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]

[ the twins have been to inazuma several times already, but the scenery hasn't changed at all. constantly spring, with cherry blossom trees in bloom lining the cobblestone path—even with the modernisation of the nation, it's remained breathtaking as ever. it's one of the reasons why lumine had offered to join aether, finding the country peaceful and serene just like mondstadt.

it's been a quiet few days, aether mostly going about his business while lumine sightsees in the city, experiences the cuisines, takes a dip in the hot springs. she hasn't seen ajax since day one of their trip, but she assumes it's because of her ask and he's with him. aether, however, is the same, assuming the exact same thing as his twin sister.

which is why when lumine doesn't return to the hotel during agreed upon time for lunch, his first instinct is to text ajax. surely, his sister didn't forget their lunch date. ]

Is Lumine with you? I haven't seen her since this morning and we're supposed to have lunch together.

[ considering their current circumstances, aether's on the verge of panicking. but maybe, just maybe, lumine's caught up with ajax for some reason and forgot about him. he'll be okay if that's the case, because he knows she's with someone he can trust. ]

If she's forgotten about it because she's with you, tell her it's fine. I'll still wait for her.

[monoceroscaeli]

[That's a little too long to be gone for.

He hasn't received any calls in regards to her whereabouts, which is now suspicious. He'd been so involved with chasing a trail to where their foes may be that he hadn't noticed the lack of communication. He's in front of Tenshukaku, grabbing a quick bite to eat at one of the street vendors when he reads the messages.]

She's not with me. I haven't gotten any calls about where she is either, and now that I think about it, that's strange. I generally get updated every few hours or so. Aether, come to Tenshukaku immediately, I don't like this.

[He can feel the anxiety rise in his chest. With being so heavily alert about this trip here, he wonders if she just ditched his men- or if they were dead. If they'd lost her, they would have called him.

Oh no...]

[traversal]

[ oh no. oh no oh no oh no.

the moment aether receives the text from ajax, he gets up from his seat on the cushion and leaves for tenshukaku. the fact that his sister isn't with ajax, that she's nowhere to be found is enough to throw him into panic. and if ajax that he doesn't like this, what more him? she only hopes she's safe somewhere and had managed to hide elsewhere.

aether sees ajax right away, his ginger hair standing out like a sore thumb on the balcony. his expression mirrors that of her own: disbelief, panic, fear.

what do you mean she's not with you! you're supposed to stay next to her at all times. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[He spots Aether immediately, trotting up to meet with him. Ajax is quickly sending messages and making calls as he does so, all go unanswered. Panic starting to settle in too, the situation has already gone from bad to worse with the radio silence.]

You know how your sister is. If she doesn't want to be found, she'll make herself disappear. I imagine that's what's happened here...or worse. I tried calling her, but she hasn't picked up. Do you know where she was heading when you saw her this morning?

[Because the one person who hasn't been supplying him with information about her is Aether. Hopefully he'll have a lead.]

[traversal]

[ aether almost retorts that he's just here eating when he should be looking out for his sister as they agreed. but he reins himself in, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. shouting at each other isn't going to help them find lumine quickly; they have to start moving.

she said she's going to go sightseeing around the narukami shrine and get her fortune told.

but aether's pretty sure it won't take her several hours to do that. if she had walked to the shrine, maybe. but he doubts that that's the case, especially when she can simply hail a cab. could it be she met the guys trying to kidnap her on her way? he's never one to quickly jump to negative conclusions, but given the danger they're in ...

i'll head on over to the shrine. ask if they've seen her there. go find your men who are supposed to look out for my sister! ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax grabs a hold of Aether's shoulder before he can go anywhere. This is not the news he wants to deliver to him, but it's easy to infer. He's seen this before, and he's willing to bet that his men...aren't around anymore.]

Aether, I've been trying to get a hold of my guys for some time now. The fact that none of them are answering isn't good. If I find them, I don't think it'll be alive.

[Never the one to deliver gloomy news in any other way than in terms of the worst possible outcome, that's Ajax.]

We'll head to the shrine together. I'm not going to have the same happen to you, too.

[traversal]

[ aether's also trying not to think of that. he can tell that the men he's posted to watch over lumine are probably gone. otherwise, they would've reported to him already. told him that lumine had gone off somewhere or got kidnapped or whatever. surely, they wouldn't up and leave, especially when their own boss had given them an important task? that's just not how things go in their world.

fine, let's— ]

Aether!

[ he freezes, quickly turning around at the voice. he watches with wide eyes as lumine jogs over towards them, in one piece and looking very much unharmed. almost immediately, he rushes up to her, giving him a tight hug.

where were you, lu? you weren't texting me, weren't calling me. we were worried something happened to you! ]

Sorry, I just got caught up in something. [ she pats his back soothingly, glancing at ajax. ] ... But there's something I need you two to see.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax's eyes widen with shock and then instant relief at the sight of Lumine. His mind had been racing through all possible solutions, where he always landed at she's dead, no, she's dead...

But there she is, safe and sound. No evidence of having been hurt, but his eyebrows raise when she says they need to see something. At first, he's worried that she found his men, still believing that they're dead- they still haven't contacted him. His question is careful, asking something that only Lumine would understand but that Aether shouldn't be able to pick up on.]

Lumine, is it something I need to take a look at first?

[If it's dead bodies, he doesn't want Aether to see it.]

[traversal]

[ her expression looks blank for a moment, though one could say it's probably confusion she's wearing. a moment later, she's pulling away from aether and shaking her head. her brother still wears a worried expression on his face, a hand placed on her shoulder as if she would disappear again. ]

No, no. I need you both to see it.

[ she takes aether's hand, giving him a slight nod and a smile. her other hand takes ajax's, tugging him gently towards her. ]

C'mon, I'll show you. It's going to be great!

[monoceroscaeli]

[What was that?

He's sure she'd pick up on it, but she didn't...and his hand is being taken. He follows along with, unsure about this. A cold, settling feeling in the pit of his stomach gives him some pause, but then if he stops, will their secret be unveiled? He looks over to Aether, who also has his hand taken as well, as Lumine pulls them along to wherever they need to go.

This is...not right. Or is he just imagining things?]

Lumine, [he starts,] I don't want to ruin the surprise or dim the mood, but I wish you would have told me where you were going...we really were worried sick about you.

[He wants to make sure she knows how not okay he is with that.]

[traversal]

[ lumine makes no move or says nothing to acknowledge what ajax has just said, simply pulling the both of them through the streets of inazuma city. she quickly finds a pathway in the back alley of the city, leading them through the shrine and towards the edge of the area where the land meets the sea. ]

Mm, I forgot. Sorry about that, [ is all she says with a nod.

she feels aether's hand squeeze hers tightly, almost as if he's trying to get her to stop and make sense of what's happening. but once more, she says nothing, only squeezing his hand back in return. ]

Look, you two have to trust me on this. It's something I found while I was sightseeing around the island.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Giving up that argument, since it looks like she's not going to explain, he follows along as she brings them towards the sea. The view is nice, and the ocean breeze hits his face in a way that he wishes he could of had back in Fontaine. The view never gets old, and he tries to let it calm him over the still present feeling of uneasiness he feels at the moment.

His hand in hers...it never felt so wrong before.]

Okay, but I trust that it's going to be something quite marvelous for you to drag us all the way out here.

[He teases her, because the truth is that he doesn't mind at all having her drag him anywhere.]

Though I do appreciate the view. The difference between Snezhnaya and Inazuma is vast, and this is why this country is one of my favorite vacation spots.

[traversal]

[ her normal reaction to that tease would've been an eyeroll or an exasperated shake of her head. but instead, she simply grins at him as he waxes poetic about inazuma. aether, on the other hand, is the one rolling his eyes, because honestly, why is ajax even included in this little excursion? why is his sister being way too friendly with him?

why not move here permanently, then?

whatever argument aether has decided to start gets momentarily cut off when lumine stops in front of a cave entrance. there were initially wooden structures outside it, but it's since rotted away with the passing of time. ]

Here we are!

[ she's quick to let go of their hands, slipping inside the cave as if it's a simple entrance to a garden or a building. her figure immediately disappears into the darkness, aether calling out after her.

lumine! ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Hey!

[This hardly looks like something that was worth the walk over, a cave that looked like it had been used years ago but has been eroded with the passage of time. He still can't shake that feeling that something bad is going to happen, especially with her behavior. She always gives him grief. She hasn't done that once since she's appeared today.]

Aether. Be on your guard. Something's not right here.

[But they have to go in after her, Ajax won't let her get hurt. He follows in after, the darkness of the area enveloping him as he enters. The strange hallways of what looks like it might of been some kind of shrine or the like surprises him, and the boys finally make their way into a room with a large painting on the wall...that also functions like a mirror.

And thankfully, that's where they find Lumine too.]

Ah, so this is what was so special.

[He regards the large painting. It was pretty cool, he supposes.]

[traversal]

[ something not being right is an understatement. even aether can sense that there's something wrong with his sister, her behaviour aside. and while lumine has always been the more intrepid when they were children, it's not like her to simply go inside a strange cave alone.

in any case, he follows ajax through the passageways, wrinkling his nose at the smell of damp and decay, dust motes floating in the air. it does seem like it's a shrine of sorts, but one that's been standing here for so very long. despite that, everything seems to still be standing, untouched by time.

upon arriving in the hall, they find lumine standing next to the mirror, her reflection eerie in the dimness. there's an unreadable expression on her face as she studies it.

lu— ]

Yes, this is a very special room, [ there's a thoughtfulness to her voice as she regards both their reflections. ] And you two seem to be very special to this girl right here. How special is she to you, though?

[ lumine turns around to smile at them both, the expression very much unlike her. ] How important is she to the both of you?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He knew it. There was something wrong, but this is far beyond what he imagined it to be. That wasn't Lumine. Whoever it was wore her face and used her voice, but it's not her. His teeth immediately clench together, mind racing to figure out what this is. Who this is.]

Who are you, and where is Lumine.

[He demands, not bothering to answer those questions. He doesn't have time for games.]

And how did you manage to create an illusion like that? A hydro vision? I've heard of those who have illusory abilities. Afraid to show your real face, impostor? If you'd like, I'll make you show us.

[His hands twitch eagerly at his sides. He's ready to leap in and fight this fake, and rip this place apart looking for Lumine.]

[traversal]

[ the entity seems to be very surprised at his question before a smile tugs at her lips, tilting her head to one side in curiosity. what a strange question to ask, especially when the girl right in front of them is solid, very much real and alive. her golden eyes flicker towards the brother, taking in his shocked and apprehensive expression. ]

That's funny, I thought you'd recognise her right away. She's in front of you, isn't she, in the flesh?

[ she gestures at her form, all pale skin and blonde hair. not her best form, this girl feels a little too ... fragile. easily broken if handled incorrectly. ]

I haven't changed her face at all. Though with the aggression you're now showing, perhaps I should. [ a thin blade made of hydro appears between her fingers, glinting brightly in the room. she aligns it along her jaw. ] She has such a lovely face, but it seems unappreciated.

[monoceroscaeli]

[He glances over to Aether, to get a read on his expression. Ajax knows Lumine can use hydro, but Aether doesn't. His eyes flick back and forth between the blade in her hand, held up to her own jaw...and her brother. He doesn't understand what's happening, and he needs to figure this out and fast.]

If you were her, you'd be using cryo, not hydro. It's as I said, you're just someone working for the ones hunting us down, trying to lure us into a trap. We may be here now, but I'm not buying this sad performance.

[But at the same time, it bothers him. At the same time, he knows, deep down.

That's Lumine, at least that's her body. But who's driving it? Certainly not the past Lumine. She'd been sweet and supportive of them.]

So why don't you fight me instead? I've been feeling a little pent up recently and wouldn't mind stretching my legs a little.

[traversal]

[ oh goodness, what a response. seemingly convinced, but pretending to be unconvinced? it seems like this girl's saviours need a bit more push to bring them around and win them over, perhaps even bulldozing through whatever apprehension the ginger is showing whenever he's glancing at the brother. it's been a while since she's had a bit of fun.

ajax, what—

she feels the searing pain of the blade that's now frozen over with this girl's cryo powers as she presses it against the skin, taking a thin slice of her jaw. nothing too extensive or lasting, as she herself needs to deal with the pain, too. but that should change their minds about who it really is in front of them, right?

lumine, stop— ]

Oh, don't worry. I'm just adding to her collection of scars. She already has one at her neck, doesn't she? What's another scar on her pretty, pretty face?

[ laughter echoes in the hall as blood drips from her jaw, staining her dress and dropping to the floor. ]

Of course, if the both of you behave and do what I say, then I'll stop what I'm doing. [ her gaze flickers between aether and ajax. ] What's it going to be?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax's entire body tenses up as the hydro blade suddenly freezes over with ice. Lumine is the only person in the entire world that he knows can do that. She doesn't have a delusion, and it's possible that this person does, but he knows that isn't the case. There's a sinking feeling of despair in his stomach, and a voice in the back of his mind, the one he pushes back so often for fear of losing himself, comes bubbling up.

It's her.

No...]

Do that again and I'll rip your throat out.

[The anger in his voice surprises even him, his entire body shaking with despair and anger. His heart aches at the scene in front of him, the blood dripping down her face reflecting the rage building inside of him.]

What do you want?

[Just stop hurting her.

Just give her back.]

[traversal]

[ more laughter bubbles out of her throat, a response to that threat. ]

Rip my throat out, and you're ripping hers. You should realise by now that you'll be hurting her if you hurt me.

[ ajax, stop it! that's lumine. that's definitely her.

what a smart guy. definitely this girl's older brother, other than the fact that their faces look extremely alike. still, it seems like her message has finally sunken in their brains. good, this should be easy for her to take care of. she can't believe they didn't do this before, the idiots.

she gestures at the blond, the blade still poised against lumine's jaw. ]

I need you— [ she points at the ginger, her smile very amicable. ] To tie Brother up to that chair. Very tightly now, please, so he doesn't escape, if you'd like for her face to remain as it is.

[monoceroscaeli]

[The burning glare he shoots over to her, it could kill if it was allowed the opportunity. He glances to Aether, and then to the chair.]

Aether, come on.

[He walks over to the chair, picking up some rope that lies in the room, adjusting the chair so it faces inwards towards the room. He takes his friend's hands, binding his wrists together tightly behind the back of the chair.

But what Ajax also does is weave a hydro line through the rope, hiding it beneath the material so that it would cut through later on his whim to free Aether when the time was right. He's grateful now that Lumine had bound his hands together before using this technique- it was a good idea.

Standing up when he finishes, he walks around to Aether's side.]

Struggle as hard as you can against the rope to show her that you're secure. I don't want her getting any ideas that I didn't do the job right.

[Looking back to Lumine, his gaze grows cold.]

Tell me what you did to her, now. Why are you able to control her body like this?

[traversal]

[ she watches aether struggle, the difficulty clearly genuine. that'll do for now, at least until her master arrives and shows them what this entire farce is all about. and then maybe, maybe she can finally get a body of her own; she is starting to like this one, after all. maybe she'll be allowed to keep it. ]

I'd explain it to you, but you probably wouldn't understand.

[ in the modern world of teyvat, it seems like the supernatural has lost its place already. at the very least, this will remind these people that they do still exist. ]

Now, let's do something fun, shall we? [ she shimmies the phone from the dress's pocket, tinkering with it for a few moments. ] There we go! This girl right here is quite smart, isn't she? And to think she seemed like she's only good for her pretty face.

[ once more, she gestures at the both of them, that grin on her face twisting in intense amusement. very much unlike lumine's smile, it's tinted with something darker, something more sinister. ]

I want you to kiss him.

[ what? aether's golden gaze flickers between his sister's form to ajax. ] I said, I want you to kiss him. You know, like what lovers do.

[monoceroscaeli]

Excuse me?

[The look of incredulity on his face is unmistakable, and he's confused that they just went from her cutting her own face to this. Kiss Aether?]

Are you serious? What kind of request is that?

[He doesn't want to kiss Aether, if anything this just feels like a sick game now to her, or whoever it is who's controlling her. She's right that he doesn't understand, since visions don't have the capability of mind control. Maybe she's hypnotized, but the way she speaks seems to suggest that that isn't the case here.]

We're not your toys to play with. Answer my question first.

[He's not humoring this request, and it's not because it would be difficult. It's just ridiculous.]

[traversal]

[ oh my, did she stutter? did this girl stutter? and here she thought this lumine is quite fluent with her words, considering the kind of job and position she holds in her brother's company. ]

Oh, I'm very serious, [ the voice that replies is quite melodious, sing-song even as if this is all a simple game they're trying to play. ] Quite serious, in fact, that I need to remind you whose body this is right now.

[ as if on cue, a cold mist seems to seep out of lumine's feet, surrounding her in a chilly fog-like atmosphere, the air sparkling with snowflakes. frost starts covering her skin, the blood on her jaw freezing slowly. give it time, and her skin will start turning pale, fingertips and lips blue. ]

This girl's cryo powers are quite impressive. No catalyst, and yet she's able to do something like this. But how long do you think she'll be able to withstand the cold?

[ there's a tilt of her head again, almost mechanical this time. ] I hear she didn't fare too well in Snezhnaya ...