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]

Just because I don't enjoy doesn't mean I can't hit you. Again, worthwhile cause.

[monoceroscaeli]

Alright, it's a date then. ^^

Text me when you can make it. I'll make sure I have it open for you whenever you're free.

[traversal]

[ she doesn't text him for an entire week, mostly because that entire week was spent catching up on work that aether's managed to put off while he was on "medical leave". or more like, a leave to mend his bruised ego and get all of his madness out of his system. it's a little exasperating, but lumine supposes that aether needed it, and by the time he's returned to work a few days later, he's back to his old chipper ways.

when she finally does text ajax, it's a simple date and time.

the excuse she gives to aether is pretty generic: she's meeting up with friends after work, she might be late, he can have dinner by himself, she promises to contact him. her brother is a little hesitant about that, but eventually lets it go.

she doesn't go inside the rundown building, however, sitting inside her car. a few individuals exiting the place turned in her direction warily, no doubt wondering who she is, and there were some who even approached her car. but she ignores all of them (or at least, pretends to ignore all of them), reviewing her work for the day.

... maybe this was a bad idea after all. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[She doesn't have to wait terribly long. Ajax's car pulls up, and any suspicions that any of the Volkov's men had about the strange woman sitting in her car dissipates. The boss's son is here, and he doesn't show up for no reason. They disappear themselves, either leaving or going inside to start their own training for the day.

Last thing they need is Ajax thinking they were doing something to the girl in the car.

Ajax gets out of his car, shouldering a backpack as he strides over to her car to tap lightly on the window since she seems to be reviewing some documents. Once he gets her attention, he waves a hand, looking happy to see her.]

[traversal]

[ lumine looks up from her paperwork before she sets it aside, piling her other things on top of it. it's not too important, really, nothing that would cause their company or another brand to spiral into a collapse, but it's also something she doesn't want to leave behind. in any case, she steps out of the car and walks around to meet him, heels sinking into the gravel.

maybe she should've at least changed into ballet flats, but she also left the office without too much of a thought. the last thing she wants is for aether to hijack her and make an excuse about something. ]

One hour, right? That's all I gave Aether as a timeframe.

[monoceroscaeli]

Yeah. But...

[He gives her a look up and down as she gets out of the car. Heels, work clothes, and no bag? Nothing? He wonders if she misunderstood as to what they were doing today. He looks at her with mild worry.]

Did you bring anything else to change into? Or did you want to make this as difficult as possible on yourself?

[Workout clothes????]

[traversal]

What?

[ lumine stares back at him before she looks down on her clothes. what?? does she look out of place? it certainly doesn't seem so, when she's seen men step out of that building in suits and business casual attires. she didn't exactly she'd be required to dress up just because she needed to practice using her powers. ]

Why? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?

[monoceroscaeli]

Normally, nothing at all. But we're going to be down there training, so I thought you would have at least brought some sneakers and some workout clothing.

[He begins to lead her inside anyway, because he supposes he can make it work somehow. He can't do anything about her shoes, but maybe he's got an extra pair of shorts in his bag...]

Though, I guess you could train in that, if you don't mind getting your clothes a little scuffed up, haha.

[traversal]

[ lumine can feel various eyes on her, the number of people in the building seemingly more than when she first came here. then again, she's a complete stranger, after all, and it wouldn't surprise her if they find her suspicious, given the remoteness of the place. even if she's technically with ajax.

she follows him deeper into the building, her heels clicking against the concrete floor. ]

I normally don't go out in sneakers and workout clothing, if you haven't noticed it yet.

[ to the gym, maybe. sure. but would someone really try to abduct or attack her in the gym? where there's people around? it doesn't seem like it. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Well, for the future, just bring your gym bag so you can train in something a little more comfortable. I may have an extra pair of shorts in my bag for the time being that we can see if you fit into.

[Leading her down the stairs and past the firing range, he immediately heads towards the door that leads to the training rooms. There's a door their left, at the end of the corridor, about twenty feet away. He indicates it to her, as he begins to search for said shorts. Procuring them, he hands them to her, walking to the door.]

There's changing rooms in here. Try them on, I need to change myself. If they don't fit, we'll...figure something out.

[traversal]

[ she doesn't exactly have a choice but to accept the pair of shorts when he handed it to her, her gaze landing on it like she's been given something questionable. and it isn't that she doesn't appreciate it; she does since he seems to be quite concerned about her current outfit while training.

but at the same time, lumine doesn't see how this is something more comfortable to wear. especially when it seems like it's a lot bigger on her than what she's wearing at the moment.

in any case, she changes out of her skirt in the meantime, pulling on the shorts and finding it way too loose even after folding the waistband a few times. it sits slack on her hips, threatening to fall any moment. with one move, it can easily fall down, which is going to be mortifying and just terrible. ]

... Figure this out, then, Ajax, [ she gripes at him, neatly folding her skirt and setting it aside. ] Do you have a safety pin?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He emerges wearing a tank top and a baggy pair of sweatpants, with sneakers to match. He looks at her, his lips thinning, because he sees her point.]

I think there's some in the other room. Hold on for one moment.

[He goes back through the door into where the range is, rummaging around where they have their holsters and safety equipment before returning. He holds up a fairly large safety pin, handing it to her.]

I think that should be big enough. Here.

[traversal]

[ the pin works. somewhat. it certainly holds the thing together in place, but it's only a matter of time if it pops open because he's decided to make her do something. but beggars can't be choosers, and lumine has no other choice; she can either wear her skirt or wear this. ... though she admittedly still has half a mind to change back into her skirt, if only because that's a little more comfortable for her. ]

I feel like ripping a slit on my skirt would work just as well ...

[ it would've been a waste of her skirt, but she has far too many skirts anyway. disposing one for this reason isn't really going to bother her that much.

lumine does start unbuttoning her blouse once she's done fixing the waistband of her shorts, revealing a thin white camisole inside. seeing that he's too concerned over her clothes, then she might as well get this out of the way, then. ]

We could've just postponed this session and practiced shooting instead, you know. Since I'm not dressed properly.

[monoceroscaeli]

We could have. But it seems we've managed regardless, haha.

[He begins to walk down to one of the training rooms, being mindful to not go into the one that they'd had the vision of their battle against the gods. He doesn't want to inflict that pain on her or himself again. It's already hard on him when he thinks back to it, as they pass that room to the next one.]

Besides, I don't think you'll need much training there anyway, if those head shots are any indication. What's more important now is getting a handle on your anemo powers, and using them in tandem with your cryo ones. Plus, a little hand to hand combat on the side.

[His eyes flash, since this is going to be fun.]

So, what strikes your fancy right now? Learning to blast me into a wall? Or learning to disarm someone with a knife?

[traversal]

[ she's been trying not to think about it at all since that day. which is a challenge in itself when she's woken up to nightmares about it, found herself lying in her bed awake, dreading having to fall asleep and see it in her dreams. it's only gotten better recently when they've last seen their counterparts. still, it lingers at the back of her mind, tucked away behind a door that can, at any time, be opened.

lumine steps inside the training room after him, closing the door behind them. it gives her a moment to compose herself and her expression at his ... ridiculous question. really? ]

... How about we start by learning how to use my powers first?

[ seeing that he's already suggesting something a little bit beyond her at the moment. perhaps they should start with the basic of basics in this supposed training. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

That's a good place to start as any. Okay.

[Guess they need to start with the basics. Last time, she could barely separate her anemo powers from her cryo vision, so he supposes that's a good place to focus on.]

Have you tried to use your anemo powers again? I think trying to summon them should be our jump off point. Don't be afraid to let it loose, you're not going to hurt me. I've dealt with all sorts of vision users, so anything you can do I can handle.

[traversal]

[ given the circumstances, there shouldn't have been any reason for her to change clothes. surely, summoning any one of the elements shouldn't rip her clothes apart or destroy it. but whatever, they're at this point where there's no turning back. ]

Yes, [ she replies, only to catch herself a moment later. ] I mean, no ... I guess it's not really considered when it's an accident.

[ back in snezhnaya, but she doesn't elaborate on it further. he doesn't need to know after that mess in his brother's home. ]

I've been too busy to try and summon it.

[monoceroscaeli]

Well, here's your opportunity to, and safely.

[After all, this room is built for this, but she already knows that. He stands there, his hydro shield at the ready to be summoned in case her powers go berserk or anything.]

Go ahead. Try focusing on your core the same way you did last time, since that seemed to work.

[traversal]

[ lumine takes a step back from him until she manages to reach the door again. even with his shield or power or whatever, there's no telling if it would even be able to parry her own powers. so stepping away from him is a good first step.

she closes her eyes again to try to remember what she did last time before it all went haywire and crazy on her. she holds out a hand right in front of her to see if she can summon it small first. ]

... Is it working?

[ nope, it's not. she can't feel anything at least. no air, no wind. nothing. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Haha, not quite.

[She got it to work last time. And she accidentally used it? He wonders what happened there.]

Visualize it again, when you did that, the wind responded to you. Or perhaps, focus on using it, like you're bringing the gentle winds of Mondstadt right into this room. The Anemo Archon embodies the ideal of freedom- so let the wind freely flow from you around us.

[He stands ready again, waiting to see if she's able to summon it on her own.]

[traversal]

[ visualise it again. as if she wasn't doing that in the first place. lumine wonders if she'd inwardly suppressed those powers, unwilling to be tied down by the past or whatever it is that's still plaguing them. but now that it's needed, shouldn't it respond to her more? she closes her eyes again.

she remembers the winds of mondstadt, gentle and cool and warm at the same time. the same winds welcomed her when she first woke up in teyvat, lost and alone. it's a memory that she's never had until now, conflicting with her memories of her childhood with aether. and yet she accepts it, welcomes it like a long-lost friend.

the wind will always protect you.

lumine opens her eyes to see a ball of wind swirling in her palm, creating a vacuum that seems to pull in little bits of debris into its centre. she tries to pour a bit more energy into it, as she normally would with her vision, the air current growing until it starts to whip around her, slowly turning into a whirlwind surrounding her. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[On his end, knowing that she was doing this without a vision was an incredible sight.

The slow build of anemo energy in her palm makes his eyes widen with wonder, and even when she opens her eyes the wind doesn't die down as it did previously. Ajax can only be a spectator to the wind that begins to whip around the room with her as its eye, his hair beginning to flutter about his eyes as it builds.]

Incredible...

[He looks like a child, marveled by it, but still on guard in case that whirlwind gets out of hand.]

Launch it at me!

[He yells, at the ready. His blades appear in his hands, for the first time outside of the meeting with Childe and Lumine, excitement in his eyes.]

[traversal]

[ launch it at him, he says. what an idiot.

and yet, a part of her knows that he'll be able to parry this one without effort. they've fought like this before, thousands of years ago, his bloodlust feeding into his movements as he matches her step for step. like a dance, she absently thinks. her counterpart had always kept him on his toes, kept him entertained.

so why shouldn't she do the same?

lumine lifts her other hand, fingers seemingly brushing against the winds until snowflakes begin to form. cryo energy feeds into anemo, the tornado swirling ice. it only takes a few seconds before she launches the cryo whirlwind towards him as requested, a grin tugging at her lips. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[A hydro shield finally appears to surround him as the whirlwind slams into it, Ajax gritting his teeth as he fights to keep his elemental power intact as ice races across the shield. His hair whips in every direction, and he can feel how the shield is slowly starting to crack under the pressure of both elements raging against it.

It pushes him backwards, the ice finally stopping the flowing water of his vision for the shield to finally break, and Ajax feels his feet leave the ground as it picks him up and slams him up against the back wall. Frost forms on his skin, and the blow nearly knocks the wind out of him as the whirlwind dissipates, leaving him in a heap on the ground staring back at her.

And he starts laughing, pure joy erupting from him.]

Lumine! What a show, marvelous! I had no idea your powers were already that strong! Hahahahaha!

[He picks himself up slowly from the ground, brushing ice off of him. As he walks over to her, he can't help but shiver a little- but he's used to it.]

[traversal]

[ it's an exhilarating feeling, something she's never felt before even with her vision. it's strange but familiar at the same time, the power coursing through her as if she's had it all along. everything is instinctive, natural. terrifying. lumine glances down at her hand, snowflakes seemingly falling from her fingers.

his laughter doesn't help, clearly delighted at her show of power. it's unnerving, to say the least. ]

I wouldn't call it my power ...

[ because it sure feels hers and not hers at the same time. no doubt it's the other lumine's ability passed onto her, understanding how she might've controlled the elements by now. she's not from this world, after all.

when he walks closer, she reaches out for his hands, fingers wrapping around his wrist, holding them in front of her. something she's learned in a recent dream she's had. ]