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]

[ she's surprisingly sentimental, isn't she? which lumine finds weird, considering the kind of things she's been throwing at her and her twin brother. besides, she did say to ask anything, and she just did. better to rip this bandaid off before it causes further harm. ]

Let me put it this way then, [ lumine replies, her lips thinning. ] If this is all but some form of amusement for him, something to keep his boredom at bay—

[ this entire circus of their life, now involving celestia. he's not childe, after all. he's not the harbinger who clearly, deeply loved the traveler. ajax is a different person altogether. he doesn't need to share the same feelings as childe did. ]

Then shouldn't I know what I'm getting into? No one likes to be someone's toy, after all, played around for their own entertainment.

[ she glances at aether. ] Even if they're my brother's friend.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Yae only smiles back at Lumine, guessing that she hasn't gotten to the point with Ajax to trust him completely. But it really doesn't matter to her at all, she said she'd tell her and she will.]

Suit yourself. I guess when you put it like that, I could hardly deny you, could I?

[She laughs again, always appreciating Lumine's wit. She wouldn't like her so much if she were a dullard, after all.]

Don't worry little one, even though he himself is working things out in that little brain of his, his intentions are genuine. I suppose you think you might be just another fling for him like they were in college, yes? I can assure you this isn't the case. Remember, he was willing to give up his mind and body for you, since he'd already set up Aether's means of escape, had it come to that.

[She glances to Aether, to read his expression- surely, he wouldn't of been dumb and fought a losing battle, would he of? She's guessing he would have stayed and died...haha.]

[traversal]

[ she finds her jaw tightening, her eyes flashing at the comment again. honestly, how many times does she have to hear that he slept around in college (most probably, after that)?

but lumine doesn't react, simply pressing her lips together. honestly, she's already done with this conversation. she doesn't know if she wants to hear anything else. she's still exhausted from yesterday's events and everything else that's happened to do seems like it's piling on top of that.

aether puts on the same expression as well, looking quite weary over all of this. there's just too much for him to take and absorb. ]

That's all. I'm done. I don't have anything else I want to ask.

[monoceroscaeli]

Okay then.

[Wiping her hands on a napkin, she folds her hands in front of her as she regards the twins.]

I guess it's about that time then. If you have no further questions, then I guess I don't have much reason to hang around then. If you further need my assistance, just ask Ajax here to summon me again. We do have a deal after all, and that light novel isn't going to write itself. Just make sure it's for a good reason.

[She looks to Aether, smiling.]

It was a pleasure to finally meet you.

[And, to Lumine:]

It was nice to see that you're well. You really are a sight for these sore eyes. Take care of yourself, until next time.

[And with that, Ajax's eyes close, as black wisps swirl out of him, gathering above before they dissipate out of sight. His body slacks, and after a few moments, his eyes squeeze as he regains consciousness, lifting his head up with sleepy eyes.

He's so glad to see them.]

Heheh, did you guys miss me?

[traversal]

What—

[ even before lumine can finish her exclamation, her words sinking in finally, the head priestess of the grand narukami shrine seems to have disappeared, leaving them with a whole load of dishes that haven't even been touched or finished. and they're obviously supposed to pay for it, still ...

aether turns to his sister, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, before he shakes his head. perhaps they do need to sit down together again, something that they should've done since day one of this trip.

let's talk again later, okay? ]

Okay.

[ lumine turns back to ajax when he finally stirs back to consciousness, unable to hold back the feelings of relief that seem to spread across her chest when he finally speaks up. still, she sighs under her breath to mask it. ]

Not really. Time to head back?

[monoceroscaeli]

I've been trapped in my own body for a whole day and all you can say is not really?

[He pouts at her, what a cruel lady...surely she doesn't mean that. He hasn't yet forgotten how she'd tried to stop Yae the day before, how irritated and upset she was about the situation. Maybe he would bother her later about it, even though he's pretty sure she'll just deny it.

He looks down at all the food, but he's not hungry...Yae really filled up on all this. It looked great.]

[traversal]

[ really? he's going to pout at her? as if she herself wasn't possessed by another spirit yesterday who even tried to kill her?

at the very least, the fact that he's complaining only means that he's well and safe and sound. that's a huge relief, then, that he came out of this unscathed. mostly, because who knows what kind of bullshit yae has put him through mentally. still, he seems mostly okay.

look, man. we're glad to see you're back. lu? ]

Mm.

[ aether glances at his sister with a sigh. he knows lumine is exhausted too, and he's hoping ajax can at least walk her back to this inn this time.

anyway, i need to go, so can you get her back safe for now? i still have a few things to finish before we can relax. he presses a kiss to the side of her head, giving her a gentle nudge before getting up from his seat. i'll see you later tonight? i'll pay for this before i go, don't worry. ]

Okay.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Nodding his head, he smiles warmly back to Aether. The last twenty-four hours had been an endeavor, and there's nothing more relieving to him than to see both of them okay, with only minor injuries to speak of. And the fact that he doesn't have to live the rest of his life a prisoner in his own mind helps, too.]

I will. Don't work too hard, now.

[When he leaves, he turns to Lumine, unsure of what to say. She's clearly alright, but not alright, given the hit she took when she killed that god. Given she'd been possessed by some evil spirit who'd tried to make him into her possessed lover, with the things she was telling him to do.

Ajax takes a deep breath, trying to keep himself in check.]

Hey. I...ah...

[Would she be mad at him for doing what he did? He wouldn't blame her.]

Lumine...I'm so glad you're okay.

[He looks to her, his eyes wide with relief.]

I was scared to death that we'd...that I'd lost you.

[traversal]

[ lumine waits until aether is gone, the sliding door of the restaurant closing with a resounding clack. it's only then that she finally looks up at ajax, a look of exasperation settling on her expression. if she could throw her cup of tea at his face without paying for the broken cup and possibly blacklisting herself from this restaurant, she would. ]

Did you really think that thing would kill me, idiot? It was possessing me. The moment I die, it wouldn't have a body to transfer to.

[ of course she's not certain about that. it could've easily moved onto aether, and possessed him instead. but still, she wants to make a point here. ]

... I don't want you sacrificing your own life for something stupid, stupid.

[monoceroscaeli]

[YEP there it is. Ajax only smiles meekly at her, a half worried expression on his face before it settles into something warmer, something that perfectly reflects how relieved he is. Standing up, he walks over to her side of the table to sit down next to her.

The sound of her yelling at him could not be sweeter music to his ears. That means she's her again, she's safe, and she's with him.]

I made a promise to keep you safe. I don't know what I would have done if that thing was allowed to keep your body, or if you had died.

[He gingerly reaches out to take her hand, threading his fingers with hers.]

Besides, my plan worked out, in the end.

[Ajax gives her a teasing smile, his eyes amused- that last question of hers, though.]

Did you really think I was being facetious with you?

[traversal]

[ honestly, does he think this is going to be easily resolved by holding her hand? there's a part of her that's still fuming, her temper simmering and close to boiling over. it's annoying, the way he seems to treat this so nonchalantly. he's still smiling, teasing her despite everything.

and yet, having her hand in his is soothing, smoothing away those feathers that have been ruffled by the incident yesterday. ]

Is it really strange if I thought you were? [ she mutters under her breath, letting her fingertips lightly trace the knuckles of his hand.

her other hand comes up to his face, brushing the line of his jaw gently. any hint of that electro energy seems to be gone from his eyes, the blueness bright and untainted. he really is back, much to her relief and inward delight. ]

You're not allowed to kiss me with the mouth you kissed my brother with.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax won't answer her question- it's not strange, given what she probably knows already from Aether and now from Yae. Instead, his eyes close momentarily as her hand brushes his jaw, before opening again to stare back into her golden ones.]

But it's the only mouth I have, [he protests with a gleam in his eyes,] and my teeth have been brushed since then.

[He leans in a bit closer now, that mischievous side of him curious whether she'd pull away or close the distance.]

You really wouldn't deny me a kiss now, would you? I just got back.

[traversal]

[ she could easily pull away. use the restaurant staff and the other patrons as an excuse. after all, this is quite embarrassing for the both of them, even if she doesn't know when she'll be back in inazuma. the last thing she wants is to make a reputation for herself in this city all because of ajax's neediness.

but lumine doesn't pull away. instead, she puts a hand over his mouth to stall his advances. ]

I'll kiss you, but you have to tell me what your deal was with Yae Miko.

[ she cocks an eyebrow, feigning a look of innocence on her expression. ] You wouldn't deny me an honest answer for a kiss, would you?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He pulls back from her hand, enjoying how she's attempted to use this as leverage. Ajax doesn't know what she must think their deal was, but by the way Yae had scolded them all he's sure that Lumine isn't happy with her or any of the plans she has moving forward.]

Haha, it's probably not as bad as you think. I just have to summon her a few times a month so she can work on her novel, and let her eat at the nicest places in town on those days. She also requested that my next vacation here in Inazuma have a few days slotted so she can go visit Ei and enjoy the sights herself. She wants to see how Inazuma has changed since she's been dead.

[It's a sort of laugh-sigh that he lets out, how demanding Yae was about things.]

In exchange, we can call her at any time in case we need her. Given how easily she was able to turn the tide of that battle we had back there, I figured that it was a fine exchange. She did emphasize that it should only be in emergencies, but I think that's just because she's a little lazy, haha.

[traversal]

[ lumine can tell that the other lumine considers her a good friend. but she can also tell that her counterpart also gets exasperated over her, considering the swirl of feelings that seem to overwhelm her whenever yae would open her mouth and say something. unsurprising, really. ]

So, you're letting her use your body? To do whatever she wants?

[ sounds suspicious, to be honest. and truth be told, it's not something she approves of; after all, who knows what else she'd do in her ajax's body.

but it's his body, not hers. and if he agreed to let her borrow it, then she doesn't really have much to say about it. with a sigh, she gives him a quick, chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth before she turns back to the table. what, she didn't say what kind of kiss it was, right? ]

You're being too reckless about this, you know.

[monoceroscaeli]

[It may be a quick, chaste kiss, but he still enjoys it. Even though they were up on the second floor, a waiter could come and interrupt them at any moment. But, he'll try to get a real one later, maybe back at the hotel. He hasn't decided yet.

Maybe he'll get her in the middle of the street.]

I know she rubbed you the wrong way, and even I voiced my displeasure with how she handled some things. But she really isn't a bad person, she just...likes to mess with people a little bit.

[For lack of a better term. Chuckling, he picks up a piece of sushi, pressing it against her lips.]

Don't worry, she's a friend. I knew her name the second she entered me. She even addressed me as Lord Harbinger, so I know she was friends with Childe and Lumine. Here, eat something. You haven't touched anything since you got here.

[traversal]

[ friends don't threaten to possess someone else's body indefinitely. though she does feel that that's just how yae miko is, and it's something her counterpart used to deal with even back then. it's very frustrating, she's not going to lie, and if she were a little less composed, she might have torn her hair out.

lumine takes a bite of the sushi before she turns her head away, wrinkling her nose. ]

I'm not hungry, Ajax. [ or at least, whatever appetite she's had had been soured since yesterday. she pushes her cup of tea away, waving toward one of the waitstaff. ] If you want to have this packed for your men, go ahead. I'm pretty sure none of us can finish this.

[ yae is so wasteful, ordering so much but not even finishing all of it. and lumine's more than ready to go back to the inn and sleep this all off. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Taking a glance over all the food still left on the table, maybe she's right there. But he only frowns, wishing she'd eat at least something, though it's clear she's still upset, so he doesn't push. He sets the half eaten piece of sushi down, squeezing her hand once before letting go and hailing down a waiter that he spots in the hallway right outside the room to ask if the rest of the remaining food can be packed up.

Once they leave, he turns back to her, rubbing her back.]

Alright, I'll drop it all off with one of my guys. I'm sure they'll appreciate it. You look tired as it is, would you prefer to go back and rest? I'm a little tired too.

[Maybe a nice long hot bath will soothe her, but he'll let her decide.]

[traversal]

[ lumine gets up from her seat once the waiter leaves, ready to put all of this behind her. ]

Mm, I'd like that.

[ sleep it all off, forget it all happened, and then maybe, just maybe, she can return to her normal life when she wakes up. sure, it won't be as "normal" as she wanted it, not when aether already knows what's going on and she's certain her brother will have more questions. but as normal as she can get. ]

I still have work I've put off since yesterday, so I want to sort that out too. [ a beat: ] Don't worry about walking me to the inn. It's not that far away anyway. You can check on your men for now.

[monoceroscaeli]

[The waiter comes back with a few bags and containers for all the food, letting Ajax pack it up and getting it ready to take with them.]

Since you took out that god, I'm sure we're free to roam the island as we please without worry of being in danger for now.

[The last bag gets tied off, and he stands with her with them in hand.]

But I still would rather come with anyway.

[He doesn't say why, but he doesn't think he needs to say why. Ajax doesn't want to burden her with how stressed out he actually was, and how just having the opportunity to be with her is helping him relax after the events of the day prior. There's business he still needs to attend to, but he's not ready to take care of it yet, having already heard the reports of police finding a bunch of dead guys out near the Statue of the Seven on Kannazuka.]

[traversal]

[ they don't know that. they don't know what other danger lurks in inazuma, even with that god gone. a part of her no longer wishes to return to any of the statues, but she knows she needs to. this shouldn't stop her progress, even if it's already a huge stumbling block.

lumine doesn't protest nor does she ask him what will happen to his men. she doesn't even know how she'll be able to face them, knowing how they wouldn't have lost their lives if they haven't gotten roped into this mess that they're in. she waves a small goodbye to the waitstaff as they leave, starting towards the direction of the inn. ]

What ... are you going to tell your family regarding the guys you lost ...

[ surely his father wouldn't just accept it as collateral damage? does he even know what's happening to them? ]

If you'll let me shoulder any compensation, I'll happily do so. Just tell me.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Stepping out with her to begin their trek back to the inn, he spots one of his guys up against a building. He jerks his head to indicate that he needs him, handing off the food and letting him know to take that to the remaining guys to eat. He'll handle this from here, so they can relax for a few hours.

Once that's taken care of, he speaks quietly to her as they walk the streets.]

I'll tell them the truth with a few details omitted. The whole reason we even found out about the little operation that was here was because we've had dealings with the family these gods seems to be involving themselves in. Do you remember how the boys thought your car might have been a bomb and that they'd seen guys belonging to Dufort hanging around? That's them. We've had plenty of issues with them in the past, but to think they'd stoop this low...

[His hand comes up to his mouth, thinking.]

I don't know what kind of power these so-called remnants of Celestia promised them, but not only have they been taken in by it, that's given our enemies that much more resources to be a real problem.

[He doesn't address the compensation. It's not even a worry on his mind.]

[traversal]

[ what a pain.

hearing all of that is making her head hurt even more, making her even more exhausted. clearly, this goes beyond just the three of them now, involving his family with the connection celestia has made with their enemies. she wonders if there's no way to cut them out of it completely. maybe if she and aether disappeared, left entirely—the gods seemed to be targeting them, and not ajax per se ...

besides, if the dreams she's had lately were true ...

she gives the person at the front desk a nod upon reaching the inn, moving through its hallways like she's moving through syrup. she tosses her keys, her phone and purse on the table in her room and shuffles towards one of the seats overlooking the outdoor garden. ]

What do we do? I didn't think even your family would get involved. I ...

[ this is getting more and more complicated. this isn't what she was hoping for when she accepted this fate from the other lumine. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Following her in, he dumps his jacket on the bed, feeling stifled by it. He doesn't take a seat with her, instead opting to stand behind it to let one of his hands fall onto her shoulder and the other on the back of the chair as he looks out at the garden. It was a calming sight, the flowers that sway lightly in the breeze, colors deliberately chosen to highlight the land of the Electro Archon. Flowers his guys would never get to see, thanks to their foes.]

We keep doing what we have been. The Dufont family has always been a thorn in our side- that will never change. What's most important is to take out the gods using them to get to us. I had a feeling it was going to be something like this, when Aether texted me to inform me that you'd gotten jumped in some alleyway.

[Ajax rubs her shoulder, in reassurance.]

Don't forget, we've got resources and allies on our side too. We'll get through this, I promise.

[traversal]

[ the hand on her shoulder is heavy, weighed down by as much worry as she's plagued with. it's reflective of how ajax carries his own burden, putting it all on himself and keeping anyone, including her, from seeing it. it's the same when they've both seen the vision of their deaths, steeling himself for her.

a part of her deeply, intimately knows that he'll never show his weakness, even to her. and that part of her aches to know this, helpless in even coaxing him to let things go.

she reaches out to him, hand snaking up with arm and curling around his sleeve and shoulder. lumine tugs him down just as she sits up a little higher, tucking her legs underneath her. ]

Are you sure you're not jinxing us by making that promise?

[ what if he can't keep it? what if they're doomed to follow the fate of their counterparts? lumine doesn't think she'll be able to live through it again. ]