch with him while she's in mondstadt. he's probably worried already, waiting for her call or message. ]

[Looking up from his own phone, which he'd been browsing through social media as he waited for her, he glances around the room. He has no idea where her phone is.]

I put your purse on the table in front of the couch. If there's where you kept it, it should be in there.

[He doesn't ask why or what she needs to text Aether about, because it's really none of his business, returning to scrolling mindlessly through posts that don't matter much to him on his phone.]

[ she easily finds her purse, her phone safely tucked away inside of it. and of course, the first thing that greets lumine is their photo together, taken near the statue of the seven right before her unfortunate concussion. unfortunate indeed, she thinks, since she barely recalls anything during that time.

in any case, lumine momentarily perches herself on the edge of the couch, her hands and attention preoccupied with sending a message to aether. she can almost see her brother flinch at her text, always averted to being called out.

sorry i didn't message you. got caught up in something. thanks for ratting me out on ajax.

betrayed by her own twin. unbelievable. ]

I'll ... go to bed. [ she's exhausted beyond belief, her head feeling like it's been swimming in syrup. the bump doesn't help either. ] There's no point staying up late, I think.

Edited 2022-05-18 15:08 (UTC)

[He turns his phone off, standing up and stretching. The effects of the alcohol are starting to make him tired too, finding that it's becoming increasingly harder to keep his eyes open now that he'd been able to relax for a few minutes or so.]

Good idea. I'm getting sleepy myself.

[He stops to look at her, his eyes trailing downwards all the way to her feet. Ajax giggles at her, though it probably wouldn't be as funny had he been sober.]

My pants on you are comically long. Hahaha...

[Hopefully she doesn't trip on them, he thinks, amused. He begins walking into the bedroom, gesturing for her to follow.]

Let's get some rest, shall we?

[ he just has to call it out, doesn't he? and laugh at it, even.

lumine realises that the pants are definitely long, the ends of them sweeping the floor. but she didn't want to bend down and try to fold them, worried that she might tip over and pass out again. so she leaves it be, but she can now see what the problem is.

and the problem she's started to see comes into pass, tripping on the hem of the pants and bumping into ajax's back as she follows him into the bedroom. lumine quickly composes herself, rubbing her offended nose. ]

You just had to jinx it, don't you?

[ in any case, she walks past him, grumbling under her breath, and takes one side of the bed for her own. he can go to the other side, please, and occupy that. ]

[He feels himself get pushed forward as she bumps into him, quietly laughing to himself, hopefully not loud enough for her to notice in both of their drunken states. His unfocused eyes follow her as she rounds the bed, still smiling as he takes up residence on the other side, sliding under the sheets onto his side, facing her.

The world still spins around him, looking enamoured with her, the red flush on his face still present from drinking and finding himself in bed with Lumine.]

Sleep well, comrade.

[Heh. That name always had a nice ring to it, he thought. Maybe she'll let him call her that more...

His own thought is cut off as the alcohol finally takes its toll and he passes out, his mouth hanging open as Ajax breathes deeply in sleep.]

[ her body has always had an internal clock, forcing her to wake up early in the morning even on weekends and holidays. and that's how lumine stirs the next day, blinking the sleep out of her eyes, sunlight filtering through the gap between the curtains in the suite. perhaps the only difference from her usual morning is the fact that she's sleeping next to someone, her entire body pressed against something warm and very solid.

a part of her hazy mind tells her that it might be aether; her brother sometimes crawls into her bed, and they sleep as they used to when they were younger. but she's pretty sure that aether isn't solidly built like this and smelling like dandelion wine, cologne, and a faint scent of vomit. so no, this isn't aether at all.

lumine tries to squirm from ajax's arms, her face flushing red when she realises that something's poking at her stomach. ]

Ajax ... get off of me, [ she groans, pressing her hands against his chest to push him off. ] I can't breathe.

[It's unusual that he does wake right away at her insistence, being the light sleeper he generally is. But the heavy drinking the night before helps to make it exceptionally difficult to wake him up now, her pushing only serving to make him grasp her a little tighter so she can't get away. Ajax's eyes squeeze shut a little tighter, murmuring something in his sleep while she tries to get away.]

Mmmmmm...no...

[Almost as if he heard her and refuses. His expression changes, looking content as his head curls downward to rest on the top of hers, still happily asleep and looking as if he's not waking up that easily.]

[ his grip tightening on her, she would've chalked it up to him being asleep. dreaming, maybe, even. but that response? yep, he definitely heard her and definitely protested against her complaints. what a pain in the ass.

lumine tries to struggle a bit more, squirming and pushing him off of her, before she finds the scenery suddenly changing, shifting to one of the places in mondstadt city. she wonders if she'd finally escape him, before she realises that she didn't. not even, when this is a vision that's decided to grace them with its presence.

again, what a pain in the ass. ]

You know, if the Kaeya or any of the knights suddenly see you walking around—

[ lumine stops in her tracks, her sentence cut off, blinking twice when a single cecilia is suddenly held out to her. not that this hasn't happened before during windblume, people somehow recognising her as the traveler who saved the city, but the person offering it isn't someone from mondstadt.

or at least, not officially. the uniform, the mask—it all screams fatui, and a familiar one, at that. ]

Hello, Luke, [ she greets him with a smile, glancing tentatively at the harbinger next to her. ] Enjoying Windblume?

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