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

[ there's a moment when she hesitates, her entire body stiffening when she feels him tug her closer. she can still hear aether shouting from the kitchen, anatoli's laughter underlining her twin brother's growing frustration.

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. ]

[She feels warm against him, despite the adventure she'd just had out in the cold. Ajax can feel his body relax and melt with her up against him, a memory of long ago filling his mind with Lumine resting against him in the same way. His eyelids droop, looking down at her with a strange longing that bubbles up from his center.

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...]

[ lumine leans against the hand in her hair, the air in her lungs leaving as another sigh, another sound of contentment. even without opening her eyes, she can feel him right next to her, his warmth emanating from his skin, melting away the cold that's seeped in from her walk outside. it's comforting, soothing—it feels like home.

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! ]

Edited 2022-06-05 03:04 (UTC)

[Her words cut through him deeper than he could have ever imagined, the ache in his heart that radiates through him from being separated from her for so long makes his breath shudder with a strange mix of happiness and sadness. He missed her too, and he opens his mouth to tell her how much he'd also missed her and how much he loved her, how happy he was to finally have her back in his arms...

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.

Edited 2022-06-05 03:22 (UTC)

[ the exchange has a more sobering effect than a cold shower, lumine quickly pulling away from ajax and jumping up to hold her brother back. in the process, she spills the hot chocolate on her dress, the dark liquid staining the fabric. but it doesn't even matter that moment as she's more concerned about keeping this from escalating, her arms wrapping around her brother and pulling him to a hug.

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.

[Ajax only sits back into the couch once more, folding his arms as Lumine tries to soothe her brother. He's got nothing more to say right now, and he's sure if he does Aether will only snap back at him. Guess he's left to text messages at this point.

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.]

[ lumine offers him a grateful smile before she pats aether's shoulder and coaxes him to walk upstairs. ]

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.

[Anatoli gets up off the couch when she comes down, and Ajax looks up at her, having calmed himself from the conflict between himself and her brother.

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.]

[ lumine hesitates for a bit, glancing over her shoulder, before she gives him a slight nod and slowly goes downstairs. aether conked out anyway, and she's pretty sure her brother won't be getting up anytime soon, not when he's had a lot to drink.

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.

There's no need to apologize, [he replies quickly,] I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for trying to pick a fight with your brother.

[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.]

[ she nods wordlessly, uncertain what else to say in response. more than the memories, the visions, her sudden acquisition of the statue's powers, this is what she's been dreading. granted lumine didn't expect her brother to react so strongly against the both of them, but she also thought that he'd take this with more grace.

lumine also can't blame him for his reasons for being upset. ]

I think you should also talk to him when this all calms down, [ she tells him firmly, meeting his gaze. ] And without me around. I don't want Aether to lose a friend because of me.

[ because it seems like that's what her brother fears too. not just losing lumine—which is impossible, to begin with—but losing ajax. it's stupid and she would've hit him upside the head if he was sober, but it's also understandable. after all, he was ajax's friend first; she can only imagine how hurt he must've felt after seeing them together, even if it was unintentional. ]

... I'm sorry again.

Hey.

[He steps inward, to wrap his arms around her and giving her a firm hug before stepping back again and letting his hands fall on her shoulders.]

I'll talk to him. I'm not interested in losing a friend either, we have a lot of good memories together. I just didn't think he'd be so angry with me about it. Maybe he thinks I'm going to hurt you, or get you into trouble...

[His voice trails off, because they're all in trouble, when he thinks about it. But not because of him.]

Anyway, I get where he's coming from, he's just looking out for you after all. I just think he's being a little too overprotective, given his own involvement with me and my family. But I can't blame him, either. Try not to worry about it too much, and do your best to endure those lectures of his. I'm going to get one too from him, though I don't know what reassurances I can offer to him at this point...

[He squeezes one of her shoulders, sighing as he looks down at the ground again for a short moment.]

We'll figure it out. Everything's worked out for us so far.

I think ... [ they should probably stop seeing each other for a while. if it'll soothe her twin, keep him from becoming too aggravated over this, carry on with whatever peace they have at the moment. it'll all die down if aether doesn't see them together often, knowing her brother.

but her breath catches in her throat, the words following it also dying in its wake. she can feel her chest tighten sharply, her heart squeezed hard. instead, she simply takes a step back from him and gives him another nod. ]

I'll take care of the other statues, don't worry.

[ she can find certain places where she won't attract a crowd, where the statue isn't too much of a centralised spot where people gather. she knows there's a few in liyue and fontaine, same with inazuma when she's last gone there. as for the others, she could always look it up. ]

... And then, I'll let you know if there's any progress on that end.

Okay.

[That's a simple enough arrangement that's easy to agree to. He nods too, smiling though he would worry if everything will be okay if she's there by herself. But she's a big girl, and if she allows him to help train her how to defend herself more effectively, she'll be fine. Just like her counterpart.]

I'll try to get a lead on our divine stalkers. If they're hiring goons to grab you, we'll be able to find them.

[Having an underground network doesn't hurt.]

Don't hesitate to ask for help if things go sideways or if you anticipate issues. When we get back to Fontaine, we can talk more. I...

[It's not that he doesn't want to address it, but perhaps here and now isn't a good time. Ajax's mouth thins, pausing while internally debating with himself if he wants to say it out loud, but it wouldn't surprise him if she already knows what he wants to say.]

[ there are a lot of things that could follow that broken trail of words, things that she'd rather not address at this time. whatever happened earlier, whatever words she's managed to recklessly utter in the heat of the moment earlier, drawn up by uncertain and unclear feelings as lines begin to blur ... lumine doesn't feel very confident trying to explain it.

so she'd really rather not. she doesn't think ajax would appreciate anything halfhearted nor does she think her counterpart deserves such, either. ]

I should go, [ she says quickly, gesturing at the front of her dress. at this rate, the stain will remain and there's no way she can save this dress. ] I still need to clean up and then wake Aether. It's getting late.

[ it's a terrible excuse, but she uses it to her advantage anyway to get out of this conversation, slipping out of the kitchen as quickly as she can and rushing up the staircase without glancing at anatoli. her hand starts shaking aether's shoulder gently when she gets to the bedroom, trying to wake her brother up. ]

Ae, time to get up. C'mon.

[ she's pretty sure the hotel does dry cleaning, so she can just have her clothes fixed there. the twins will emerge ten minutes later, aether still looking half-asleep with lumine holding his hand. ]

[In a way, he's grateful for her quick departure upstairs. It may be because of the alcohol loosening his lips, but he wasn't ready to address that either. So he walks out of the kitchen, offering Anatoli a weak smile before settling back on the couch, running his hand through his hair. His brother joins him, giving him a look of concern.

You look like you've been through the wringer, Ajax.]

I have. I wish I could tell you the details. But you know how that goes.

[Anatoli knows that that could mean a lot of things- the family business, most likely, or something else that his brother still can't share with him. Something that involves the twins.

You know you can ask if you need anything.]

Thanks, Anatoli. I'll hold you to it, haha.

[Lumine and Aether appear, and Anatoli stands to greet them.

Going, then? Did you already call a cab?]

[ lumine blinks at the question, cursing herself inwardly for having very slow reaction time that evening. maybe she should've done that first before waking aether up, if only to ensure that her brother doesn't spend too long waiting and potentially realising that ajax is still there. ]

... We'll probably just walk up to the main road and hail one. It'll also help Aether wake up.

[ she turns to her brother, pulling his coat over his shoulders and wrapping his scarf around his neck like a mother preparing her child to go to school in the morning. she doesn't want to risk aether starting a fight while he's still inebriated.

lumi ... ] Ae, help me put your shoes on, please. There we go.

[ she sends a tight smile once more to ajax's older brother, once more apologetic, as she herself puts on her coat and scarf and ushers her twin to the door. ] Thank you for your hospitality tonight, and I'm sorry again for my brother. Have a good night, you two.

[Anatoli opens the door for them, and Ajax only looks on while they leave. He doesn't want his voice to even be heard while Aether is around, half asleep. Looks like the guy doesn't handle his liquor nearly as well as he used to, but then they don't exactly get the chance to get together and drink anymore. When the door shuts, his brother looks over to Ajax, sighing.

I hope you can figure this out, Ajax. That was the most unpleasant experience I've ever had with Aether.]

I will. I will.

[He rubs his forehead, wondering on what to do next- he'll clearly contact Lumine, but not for the remainder of this trip, save maybe for a text she'll receive later.]

Did you get home okay?

[ the remainder of the trip was at least quiet for the twins, aether's hangover managing to keep him subdued until and after their flight home.

once again, lumine needed a round of reassurances to keep her twin brother soothed and pacified; hearing his complaints while he was drunk helped, somewhat. at least, now she knows what he's worried about and what she needs to say to alleviate his concerns. honestly though, she wants to tell him that he doesn't have to worry, that her feelings are still on the fence.

... probably even falling off of it if this goes on.

in any case, her brother is a little less angry about it now. somewhat. kind of, though it's sometimes hard to predict his temperament. ]

Yes, we're fine. Thanks for asking.

Good. How is Aether? Did he get sick on the flight home?

[Given the inevitability of a hangover, he sure wouldn't want to be on a fight home feeling like that. Ajax himself doesn't feel all that great, given the events of the night before and with his own hangover, but Aether sounded like he drank a little more than he did...]

He slept the entire time. He's skipping work. I hope you can send my apologies again to your brother.

[ she'll try to send to him a gift basket later on for the trouble ... ]

Anatoli will be fine. He said something along the lines of what you've asked of me. If I do that, then he'll accept that in lieu of any apology offered.

[After all, the problem existed between Aether and Ajax, and he did say he would talk to him about it.]

I suppose I should wait a few days until he's better. I won't let it sit and fester, Lumine.

Okay, thanks. I'll also tell Aether to reach out to you.

[ this honestly can't go on between them. and if she has to sacrifice something, then she will if that will get them to reconcile. ]

Thanks.

[With Lumine's persistence, maybe he can smooth things out with his friend. It won't be a fun conversation, but it's necessary.]

In the meantime, I'll see you for self-defense lessons. I hope you'll come to enjoy it as much as I do.

[ ..................... wait ]

I don't remember agreeing to this yet.

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