Childe "I Can Make Her Worse" Tartaglia (
monoceroscaeli) wrote in
insurmountable2022-05-07 07:34 pm
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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.
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[He gives her a curious look, watching her take a glass out as he continues to lean against the counter. He's curious as to what her routine is, now that he finds himself staying in her apartment. But this is good, keeping her mind focused on normal things at home rather than worrying herself sick over her brother is his aim here.
There's not much they can do at this point but be on the defensive anyway.]
What are we doing? Watching TV? There's a few good shows streaming right now.
[He asks as if he were a little kid who's expecting to be invited and involved in whatever activity comes next.]
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I'm going back to my room to work.
[ admittedly, she needs to distract herself too so she doesn't dwell too much on aether's disappearance. it won't help him if she's too stressed to even think properly.
she starts walking out of the kitchen and back to her bedroom. ]
There are spare pillows and a blanket in the linen closet next to the bathroom.
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But giving himself the tour doesn't entertain him long, and he's already slipping quietly into her bedroom to go bother her. Spotting her on the bed, he crawls onto it, pretending not to see any kind of glare or irritated glance she may or may not throw his way as he sits next to her, putting his head close to hers to look at her laptop screen to see what she was doing.
Not that he has any idea of what any of it means, but the point isn't to understand her job- it's to get her to stop working.]
You know, this is hardly what anyone would consider relaxing.
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lumine sends him a withering glare when he crawls into her bed, clinging to her like a toddler who can't sleep alone. it's clear, however, that it's not working on him, eager to bother her to death unless she entertains him. still, she keeps at it for the next few minutes, reviewing a few documents sent to her email. ]
This is very relaxing to me.
[ everyone has their own way of resting, okay? ]
If you're bored, you can go watch a movie on the TV. I'm pretty sure I still have Aether's account logged onto it.
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[He considers it for a hot second before discarding the idea. He has no desire to watch anything alone, not after being distanced from her for a week believing that he wasn't going to be able to see her ever again. Being with her had always felt right, felt like home to him, and he's happy that it's not the end.
So Ajax doesn't budge an inch, if anything he slouches a bit and slides down the bed a hair just so he can lay his head against her shoulder.]
I did consider doing that before, but I think I'd much rather stay in here with you. Besides, who else could possibly get you to finally put your work down and relax your mind a little?
[After all, Aether did tell him this is exactly what she's been doing all week. Burying herself in work, dealing with her stress by taking care of tasks for the company- he knows that a wire wound tight would eventually snap, and this doesn't seem like any exception to him.]
Did I ever tell you about the time that Aether and I were at a party and some chick pants'd him and then proceeded to push him in the pool? I didn't know someone could swim so well in that condition, haha.
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In Snezhnaya?
[ where it's always freezing? lumine looks up to stare at the window across her bed, the lights outside flickering in between the curtains. ]
... Was it someone he dated and then dumped horribly?
[ she's honestly more surprised that her brother survived that ordeal, knowing his aversion to the cold. though is this really something he should be telling her? ]
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[He laughs, his head turning so he's practically laughing into her shoulder. Right, he supposes for someone who hasn't lived there for any amount of time, the concept of a pool in Snezhnaya is a strange one. He waves a hand in dismissal, almost as if he were retracting his laughter.]
I suppose I didn't think to explain a little. In Snezhnaya, a land of perpetual ice, if you want a pool it has to be indoors. We were fortunate enough that some of our rich friends had a place near campus that their parents use from time to time. It was no obstacle to walk over and have our own little party there.
[He readjusts himself now on her shoulder, letting his head fall more towards the inside of it, shifting closer- he's so close to trapping her arm under him, or she'll have to put her arm around him- her choice, if she doesn't notice.]
But whether or not she was someone he dated and dumped, I don't know. All I remember is glancing over while he was talking to another girl and seeing her stomp over, yank his pants down, boxers and all, and into the pool he went. It was quite a traumatic experience for him, especially since we were all drunk at the time. I believe someone dove in to save him, as if he were Aether's knight in shining armor.
[He laughs again, the memory a little blurry in his mind because of his inebriation that night, but it was hilarious.]
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lumine shakes her head and nudges him a bit, sighing heavily, as she returns to her preoccupation. her fingers resume typing, her gaze flickering back to the screen. honestly, that story somehow doesn't surprise her. aether, with his pretty face and all, is always loved by everyone, girls and guys; someone getting jealous because he's talking to someone else is very plausible. ]
And no one took videos or even a picture? What a shame.
[ see, this would've been a more effective story for blackmail if he had photo evidence of it. but as it stands, it's just an anecdote. ]
Though I suppose there's another story I could use to blackmail him in the future ... [ tucked away in her phone, hidden in one of the locked folders. ] You and him, I mean.
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[He shifts his weight, lifting his head off of her to look at her pleadingly, before lowering himself back down right into her shoulder again. Except now he's making sure to burden her arm with his weight, having moved in enough now to make it uncomfortable for her to hold it there and still type.]
You wouldn't really use that against us, would you?
[He looks up at her with those ocean blue eyes that seem to get bigger as he speaks. They shine in the light of the room, a sad tone as if she'd kicked him while he was down.]
We just wanted to make sure you were safe, and this is our repayment? Lumine, you wouldn't.
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but if he thinks that that's going to work on her a second time, he's mistaken. especially when she herself knows his weaknesses.
her other hand pausing in its typing, reaching out to tilt his chin up. lumine doesn't lean in completely, however, only tilting forward so she can tease him with her proximity. instead, she continues to coax him higher and higher—until she can feel the pressure on her arm lighten. ]
Didn't we agree that I'll delete it if you do me a favour? I haven't heard a yes to that yet from you.
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I know better than to agree blindly to any favor you ask. I'll do you a favor, but I get to choose whether or not if I'll agree to it.
[His hand falls onto her thigh once more to steady himself and he raises himself upward, still trapped by her hand on his chin.]
So are you going to just tease me all day or are you going to kiss me?
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she waits until his weight is completely off of her arm before she smiles at him—and pushes him back down on the bed, avoiding his weight from falling on top of her by leaning away. ]
I think I prefer teasing you all day if you're not going to agree with what I'm asking.
[ lumine fixes the laptop back on the pillow, resuming her work now that her arm is finally free from him. see? her charm totally works wonders. ]
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[Ajax falls back down on the other side of the bed, lying there for a moment, groaning to himself. That smile was pure evil, he knew it the moment she flashed it at him. Oh, what a cruel woman she really can be sometimes, but things like that have never stopped him in the past. If anything, he takes it as a challenge, and there hasn't been a second where he hasn't loved it.]
You could ask me something so ridiculous that I'd never agree to it. So I'm just covering my bases, that's all. I didn't say I wouldn't do it. I just said I get a say.
[He sits back up, undeterred by her shoving him away so abruptly. He scoots back over to her, though he doesn't try to trap her arm now, but he does press against her side.]
I'm onto your tricky business dealings, you won't fool me, you know.
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lumine rolls her eyes, sighing in exasperation. at this rate, she'll take longer to finish her work with him pestering her. ]
... If I kiss you right now, will you leave me be with my work afterward and go watch a movie in the living room?
[ she looks at him, an eyebrow cocked. look, she'll concede to that, sure, but he needs to also do what she's requesting. or at least that's what she says, tendrils of impulse slowly driving her down that road of no return once more. ]
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Hm, you'll only be working for a little while, yes?
[He considers her offer, but he's also planning on trying to keep her from her work if at all possible. And if the past is any indication, kissing him may be her downfall- so he's careful with his wording, because he won't lie to her. He'll just...
mislead, a little.]
I don't know if I want to sit down for that long and watch something, but I could compromise on a TV series instead.
[His hand reaches across to snake around her stomach, fingers pressing into her side as he leans into her a little more. He wouldn't mind some quality time with her either, even if the purpose of this is just to get her to stop working for a change.]
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at his question, though, she gives him a nonchalant shrug. ]
Of course.
[ an easy answer to give, really. after all, she's not planning on taking too long with the remaining work she has to do. she can always put it off for tomorrow since it's not exactly urgent, even without aether around.
but that doesn't mean she didn't omit a few things to that response, either—such as what she'll be doing once she's done with work. ]
I should be done by the time you finish watching an episode.
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[He cranes his neck down to kiss her neck lightly, trailing upwards before giving her one last deliberate kiss right to her jaw, letting his forehead rest against her cheek as he finishes. Ajax's eyes close- no matter the outcome, just being able to do that alone summons a wave of comfort that washes over him, his body relaxing against hers.
Despite his plot, his happiness isn't hidden from her. It felt like he was home again, right where he belongs.]
Then we're reading a book together, right? Which one will it be?
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Vera's Melancholy.
[ to be fair, it's something she's picked up recently out of curiosity. she's yet to finish the first book, however, a little caught up with work. but she has a feeling ajax would find it boring. ]
So, is it a deal?
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[He's never heard of that book, but it doesn't matter to him. Even if his plot fails, he'd come back in her room half an hour later anyway, and make her read or indulge in him or whatever. As long as it wasn't work. That's truly all he's looking for, at the end of the day.]
I haven't read that book, so I'm willing to give it a try.
[He begins to kiss her again, slow kisses to her cheek and and jaw, purposely not going for her lips yet. His mind has already started to wander away from television or books, concentrated on enjoying this moment that they finally have together. A small murmur comes up out of his throat, content and needy. His hand moves to close her laptop, to remove any other distractions that might catch her attention other than him, but he's sure he's enough of a distraction as it is.]
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lumine turns her head enough when he tries to leave another kiss to her cheek, catching his mouth instead with hers. she kisses him slowly, gently—and pulls away after a few seconds, her hands opening her laptop again. ]
There, [ she says breathlessly, her gaze focused on the screen as it lights up once more. ] I kissed you, Ajax. So it's your turn to keep your end of the deal.
[ you know, the "leave her be with her work and go watch an episode" part of the deal. he did agree to that if she were to kiss him, and she just did. ]
I'm glad you're being a good sport about this.
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Since I must, [he begins, sighing with content against her.] But that was far too short. I think I've missed this more than I thought. One more, if only to make up for putting ourselves through unneeded agony.
[A kiss outside their deal, because he finds himself wanting for her more and more as he sits there with her. A last ditch effort too, though if it works or not is a different story. But to the man who'd thought it was the end, there's no loss here really. Just more opportunities.]
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he's quite greedy, though, that much she knows. greedy and spoiled, always wanting to be indulged like a demanding cat. and if he had shown her this side of his since day one, lumine wouldn't have entertained him. would've shut it down quickly and permanently. she doesn't exactly have the patience for it, after all.
but as it stands, well ... it's a bit different now, she supposes. and he knows that very well too, how much things have changed in the past several weeks. ]
One more, as requested.
[ lumine presses a kiss to the side of his head as her hands start moving across the keyboard once more. again, no talk about the kind of kiss he's referring to, so. ]
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His hand lifts up from her side to press on the side of her cheek, to turn her face towards him, leaning in front of her a little to press his lips to hers.
His kiss is anything but quick, at least he doesn't intend for it to be so, softly caressing her over and over. And if she hasn't pushed him away, he tries to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue dance with hers as his hand cups her cheek.
Finally, after that prolonged, intimate kiss, he breaks. Ajax's eyes look clouded over, almost mesmerized by her as he smiles back, pleased with his antics and how her lips had fogged his mind despite willingly walking into it himself.]
I'll be going now, but I'll be back in a half an hour or so.
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but lumine doesn't dislike it. it's annoying, exasperating, but she's not anyone different. she's just as selfish, just as greedy—she just has more self-control than most people.
her eyes flutter close when he pulls her into another kiss, longer, more intimate as if it's a secret kept between the two of them within the four corners of her room. her hand curls around his wrist, anchoring herself so as not to be swept away, as she leans in closer to press their lips in full. it's achingly sweet, her heart skipping a beat with every caress of his mouth, her own lips responding in turn. nothing fervent, nothing desperate, just the two of them drinking in each other.
and yet, lumine doesn't admit that she's missed this in the week that they've been apart. even when he pulls away, even when she leans her forehead against his, their lips a scant distance away. ]
Okay ... [ she murmurs quietly, unmoving, her eyes flicking back to the screen of her laptop. ] I'll see you in a bit.
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The kiss is warm, full and loving- and yet so brief at the same time, a single caress before he pulls his head away from her and stands up on the other side of the bed. Ajax turns his head to give her one last grin before he exits the room, closing the door behind him and returning to the living room to watch an episode of whatever show strikes him in the moment.
But he'll be back as soon as it's done half an hour later, his head peeking back into the room to see if she's finished her work or if she'd persisted and kept working.]
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