insurmountable | you hide your face with your disguise // 'cause someone filled your head with lies

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you hide your face with your disguise // 'cause someone filled your head with lies

[It had been a few days since the hunt for the Great Mujina Youkai had come to an end, having to say goodbye to the kids and to Yoimiya too. The ship that was to take him back to Snezhnaya would be arriving a bit later in the day, and Childe sighs as he sits back in his chair in the tent he's occupying in one such hidden Fatui camp. He had a great time in Inazuma. The country was beautiful, rich with a new culture to learn and all sorts of places to explore and fight new and more exciting enemies. All his things were in order- the gifts that he'd bought to bring back to his family, Teucer's Onikabuto in a little bug box with some food to keep it alive during the trip back- all he'd have to do is wait for the ship and he'd be on his way.

He tells himself that he'd return to the country one day, once tensions between the Fatui and the Shogunate calm down. It was a miracle that he was able to stay as long as he has, evading the Tenryou Commission. He has some people to thank for that, and he won't forget what they did for him while he's been here. Some gifts would be in order for them upon his return.

The Harbinger idly plays with a writing utensil between his fingers. He'd like to bring something from Snezhnaya for Yoimiya, too.

There's a sharp rap at his door, and Childe sighs. He doesn't really want to deal with work right now, perfectly happy reminiscing on the time he's spent in Inazuma before he leaves, but answers with a bored tone to his voice:]

Come in.

[An agent enters, bowing and standing at attention.]

Sir, we've captured a Tenryou Commission spy that was found sneaking around. We've taken her into custody and are awaiting your orders on how to deal with her.

[Childe's eyebrow raises. It should have been hard to find this camp, even by the Shuumatsuban. Somehow, doubt creeps into his mind, but stands from his chair.]

Alright, I'll deal with it myself. At least I can have one last bit of fun before I depart.

[The agent only bows once more, to lead Childe towards the prisoner. He knows better than to argue with the Harbinger, but feels sorry for the spy. The two cross the camp to another tent, the agent stopping him right before lifting the flap for his senior commander.]

She claims to be from the fireworks shop, but we've seen Tenryou soldiers stop frequently at it.

[Before he can answer, the flap is lifted to reveal a certain girl that he'd met not but a few days ago...]

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[He listens to her talk as he trudges on, the silhouette of his hometown coming into view as she speaks. She paints a nice picture of the show she puts on for her family and the kids, and the people of Inazuma itself so they could have a nice time before Yoimiya left for a while to see him. He can imagine how they all looked, their faces glowing amidst the night sky full of fireworks, the kids yelling at the top of their lungs about how cool it all was. He wishes he were there too, but he keeps quiet so she can keep talking. Talking is good, it keeps her here with him, present in the face of an entity that wants to swallow her whole.

That is, until she starts to stutter and fade.]

Yoimiya?

[Tartaglia slows to a stop, concern lining his features, before kneeling down and holding her with one arm. His other hand goes to cup her cheek, staring down hard to try to find signs of what her condition might be.]

Yoimiya, are you alright? I'm here, keep fighting, okay? Don't give up.

[ An eerie silence fills the frigid air as Yoimiya's stutters come to a sudden halt. For a few good minutes, she doesn't say anything, not even acknowledging his question or his warm hand cupping the side of her face. With her eyes tightly shut, she looks like she's trying to fight off something awful, her chest heaves up and down with every hard breath inhaled, she swallows hard, trying her hardest to win in the struggle to control her own body. Finally, everything comes to an uncanny stop as she slowly opens her cold, empty eyes. ]

I... I'm sorry...

[ Her apology wrenched with pain is the last sense of control she has before succumbing to the presence lurking inside of her. In a flash, she summons her bow to slam the cold metal into his stomach to break away from his arms. As soon as his hold around her loosens, Yoimiya quickly jumps away just out of arm's reach, firing off a barrage of pyro-infused arrows at both him and the snow-capped trees. Her arrows sink into the trunks of the trees, shaking the leaves to cause piles of snow to impede Ajax from getting close to her.

But if there's anyone who can handle a fight, it's the Eleventh Harbinger himself. The entity inside of Yoimiya knows that snow won't be enough to stop a man brimming with determination to save his lover. Through the falling snow, he'll be able to lock stares with the dead eyes of his once happy-go-lucky girlfriend who now has her bow locked and loaded right at him with a cold expression devoid of any emotion. ]

[Tartaglia holds her, his expression desperate as he waits for her to respond, feeling his chest tighten with that same anxiety that feels like he's suffocating through the silence. Watching her body heave with the effort of fighting off whatever's inside of her is a painful experience that feels worse than his own experiences in the Abyss- terrified and able to do absolutely nothing about it. He's not sure what's happening when her body seems to finally relax, the struggle over, only to find that her eyes have gone back to that cold void where the sun can no longer reach, even worse than his own.]

Wha-

[Without warning, Yoimiya's bow connects solidly with his stomach with a strength he wasn't prepared for, sending him flying backwards onto his butt, rolling with the momentum as the realization of what was happening sinks in.

She lost her fight, and now that thing has full control of his girlfriend's body.

Rage, sorrow, and panic flood his system as he automatically enters into a combat mindset, his own bow forming in his hand to knock away arrows that fly directly at him. Snow falls around him and onto him from the trees, heavy with the burden of the Snezhnayan blizzards that ravage the land; it's clearly a distraction and to put distance between them. But he can see how empty her expression is, how dead her eyes look as she takes aim at him. He hates that it can even make use of her Vision despite not being her own soul in charge of the body, making this more of a problem than he would have liked. But for now, he has to push down his emotions and figure out what to do.

Seasoned in unexpected combat situations, Childe moves swiftly through the snow, maneuvering easily as he displays having lived here his entire life through his movements. He expects her arrow to fly at him anytime, ready for it and knowing that her powers allow her arrows to do more than just hold pyro energy in them. She'll use her power to make ones that'll follow him too, even if he dodges them- but he's prepared for that.

And when the opportunity presents itself, he takes aim, hydro arrow aimed right at her bow, loosing it in an attempt to disarm her by knocking her bow from her hand. Even that small amount of time, successful or not, will give him an opportunity to close the distance between the two of them...and he's relatively sure that she's not versed with melee-range weapons to deal with him once he's there.]

[ There is not a single trace of Yoimiya left as she mindlessly fires arrow after arrow at her lover, the entity's powers of control are so strong that it has successfully snuffed out the last bit of her own presence, leaving her unconscious inside of her own body. Hurting Tartaglia would absolutely kill her on the inside, letting out agonizing screams, trying her hardest to take back control but even then, she is unable to see that she's attempting to harm the person she cherishes the most. Whatever it is that's controlling her has every intention of making both of them suffer. It blatantly uses the Harbinger's beloved as a weapon, taking advantage of its victim's eagle's eye by aiming at Ajax precisely, firing an endless barrage of arrows even as he knocks them back or dodges.

Ajax knows his girlfriend's skills all too well. The thing controlling Yoimiya forces her to charge up her next shot, summoning her signature kindling arrows alongside it. She focuses all her power on this attack, firing off all four shots with a quick release of her fingers, the main arrow is accompanied by one of the gleaming arrows as they zero in on their target, coming straight for Tartaglia. It's quintessential Yoimiya fighting style, all of her firey arrows packed into one single punch, however... two of the honing arrows bizarrely don't follow him. Instead, they fly past him into a mysterious portal shaped disturbingly like an eye. It closes its lid, swallowing the arrows before vanishing into thin air. But Ajax doesn't have to wait long for them, the two pyro-infused arrows that mysteriously vanished have seemingly manifested from both flanks, flying at him from left and right.

In this dire situation, a glimmer of hope comes in the form of Ajax's own arrow. As she was focused on charging up her powerful strike, it's too late for her to dodge the incoming hydro projectile, causing his shot to knock her bow right out of her hands and into the pristine white snow. Ajax's power really is on a whole new level, just the sheer force of his arrow also knocks her beloved's mask off her head alongside the accessories holding her golden blonde hair together. For the first time since this battle has started, she finally lets out a noise, a pained yelp from her wrist feeling the aftershock of Ajax's incredible shot. Disheveled with her blonde locks falling past her shoulders, Yoimiya is momentarily stunned by the loss of her bow, her body needing a short second to recover.

But that short second is the opportunity he's been waiting for. As she's looking for her bow, this is the perfect time to finally close the distance between them. ]

[As she attacks while he closes the distance between them, he's making note of several things Yoimiya's doing as she attacks.

First of which- he's confused as to why some of her shots flew past him, and when he anticipates them coming back, he sees them get swallowed by an eye-shaped portal. That, all in itself, is terrifying, and unless Yoimiya's been hiding something from him, he's pretty sure that's not a part of her normal elemental powers. It had an aura of power that's unlike anything he's ever felt before, and before he knows it those stray arrows are coming in at him from the sides unexpectedly. He barely manages to dodge them, swearing that he can feel them singe his hair- but this entire little encounter has been very enlightening for him, especially when it seems that being controlled by another entity doesn't give her invulnerability to attacks.

It twists his heart to hear her yelp in pain from his arrow striking the bow right out of her hand and sending not only his mask but her hair accessory from her hair, leaving her a disheveled mess as he finally closes that distance and gets up right next to her. This isn't like a spar where they'd be having fun fighting each other...this is a life and death situation.]

Enough...!

[He has to put aside that it's Yoimiya he's about to tackle, that he's going to hurt her no matter how badly he doesn't want to. Whatever it is that's controlling her is pure chaos, and he's already feeling like he's at his wit's end trying to figure out how to deal with this and save his girlfriend. So he hurls himself at her, to keep her from getting her bow and to pin her to the ground, quickly trying to grab for her Vision so he can stuff it in his own coat to disarm her further.

His eyes are a whirlwind of anger and rage at the thing inside of her, staring down at Yoimiya wanting to reach in and pull it out of her, if only he had that ability to do so without killing her.]

[ Before her body can even maneuver to locate the bow, Ajax soars in just in the nick of time, tackling her into the snow. Her body hits the ground with a light thud, the soft, pillowy snow acts as a safety net to prevent her from hitting her head too hard. She lets out another yelp from the sudden collision but that's still not enough to knock her out of whatever is controlling her. Even though she's staring at him with her dead eyes, Yoimiya cannot see that he's her boyfriend, all she can make out is the silhouette of a tiresome nuisance who keeps standing in the way of her destiny.

Without any regard for her life whatsoever, the entity cruelly forces her to go against her beloved. Despite being a great deal smaller than him, Yoimiya fights back with all of her strength, not even caring that he's swiped her vision as she grabs his shoulders and digs her fingers into the fabric of his coat in an attempt to push him off of her. She doesn't need powers, all she needs is the perfect chance to escape from his clutches to fulfill the voice's promise of sweet dreams. Her body seems to finally be responding to her natural instincts, grunting and groaning underneath him as they tussle in the snow. ]

Ajax... why aren't you letting me go? Let me go... let me go...

[ All the while the emotionless blonde eerily stares at him with her cold, lifeless eyes, looking like a mindless doll who yearns for her own death. ]

[He's glad he's much bigger and heavier than her. It doesn't take much for him to keep her pinned down to the ground, no matter how much she claws and tries to push him off of her. He'll be nothing but dead weight on her, and at least now this buys him time to think and try to figure out what he could do. He could knock her out, but then when she wakes he'll have the same problem all over again. It seems to him like she's being mind controlled rather than being possessed, as the voice had seeped into his own mind and done something similar to him before he snapped out of it.

It's just that he can't think of a single reason why an outside entity would want to kill her. If it was a sacrifice, he would of done just as well for that, but it wants her specifically. Just what is going on...?]

Yoimiya, [he says softly, trying to keep her words from affecting him too much, but her expression kills him. To hear those words from her, to see those lifeless eyes, knowing that she's being controlled...it's almost too much.]

I'm not going to let you go. I know whatever's got you can hear me right now, [he says, his ire building as he addresses the unknown entity controlling her,] so please. Give her back to me. I don't know what you want, but I can't let you take her from me.

[He can't fight whatever's inside of Yoimiya, so he's forced to try to reason with it- and if that doesn't work, then he'll need to think of something else.]

[ No matter how hard she shoves, no matter how hard she sinks her nails into his shoulder blades, her small body simply cannot push his sturdy build off of her. Mind controlled or not, she doesn't have the strength to push someone as tall as Ajax away, it's just not possible. Without any other options, all she can do is weakly beg and plead, still listening to the voice inside of her head that's telling her to go die. ]

Please Ajax let me go... Ajax... I must go. It's time for me to go. Please... if I'm gone, then you'll be free to be wi—

[ Suddenly, she stops fighting back, the grip around his shoulders loosens, and no longer is she trying to shove him off. She just stops moving, trembling underneath him with nothing else to give, there's only so much her body can do and perhaps the entity realizes this is a losing battle as well. ]

Ajax. Ajax. Ajax...

[ His name slips out of her voice like a mantra as if he's the clarity she needs. Unlike the wild trashing her body was being forced to do, her arms that were once trying to push him away gently wrap around his shoulders, enveloping him with her warmth. She's breathing hard, doing everything in her power to fight back as she says his name over and over again like a prayer. ]

A-Ajax...

[ It's faint, but there is the smallest speck of light coming back to her empty eyes. She looks up at him tears streaming down the side of her face, finally able to see a blurry sight of the one she holds the most dear in her heart. ]

[Free to be with?

Is that what she was about to say? As much as it tears into his chest, to hear her plead to be allowed to die, as if her life meant nothing and she only lived to perish here...that sticks out to him. He doesn't know what that means, but before she can finish the sentence, she stops. Her body ceases to fight him and her eyes regain a tiny glow that tells him that she's slowly coming back to him. Never has the feeling of her arms around him felt so relieving, his eyes widening as she slowly comes back, using him as an anchor for her to regain control.]

Yoimiya. You're doing great. Just focus on me, and you'll beat this thing.

[The tears in her eyes break him in a way he'd never been able to imagine. It's as if a knife is getting twisted in his heart, that something would hurt her in such a way to make her shed tears like that. And all he can do is watch from the sidelines, cheering for her while she takes this battle on alone. All he can do is support her, while she faces of against the most terrifying fight of her life...]

I can see you, Yoimiya. Come back to me. Keep going, I know you can do this.

[Tartaglia's voice is barely above a whisper, leaning down to kiss her lips, a soft gesture that lingers only briefly but is filled with a deep love that he holds for her in his heart. His eyes as desperate as he pulls away, hoping and praying that the simple gesture did anything to help her, as he waits with bated breath to see if Yoimiya comes out on top of this internal struggle she's reckoning with.]

[ Little by little, her senses start to come back, the snowy ground is cold against her back but Ajax's strong arms enveloping her body is the warmth she needs to get her through this awful ordeal. So long as she hears his lovely voice and keeps her focus on him, the fire burning deep inside of her will never fade. It pains her to know to hear Ajax trying his best to cheer her on when he's suffering just as much.

But that's why she needs to continue fighting, in order to come back to him. ]

I'll do my best. I promise to keep fighting...

[ As more light comes back to her gold eyes, she's able to steady her breathing with the presence inside of her weakening. Her once blurry vision becomes clearer as Ajax's beautiful face comes into full view, those stunning blue irises that stare right down at her are like an ocean of clarity. She's lost all sense of time but however long this ordeal was, she has missed him so much. Soft and wonderfully pleasant, her heart is filled to the brim with adoration when he slots their lips together for a sweet, loving kiss. Another reminder that Ajax's love for her is as vast as Snezhnaya itself. Finally, Yoimiya feels like she has full control over her body, returning his affections with an outpouring of love spilling out of her lips, appreciating the lengths he's gone to faithfully stay by her side. That kiss seems to be the key, driving out any remaining trace of dull emptiness, bringing Yoimiya's eyes back to her usual bright shine. ]

I think I can finally see you again. Oh, Ajax.. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so weak.

[ The tears just keep spilling out from her eyes. Not only was she scared, this awful experience was a harsh reminder of how weak she truly is. Too terrified to even move, she wraps her arms around him for a warm hug, burying her face into his shoulder while letting out choked sobs. ]

[Slowly, he can see her coming back to him, her eyes regaining their light through the tears that spill from them. Ajax's smile gets wider and wider the farther she progresses, until she's finally back with him, their kiss filled with deep affection for each other and a sense of relief that goes deeper than the ocean itself. He can tell that Yoimiya's managed to finally fight off that entity in her head, gone for the moment to allow them this brief respite, and he'll take full advantage of it.

He hates that he was weak enough for it to take control of him for that brief second, but glad that everything worked out in the end. Focusing on being able to resist that presence would be the first of his priorities for the both of them, but right now he needs this moment with Yoimiya.

So he hugs her, holds her close, lets her cry into his shoulder for as long as she needs.]

You're not weak.

[She shouldn't beat herself up about that. That thing was so strong.]

It tried to control me, too. And it was successful, if only for a crucial moment. So there's no reason to apologize. You're not weak, whatever that was, it was more powerful than I could have imagined. Had it not been for the power granted to me by the Tsaritsa, I may not of caught you in time to keep you from plunging to your death in that cave.

[He can't say it out loud, but he was terrified- and still is.]

Ajax...

[ She's lost count at the number of times she's whispered his name over the course of this scare, but saying his lovely, heroic name Ajax, will never get old. His parents picked the perfect name for him. Just like the hero from that incredible tale, Ajax bravely stood by her side and pulled her out of her darkest hour. If it wasn't for him standing by her side, Yoimiya doesn't want to think about what might have happened.

Not only did he help her, he also floods her heart with kind reassurance. There's no denying she still feels weak and wishes she could have done more to prevent this from happening in the first place. But for now, she's just going to count her blessings, thankful to come out of this with both her life and someone as brave as Tartaglia as her loving partner. The trauma from this ordeal will probably linger for some time but as long as Ajax is with her, then maybe they'll be able to overcome challenges like this together. ]

Thank you Ajax... [ She says through sniffles, nestling her face into his shoulder as if he's her safe haven. ] Thank you for saving me. I wouldn't have been able to free myself without you. Hearing your voice got me through this.

[ Not being able to see or touch is a feeling she never wishes to experience again. If it happened again, she wouldn't be able to feel Ajax's arms around her, wrapping her in a warm embrace that holds the power to soothe her aching soul. ]

I just... I can't believe it almost got a hold of you too.

[There's a level of warmth he feels knowing that his voice alone was able to help her through this ordeal, a comfort that somehow he wasn't completely useless to help save her. He may not be able to stop this from happening again, but at least he knows he can lend some of his strength to her, even if it is only in the form of support, or keeping her from attempting to kill herself again. They'll have to talk more in detail about it later, but for now, all he wants to do is wrap her in his arms and keep her safe.]

Yeah, it wasn't anything one should underestimate. I felt like I was falling into a deep trance, accepting its words as my own will, but the dissonance I felt when saying goodbye is what triggered my power...I guess that thing underestimated me, too.

[Thank the Tsaritsa for that. If it hadn't, and used more of its power, which he's sure it has- he would of lost her. The very thought makes him curl up and hug her more tightly there in the snow, wanting to shake from the realization of how close it was.]

I couldn't imagine losing you. Yoimiya...I promise I won't allow it to take you from me again.

[ Just having his arms around her is the comfort she needs to get through this. And right now, all she wants is to snuggle up in his warm embrace as they lay in the snow. They came dangerously close to losing each other, making their months of separation nothing compared to this. ]

That thing should have known better than to underestimate you.

[ There's still a lot of questions but there's one she can't quite shake from her head. Why her? Why did this thing want to kill her so bad? Sure, Yoimiya is self-aware enough to know she has a penchant for trouble but wanting her dead is extreme. There's so much to unpack and she's sure Ajax has the same questions but for now, she just wants to appreciate the man who kept on fighting for her. With Ajax's tender love filling every crevice of her heart and soul, she stops sobbing as the last of her tears dry up. Finally, after that terrible ordeal, she can relax and melt into his hold. ]

From the bottom of my heart, I will always believe in you. Even when I was in that trance, I knew you would fight for me till the very end. So, I want to do my part. I promise I'll do my best to get stronger to fight by your side.

[ She lifts her head off his shoulder to admire the face of her savior, greeting him with a warm, gentle smile curving on the corners of her lips. She closes her eyes and gently slots their lips together, pouring all of her appreciation into this loving kiss. ]

[He smiles softly back at her statement- Yoimiya's faith in his abilities warms his heart and he swears he'll use it all to keep her safe. He's not sure if this is over yet, but he can't be too careful when it comes to a monster who's able to control people's minds. If they got away from Morepesok now, would that be enough? He still doesn't know if distance would be enough to keep it from invading either of their minds again, but there's only one way to find out.

But for now, he's going to enjoy this kiss, closing his eyes as they connect and let their lips caress each other's. He's just happy she's alive, back to her normal self, and free of that monster's claws that had sunk so deeply into her. Every pass of his lips cherishes this moment and her, pouring the last amounts of emotional energy he has into it, to tell her how glad he is to still have her by his side.]

I'm going to help you be able to fight off that kind of power, too. Stick with me, and you'll get stronger in no time.

[He says this after they break, winking at her. If there's anyone in the world who'd take this as a challenge besides himself, it's her. And he knows she'll excel in it.]

Let's head back for now. I can't imagine how exhausted you must be.

[Lifting himself off of her, Tartaglia easily scoops her up back into his arms. Just in case, he's carrying her back to Morepesok. He can't have her losing control again and getting away from him.]

You need some rest, and tomorrow we'll plan our next stage of attack, alright?

[ Her body might be worn but Tartaglia's confidence will always light her world, giving her that little bit of energy she needs to giggle. Yoimiya can't deny she's still scared, trapped inside of her own body, unable to scream, unable to cry, unable to control her own limbs... that whole experience was hands down the most terrifying ordeal she's ever been through. But no matter how dark the situation gets, Ajax is her shining star and she will always believe in him. The path toward strength will be met with many trials, it certainly won't be easy but so long as she sticks to Ajax that path will be attainable. ]

I'd like that. A nap sounds lovely right about now.

[ He's right, it's hard to move even a single muscle, her poor body has been through the wringer and she's beyond tired. She appreciates his willingness to carry her, taking full advantage by closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest. ]

Alright, that sounds like a plan. Make sure you get some rest too, you've also been through a lot.

I will. Don't worry.

[As she rests against him, he makes his way back to his cabin, shielding her from the elements as best as he can so she can relax in his embrace the entire way back. It's not long before they reach his home, and he makes sure that Yoimiya is tucked in and taken care of. The kids are told to back off, and Tartaglia has Tonia help care for her the rest of the night, which thankfully goes off without a hitch.

The next morning, he has an idea of where to start.]

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