Childe "I Can Make Her Worse" Tartaglia (
monoceroscaeli) wrote in
insurmountable2022-05-07 07:34 pm
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
Entry tags:
i'm dragging a heart that weighs a ton / holding out for not just anyone
[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.
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.
no subject
Hey, Anatoli, we've got some hot chocolate left, right? Would you grab her a cup to warm her hands on?
[Yeah, I'll be right back. He disappears briefly into the kitchen, returning with a cup and coming up to Lumine.
Looks like you handled Snezhnayan weather like a champ. Here. He hands her the cup once she's gotten her boots and coat off.]
no subject
your hands feel like ice, lu. she rolls her eyes. please, she can still handle the cold better than him. ]
Thanks, [ she offers a faint smile to anatoli, accepting the mug with her other hand. ] You don't feel the cold that much when you're walking and talking with someone, I think.
[ she turns back to her brother, looking at her like she's just gone insane. ] Don't worry, Ae. They just helped me get back here, nothing terrible.
no subject
Hey now, you're not stalling because you know you're going to lose all your cards, now are you? I can tell you're getting nervous.
[His eyes flash, challenging Aether to break his finger during this match- it's not over and Aether is winning.
Yeah, c'mon, I can tell your reaction time is slowing. I'm going to take your whole pile.]
Ah, see, Anatoli wants a piece of the action too. Don't keep him waiting.
no subject
[ lumine sends an earnest look and smile towards aether's way, giving him a slight nod. his worry is unsurprising; she did manage to give him the shock of a lifetime a few weeks ago. her brother gives it a beat, squeezing her hand gently, before he lets it go.
you're such a sore loser, volkov. no wonder you quickly folded when my sister challenged you.
she doesn't say anything to that, shifting her gaze at anywhere but ajax, as she takes a seat on the sofa. she leans back against the cushion, cradling the warm cup in her hands, and closes her eyes. ]
no subject
Let's go Aether, or else I'm going to steal some cards out of your pile for leaving them on the table unattended.
Ajax wears a frown on his face, sighing as Anatoli ushers the fellow blonde away.]
Hey, are you doing alright?
[He asks her, not because she was gone for a bit longer than he thought she'd be or because she'd met a stranger going for a walk, but more because she looks tired.]
You never got that nap. There's a spare bedroom upstairs, I can ask Anatoli to set it up for you, if it isn't already.
no subject
I'm fine, [ lumine replies quietly, sighing under her breath. ] The cold woke me up, so don't worry about it.
[ though the alcohol she's managed to drink from the cups of hot chocolate she's had is still sloshing inside of her. not as much as aether's, but still enough to keep her a little tipsy, even if it's not too obvious. ]
You should go back to your game.
no subject
No, it's alright. They don't need me to entertain themselves.
[He leans forward, letting his forearms fall onto his legs while he looks over at her, his hair falling into his eyes forcing him to push it back to no avail.]
What's up? Did something happen on your walk?
no subject
I just took a wrong turn while walking and someone helped me out.
[ she omits a few things like how she panicked for one long moment, getting herself even more lost in the streets of morepesok. or how she stumbled into a group of wharf-workers on their way back who tried to catcall her and she managed to flip them over when her anemo element went berserk for a split-second during that instance. or how she slipped and fell on ice in the sidewalk, her coat bearing dirt marks if one looks at it closely.
ajax doesn't need to know any of those. aether doesn't need to know any of those. ]
That's it.
no subject
Your hands are like ice. Here.
[He reaches to press both his hands over the top of hers, letting the hot mug and the warmth from his own hands warm hers.]
The cold has always been one of our greatest foes in Snezhnaya- one can never be too complacent or they'll find themselves freezing to death in its grip. Or, in your case, freezing their fingers off.
[He should have lent her his gloves, but he didn't think about it before she left. Lesson learned.]
no subject
the other part of her, the one that seems to resonate with the past lumine so much, refuses to. keeps her hands right there, even shifting so their fingers can momentarily tangle. ]
And I won't be able to use that gun you gave me, I know. [ lumine glances up at him before she lowers her eyes again. ] ... I know, Ajax.
no subject
But in some ways, he wonders if it's already too late for that, given how easily he just took her hands in his own.]
Haha, I suppose you've learned this hard truth first hand.
[He nuzzles her head, wanting to get her to look up at him. He's not sure if it's him, or if it was their day out today or just the walk that's making her seem so reserved right now. Maybe it was all of it combined.]
I'm just glad you managed to make it back safely. We were about to come find you right as you came back.
no subject
Aether's idea? [ she quietly asks, her eyes flickering to his face once more. ] I'm surprised he hadn't herded you out the door even before then.
[ her brother, the worrywart, overprotective and overly clingy despite leaving her in fontaine for weeks at a time. people probably think it's excessive for an older brother, but she can't blame him when all of his worries stem from her recent actions. and as twins, they've always been deeply connected more than most siblings.
ajax is leaning in so close that she wonders how he'll explain this if aether (or anatoli) suddenly shows up in the living room. well ... that's his funeral, she supposes. ]
no subject
He tried. I told him to give it another ten minutes. I understand his worry, truly- but I know you can take care of yourself too. There's no reason to be rushing out the door after fifteen minutes.
[They need to be on guard, that's true. But he agrees with Lumine's sentiment on life, they should still be able to live it despite the circumstances. They just need to be prepared.
He lifts one hand to check her hand. It feels warmer, at least he thinks so.]
You should rest. It's been a big day for the both of us. Heh, I could fall asleep right here.
[Even he can't deny how tired he felt, now with all the alcohol he's drank and the activities of the day wearing on him. He looks tired too, the folds around his eyes drooping as he fights exhaustion off.]
no subject
Don't you have a game you're losing to Aether?
[ and as if on cue, she hears the drunken frustrated yell of her twin brother from the kitchen and a loud one more time! follows in its wake. looks like anatoli's one-upping him over whatever game they're currently playing. ]
I can rest here by myself. [ which is her way of saying that he's free to leave her here, she can play well alone. ] Go on.
no subject
I could go, but card games are hardly something I fret too much about when it comes to winning and losing. In fact, ultimately, it doesn't actually matter terribly to me whether I win or lose anything at all, as long as I've learned something along the way. Besides...
[He sinks back into the couch, letting his hands fall from hers, only to let his arm snake back between the couch and her back, tugging lightly on her to lean into him. He's letting his whims get the better of him again, that haze still residing on the edges of his vision.]
I'm far more comfortable here right now. Rest with me, if not for a moment.
no subject
but a moment later, lumine relents and leans against him, the cup of hot chocolate still cradled in her hands, kept from spilling over. her eyes close, a quiet sigh leaving her lips.
her counterpart used to sit against childe like this too in the past, often with paimon on her lap. it's the moment of peace, the moment of respite they'd always needed in the middle of their adventures before they're forced to take upon the world on their shoulders once more. and lumine's glad she's able to relive it once more, to spend time again with ... ]
Childe ... [ she finds herself murmuring, almost like a content sigh. ]
no subject
Childe, she murmurs.
That same haze creeps up farther, his mind sliding down that slippery slope he'd been on for months now, a little deeper down. There's a small instant of panic that fills his chest, his heart beating a little harder while feelings of allure and captivation grip him as he stares down at her. A little wildness, a little cockiness augment him, and he can't stop it despite his mind trying to keep that barrier in place.]
Lumine...
[His free hand moves to thread his fingers in her hair, being careful not to disturb the flowers that sit so nicely in her hair. She looks just like he remembers, from the day he first saw her at the Rite of Descension to now...]
I've missed this, [he says without thinking, his eyes closing as he lets his head rest against hers. Little does he know, there's a presence behind them...]
no subject
right. ]
I've missed you, [ the words spill out of her lips, an almost inaudible murmur that's only meant for him and only him. the time they've been apart, the moments she was alone ...
but even before lumine could allow herself to ponder the words that she's just said, her eyes flash open at the sensation of a hand on her face. almost immediately, she looks up and meets her brother's dark expression, his eyes seemingly dead as he looks down on the two of them.
aren't you two sitting too close for comfort?
aether's hand is pushing their faces away from each other, looking terrible annoyed by this. she doesn't think it helps that he's also probably drunk, the colour on his cheeks quite bright. this isn't going to end well, she can tell.
get your face away from my sister's, volkov! ]
no subject
But reality is a cruel mistress, and Ajax's eyes suddenly snap open at the sound of Aether's voice behind them and the force behind the hand that pushes his head off of hers. He feels his temper instantly break, and he shoots Aether a dangerous look that drips of poison and anger.]
Are you picking a fight with me, Viator?
[That wildness he's just inherited flashes in his eyes, his patience of Aether calling him by his last name finally wearing out. He doesn't want to lose a friend simply because he's taken an interest in his sister, but this is just...
Hey, hey, stop it you two. Aether, did you really have to lay hands on them? Settle down.
Anatoli, not wanting a fight to break out in his own house, is trying to settle the situation. He shoots Aether a glare, before giving Ajax a look too- don't do this in his house.
If you really need to fight each other, go outside and freeze to death while doing it.
Ajax huffs, backing down. He won't ruin this for his brother, as he's a guest in his house.]
Fine. But don't touch me like that again, Aether. It won't go so well for you next time.
no subject
her gaze flickers at anatoli, sending him an apologetic look on behalf of her twin while rubbing aether's back, soothing his ruffled feathers. he's managed to get himself well in his cups, the idiot, and he'll no doubt regret this in the morning, even if he's upset about ajax. ]
Sorry, Anatoli. Can we borrow one of your rooms? I'll take him back to his hotel after he's sobered up a bit ... [ she's seen a few cabs outside during her walk. surely, one of those can take them back to the capital.
lumine hears him whine against her neck, grumbling something about ajax and her hooking up, how it's a betrayal of him. she presses her lips against his temple, sighing softly. ] ... You're drunk, Ae. I told you not to drink too much.
no subject
Anatoli nods to Lumine, gesturing towards the stairs that leads to a few guest bedrooms he has ready in case a relative pops by outside of large gatherings that take place at the family home.
I've got a few spare bedrooms upstairs. If you two need a minute, feel free to use one. Ajax and I can hang out down here for a bit.
Meanwhile, Ajax has already taken his phone out, angrily looking at something on it to try to take his mind off of what just happened, and so he doesn't have to look at Aether for the moment.]
no subject
I can't drag you there, Aether ... You're too heavy.
[ the climb to the second floor is at least uneventful, lumine only groaning a few dozen times whenever aether would grab at her for another hug, whine about having to deal with this (just imagine what she has to deal with, she almost says), or stumble from inebriation. but they finally find a bedroom, one that she closes behind her before sitting her brother on the bed.
for the first time since spilling her drink, though, she can feel the warm chocolate sticking to her skin, the sweet cloying scent overwhelming. it's annoying, and to think she left her bag at the hotel. ]
Aren't you being too belligerent about this, Ae? [ she asks him with another sigh, cupping her brother's face as she sits next to him. his cheeks are warm against her fingers, tinged red from the alcohol. ] You're not like this with all the other guys I've dated before, even when you're drunk ...
[ he responds with another whine, another slump of his body against hers. aether buries his head against his shoulder.
they're not ajax, that's why. and he lists all of his reasons why he disapproves of him, why he disapproves of this, until his head finally lolls against her, a snore punctuating his list of complaints. honestly.
lumine slips down the staircase after several minutes, pausing on one of the steps to address anatoli. ] ... I'll also borrow your bathroom, if you don't mind.
no subject
Sure, whatever you need to do. Sorry about everything, Lumine.]
Hey, Lumine, [Ajax calls for her, before she can leave.] Do you have a second? Can I talk to you in the kitchen?
[He can see the stain on her dress now, frowning about that. It should have never came to all this, he thinks as he gets up from the couch.]
no subject
she's a little embarrassed as well that things have turned out this way, especially in a house that's not theirs, to begin with. and while she knows that aether's a friend to ajax and anatoli, well ... this is still an imposition on their part. she'll have to talk to her twin about this again.
she follows him into the kitchen, trying her best to ignore the growing stain on her clothes. ]
... I'm sorry about the mess, [ she starts quietly, looking up at ajax. ] I'll get Aether out the moment he wakes up.
no subject
[He looks over to the side, sighing, before forcing himself to look back at her. He shouldn't of lost his temper, like that, but here he is.]
I know that'll probably only make things difficult for you later with him. Will you call me when you get the chance? I don't want to text you only to have Aether somehow see it and get angry all over again. I see how he gets about this kind of stuff.
[He looks genuinely apologetic, even if there's a part of him that still wants to punch Aether in the face for touching him like that.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...