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

Current Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEmZcgU9fuc&ab_channel=NewNewGirlfriend

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ that kind of coincidence doesn't happen in teyvat. at least, lumine is certain about that; she's learned that from mona, knows that fate somehow had a hand in their meeting. even so, ajax could've simply walked away and left, and yet, he pursued and persisted as stubbornly as childe would have.

lumine nudges her nose against childe's when ajax has left them once more, shaking her head in exasperation afterwards. ]

Aren't we already spending time together? That's really all that I want.

[ this had been enough for them in the past. all those moments when they have so little time together, their responsibilities and roles demanding their attention. and lumine's learned not to take it for granted, not to waste the opportunity no matter how small it is; after all, who knows when they'd be able to do this again? ]

Do you have anything that you want to do?

[There's a small, mischievous smirk that he shoots her the second she asks. Of course there's something he wants to do, there is always something he wants to do and it is always the same thing. For as long as he still exists, his one-track mind will constantly seek out his purpose in life.]

Comrade, you know all I want to do is have a sparring match with you. It's been too long since the last time we crossed blades.

[No need to remind her how long that's been. He's already getting excited at the idea of having a good fight, but he has to quell his growing need to satiate his bloodlust. Because if they fight, and they wake up the other Lumine...]

But if we wake her, and Ajax finds himself in a worse position than he already is in regarding us, will I be ensuring that tonight will be the only match we have ever again?

[He'd rather have several more sparring sessions than just tonight. He wouldn't want to ruin that.]

So I'd settle for staying in bed, but if you want to stretch your legs, we could go for a walk.

[ lumine gives him a flat look at that suggestion, the corners of her lips pulling to a thin line.

not surprising, but not feasible, either. at the very least, childe seems to have realised the trouble all three of them will get into if the real owner of this body suddenly wakes up and he relents at the idea. plus, she doesn't want ajax to get to brunt of all of lumine's anger, having weathered most of it already. the guy needs a break. ]

Lumine's body won't be able to keep up with you.

[ the fight she's had with the gods lately exhausted her beyond her expectations, even with her at the wheel. she needs more training, far more than she's ever needed.

in any case, she slowly gets up, careful to check if her counterpart is still asleep. ]

Let's go for a walk, then.

[It's a little sad to hear, but he knows even if she'd agreed to a spar, she's right. Lumine's body wouldn't be able to keep up at all. Ajax has trained his body diligently, just as Childe did once he'd realized his calling in life. But, that's something Ajax will have to coax her into as well, training. Good luck, buddy.

He gets up out of bed, arm extending outward to offer his hand for her to take.]

A moonlit walk on the beach sounds romantic, doesn't it? You'd be surprised how calming the sound of the waves lapping up onto the sand is.

[And really, it helped him earlier. But now, he can enjoy it rather than use it to calm himself.]

It'll be nice. Let's go.

[ lumine can't really deny the appeal of walking along the beach at night. of course, the beach in the teapot doesn't really compare to those in teyvat, yaoguang shoal and dihua marsh being her preferred places to go to when she couldn't sleep years ago. but she'd always gone alone, hoping her solitude would allow her to gather her thoughts and help her get through the next day.

she supposes that this walk with childe isn't too different from that. but rather than gather her thoughts, it's allowed her to think about the what-weres and what-could-bes between them, memories of a life they've already lived and a life they're not about to. a part of her wonders if they'll have another chance to do this again, or if this is the last time she'll have the opportunity to be with childe as he is.

admittedly though, lumine is very impressed and surprised that her counterpart has yet to wake up. ]

I can't believe you, [ she sighs as she gently rubs the back of her neck, wincing when her fingers accidentally press onto the hickey he's left there. ] If Lumine notices that ...

[ ajax will be in deep trouble. ]

[It was nice, to reminisce for a while and recount their memories made together. This time spent is much of what he'd wished he would of had with her after that great battle, between sparring matches and exploring more of the world.

And a little on the side too, it seems.]

What, [he responds, grinning.] It's on the back, she'll never see it. I don't know if I'll have another chance to really love on you this way, and since I have to behave right now...

[He'll make the most of it. Childe won't put any marks that's easily found in a mirror on her, but he will let his hands and lips wander across her for as long as she'll let him while they enjoy the rest of the night.

The next morning, Ajax groans when he wakes, feeling tired. His body hasn't had much chance to rest, though he's not sure when his mind passed out last night while Childe and Lumine were spending time together. Sunlight streams in through the windows, and he sighs- he'd still have to get up for work, but maybe he can put it off for a few more hours to let himself rest yet.

He looks over to Lumine, who seems to still be asleep for the moment. He can't believe the two of them got away with it, especially with Childe being the storm of chaos that he is. But at least, Ajax can feel happy about the fact that they were able to talk, even if Lumine would never approve of that little scheme last night.

He doesn't dare wake her. He has a feeling she's going to be exhausted too, as her body wasn't truly allowed to rest until nearly daylight. She must of been tired to of slept through it all...]

[ lumine isn't too different when she wakes up that morning, blearily blinking at the streams of sunlight softly filtering through the window's opaque panes. she lets out a quiet groan when she shifts her body, somehow feeling even more tired than when she's gotten into bed last night. strange, especially when she's certain she had deep, dreamless sleep.

she turns on her other side to check if ajax has gone, surprised to see him still in bed. even stranger, since he often gets up earlier than she does in most cases. ]

You look tired.

[ pot calling the kettle black, but to be fair, she's just pointing things out. she yawns behind the covers, pulling it up to her chin. ]

Didn't sleep last night?

[He's surprised she wakes shortly after he does, rolling on his side to face her. Ajax is certain there must be bags under his eyes, since another mind had kept his body from properly resting. It feels as if he only slept a few hours, and it obviously shows from her comment.]

Not a wink. I was up all night, I might of fallen asleep right as the sun was rising.

[Which probably is about right, given how he feels right now. Ajax yawns, stretching from under the covers. The bed feels so nice, he could almost fall asleep again.]

I don't know how I'm going to get anything done today, haha. I saw that yawn, however. How'd you sleep?

[As if...he didn't already know.]

Edited 2022-08-22 01:36 (UTC)

[ how she'd slept is a very good question, a question she doesn't know the answer to. because lumine's very certain she's had enough hours; it was dreamless, too, which only tells her that she's passed out from exhaustion. and most of the time, if that happens to her after pulling an all-nighter, she feels refreshed the next day.

not today, it seems, despite a warm, lulling feeling that's settled in her limbs. a familiar sensation that she's only had after her intimate evenings with ajax. and she's pretty sure nothing happened the night before. ]

I don't know, [ she yawns again, curling underneath the covers and closing her eyes. ] It feels like I slept and didn't sleep at the same time.

[ she can't sleep again, however! she has things to do, work to finish. ]

We didn't do anything last night, did we?

[Ajax's head sinks into his pillow, burying half his face in it. At least he doesn't have to lie, something he's been nervous about since the moment she woke up. But with any luck, this'll just blow over and she won't even think about last night anymore.]

Mmmmm, no. At some point I cuddled with you, if that's what you're referring to.

[Which is true, he minute he wrapped his arms around her, he passed out. He'd clearly rolled away in the time between then and now, but her presence always lulled him to sleep.]

You should go back to sleep. You're tired, and in no condition to work.

[He knows she's just going to work anyway, but still. He'd rather her rest.]

[ he's right. she probably should go back to sleep, her pillow and the covers very much inviting to once more sink in and let slumber embrace her. spend a few more hours in bed, because surely, her assistant and the others can wait for the files from yesterday, right?

but she can't, and her impressively awake mind is fighting against her exhausted body over territory. ]

Mm, I meant if we slept together last night ...

[ they didn't, they couldn't have. otherwise, she'd feel sore waking up rather than feeling weirdly sated. she'd also at least remember it, which she doesn't. and ajax would never touch her either without her consent. ]

I just need a few more minutes, and then, I'll get up.

[It seems like the end of questioning for now, which is a relief for him. No hard questions, nothing suspicious, good. Just her feeling tired after her body had been walking around and being indulged in some...amorous actions, thanks to Childe. He murmurs back something incoherent back, not about to argue with her if she really wanted to get up.

Rolling on his back, he closes his eyes, but the sunlight bothers him too much to just fall back asleep. It doesn't help that he's used to being awake right now, and gives up pretty quickly on going back to sleep.]

...I'll probably do the same.

[Ajax sits up, deciding that breakfast should probably be on the menu.]

I'm going to make some breakfast, would you like some?

[Given that he found that untouched piece of toast last night, he's not sure if she eats while she's working.]

[ despite lumine saying she'll be up in a few minutes, it's clear that that's not happening. not when she's burying herself in the covers, pulling it higher to block out the sun, and not moving even when ajax finally sits up, having no choice but to wake up. she's even turned away from the window, the covers serving as a shelter from the morning light, to keep the sunlight from shining onto her face.

at his question, she makes an incoherent sound, one that seems like an affirmation and a rejection at the same time. it's hard to tell, especially when it's muffled against the cover.

it's not long before lumine dozes off again, her breathing heavy and even. definitely longer than five minutes, this one is going to be, and ajax will need to wake her up again if he wants her to have breakfast. ]

[He figured she wasn't going to be taking a few minutes to get up. That incoherent noise she just made coupled with the fact that she looks as if she's ready to hibernate for the winter is clear to him that she's not only not going to be eating breakfast, but probably not lunch either. He hasn't forgotten the last time he woke her up, shooing him off to let her sleep longer.

So he lets her sleep, knowing that she really needs it. It's well past noon before he comes back in, sitting on her side of the bed as he rubs her, his hand running the length of her upper body, voice calling for her softly.]

Lumine... [he coos, smiling down at her as she slumbers, noting how peaceful she looks.] Lumine, it's time to wake up...

[She may not be happy with him for letting her sleep this long, but she needed it. After all, she didn't return to bed until the early hours of the morning...]

[ her five minutes turned into over five hours, but even then, there's still a part of her that feels exhausted even when she stirs from his ministrations. normally, she'd brush him off and tell him to go away, but even she knows that she's slept for far too long already and needs to get up.

lumine looks over her shoulder to squint at ajax, holding a hand over her eyes to shade it from the light. the strong sunlight tells her that it's no longer early morning. a moment later, she's turning back around, feeling a tinge of soreness from the back of her neck. ]

Mm, what time is it?

[ even her voice sounds hoarse, the words sleep-coated as her consciousness slowly wakes up. a bit of a challenge, really, in her state. ]

How long was I asleep?

About five hours.

[It sounds much worse when he says it out loud, given how much work she's missed out on because of that much needed nap. But, knowing Lumine, she'll make up for that lost time, and he'll bring her dinner when the time comes.]

It's almost one. You slept like a rock the entire time. I almost didn't want to come in and wake you up, haha.

[He's sure she wouldn't appreciate that though, he thinks as he reaches out to run a hand through her hair.]

Now, if you'd like to go back to sleep, I'd be more than happy to let you.

[ lumine groans as she turns around, pressing her head against his hip and closing her eyes. five hours, and she hasn't started even with one piece of work for today, almost half of her day already gone. this isn't good at all; she's starting to become lazy. ]

No, Ajax, [ she groans, her voice muffled. ] Don't sweet-talk me into sleeping all day.

[ it's tempting, and she really is very tempted, especially with that hand in her hair, soothing her back to restful sleep. but she can't, something that she reminds herself of one more time. ]

... I'm getting up, hold on.

[He laughs quietly, letting his hand now run through her hair over and over, deliberately ignoring her statement. Even if he can't sweet talk her, he could try to lull her back to sleep. But that doesn't mean he won't try, letting his voice lower a bit into a more baritone timbre.]

I know you're still tired, [he says, threads of her hair passing through his fingers like wisps, the warmth of his hand massaging her scalp.]

There's nothing pressing right now. Just relax a while longer.

[He keeps his hand rhythmic, soothing her and trying to coax her back to sleep. He'd prefer this anyway, he'd only come in to wake her up so she didn't get angry with him later for it. But if she willingly goes back to sleep! He's in the clear.]

[ she lets out a quiet whine when he continues to stroke her head, fingers carding through her like a parent trying to soothe a restless child. but she's not a child who needs to be soothed and he's not her parent—even if the motion is pretty much lulling her back to sleep, coaxing her to sink back into the covers. ]

I need to shower, [ she mumbles, her face still buried against his side. recalling her agenda for today will help her—or, at least, it should help her. ]

And sign the paperwork for the guys who got injured. And I still left a bit of Aether's work unfinished ...

[ and there should be a few more she can't remember. she'll remember it when she gets up and takes a cold shower to wake herself up. ]

Five minutes, Ajax.

[Ajax doesn't relent, continuing to to run his hand through her hair. A little while longer and she should fall back asleep he thinks, as he hums back to her.]

All things that can wait for a few more hours at least. But, if five more minutes is all you need, then alright.

[Five minutes should be plenty of time to get her to start snoozing again. He starts humming a melody he knows from his childhood, tone still low to help her drift back off to sleep. Ajax leans down to kiss her head, letting the little bit of gravel in his voice buzz softly next to her ear for a few moments as he continues to hum, hoping this would help her fall asleep.]

[ lumine can feel her consciousness drift back to slumber, swayed by his voice and the lullaby he's humming, her eyes getting heavier and heavier. but she snaps out of her reverie exactly five minutes later, reaching out a hand to tug at his hair sharply, grumbling against his leg as she realises what he's trying to do. ]

Shower! I need to shower and wake up.

[ she slowly gets up from the bed, groaning at how sore her entire body feels despite the restful sleep she's had for the past several hours now. and it's not a soreness either that she associates when she sleeps with ajax.

lumine rests her head against ajax's shoulder for a moment, her eyes still closed. ]

I can't believe you're trying to make me go back to sleep.

[He almost cries out in pain when she yanks his hair, not expecting her to do that. He manages to keep it in by biting his lip, exhaling heavily at her action. Man, that wasn't necessary...

Ajax's eyes follow her as she rests her head against him, letting his fingers slide up into the back of her hair as he looks down at her.]

I can, [he says, letting his hand fall to her back to rub it.] Look, you're already falling asleep sitting up. There's nothing that can't wait for a few more hours while you get some proper shut-eye. You wouldn't want to make silly mistakes on your work just because you weren't alert enough, after all.

[Small, brief kisses are planted to her head, his hand rubbing her wherever he can reach.]

When I came in here, I thought you'd be more awake, but you weren't, [he says soothingly, leaning his head down to speak softly in her ear.] So sleep for a while longer. I'll have food and coffee for you so you can do a little work when you wake.

[ totally necessary since he knows she doesn't want to continue sleeping. ]

I don't know why I'm so tired today.

[ it really does feel like she's been up all night when she's certain she hasn't been. it also didn't feel like she tossed and turned all night, either; she would've woken up. and wouldn't ajax have known if that's the case, especially when he said that he couldn't sleep all night? ]

My neck feels sore, too. [ like someone bit on it, she thinks as she gingerly rubs on it, wincing. ] ... A shower will wake me up, really.

[It takes a lot for Ajax to keep a straight face, but he manages it, somehow. The last thing he needs is for her to find out that her neck has a big bruise on it, and he tries to take a subtle glance at it. He only saw it in the dark when Childe did it- it looks all nice and red and brown with hints of blue from the broken capillaries.

Hm, that looks worse than I thought, haha.

Childe...]

I still think sleeping for a while would be the most beneficial. But, if you feel as if you must get up, I won't stop you.

[Ajax nuzzles her, hoping she won't discover why her neck hurts in the bathroom, but he'll have to play it off like he hasn't seen it yet...]

[ lumine gives it another minute, unwilling to be coaxed back under the sheets by ajax's nuzzling. not even his hand still rubbing her back will be enough to dissuade her from getting up. it's already past noon and she hasn't started any kind of work; at this rate, she won't be able to do anything at all.

a minute later, she pulls away from him despite her expression looking rather exhausted and very much tempted to lean against him once more. but no, lumine's pretty sure a quick, cold shower will wake and energise her.

she tries to give her neck a stretch but that soreness seems to pinch her. a part of her wonders if she's slept at an angle or if it's because she slumped over her desk last night. ]

Any word from Aether?

[ it's highly doubtful that aether would've finished everything already back at volkovs. but then, there's always hope that he might come home soon. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject