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]

[ stressful day that my sister helped you destress?

lumine lowers her gaze to her breakfast, nonchalantly cutting up the pancakes and shoving each piece into her mouth one after another. if she's busy eating, then her mouth should be discouraged from having to reply and address that comment from aether. after all, it's rude to talk with your mouth full, right? so yep, eating is the best way out of this mess right now.

she does glance at ajax, gesturing with her chin. maybe he should, you know, try to usher her twin brother somewhere else so they can talk about this. man to man, or whatever. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Yep. He caught that gesture from her, and he'll take that and try to give her some privacy. Having to act like she's just been caught by her father having sex with a boy is probably not a situation she really wants to deal with.]

Why don't we talk about this in the living room instead, Aether.

[Ajax stands, with his tray and food, and walks towards the door. At least Lumine can take care of herself while he takes care of matters downstairs. He gestures to his angry friend, trying to stay cheerful about this, and the two go downstairs.

Right before Ajax goes out of Lumine's view, he quickly turns and gives her a wave and a wink- he's got it, he'll clear this up.]

[traversal]

[ the moment the two are gone, lumine gets out of her bed, stretching her arms above her head. she honestly still feels sore, ajax having gotten the better of her last night, but it's nothing that a good, hot shower can soothe. at the very least, she doesn't have to deal with the both of them until she's done washing up and getting dressed.

passing by her open door, she can hear aether raise his voice, snippets of his ranting heard up to the second floor, no doubt scolding ajax. and while that's amusing in itself, lumine's pretty sure her lecture's coming up soon. if not by lunchtime, then her brother will probably facilitate it over dinner.

—my sister! she's not the type you sleep around with like your college—

—not included in what we agreed on when we spoke—

—in my own house—

fun, she thinks, as she slips into her bathroom with a laugh. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's not the first time Aether has scolded him, but it has been since college since he's done so. He tries to get a word in edgewise during his rant, but doesn't manage. He waits till he's finished, before speaking again.]

Before you go off again, hear me out.

[He quickly shoots a glance over to see if Lumine is there, before he lowers his voice. He doesn't want her to hear, because he's still unsure of everything himself.]

Listen, your sister...it's not like college. All those girls failed to interest me past a little fling, but...

[He sighs. How do you explain to an angry brother that your feelings might be influenced by a couple who lived over a thousand years ago? And that you're still working out who you even are anymore?]

...she's unlike anyone I've ever met. And I don't think it's unrequited either, alright? I'm sorry I didn't talk to you first about it. I'm still trying to figure some things out.

[He looks down at the ground, taking a deep breath. That was a lot.]

[traversal]

[ believing him is a bit of a challenge for aether, especially when he's more than aware of ajax's nature and proclivities. he's familiar with what he's interested in, with what he likes, and also, what gets him to lose interest. throw lumine and her unpredictable temperament into the mix and it's just a volatile pair that's eventually going to be the cause of his headaches for days, weeks and months to come.

see, this is why he's rarely mentioned her to any of his college friends. he's worried about this, even more so that this is ajax and his family is even more concerning than most families.

you couldn't have picked someone else? really? it has to be lumine?

when he's normally surrounded by girls, anyway? during his job and assignments, given his connections? aether looks like he's about to yell again before he just glares at him.

i don't approve of this relationship at all. it's dangerous for her, and you know it.

lumine lifts a brow at her twin brother's remark as she's leaning over the balustrade of the second floor walkway, watching the both of them talk. the shower was quick, painless—she can just take a longer bath later on when this circus is all over. ]

Huh, and here I thought you two were friends. [ she glances between ajax and aether. ] What's that saying, bros before hos?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He sighs as Aether scolds him again, lifting his hand to his head. He would have preferred his friend not find out about this until he had his mind sorted out, but here he was. Getting chewed in his living room for sleeping and having feelings for Aether's sister. Why is it he can plan an entire hit on someone's life but not be able to conceal this?

Ajax doesn't really answer when Aether says this is dangerous. He'd argue that it's far more dangerous for her not to be with him now, after what they've seen and what they know. But again, how does one explain that to him? He knows Lumine would rather keep it quiet, as Aether's knowledge may place him in just as much danger, if he wasn't already. He'd have to talk to her about that later, if she would allow Aether in on everything that's happening. It's not as if it doesn't involve him too, in some way.

Lumine's voice cutting through the tension gets him to lift his head, snorting at her remark. Archons, really...]

I don't know if you thought about that phrase before you used it, [he calls, teasing her a little.

Turning to Aether, keeping his voice down, he says:]

Will you at least believe me that keeping her safe means more to me than just protecting a relative of a friend of the family? I still have to get to the bottom of this, after all.

[traversal]

Oh, I thought about it well.

[ after all, lumine's heard very briefly and loudly about his escapades in college. not that her own twin brother is innocent in that regard; she's pretty sure aether has had his share of girls in his bed years ago. but seeing that ajax is part of the mafia, his family involved in seedy things, well ...

still, she's on the receiving end of aether's glare at that comment, lumine staring down back at him.

not helping. please stop flirting with him, lu. ]

If I wanted to flirt, I'd be down there and you'd be going hoarse yelling at me. [ she turns away from them to head back into her bedroom, waving a hand at them. ] Besides, if you're allowed to sleep with whoever you want, then I should be allowed to sleep with whoever I want.

[ that's not the point, lumine! also, i don't bring them here. in our home!

that is probably going to earn her an earful later, and an argument will definitely explode out of this mess. but then, aether just has to accept that sooner or later; she's not a kid anymore, after all. ]

Anyway, I'm heading to work in a bit. Ajax, don't leave your shirt here like a snake, please.

[monoceroscaeli]

I'll take care of it~

[He responds, smiling as he watches her go and disappear into her bedroom. He can't help but find that entire exchange amusing, how she's just sassed her own brother like that. But hey, is she wrong? Ajax doesn't think so. He sets his arms akimbo, looking back to Aether and grinning like an idiot.

She's kinda great like that, isn't she?]

Perhaps I should get going too. I'm surprised my phone isn't ringing off the hook with panicked calls about missing meetings with key clients. I'll be right back.

[Which is partly true, just...not for today. Clapping Aether on the shoulder, he starts climbing the stairs to retrieve his shirt from the bedroom. He knocks a few times on the door, before entering the room, spotting his shirt and swiping it up off the floor.]

He's going to give you a real earful later, isn't he.

[He looks to Lumine, apologetic- he hadn't meant to get her in trouble with her brother.]

[traversal]

[ lumine's standing in front of her mirror when ajax walks back in, inspecting the bitemarks he's left on her neck with a frown. there's only so much her makeup can do to hide those things, really. so she'll have to wear something less conspicuous for the next few days.

at his remark, she glances up at him on the mirror but she shrugs her shoulders and walks over to her closet. ]

I'll talk to him later. It's fine, don't worry about it.

[ aether's upset, she knows that. and she also knows that he's upset because the rug's been pulled out from underneath him. not that lumine expected this development, but she had hoped to break it gently to him eventually. it looks like she'll have to employ some other tactic to soothe her twin brother's ruffled feathers. ]

No guarantees he'll ever be thrilled by today.

[monoceroscaeli]

Yeah, I wasn't counting on it either...

[Finally he throws his shirt on, buttoning it up and smoothing it out a little, though it had sat in a crumpled pile all night. He'll have to go home anyway, so he gives up on it for the time being.]

I'll give you a call in a couple of days or so, okay? After we let our nerves settle for the time being. We've...got a lot to talk about.

[He smiles sadly at the floor, before moving on, pushing those feelings back with a brighter smile to cover it.]

And...perhaps we'll talk at my place instead, haha.

[traversal]

[ at his place ... ah, makes sense. with aether hanging around, and lumine's pretty sure he won't be going anywhere soon until this is sorted out, it might definitely be a good idea to not be seen together by him. the last thing she wants is for her twin brother to have an aneurysm; seeing him die once is stressful enough.

lumine gives him a nod, though. she can't say that a couple of days is enough to sort things out on her end, but she's always been good at pretending. ]

I'll see you when I see you, then.

[ who knows when that will be when they're both busy, when much of their meetings have always been coincidental. "coincidental", even though it's always felt like he's following her. annoying, but it's not entirely unsettling. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[His smile softens, and he steps over to her. Is it okay, to be close with her now even if they had been drinking again the night before? Even if half the reason why they're in this position to begin with is because of their extraordinary circumstances where she'd watched him die in her arms?

No, that she'd watched Childe die in Lumine's arms. It's getting harder to separate.

Despite those thoughts, he leans down to give her a soft kiss to her lips, before pulling back again and taking his leave.]

Take care of yourself, now. Don't let Aether's bark bother you too much, haha.

[With a wave of his hand, he leaves, heading downstairs to a still irritated brother who just wants Ajax gone out of his apartment.]

[traversal]

[ the kiss surprises her if only because, well, the thoughts running through her head are essentially similar. the events last night were undeniably influenced by the alcohol they've consumed and the vision they've seen. she'd call it a lapse in judgment, but she was pretty conscious of what was happening and she's made a conscious effort to kiss him back, to get him into her bed.

... well, she supposes she has two days to sort out her own feelings on the matter. if her own consciousness was simply unwittingly swayed by their collective deaths in the last vision.

lumine hears aether rant downstairs again as she's buttoning her blouse, carefully adjusting the collar the hide the hickeys. if her brother were to see those, he'd blow his gasket again. not good. might as well make peace with him for now before this all goes to hell. ]

Ae, just let the guy go. He probably has people to harass.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax is already halfway out the door, waving goodbye. He knows he needs to get outta there before Aether really lets him have it again, letting the door shut behind him as he hurries down to his car, hoping it didn't get towed in the middle of the night.

A few days later, as promised, Ajax calls her again. For the first time, he doesn't feel like she'll ignore him.]

Hey, Lumine, how have you been, [he begins when she picks up.]

I've got a question for you. Are you free this weekend?

[traversal]

[ the call comes at an inopportune time, with aether sitting from across her table, looking terribly constipated. even after hours and days, her brother has yet to figure out how to move on from the events a few days ago. then again, maybe it's also understandable why he's pissy, seeing the both of them looking so ... satisfied. ]

Hey ... [ she starts slowly, glancing at the one person who just might ruin this for them. ] This weekend? Why?

[ aah, aether tilts his head in question too. what's up with this weekend, is clearly written across his face, already expecting the person on the phone. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

There's a place I want to visit. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since well...

[He trails off. His voice sounds somber, as if he still had a lot on his mind and it wasn't the blossoming relationship between them.]

In Snezhnaya, there's a giant memorial for the fallen that's housed inside of our national cemetery. I think you can figure out why I'd want to go there. I thought you may have an interest as well, since...anyway.

[But, at least that's not all.]

There's also somewhere else I want to visit, but that can happen after the fact. Perhaps I'll get the opportunity to let you meet one of my older brothers who still lives in Snezhnaya.

[traversal]

[ there's a long pause on her end, almost thoughtful. but really, lumine's just staring at aether, trying to maintain a blank expression on her face. aether, on the other hand, is narrowing his eyes on her, prompting her to reply, so he can get more information as to what the conversation is all about.

her voice remains slow, careful. ]

You want me to meet your older brother? In Snezhnaya? [ she can aether's expression twisting, his eyes widening. isn't it too soon, is pretty much written across his face. ] ... I don't mind—

[ lumi! ]

But Aether might have something to say about me leaving for Snezhnaya this weekend, especially when he finds out that I'm going with you.

[ after all, she has no business in snezhnaya, and there's only one person she knows who's from snezhnaya. ajax should've seen this coming, right? ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Tell him we'll bring him back a souvenir or two.

[If part of the point of the trip wasn't because of visiting the cemetary, he'd of invited Aether to go along too- but it would be strange explaining that to him. He wonders if Lumine is sitting with Aether at this very second, so he chooses his words a little more wisely, and speaks a little louder.]

Also, tell him to not be too jealous. I'll plan a trip for all of us to go to a ski resort and various other places in November for a week before the temperatures drop too far. Surely that'll satiate him.

[He chuckles, hopefully loud enough for Aether to hear if he was with her.]

[traversal]

[ lumine's placed the call on speaker so aether can hear it, her face looking like she's about to laugh. aether's expression turns from annoyance to exasperation to deadpan at that remark from ajax. if looks could kill, her phone would've exploded already from the dark look her twin brother is sending its way.

there's no need for a souvenir if i'm joining the trip, is there? ]

You heard him ...

[ lumine tosses an exasperated look at her brother, who remains adamant about this. she has to talk to him again, it looks like it. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

So what you're trying to say that if it were the other way around, it would be perfectly acceptable for someone to invite themselves along on a trip that you planned they weren't invited to come on? Is that what I'm hearing?

[Ajax understood Aether's anger for having sex in his house. He gets it. It was a little disrespectful. He stood there and he endured the man's rant at him, but the mafia lord has a backbone. This doesn't fall under things Aether can impose himself on, and Ajax isn't going to hear it from him.]

Now, you can show up in Snezhnaya wherever and whenever you please. But it won't be because you are forcing me to take you with us.

Am I clear?

[traversal]

[ not the conversation she wants to be stuck in between.

true, that aether can't just impose himself on the both of them, especially when it doesn't involve him. but at the same time, she also can't fault her twin brother to be suspicious about this. and after their stunt at home, she's pretty sure that aether's going to be even more hardheaded about her going alone with ajax anywhere. the fact that ajax is digging his heels even more in this situation doesn't help.

lumine says nothing in response, simply pings her assistant to get her a cup of coffee. this will be a long day and she needs patience and a whole load of caffeine to deal with it.

don't worry, you won't have to pay for my flight tickets to and hotel room in snezhnaya, volkov. i can pay for mine and lumi's.

any plans of ajax inviting lumine to join him on a private plane trip, aether's dashing it to the ground. he did say he can show up whenever and wherever he pleases, so he's doing just that. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

You know, all I wanted was a nice weekend...

[Aether is starting to piss him off, and the light tone in his voice hides a layer of irritation. He's not really sure why he's talking to him about this anyway, he asked Lumine to go with him, not her father.]

Anyway, the point of the matter is that I invited her to accompany me this weekend, and now that she's said yes then that's the end of it. I've already made the arrangements for travel for two, we'll be leaving Friday evening and returning sometime Sunday, whenever time allows. I'm sure she'll be in contact with you the entire time, because it's not as if I'm confiscating her phone.

[He also wasn't sure when Lumine wasn't allowed to make her own decisions, but he holds his tongue on that because he's still his friend and he's her brother.]

Since that's settled, could I please speak to her now?

[traversal]

[ she hasn't said yes yet! ]

Exactly, Ae, [ lumine sighs as she takes a sip of her coffee, reverting the call back to handheld mode. this is already getting super messy and she just wants it to end already. ] I haven't said yes yet, so why are you planning on booking flights and hotel rooms already?

[ she shoots him a silencing look over the edge of her cup, and aether seethes wordlessly in his seat. honestly, he was totally okay with her to traveling with mondstadt alone; he even knew that ajax was there. and yet, he's being this pushy like a pissy cat now. ]

I'll have my assistant book a flight and accommodations to Snezhnaya for myself. I can meet you there on Saturday morning since I still have something to finish on Friday.

[ her gaze flickers over to aether. ] Is that acceptable?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He can tell by the way her voice sounds that he's no longer on speaker, already calmer because of it.]

Of course. If you'd like reimbursement for the inconvenience, I'll gladly pay it. Besides, [he laughs,] the flight and board was already set up anyway. It's all my own private transportation and residence, after all.

[He's glad she's taken the phone back. Any more back and forth with Aether was going to make him the pissy cat.]

I probably should of left this to you in the first place, huh? Sorry about everything.

[traversal]

[ he probably should've. and that bit about having everything prepared and planned already mentioned to aether—not a very effective way of convincing her brother that he's not up to no good. lumine sighs, once more tasked with the responsibility of appeasing her twin brother.

sometimes she wonders if ajax ever uses his head in certain circumstances. it doesn't seem like it. ]

And here I thought you knew better since you two are friends since college.

[ it's not like aether's drastically changed since then. he's still the same with the same temperament, same disposition. ajax needs to remember how he's used to dealing with him before. ]

Anything else I need to know?