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

[monoceroscaeli]

[The minute the door closes, Ajax sinks back into into the couch with an audible, exasperated sigh. Finally. A minute to recuperate.]

Listen, she babies all of us. It's amazing how she's managed to keep us all reigned in and still manages to spoil us rotten. Believe me, I'm not unaware of my mom's abilities. It's what makes her and my father such a good match.

[He can see it. His father, running one of the biggest crime rings in the country, a hard man with a soft heart for his family- and then his mother, a woman who can get away with whatever she wants, spoiling the kids and subsequently being the favorite parent between the two. Ajax realizes how much of an amalgamation he is of both of them, coupled with his own life experiences and now, the augmentation from Childe.

He stands up from the couch, to join Lumine at her side in front of the fireplace again, looking at some of the pictures before he sighs.]

I think you've already won my mom over. She's already treating you like you're part of the family. Be prepared for more trips down memory lane, because I'm sure that's not going to stop.

[traversal]

I haven't even done anything yet.

[ weird how she's already won his mom over when she's practically trying not to win her over by letting her know that she and ajax are not a thing. but she supposes it's something that she hasn't experienced in a while now, since it's always been just her and aether. there's never been anyone else but the both of them.

lumine peers at one of the photos with all the girls in it, her eyes flickering at the youngest, hair all tied up in pigtails. she wonders if his little siblings are around. ]

Besides, isn't that normal for most moms? To pretty much adopt every single friend of their son or daughter?

[monoceroscaeli]

Haha, I guess it depends on the mom.

[Not all moms are like his, he knows, but he is the one here who got lucky and had the nicest mom he knows. She'd spoil them half to death if given the chance, and he loves her dearly.

Since they're alone finally, Ajax wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him while pointing out a picture on the shelf that's of himself with a balloon in his hand, looking like he has to go to the bathroom very badly in it.]

Since she's going to tell it to you anyway, I figure I'll beat my mother to the punch and get the most embarrassing story of my childhood out of the way. I think I'm about five in that picture. We were on a trip to an amusement park, and I had to use the restroom, but I was too scared to ask, according to my parents. So I held it as long as I could, until I couldn't any longer- and I guess I walked a good half a mile through the park with my pants soaked before anyone noticed. And no one thought to stop my parents to tell them their little boy wet himself...

[He sighs, managing to make himself turn red at the story. He barely remembers it, but it's a favorite story of his mom's. He's not sure if there's a winter holiday that goes by when he doesn't hear it.]

My mother even wrote, "Jaxxie wet his pants" on the back of the photo. You just can't see it because it's in the frame.

[traversal]

[ she's now tempted to take that photo and check the back of it for validation. instead, lumine lets out another snort in amusement, in disbelief as to why he's even telling her that. though she supposes it's better for him that he tells her that story than his mom who seems to be on a warpath in embarrassing her own son. ]

See, I knew the feeling I had that you're the type who'd wet your pants is right.

[ it's a total joke obviously, one that would hopefully keep him distracted until his mom returns. it's a very dangerous situation with just the two of them in the room, knowing ajax's tendencies.

lumine squirms out of his grasp to continue her walk around the den, exploring some of the other pictures left on tables and other shelves in the room. ]

Are all of your brothers and sisters except for Anatoli living in this house?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax lingers a moment in front of the picture as Lumine wanders off, looking at it through a new lens. Did Childe too, have moments just like these when he was a little kid? He idly wonders what it was like, living in Snezhnaya a thousand years ago. They had some rough form of technology, but past being able to take pictures, if the teapot was any indication, did they really have much past that?

Ajax wanders back over to join her again, looking at more of the pictures left out of his family to view, shoving his hands into his pockets.]

The older siblings don't live here, but we're all welcome back to stay here if we please. The house is certainly large enough to have all eight of us come if we wish, though we still have our house back in Snezhnaya too. We'll use one of the two for celebrations and holidays, depending on where my parents want to be for it. My father made sure there was no lack of room just in case.

[He looks over to her, as she inspects more pictures.]

You've certainly enjoyed yourself today, haven't you?

[Teasing him and learning all these little embarrassing details about his life.]

[traversal]

[ shrugging: ] It's not my fault that your parents overshare.

[ and she's simply going along with the flow, taking advantage of the amusement it brings her. it sure has some benefits, since, for one thing, it's given her more blackmail material and ammo against ajax if and when he decides to misbehave.

lumine pauses again in front of one of the photos, that of ajax and three little kids. it resembles the photo she's accidentally seen as his phone wallpaper, all three gingers hanging off of their older brother while grinning widely. ]

You really like kids, don't you?

[ since it does seem like he dotes on his sister and brothers a little too much. almost like aether, really, and maybe that's where their similarities start. ]

Most of the photos you have are with your younger siblings.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax gingerly picks up the picture of himself with the three younger kids, his expression changing to something more soft and tender as he gazes at it. He lets his eyes dart between the three smiling faces, wondering if they were home or if they'd gone out with one of his older siblings for the day. A long sigh is breathed out of his nose, his voice taking on a more airy, lighter tone when he speaks of his siblings, almost nostalgic.]

I do. They mean the world to me; I'm sure you understand.

[He knows how she feels about her own twin brother, how inseparable they are. He understands, and finds that part about them both endearing, even if Aether wants to tear him a new one every other week for being with his sister.]

They don't know anything about what I do, at least not the darker side of it. A child's world should be kept innocent for as long as possible, before they have to learn about the harsh realities of life.

[He sets the picture back down, adjusting it just so, easily viewable from where they both stand.]

I hope they'll continue to look up to me, for now.

[And maybe, one day, he'd be able to start his own family- but that's a dream that feels so far away, even moreso now as they continue their fight just to survive. He won't say that out loud, or admit to it- it can just stay as a quiet milestone he'd like to reach later in life.]

[traversal]

[ lumine falls silent for a long while, staring at the photos on the shelves. ]

Lumine and Aether were planning to leave Teyvat after the war with the gods.

[ she's seen the conversations between the two, lucid dreams that somehow plagued her after the entire debacle in inazuma. lumine seemed hesitant and a part of her seemed to think twice about their plans, no doubt because of the connections she's made, because of childe. but at the end of the day, her brother's thoughts on the matter won her over.

they're travelers, after all. and despite the both of them seeking a home, they've realized that their home is with each other, no matter where they are. no matter where they go, they have each other. even after their deaths, they've found each other. ]

The children that Childe had hoped for with her, it wasn't meant to happen. Just so you know.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax looks over to her in disbelief, blinking a few times, wondering if he really heard her right. They were just going to leave? Just like that? He doesn't seem to understand, questions filtering into his mind. Why? Why wouldn't they stay?

He can feel his heart drop, and though the Aether and Lumine of the past shouldn't have such an effect on him, he still feels it. He still feels his chest tighten with sadness, and he almost isn't sure if that's his own feelings, or Childe's.]

She never told him that. To say he's pretty upset right now is an understatement. That was quite the bombshell to drop.

[He can tell by the emotions that sweep through him, he hadn't known. He's finding out right now, alongside Ajax. His hand comes up to lay over his heart as he closes his eyes, trying to calm the stormy sea that's begun to swirl up inside of him.]

Why? Why would she leave?

[But in a way, Lumine has told him her own plans, hasn't she? Is she going to leave him, too? She is the reincarnation of Lumine, as Zhongli explained to him. He doesn't care to think about that, his eyes darting back and forth to keep himself from letting his eyes well with any tears that threaten to form there, taking a deep breath.]

[traversal]

[ how does she answer that? to the friends whom the twins have made, it must be unthinkable, unimaginable to know that they'll eventually leave the world they've spent much of their time in. but that's always what's separated them from the others; they were never a part of teyvat, after all. ]

The twins were never of this world ...

[ lumine stops when she hears the door open, ajax's mother having finally returned. in her hands is the plate of finger foods she's left with her husband, which she sets down on the table. she ushers the two away from the shelves, fussing over them both.

a little girl trails after her, carrying a pitcher of water and a few glasses. she brightens upon seeing ajax, a huge smile tugging at her lips, refraining from running over him and possibly spilling the water all over.

big brother! ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[The excuse offered isn't something Childe is willing to hear, and Ajax finds himself desperately trying to fight back a heartache that isn't his to feel. But he can't help but sympathize with the Harbinger, not blaming him for feeling the way he does. It's easy to put himself in Childe's shoes- if it were him, he'd feel upset and betrayed.

But any more questions he could ask have to wait for later, his mother walking back in, shooing them back to the couch, and Ajax's entire face lights up the minute he sees that familiar little girl.]

Tonia! How is my favorite little sister?

[He waits for her to set the glasses and water down on the table before kneeling down and letting her fly right into his arms for a loving embrace, Tonia squealing with delight as she gets a big hug from her big brother.

I'm your only little sister!]

Yes, but what matters is that I'm here now, isn't it? How have you been? Where are Anthon and Teucer? Not out causing trouble, I hope.

[They're in the backyard, I don't know what they're doing.

She turns to Lumine, her eyes going wide. Oh, she knows who this person is.

Brother, is this her? Lu- Lum- ummmm...]

Yes, Tonia, this is Lumine. Lumine, this is my little sister Tonia.

[Bright blue eyes look up to Lumine, excited to finally get to see the girl her big brother always talks about.

It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Lumine! Ajax talks about you all the time, and says you're like a bright star-]

Ooookay, [Ajax interrupts her quickly, putting a hand over her mouth momentarily.] She knows, there's no need to repeat it, Tonia.

[traversal]

[ lumine leaves ajax to bond with his sister, only looking up to smile at her when she suddenly addresses her. somehow, it doesn't surprise her anymore that ajax has been talking about her to his family, which seems to be the theme of today's show. ]

Sounds like your brother all right.

[ she turns away from the siblings to sit down on the couch, leaning against the cushions, her gaze landing on the plate but not really seeing it. it's the worst timing to say that, but lumine's decided it needed to be said. after ajax's confession earlier and all this reminiscing about the past, there's no better time.

did you two get into a fight while i was gone?

lumine blinks at the question, looking up at ajax's mom who's wearing a concerned expression as she takes a seat next to her. she pats her knee, offering her a reassuring smile. ]

Oh ... no, I was just thinking about my brother who's at home.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Meanwhile, Ajax picks Tonia right up, coming over to the couch himself and plops down with his sister happily sitting on his knee. She reaches out to pick up some of the food, slipping off of him to better reach it before she decides that the cushion is more comfortable, climbing back onto the couch to sit right up next to him. Ajax lets his arm stretch out on the back of the couch, grinning up at his mother.]

Don't worry, we're just fine. It's just been a rough couple of days is all, and there's still plenty of work to be done.

[Tonia looks up at the two of them, her eyes wide and worried.

Did something bad happen?]

No, nothing bad, [he reassures her, patting the top of her head.] And even if it was, you know I'd take care of it, Tonia.

[I know! You can do anything, big brother!

Ajax smiles softly back down to his sister, as his mother pours out water for all of them, handing a glass to Lumine as she'd requested.

Here you go, dear. I had Tonia bring the pitcher because we've got a few more books to go through.

The look on his mom's face is devious, much like Ajax's own when he gets an idea- which makes the man turn to her, his jaw dropping in exasperation at her. Is his torture really not done now, even with Tonia's presence?]

[traversal]

[ rough couple of days is an understatement. but lumine gets now how much ajax dotes on his younger siblings, watching the two of them interact as she accepts the glass of water from their mother. even tonia seems to be very much enamoured with her older brother, reminding her of herself when she was younger.

she turns back to the table and settles back into the cushions when ajax looks at his mother, his expression that of disbelief. why is he so surprised that they're continuing? it's clear this was planned. ]

I don't mind. My brother needs a few more hours of rest, and it would be peaceful for him if we weren't at home.

[ aether would be able to sleep peacefully without ajax or her presence. and as much as possible, she'd like for him to get some rest, if only since he has still so much to do. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax's mother smiles, opening the next scrapbook, as Ajax looks on in abject horror at the first picture inside of the book. Tonia doesn't seem to mind, loving to hear all sorts of stories about her big brother, even if she's already heard them before. His mom begins to tell Lumine all sorts of embarrassing stories from his childhood, and Ajax just slumps into the couch as the rest of the session goes on.

Why him...]


---


[The rest of the car ride home consists of being teased, Ajax sighing and teasing back and defending himself as much as he can. But he finds he's far too tired by the time they get back to do much else, eating dinner and retiring to the bedroom to pass out for the remainder of the night. It's not until the next day, after Aether has had ample time to rest himself after working so hard with dealing with the tragedy that befell their office, that Ajax seeks him out to take him to see his father as well.

They enter into the same conference room that he and Lumine had been in the day prior, except now they are joined by Lorenz who looks focused as he works on a laptop. He only looks up from it until they've finally sat, sighing.

So you're Aether, huh? Nice to finally meet ya. Lorenz offers a hand to Aether, while Ajax's father nods.

Glad you two could make it. Aether, it's nice to see you again, though I wish it wasn't on such terrible terms.]

[traversal]

[ lumine has a bit more energy to stay up with her twin brother upon returning to the teapot, speaking about her trip to the volkov household with aether who's a little less irascible now that he's had sleep before going back to the bedroom that her brother abandoned. to be fair, he did seem apologetic to her that he's had to do this again with ajax's family, but there's not much that the two of them could do.

it's for this reason that she sleeps in the next day, unable to see off ajax and her brother before they leave. the former himself is wary about this meeting, but he's at least met the volkov patriarch and knows how to deal with him.

unlike his sister who's clearly wishing that she and her brother are uninvolved in this business. that's what he wanted too, but this is also another way of protecting lumine.

aether gives ajax's father a slight nod and lorenz a shake of his hand, before he takes a seat at the table, leaning against the chair.

so i've heard from lumine. she's not very happy about this, if i were being honest. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax's father shifts in his seat, his gaunt face looking down to the table as he speaks slowly and deliberately.

I'm not happy about this. I got dead guys left and right, and I still haven't gotten a straight answer as to why or how we're getting steamrolled by some second rate getup. I lose an entire warehouse of goods, only to be told that I'm dealing with a bunch of comic book villains. Lorenz, show Aether the info you managed to rake up so he can take a look at it.

The patriarch waves his hand, and Lorenz nods as he turns the computer towards Aether, to let him check it out himself.

It looks like your new friends are a lot better with tracking you guys down than you thought. I figured our third-party guy might be able to tell us how they're tracking not only you guys down, but all of our shipments too. There ain't a phishing scheme here, they got in on their own.

Ajax's father stands up, staring his son down.

And while they do that, you're going to show me these superpowers of yours.

The man's eyes go wide- he doesn't want to do that, not at all.

You got superpowers, boss? Why didn't you tell me? Lorenz says, laughing, looking up at him but falling silent quickly at the dark expression on Ajax's face.]

Don't blame me if you get blown away. I'd brace yourself for this one.

[traversal]

[ aether bites back his tongue. he knows better than to snap at ajax's father, even if he's his friend. a part of him wonders if lumine has done the unthinkable; then again, there's no one his sister will spare when she's upset or unhappy. he'll simply have to figure out how to navigate these waters.

in any case, he pulls the laptop towards him, only to pause and pick it up and get up from his seat at ajax's father's command. lorenz might have a bit of a laugh in him at that ridiculous notion, but aether's not about to risk anything.

do you have another room we can go to? i'd really rather not deal with ajax and his transformation right now.

and get the laptop destroyed, including the data in it. aether gestures at lorenz; where can they go and have some peace and quiet until this literally blows over? ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Don't worry Aether, [Ajax reassures, looking over to his friend with a smile.] We'll have to go outside for this anyway.

[Ajax stands, walking towards the door, his father in tow. He turns to him, before leaving, and asks-]

Anthon, Tonia and Teucer aren't here right now, are they?

[The elder shakes his head, no.]

Good.

[The two of them leave, and Lorenz looks to Aether, bewildered at what he'd said.

You mean you know what's going on here? What's gunna happen? Do I even want to know?

Ten minutes later, something slams into the entire house with great force. Chandeliers rattle, lighter furniture seems to jump up from their places for no reason at all, paintings shift on the walls of the house. The wave of dark power that passes through the house coming and going in an instant, leaving a small amount of chaos in its wake.

Lorenz jumps up from his seat, his eyes wide as he stares in the direction of the backside of the house before his eyes land squarely on Aether.

What was that?! Was that Ajax?]

[traversal]

[ aether says nothing to that, keeping his expression impassive and unimpressed. sure, maybe it was initially something that struck him speechless, and sure, he was grateful that ajax managed to get him and lumine out. but right now, it's a reminder of the shit he and his twin sister had gone through.

no, you don't.

lorenz leads him to another room not too far away from the hall where they were in. aether quickly takes a seat on an empty chair before he starts going through the data, his expression turning serious. what the hell, he doesn't even understand anything.

so much so that the sound of what seems like an explosion doesn't startle him, hunched over the laptop. his forehead knits, his lips thinning.

yeah, do you want to take a look? it's pretty ugly.

the other guy shakes his head, gulping as the walls seemingly shake again. aether, on the other hand, drags him back to attention, asking him how much they've deciphered so far. when he gets a look of confusion, he fights the urge to roll his eyes.

look, i need all the information you've gotten from this so far. all of them.

it's an hour later when aether finally emerges in search of ajax and his father, looking very grim. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax and his father are easily found, sitting back in the small conference room having a private conversation with information that Aether is already privy to. The patriarch looks up in anger at first, but softens when he sees that it's Aether being trailed by Lorenz as they enter the room. He gestures for them to sit, Ajax reclining in one of the chairs and looking exasperated.

Trying to explain ancient gods to his old man wasn't fun, or easy, but at least he believes him.

Aether, I don't like the face you're wearing, his father says, though not with any malice or anger, but rather with worry. Sit down. Tell us what you found.

Ajax says nothing, looking over to Aether to study his friend's features. Whatever he found isn't good.]

[traversal]

[ aether glances between the two, wondering if he's interrupted something. if he has, he's not sorry, especially considering how grave what he's learned. he gives ajax's father a quick nod before taking a seat at the table again, lorenz sitting next to him.

you have a mole in your family.

he tries to explain the leak in the most simple way possible, pointing out the information that's been changed in their data. normally, he'd assume the other family had hired a hacker, but that's not at all the case. after all, none of the security put into place by lorenz has been breached or compromised.

if you compared it to a thief, there was no forced entry. instead, someone placed the code into the system, making it think that it's been a part of it all along.

if either of them looks confused, aether presses his lips together, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. he almost wants to go back home and sleep again. so whoever that someone is went through your system without needing to break through the security. they either have access to it, or they're someone who works closely with you. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax understands. He's not so tech illiterate to not have a basic understanding of what's happened. His father, on the other hand, looks like a deer in headlights, not understanding a thing Aether is saying. The son puts a hand on his shoulder, seeing his father's confusion and how Aether is not in the mood to try to explain this to him again.]

I'll break it down for you further later. Thanks, Aether. That certainly shines a light on a lot of things that have gone wrong. That still doesn't explain how they found our apartment, since no one was supposed to know where that was. But...for now, I'll just assume I made a misstep until I figure it out. They won't get the opportunity when we move again.

[Aether, Lorenz. Do you gotta know what you're doing to get this...code in the system? Or is it like the movies where you can just stick a USB into a computer on the network and it's a done deal?

Ajax cringes a little by the way his dad asks the question, but it's a good question. If anyone who has access to the network can do that, and just run an .exe file, then you wouldn't need any kind of knowledge to do what the mole did.

And if there's one thing his dad does understand out of this, is the word mole.]

[traversal]

[ that's also something aether can't explain to ajax. he, for one, would like an answer to that question, but he has a feeling that whatever that answer is, it's not going to be pleasant. whoever it is, it's probably someone who is near and dear to ajax and his father, someone who would be privy to their secrets.

he doesn't want to make assumptions. he knows how this family works, and a word from an outsider won't hold any kind of water compared to someone who belongs to it.

unfortunately, it's not that easy. everything needs to be cleaned up, top to bottom, since we have no idea which parts they've managed to infiltrate. the problem is, i have no idea how to remove it from the system.

bar destroying their entire network, which he assumes is not going to work. that would leave the family entirely blind. for once, he's a little stumped at this, which is rather frustrating.

i can work on it, but i don't know how long it'll take. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[The patriarch nods, not understanding the whole deal but trusting Aether to take care of it. It seems, that he might be the only person he can trust to do this now, since a mole existed in their family somewhere. Ajax thinks for a moment, before turning to Lorenz. He trusts Lorenz, always has. He doesn't want to believe it's him.]

I don't think our mole here is Lorenz. He was the one that raised the issue, exposing the problem in the system, from what I understand. If he hadn't done that, everything would have been going smoothly for the Dufonts, like they have been for several months. So I think we can trust him. Lorenz, can you make a complete copy of the system for Aether so he can work on this offline? We can't afford to be found if an IP address will give our location away.

[The other man nods.

Child's play. I'll have a copy of it ready before you leave.]

Good. Aether, figuring this out should bring us one step closer to returning our lives to some semblance of normal. And our family would forever be in your debt if you can help us. Right, father?

[Ajax looks to him, his eyebrows raised; he better treat Aether really, really well after this is all said and done, provided they survive.

Don't give me that look. Of course. Now that I better understand our problem...I'll see to it that you and your sister will be well taken care of.

Ajax nods, sighing as he runs his hand through his hair.]

Alright. Then for now, let's take a moment to relax while Lorenz prepares the software for us; I could use a drink or two.