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

[It's not hard to tell that the idea of going another moment longer without the ensured safety of her brother weighed heavily on her mind as it did the day before. Ajax reaches out to rub her back, as little comfort as he sure that gives, but it's the only thing he can do for her now outside of what he'd already been doing.]

Hey. Let's just take it one day at a time. Something will turn up, sooner or later. Try to finish your breakfast, even if you aren't that hungry.

[He takes a bite of his own sandwich, as if to prompt her to eat more of her own. Ajax finds it difficult to keep the worry off of his own expression, but he smiles warmly to her just the same.]

We have to take care of ourselves too. Eat up.

[ a part of her dreads her brother's corpse surfacing after a few days. that's something too, isn't it?

her hand momentarily shakes at the thought, almost dropping her sandwich back on the plate, before lumine composes herself once more. perhaps she shouldn't skip work today, after all, if only to distract herself from more morbid thoughts regarding her brother's disappearance. ]

I'm sorry that your dad had to get involved in this mess, too.

[ she glances at ajax, remembering the way his expression shifted yesterday. not that she can blame him, his family getting dragged further and further into their own issue. ]

Again, would you let me try to compensate your family for what happened?

Heh, [he laughs, thinking on whether or not they'd even take any compensation. What could she possibly give to them that would matter to a man who can have anything he wants with no restraint?]

Sure, if my father would even accept such a thing. It's as I said, the Dufont family has been a thorn in our side for a long time. Do you remember the USB I had Aether make for me? That was tracking and location data so we could find their men who had been main culprits in the deaths of some of our own. They've been killing our guys long before you and Aether ever had to get involved. The data helped us keep innocent civilians out of the picture. I'd always wondered how they'd managed to pull off some of the hits they did on us. Now I know why.

[Ajax gives her an apologetic look- he's sure it's not information that she wants to hear, given the nature of the dark side of his family. But he feels that it's a necessary explanation. It bothers him that this whole time, they'd been facing off against gods backing their enemies. Everything was starting to fall into place, making more sense.]

But, the point is that my father has finally lost his patience with them after what happened in Inazuma and again with your brother's kidnapping. He's a very patient man, so I was a little surprised that he didn't leave it all to Tatiana. To him, this has become more personal than he's willing to sit by and let others handle it for. Hah, if anything, I wouldn't be surprised if he offers you more aid than what I've provided so far. So don't worry about it. He's looking out for you, too.

[Ajax lets his hand fall from her back to give her arm a squeeze, before he begins eating his breakfast again. He's not sure how hungry he really is either anymore, but he forces himself to eat.]

Edited 2022-06-29 23:30 (UTC)

[ she almost asks him what role his sister plays in the family, but then, that would be delving deep into the business. aether has made sure her hands are squeaky clean, keeping her and the company out of his project, taking it on as a personal undertaking. but in the end, they had no choice, do they? not when what they're fighting for is beyond what they're capable of.

lumine takes another small bite of her sandwich, chewing slowly. it tastes fine, but right now, it feels like eating sandpaper. still, like what ajax said, they have to eat. ]

I don't know if I should be flattered that a mob boss is looking out for me.

[ she's pretty sure that's more terrifying than anything. ]

[Ajax laughs, taking another bite of his sandwich. He supposes he can see her point of view, having lived a life that's been without getting her hands dirty in such areas such as murder. Well, at least until recently, but he's yet to ask her about that. Not something to address now, but maybe after they rescue Aether.]

Maybe it's better to just think of him as my father instead of a mob boss. Perhaps once you meet him, you'll be able to see him in a different light. He's actually a very kind person, once you get to know him. I just wouldn't get in the way of his business prospects, is all.

[ does she have to meet him, though? like, how would she even face the guy whose men she got killed? lumine realises that they're there for her and her brother's protected; she even demanded it from ajax after dragging his brother into their secrets. but even so, she didn't think it would actually get them killed. ]

Your father, who is the supposed criminal overlord of the underground scene in Fontaine ... [ she doesn't mean that sarcastically, at least. she's heard enough stories about his family. ] Sure.

[ and she's sitting next to his heir, having an egg and bacon sandwich for breakfast. if she were told several months ago that this is going to be her future, she would've laughed at it. it's not so funny right now. ]

And his son who just kissed my brother over a week ago ...

Hey, c'mon....

[He know she's teasing him, but it's still not a memory he wants to keep around. Ajax will truly never live it down, even if the reason was to save her from bodily injury. And that video...he sighs, defeated, letting his face rest against an open palm.]

Enough about that, now. [He waves one hand in dismissal of the subject.] See, it's not so strange, is it? You met me, and I'm sure I don't exactly fit the bill of your movie-esque mafia boss, now do I?

[Though, he feels like it's a movie, sometimes. With all the extraordinary things that have happened to them in these past months. And it's far from over. If he thinks on it too hard, he can feel the weight of their circumstances pressing down on him.

But if he's with Lumine, it should be no obstacle. There's something deep within him that tells him that, that the two of them are unstoppable together. Perhaps it's Childe, perhaps it's his own feelings on the matter.]

[ nope, she's never going to let him live it down. at least, not while that infernal video is still on her phone. so far, even her twin brother has yet to convince her to delete it. and if aether has been unsuccessful, then chances are, ajax too is going to be. ]

I don't know.

[ lumine throws him a sideways glance, taking another bite of her sandwich and seemingly giving him a once-over. a moment later, she's gesturing with her hands. ]

You know how those mafia guys in movies dress up? [ sure, right now, he looks like a dork in her kitchen, but bear with her. ] With the shirt unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, really terrible style? All you're missing are those giant, gold necklaces that look like chains.

[Ajax knows a direct attack on his style when he sees it, and he throws her a face of faux abjection before shrugging at her and crossing his arms. Please, he knows he looks good in what he wears and how he wears it, and he's not letting that ding his ego whatsoever.]

I happen to think I look pretty good in my choice and style of clothing, thank you very much. I can see what you're up to here, thinking you can knock me down a peg.

[He huffs at her, sitting back into his seat a little more as he finishes off his breakfast, satisfied with his own cooking.]

I like to be comfortable in what I wear. It doesn't matter to me what others think of it.

[ shrugging, as she too finishes her sandwich: ] If that's true, then what I think shouldn't matter.

[ look, lumine never said he didn't look good. she's just saying that in terms of style, he's not that different from the mafia characters in movies. of course, who knows if that's really how the mafia styles themselves; she, for one, isn't too keen to find out. ]

Then again, no wonder some of your men have a crush on you.

[ aaaaand that's all she says, getting up from her seat to carry her plate and mug to the sink, a smile playing on her lips. see, maybe it's for the best that his men could stay incognito while protecting her. ]

[He nearly chokes on his own coffee when she brings that fact right to his face, swallowing it down hard before turning to look incredulously at her.]

What's that supposed to mean?

[When did she ever take the time to talk to any of them? If he didn't know any better, he was sure she was just making it up- or referring to Luke.]

If you're referrecing that Fatui soldier from our vision-

[He swears, going that far just to tease him. He'll think of a way to repay her for her kindness here right now.]

-he's not one of my men. Subordinates from a thousand years ago don't count.

[ please, ajax. his men are as conspicuous as he is when they're trailing her, to the point that she's started recognising some of them. prior to the incident in inazuma too, they're become more comfortable in letting her know their presence around her. ]

I'm not referring to Luke, but your actual men.

[ lumine rinses her plate and her cup before she stows them in the dishwasher to take care of it later. at his look, she just shrugs. ]

What? You didn't know?

[Ajax drinks down more of his coffee, still not buying it. She has to be just teasing him because he kissed Aether, trying to make this whole situation worse.]

I think you're pulling my leg. Besides, even if any of them did, they'd never admit it.

[This lady, he swears, giving him so much grief. Ajax drapes one arm over the back of the chair he sits in, giving her a very unimpressed look.]

You're not jealous of any of them, now are you? It's quite alright if you are, but don't worry. Not only am I not into guys, I'm only looking at you anyhow.

[Another unimpressed sip from his cup, the ongoing stare back at her. He's still not believing a word she's saying.]

Oh, you think I have no means of making people talk?

[ lumine returns that unimpressed look with an amused one, snorting and cocking her eyebrow. and to say that she's jealous, the audacity of this man. acting as if she's on the same pedestal as her twin brother in terms of her affection. ]

I can be quite convincing when I want to be. Aether might be better at sweet-talking people and putting his charms on, but I'm not half as bad.

[ a beat, because she's not about to miss the opportunity of rubbing her own victories in his face: ] Besides, weren't you on that end of that leash just some time ago?

[Ajax downs the last of his coffee, standing up himself now to head to the sink to rinse his own dishes, giving her a glance as he passes by her to do so.]

I don't know what you're talking about. What leash are you speaking of? I don't remember that ever happening.

[The plate and cup get put into the dishwasher, and he turns to start to run hot water into the sink, plugging it and adding some soap to clean the pans he'd used to make breakfast.]

Besides, [he adds,] I'm not one who can be leashed anyhow. I wish you luck if you're going to try.

[ lumine sidesteps him, nonchalantly walking over to the fridge to grab a glass of water that she can carry to her room. she doesn't even give him another glance, simply focusing on her own stuff while debating on what she'll be having later for lunch. ]

I'd remind you, but you'd enjoy it too much.

[ and she still has work to do that can't be delayed any more. she does pause for a moment, glancing at him over her shoulder before walking back to her room. ]

Besides, you could always be couched.

Is that so? I think you know what would happen if you reminded me. You know, I think you'd enjoy it too, haha.

[Though she isn't wrong, he would love every second of it. Her couch threat doesn't seem to bother him, as he begins to clean up the kitchen. But for now, he begins to wash the pans and utensils that can't be put in the dishwasher, smirking as she walks back to her room to begin her work for the day.

He still has work too, and a lot of it- and in order to really see her smile again, he has to find Aether.

So he'll leave her to her own business, and will spend this time making the kitchen look cleaner than he'd even left it the night before.]

[ she's not about to give him the satisfaction of admitting to anything, and denying it will just make him even more obnoxious and overbearing than before. maybe she should've asked tatiana to drag his brother home and leave him be, even if having him here makes her, well, a little less anxious.

lumine returns to her room, closing the door behind her for some peace and quiet. there were a few missed calls on her phone, including one from the reception downstairs, and she gives them all a ring. a few minutes later, she's stepping back out of her room. ]

I need to go downstairs for a bit.

[ she smoothens her hair and her shirt as she pads over to the door, passing by ajax wherever he is. ]

The reception called and told me there's a package for me sitting in my mailbox since last night.

[Ajax looks up from just finishing wiping the stove down as she speaks, his eye quirked. Normally, he wouldn't question her having to go downstairs for anything at all, especially a package or any mail, but these circumstances were not normal.

If they were normal, he wouldn't even be in the apartment right now.]

Were you expecting one?

[He asks, caution lacing his tone. But he shakes his head a moment later, would someone already have the address to her apartment? Maybe. It wouldn't be hard information to get. And he hasn't even let her answer before he sounded suspicious.]

...Sorry. Maybe I'm being a little paranoid.

[ that's a good question, one that gets her to pause in the middle of the hallway. ]

No, not really.

[ there are only a couple of people who know she's in the apartment: her housekeeper and her assistant. of course, that's not counting ajax's sister and himself, but those are all people she can trust, people she's known for a very long time. ]

... But it might be from my assistant. I know there are a few pending things I still need to sign. [ lumine turns to look at him. ] If I don't return in ten minutes, then feel free to panic and check on me downstairs. I'll just be at the reception.

[Now finished, he walks out of the kitchen to join her momentarily before she goes downstairs. It puts his mind more at ease to know that her assistant would send her mail, but something at the back of his mind still wonders.]

Okay. Surprise packages like his are usually a pretty big red flag in my line of work. But I suppose it makes a lot of sense that your assistant might have to send you something out of the blue.

[Still, he gives her a concerned look, eyes soft with worry regardless. He knows she can take care of herself, but he's seen things go sideways too many times.]

Just...be careful with it on the way back up, okay? Don't shake it or do anything unnecessary, just in case.

[ lumine's not surprised that packages are a bit of a suspicious item for him, considering their family business. and to be honest, she'd be a little wary too, considering their circumstances. but would they really be subtle about this when they've already taken her brother? ]

But how would I know what's inside if I don't shake it?

[ she's joking but she knows he's just worried. funny, how he's more concerned about her safety than her own self, whose brother was kidnapped in their own apartment. ]

I'll be fine. [ she pats his arm before slipping on her sandals and stepping out the door. ] I'll be back in a few.

[Ajax's shoulders seems to relax as he sighs, giving her a mildly exasperated look at her joke. But she's right, she'll be fine, silently making his way back to the couch as she steps out to open his laptop once again to begin his work. He lets himself get distracted by that until she comes back, not having to wait long thankfully.

No need for him to panic, but what does catch his eye is the package that she brings back. One that does make him panic, concern lining his face heavier than before she'd left.]

Lumine...that's hardly what I was expecting when you said you had a package.

[ to be fair, it's also not the kind of package she was expecting, at least not from her assistant. she usually sends them in brown paper packaging, neatly wrapped up with a note written on it. but this is just confusing to her? it doesn't have a card either with the sender's name, the ribbon very meticulously tied.

so she's not surprised that that's ajax's reaction upon her return, closing the door behind her, the lock clicking. ]

It's not what I was expecting too, okay?

[ she sets the thing down on the coffee table before walking over to the kitchen to grab another glass of water, drinking instead from the bottle out of annoyance. ]

It's probably from some guy sending stuff at work again.

[For a second, he feels a creeping jealousy in the pit of his stomach, and he tries brushing it to the side. But it irks him, the idea of some guy at her job getting her address and sending her a gift. It's too bad that he can't scare them off like he did to those drunkards at the Windblume festival.]

Perhaps they should practice a little more respect and not find your home address using their connections at work.

[It's a failed attempt to hide his jealousy, his words clearly laced with it as he looks at the gift. Who even does that. Ajax takes a deep breath, trying to push those feelings away as he tries to focus. What if it wasn't some gift from a coworker, but something else?]

Anyway, it may not be from a secret admirer from your job. I wondered at first if it could be a bomb, but when I consider it further, that's not our foe's MO. They want us alive, or they wouldn't of gone to the trouble of trying to put evil spirits inside of us to control us.

[They would have just killed them, right then and there.]

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