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]

[ lumine can't say she's not expecting it from her brother; they did have a talk already about bringing someone in their shared home after the first incident. but then, to be fair, it doesn't exactly apply to this, does it? not when ajax lives in the same house as them at the moment. then again, she supposes that that conversation now applies to their shared bedroom, which she and ajax ... just defiled earlier ...

something that her twin brother very accurately deducted and concluded.

she winces inwardly when aether reminds her of the other residents in the house, unable to meet zhongli's eyes who seems currently disinterested in their current disagreement. and weren't she and ajax having a cold war just days ago? they just made up like that?

so it's a bit of a godsend when ajax finally shows up again—wearing a shirt, thank the archons—and joins them in the living room. aether shoots him a sharp look, narrowing his eyes.

the both of you can't even control yourselves when you're already adults. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[There is this small, tempting thought to remind Aether that he was effectively dead just the day prior, but he'll save that card for later if he has to. It depends on how badly this conversation goes.]

Hm? I don't understand what you're getting at. Did we do something that adults wouldn't normally do?

[As far as he's concerned, aside from having sex in the bed that Aether sleeps in, nothing they did was wrong. And he's not about to admit the real crime here, especially since he's sure she didn't admit to it either.]

Also, should we really be having this conversation in front of Mr. Zhongli? It seems a little...rude, wouldn't you say?

[He turns to Zhongli, looking apologetic.]

Sorry. Aether doesn't particularly care for our relationship. I apologize that you've had to sit through this.

[There is no need for an apology, responds the former archon, such matters have been remonstrated frequently in public; though it may not be the place for such matters, I have heard it from time to time.]

[traversal]

[ lumine throws ajax a pointed look before she slightly shakes her head. really, he's just making this all worse by aggravating her twin brother even more. roping zhongli into the conversation doesn't help either, and she finds that she has to grab aether's hand to turn his attention back to her.

you know what's rude? it's slee— ]

Ae! [ lumine squeezes her brother's hand, coaxing him to look at her. aether turns to her, a sullen expression on his face. ] I think you need to rest. You haven't slept yet since yesterday, right?

[ lumi— ]

You can sleep in Ajax's room. I'm sure he'll be willing to let you use it. [ she shoots another look at ajax, deliberately not looking at zhongli to see if the man is judging her (she doubts it) while pressing her lips together. ] Especially since he didn't use it all day ...

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ah, ruining his fun. He was hoping that maybe he'd get Aether to throw a punch at him, but not today. Guess she wants to keep it peaceful.

So staying silent on the matter of whether he'd used his own bed or not today seems like the best idea, since he was trying to avoid talking about it in any capacity. He simply nods his head, wishing that she hadn't said that, but maybe in Aether's sleep deprived condition, he'll forget about it later...]

I'll change the sheets for you, buddy.

[Standing up, he crosses the room, to leave Aether to either fume at Lumine some more or do whatever he wants while he prepares the bed so his friend can at least rest. Ajax pads back upstairs to do so, and returns fifteen minutes later when it's finished, returning to the chair he'd sat in previously.]

There, it's all ready to go.

[traversal]

[ the only person who doesn't want this to be peaceful is ajax.

besides, not using the bed can mean a lot of things and not just sex. after all, he's been up all day, making lunch, waking her up, probably dealing with chores. and unless ajax can now cook in bed, then lumine's pretty sure it's been out of use since that morning. it's not her fault that he's the one jumping to conclusions immediately and not figuring out how the both of them can get out of this mess.

when ajax returns from making his bed, lumine tugs at her brother's arm, urging him to get up. aether looks as sullen as ever, and she has a feeling it's his lack of sleep that's piling onto his temper. ]

C'mon, Ae. I'll go with you upstairs.

[ he throws another dark look at ajax as he passes him by, lips thin and expression dismayed. lumine pushes him on, not wanting this to suddenly explode like it did in snezhnaya. ]

Let's go. Ajax is not joining us, don't worry. He's going to entertain Zhongli.

[monoceroscaeli]

[A bright smile is thrown back at Aether, accompanied by a small wave as he stands up. So much for no funny business, he thinks, laughing inwardly to himself. A part of him feels bad, and yet another part of him enjoys this small amount of chaos he's caused. But what's done is done, and he turns to Zhongli, nodding to the other man.]

Well, there's no time like the present. Let's go on that walk, shall we?

[The former archon rises, giving a nod to the twins as both Ajax and himself head towards the front door. Probably best to...leave them alone, since the Snezhnayan has decided to forgo diplomacy.]

See you two later.

[And out the door they go, and won't return for at least a few hours. At least.]

[traversal]

[ that smile ... lumine narrows her eyes, annoyance lancing through her.

ajax is lucky she doesn't decide to turn and hit him as he's been trying to goad aether to do. instead, lumine simply ignores him and ushers her brother up the stairs and into the empty bed. aether's without a doubt exhausted beyond words, her twin working for hours without sleep, that he quickly conks out even before she could tuck him in.

it's an hour later that lumine finally goes down to the living room, fetching her laptop from her bedroom and heading out into the apartment to continue what aether's been working on. after all, she doesn't think he's managed to finish everything, not when he's clearly tired and sleepless.

she stays in the apartment for a few hours, finally putting the office that ajax has set up for them to good use. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[A lot of information is gleaned from Zhongli during their walk.

He's thankful for it, as it gives him a lot more insight to their situation, and finally answers most of his questions regarding why he and Lumine are the way they are. Ajax made sure to ask very specific questions, sometimes getting a little bored or frustrated when Zhongli went off track from time to time, but he gets what he needs. But even despite periods of rambling, he finds it comforting to be able to walk alongside him, a familiar presence which he can only attribute to Childe and Zhongli having been friends so long ago.

It seemed to make Zhongli happy to see him again too, and Ajax almost doesn't notice that several hours have past before they return to the house.

But work is still something he has to devote time and energy to, so brief goodbyes are said before Ajax heads back to the apartment to check emails, texts and voicemails. One of which is important, and something that he needs to speak with Lumine about. Thankfully she's already in the apartment, noticing she'd been working herself in the office, leaving her be to do so as he went through his own mess of messages.

It's now that he pops his head into the office, looking a little more serious than usual, but not worried.]

Hey. Got a second?

[traversal]

[ lumine doesn't notice ajax's presence in the apartment when he shows up, caught up in the work that aether's left pending: reimbursements, employee benefits, police reports. there's only so much her brother can do, after all, in his sleep-deprived state and it's even impressive that he's able to finish a decent amount of work.

she only realises that he's around when he checks up on her in the office, a look of expectation on his face. she cocks an eyebrow in question, before she turns back to the document opened on her laptop. ]

Go shoot.

[ a second is really all she can spare, unable to look away from the work she has at the moment. ] What is it?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Walking inside, he leans up against the desk next to her, so he can show her a text message he'd gotten while still in the teapot for the last few days or so. It's from his father, labeled "old man" in Ajax's phone.]

The office of your friend is all over the news. I want to know what's going on, Ajax. I need to see you, bring your friends with.

[Breathing out a heavy sigh, he looks to Lumine apologetically. He knew this moment would come, but he's not sure if he or either of the twins are ready for this.]

I've been trying to explain things to him but I don't think he's buying the half truths anymore. He wants to see us. Ironically, this is the perfect time to do so, since I think it's pretty safe to move.

[Personally, he'd rather have a small vacation right about now, but it looks like one of those days are going to be spent seeing his dad.]

Knowing him, he wants to see us asap.

[traversal]

[ lumine pauses once more from her work to glance at the phone and read what the message says before she looks up at ajax. she supposes that they've probably put this off for a while now, and there's no doubt that his dad is getting suspicious about this. it doesn't help either that there's enough of his men who had died trying to protect her and her brother. it wouldn't surprise her if he's holding that against them.

for a moment, she looks back at her laptop, her expression thoughtful. a moment later, she's looking back up at ajax, her lips pressed together. ]

Can Aether go with you?

[ surely, her brother has met his dad? and is probably familiar with him? which means that there's a better chance for her twin to smooth things over with the volkov patriarch.

but also, mostly she doesn't want to have to answer any questions she can't answer. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Give me a second. Let me ask him what he wants exactly.

[It's a good question, so he'll text his dad back. Ajax quickly sends the text, asking if it's alright if just Aether comes, and his dad responds quickly. Not surprising, given how alert everyone must be. He reads it, to give her the bad news.]

If she isn't coming, then she'll just have to come on a different day. But she's not getting out of coming to speak to me, Ajax. Let her know that.

[Ajax grimaces, if that's what his dad wants, then that's what his dad is going to get.]

Sorry. Looks like the only thing you can do is put it off. Believe me, it's better to get it over with now.

[traversal]

[ ugh

lumine's expression twists for a moment, wrinkling her nose in dismay, before she turns back to her work. she doesn't understand why she has to come along when her brother can perfectly explain what's going on on her behalf. not to mention that she'll probably make aether talk the entire time anyway. ]

He's going to scold me, isn't he?

[ after all, she got most of his men killed. the incidents that happened around her, most of them she were unprotected, which means that the guys ajax placed around her were killed or incapacitated. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

If anyone is going to get scolded, it's going to be me.

[His dad will want answers, that's for sure- Ajax can't explain away everything, especially after the warehouse incident. And now, with their office being targeted and the building next door collapsing without any good reason, he knows his dad is fed up.]

I'm the one who hasn't been completely truthful with him, and I'm sure that he's going to use either one or both of you to make sure the story is straight here. Let me do most of the talking, only answer him when he asks you a question. And don't try to deflect too much, [Ajax warns,] because he's going to see right through it.

[His phone vibrates again, and Ajax quickly glances down at it. His shoulders sink, and his expression betrays the text, showing it to her.]

So I'll see you in an hour, yes?

I was hoping he'd give us a few days, at least...

[traversal]

[ from dismay, lumine's expression turns into exasperation as she once more is forced to pause from her work. how is this reasonable? how is this going to work, especially for them who's just had their office attacked and the building next door exploded? a part of her wonders if the volkov family operates on stupidly unreasonable things.

ajax sure has bouts of lacking any reason or rational judgment at times. she's not surprised if he got it from his dad. ]

You can tell him that Aether is still asleep, so an hour is not ideal at all.

[ she'd rather let her brother catch his sleep than forcefully wake him up and deal with him cranky for the rest of the day. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Lumine...

[Ajax inclines his head, giving her a long look. That's not a good idea right now, not when it's his dad. He doesn't even dare to cross him when matters are this serious.]

We'll go without Aether, I'll take Aether with me to see him another day. The old man's patience has worn thin, or else he wouldn't rush us. We've given him the run around for a while now, and some of our guys are dead. You can't really blame him for being a little demanding.

[Does he agree with Lumine? He does. His dad is being a little unreasonable, but he understands why.]

Let's just go and get it sorted out, get it done with, and maybe if our answers are to his satisfaction, he won't make Aether see him too.

[Big maybe.]

[traversal]

[ that maybe doesn't sound very convincing. if anything, it sounds more like ajax trying to convince himself that this will work out.

lumine sighs heavily, the exhale very much a mixture of aggravation and disbelief. she still has much to do, much to take care of. and yet this can't even wait at all, not even until her twin brother wakes up. she can be unreasonable, too, but someone clearly owns the crown for that. she gets up from her seat, shutting down her laptop. ]

There's demanding, and then, there's this. What is he going to do if we'd relocated in Inazuma or Liyue?

[ and an hour isn't enough to go see him or even prepare. with another sigh that she really should be charging ajax for, lumine returns to the teapot to get changed, feeling annoyed. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

He would have shown up at our front door, [Ajax explains, hoping that she'd at least understand that there's really nothing either of them can do about this.

He sighs, following her back to the teapot to do the same. Getting ready doesn't take Ajax long, quietly going into his room as to not disturb Aether so he can slip into a vest, get some dress shoes on and style his hair to complete the look. He quickly makes his way downstairs, knocking on her bedroom door after he's finished.]

I'll be out here when you're ready, [he calls through the door.]

[traversal]

[ sure, there is. the teapot is enchanted, after all. and if she stayed inside indefinitely, then he wouldn't even be able to show up at the front step, unable to access the domain. that would've been an amusing sight, his father showing up to an empty apartment.

in any case, lumine assumes that this is a business call, changing into one of her power suits and heels. she doesn't see the point in having to dress prettily if she's being forced to see someone she doesn't want to see. besides, this isn't any different from seeing clients or investors, representing the company instead of her brother.

... ngl, she's tempted to push this until the very last minute of the hour his dad had exacted as an ultimatum. ]

He realises that my brother and I are not his subordinates, right?

[ she throws ajax a flat look as she steps out of the bedroom, fixing the cuff of her jacket. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

That's...not how he views this.

[Ajax won't go into details about how meetings with people outside of their organization works, because he knows she won't appreciate it nor does he want to give her any visuals. He just gives her a nervous smile, more concentrated on what he's going to have to explain to his father than what he'll ask of Lumine.]

Come, let's just go. I know this isn't exactly the most ideal conditions to do this, but after tonight you'll be free of this obligation. I tried to put this off as long as I could, I'm not surprised we've reached the breaking point.

[Because he knows there's no way they were going to get out of talking to him. Ajax walks with her out to his car that's been hidden away in the underground parking for the penthouse complex. He drives her out of the city, to a gated mansion, the outside just as luxurious looking as the inside. He's surprised his siblings haven't come to greet him, but they probably don't know he's coming, given the short notice.]

Hey, I'll try to get us out of here as fast as I can.

[traversal]

[ lumine doesn't say anything further, just wanting to get this over and be done with it as quickly and painlessly as possible. she pulls out her phone inside the car, sorting a few of the items she couldn't sort out in time. it's a bit inconvenient and she really should've brought her laptop instead, but there's no point in griping about it now. at the very least, her phone is capable enough to finish a handful of tasks.

and while most people would feel pressured about the meeting the moment they drive through the huge gates of the property, lumine just feels a sense of vexation rising within her. she still can't believe she agreed to being dragged out here, all because of ajax's ridiculous father. ]

As long as it doesn't get us killed.

[ she steps out of the car, ignoring the looks from his family's men she's once more getting and focusing on steadying herself as her heels sink into the gravel of the driveway. she's somehow getting used to it already, having experienced it a few times from their secret hideout.

lumine sends a quick message to aether, hoping her brother is able to catch up to his hours soon. ]

How long does this normally take?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Another question he doesn't want to breach, really- there's no answer to it, and it's all situational anyway. He leads her through the house to what looks like a conference room in the back, somewhere where his dad deals with business between himself and his kids, and perhaps a few trusted others. That's about it.

Lumine is going to be a part of that now, and Ajax wonders if this was inevitable now from the day they met.]

...It depends, really, [is how he decides to answer that question. At least no one will die today, he's pretty sure.]

This isn't like scheduling a meeting for work. It's over when he says it's over.

[Ajax knocks on the door, before opening it to let them both in. It's not a particularly large room, though still nice. An ornate mahogany table sits in the middle of the room, the older man sitting at the head of it wore ginger hair similar to Ajax's own, save for the grey streaks and the fading of the color with time. He taps the end of a pen against the table, gesturing for the two of them to sit down next to him, blue eyes flashing as he looks upon his son and the blonde woman who's accompanied him today.

I take it Aether couldn't make it, then? He asks, tone even and curious.]

No, sorry. He hasn't slept in over twenty-four hours, because he's been dealing with the aftermath of the attack at their office. He was asleep when you texted me. He was in no condition to come, father.

[The older Volkov nods, seeming to understand.

I appreciate the two of you being here. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Viator.]

[traversal]

[ this is starting to sound more and more unpleasant, and lumine wants nothing but to leave here as quickly as she can. she regrets the day aether agreed to do business with this family.

she wordlessly follows after ajax through the house, her heels clicking against the marble floors. a house this big, she wonders if all of his siblings live in this place. or did they escape too, like anatoli did in snezhnaya? ... she would too, if she were made to live here. but that's not really something to dwell on, not when ajax leads her to a room at the back and lets her inside.

lumine keeps her expression eager as the volkov patriarch greets her, giving him an equally curt nod before taking a seat on ajax's other side. surely, he doesn't mind her using him as a shield in this situation, right? ]

I'm very sorry my brother couldn't come. If we had a bit more time, I'm sure he would've been glad to join us.

[ and maybe, keep her out of this, too. that's always been what aether's goal is, even when he took up ajax's request: to keep her out of his dirty dealings. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[If there were time to spare, I would have given it to you.

That's a surprise to Ajax's ears, thinking this was just his father being very demanding, given the circumstances. He leans forward, interested in what his father had to say, knowing now that whatever it is probably isn't good for any of them. But his father continues on, his speech slow and deliberate.

Ajax, I still want to see him. Tomorrow. I have things for him here that I need him to look at. I'll have Lorenz come tomorrow as well, so this works out. He's been dying to meet the guy we outsource to when he can't take care of the job.]

I'll bring him, [Ajax responds, still wondering what his father meant by not having time.] But you've eluded to something that's new to me. Why was it that this meeting couldn't wait?

[His father lets his gaze pass across both of them, breathing in a heavy sigh before giving them what thankfully isn't bad news, but isn't good either.

That little apartment you decided to hide out in downtown, the one that even I didn't know the whereabouts to? Turns out your friends found it, and had a whole operation planned. We took 'em out about three days ago, but I refrained from saying something to you because I didn't know who was listening. Same reason why I need you here right now to talk about things. Then, they hit your office building, probably in retaliation. They work too quickly, way more quickly than we've ever known them to. But whatever happened downtown seems to of halted any plans they've got going, but you guys need to relocate, and soon.

I'm sorry, Ms. Viator. We had no idea they were gunning for your office.

Ajax's father looks at both of them, as if he is waiting for any questions in regards to that before he moves on.]

[traversal]

[ lumine says nothing to that, keeping her gaze at the wall behind the man and feeling annoyed that they're roping her brother into whatever plans this family has. this isn't what she wanted to hear when she agreed to come to this place. and there's a part of her that wishes to say something, but she can tell that anything that will come out of her mouth is something that's going to be unpleasant.

it doesn't help either when his father mentions the leak in their apartment and the attack on their office as some form of retaliation, her lips thinning at the idea and information. ]

The current place we're staying in is quite safe, don't worry. [ again, her voice sounds clipped. ] But there are a few things that I don't understand, and I hope you can enlighten me about them.

[ she folds her hands on the desk as she normally would during client and investor meetings. ]

When I was taken back in Inazuma, no one knew my whereabouts save for my twin brother and your men. When my brother was kidnapped, he was brought to a warehouse that belongs to the Volkovs. And then, now, the apartment that only Ajax knows about has been leaked.

[ lumine hopes that they're getting what she's pointing out. especially when it's rather suspicious that every movement they make, everything they've done that the volkovs are in the know, has been revealed to those who are chasing them. ]

Are we truly safe with your family, my twin brother and I?