insurmountable | how could i ever forget // outside the morning was cool and wet

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how could i ever forget // outside the morning was cool and wet

[It's not often Ajax finds himself getting his head slammed down onto the hood of a car, least of all a cop car. Usually it's him doing the slamming.

But today the young man finds himself denting the hood, the sound of metal caving in under his head ringing in his ears. Not exactly the ideal situation he was hoping for, but he figured sooner or later he'd have a run in with the cops due to the sensitive nature of his profession, but that doesn't mean he has to like how inconsiderate they are with him as they cuff him and throw him in the back of the paddy wagon. Not that he was considerate to them when he was discovered, as evidenced by the blood all over his clothing and knuckles from the fight he'd gotten into with them. How he managed to avoid getting shot is beyond him- plenty of shots were fired, but that hadn't stopped him from knocking a few of them out.

It's just too bad he'd been instructed that he couldn't kill anyone, or else he'd of gotten out of there without being caught.

The lights of the police station are bright, almost too bright from the contrast of how dark it was outside. Ajax squints as he's dragged inside, held tightly by two cops who hurry him through the station, but not fast enough that he doesn't catch a glimpse of the secretary behind the desk as they come in. Pretty, blonde, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Gorgeous eyes, ones that catch his attention almost immediately as he's being shoved towards the back, shining with a radiance that captures him instantly. His eyes lock with hers, feeling something silent yet powerful surge through him from this tiny, insignificant interaction. He doesn't even have a moment to think further on it, before he's so rudely interrupted.

Get moving.

The curt voice of the bigger cop on his right cuts through the moment, anger welling up in Ajax's chest and something dark stirs in his core. If he wasn't cuffed and being restrained, he'd turn that guy's face into a new work of art, something so abstract some insane art collector would gladly pay millions for it.

No sooner had Ajax been ushered in, he disappears from sight as he's taken back into an interrogation room, the mysterious blonde no longer in his sights, now getting shoved into a corner of a room.]

What's with this? Don't you even have the courtesy of giving me a chair to sit in, at least?

[From outside of the room, muffled noises of a scuffle as the cops lay into Ajax can be heard, the loudest of which is a thud of a body slamming into a wall, accompanied by a groan from the ginger kid. Though little do any of them know, their real problems haven't arrived just yet, waking from their slumber right outside of the city...]

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[It's unsurprising to him that she hasn't heard of it. Generally, he'd say that's a good thing, that ignorance is bliss and it's for the best that she never knows of them or any of their dealings. But unfortunately for them, things just got a lot more complicated, and Ajax doesn't know how he's going to get either of them out of this mess. He has no idea where his phone is either, something he'll have to check once he's cleared and out of the hospital.]

It is. It's a pharmaceutical company that produces a lot of generic medicines and has started to gain some ground in the area of specialized medicine for more rare genetic diseases. They like to keep themselves hidden in the shadows for the most part however, and there's a good reason for it, and why they've been able to make such breakthroughs.

[Pausing, he thinks on how he's going to break this to her. There's no point in hiding it, since both their skins are in danger.]

You see, you're not the only person who has exhibited a strange, miraculous power. Nizhnii has used people just like you as their test subjects, and as far as I can tell, they're used as lab rats to see if they can duplicate or extract a person's special abilities. From the sounds of it, they've been relatively successful. I don't know many of the details past that, all I know is that we're probably next on their list.

[Even though he's not told her everything, this is the truth of the matter at its heart. She at least deserves to know this, and his eyes are cast downward towards his food. What happens next is unknown to him, but at least if he can get his phone, he can talk to his boss...if his boss even has much to say to him anymore.]

[ Just like that, a bombshell of information is dropped onto her, blowing her worldview wide open in ways she didn't think was humanly possible. A few mere hours ago, she was an ordinary secretary living her day-to-day life trying to make mora for a living just like everyone else. Who knew that in the midst of her mundane, boring life lies a dark secret about the world around her? People gaining powers and human experimentation is a hard pill to swallow. Of course, she's seen her fair share of how evil the human mind can be during her time as the police station secretary but sick people using others as test subjects ranks up there as one of the most vile acts a person could commit.

Yoimiya doesn't say anything at first, stunned to silence and needing a minute to process all these details. If what he's saying is true, then they are absolutely, without a doubt, one hundred percent screwed. ]

Oh dear, I... goodness. I'm totally at a loss for words.

[ Of course, there's always the possibility he's pulling a fast one on her, the logical side of her brain argues that she shouldn't fully trust him. But considering he was willing to risk his battered body to acquire that police footage, her heart says otherwise. ]

It's no wonder why you were so concerned about getting those tapes. Sorry, I really should have listened to you from the get-go instead of yelling at you the way I did.

[ However, in the back of her mind, there is one lingering question that she can't seem to shove to the side. ]

Why do you know so much about this company? I understand if you don't wish to tell me everything but this is all so surreal and hard to wrap my mind around.

[Her yelling at him, questioning what he knew was something that had to be done is all water under the bridge to him, so much so that he wouldn't of expected nor thought she needed to apologize whatsoever. The only thing he needs to concentrate on now is making them both disappear, somewhere where those grubby, insane scientists can't get their hands on them. It's a headache he can't really deal with right now, given he can barely sit up, so he won't think too hard on it right in the moment.

He's got a bigger issue to deal with as it is.]

Look...

[Ajax casts his eyes to the other side of the room, sighing. He might as well just be up front with it and tell her. It would come out sooner or later, and he really needs her to trust him as much as she can given their situation.]

You've probably read about some of the recent disappearances in the newspaper, right? Well...all those people were ones that just so happened to display some sort of power that seemed like it wasn't from this world. When that happens...Nizhnii sends someone to get them. That guy...is me.

[He can't look her in the eye, he feels like he already knows what it's going to be. All he can do is brace for it, wait for the door to slam behind her when she storms out, however she chooses to react. But at least, it's best she finds out now rather than later.]

[ From his explanation, she had a gut feeling he's connected to the company in some way but the revelation shocks her to the core. The man that saved her life, the man that's been nothing but kind to her, the man that she feels a strange connection with is actually the culprit behind the recent disappearances. Now it all makes sense, why the police dragged him into the station in the first place and why they treated him like scum of Teyvat. The blood of those poor people is on his hands too, dragging them to a fate that's worse than death itself.

Her face grows pale as she soaks in this information, slowly coming to the realization that she's staring face-to-face with a serial kidnapper. ]

I see.

[ Unable to look at him in the eye, she falls silent to consider her options. The smart thing to do would be to walk out of this room and never engage in contact with him ever again. He's dangerous and there's a good chance this is a manipulation tactic to lure her into a false sense of security before she too is snatched up for the Nizhnii company to play with.

But, she can't shake this indescribable feeling bubbling within. If he is truly leading her into a false sense of security... why is he being so forthcoming with information? She takes a deep breath, clenching her shaking fists as she finds the courage to engage in eye contact. ]

If that's the case, why... are you helping me so much? Wouldn't it make your life easier if you just captured and brought me in as an experiment?

[Ajax stares down at his food, the silence expected, not sure what's going to happen next. There's a stirring in his chest at the idea of her leaving and never seeing her again, and it doesn't feel good. It's more like a despair that he feels like he just needs to accept, because no reasonable person could ever expect for someone to stick around after being told what he's just told Yoimiya. Ajax knows he's done some unspeakable things during his employment to Nizhnii, but a job's a job, or so he thought. The more he learned about it, the more he despised it- but it made a lot of money, and when you learn that kind of information, you can't just leave.

It's almost a relief to hear her ask questions instead of storming out, though he's unable to lift his head just yet to look her in the eye.]

No.

[It's the simple answer, it won't make his life easier at all.]

As it stands, if they've already discovered we both have some kind of strange power...they'll send someone to take me as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the next time I see anyone from there, I'll be informed that my contract with the corporation has been terminated. Test subjects don't get the freedom to do as they please...and out of all the people I've taken in, none of them have shown the same kind of power I displayed last night. They'll surely take a special interest in me...

[There's another answer too, that goes with that. One that he's still struggling with, how he was worried for her, a complete stranger. There's a lot of questions left unanswered, but one thing he knows for certain is that he can't let them get a hold of her. Something deep down in his core refuses to let it happen, and he shakes his head to try to clear those thoughts out.]

As it stands, we're both in danger. I lost any standing once my arm donned that armor. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to, but there was a reason why I wanted to get those tapes. No doubt Nizhnii has cronies working in every part of the city. Honestly, I don't even know a lot of the details of their inner workings myself. I had to find out by doing my own digging.

[ A bottle of mixed emotions stirs around within the confines of her heart. From shock to sorrow, to now, she's slowly reaching a boiling anger about ready to spill over the longer she listens to him. Those poor people didn't get a chance, she's starting to feel like Teyvat's biggest fool for being sympathetic towards him in the first place. Her clenched fist begins to shake once more, tempted to deck him in the face on behalf of all the victims. The door is right there, she should just punch him, storm out, and never look back.

And yet, for some messed up reason, she can't bring herself to leave his side. Any sane individual would have high-tailed it out of here by now but not her. Even after learning all of this, she can't get rid of the aching discomfort of never seeing him again. Why...? ]

You're right, I can't trust you. What if you're just using me to get those tapes? Who is to say that once we get rid of the footage, you aren't going to turn around and make me disappear like you did with all those people? It's hard for me to believe that getting rid of the person who knows your secret wouldn't make your life easier.

[ Yes, she understands he's doing this to save his own skin but it doesn't do much to ease her worries. After all, he's still a stranger to her, a dangerous one at that. ]

It's pretty ironic, you've kidnapped innocent people, taken them away from their families and loved ones, and brought them to those awful scientists to be used as experiments. Now that the tides have turned against you, it's you who is fighting to protect your life and look for a way out.

[ Yoimiya knows she's letting her temper get the better of her again but as she thinks about the victims and their families, she can't help but feel anguish for them. There's probably a deep-seated reason as to why he's doing this but whatever they might be, it doesn't take away from the fact he's assisting some horrible monsters who have ruined lives. ]

I hope you realize this is how those poor people must have felt when you unfairly snatched them away from their lives.

[As Yoimiya's anger begins to show itself more and more as she rightfully berates him, Ajax finally looks up to meet the ire that flashes in her eyes at his actions. Sure, he can see why she'd be so angry, in fact he'd anticipated it, because what he's done is despicable and he's well aware of it. But despite it all, he can't help but scoff at her words, knowing full well she doesn't have all the information or know the whole story here, not in regards to him.]

Yeah, you're probably right. It's a new feeling knowing that I'm the hunted instead of the hunter now. Fate must think it's clever pulling the rug out from under me like this. But there's not much I can do about it now, is there?

[He shrugs at her, his eyes growing intense under her criticisms. He doesn't enjoy having her mad at him, and in a way it's even hurtful to hear her distrust him so openly- but he can't blame her, and he doesn't even know what to say to try to change her mind, if he even could.]

Besides, if I wanted you out of the way, I'd of let you die back there. No amount of money is worth getting crushed to death by some monster from the beyond. So I guess enjoy your freedom for now, maybe we'll even get to be tube mates, someday. Doesn't that sound nice?

[He almost spits the last sentence out, but saying it aloud sparks a whole new fear in him. There's so many reason why he can't get put away forever, to most likely die an early death due to what's in store for him. For them both. The thought of it is starting to give him a headache, in addition to all the other aches and pains in his body, his food now left forgotten for the moment.

Sighing, he lets his shoulders relax, having not noticed how tense they'd gotten in these few agitated moments between them. Ajax isn't sure if he should say anything more, knowing he let his combative nature get the best of him, talking back to her like he wanted to start a fight. Instead he resigns to picking up a tomato with his fingers and popping it into his mouth, chewing on it as he closes his eyes.

What are they going to do...]

[ Later on, when she reflects on their circumstance with less emotion and more rationale, she'll come to realize that her accusations are unfounded and she's being a bit too hard on him. Ajax did save her life when he didn't have to and that should be enough to prove he's not about to stab her in the back. But even so, she had been hoping for some sort of explanation and remorse for what he did. Maybe she isn't owed an explanation but Yoimiya would have been more willing to hear him out if he showed even the slightest bit of repentance for his actions. There's none, unable to pick up a trace of remorse in his voice, it just ticks her off further.

One thing is for certain, both of them are strong-willed individuals, adding to the tension building up in this small hospital room. He has a right to defend himself and Yoimiya is being too emotional about this but in turn, she doesn't appreciate that someone who has committed heinous acts is getting combative with her. The ridicule in his voice as he tells her to enjoy freedom is the final straw, she's had enough of this. ]

If I'm allowed one request, it will be to have a different tube mate. Now that sounds nice.

[ Likewise, she spits fire right back at him, knowing full well she's being overly harsh and petty. There's no sense in continuing a conversation with someone who doesn't seem to have a shred of guilt for his actions, so thus, she decides they're done here. Might as well take his advice and enjoy freedom while she still can, better than being cooped up here with a criminal. She quickly gets up, briskly walking towards the door in a fit of disappointment, anger, and hurt, the food and drink on her platter remain untouched, having lost her appetite.

As she reaches for the door handle, the buzzing of her phone prevents her from exiting. She flickers down, pulling the device out of her pocket to see who is calling, eyes growing wide when she realizes who it is.

It's the police. ]

Hello? ... Yes, I'm recovering and doing alright... ... Mmhmm, of course. I can stop by and give my testimony as soon as I can... Huh?! Really? [ It might not be obvious what's being said but in that instance, she's momentarily stunned to silence. ] ... ... Ah, I see. Yeah, I'll do my best to recount everything. ... Yes. He's a witness as well. ... .... Okay, will do. Thank you, talk to you soon.

[ The conversation ends and she pockets her phone, unable to believe this stroke of luck. With her fingers still grasping the door handle, she contemplates storming out but... she still can't bring herself to leave, a nagging feeling telling her she's going to regret never seeing him again if she goes through with this, not to mention, with everything they've both been through, he deserves to hear this information as well. ]

That was my precinct, they want us to give our full accounts of what happened.

[ She sighs and turns around to face him, all while keeping her guard up. ]

They said the security cameras are so badly damaged, they can't access the footage from last night.

[There she goes, guess her patience for him has run out. He hides an expression of hurt, not wanting her to leave, but knowing that this was the inevitable outcome after being told the truth. It's a terrible, knife-twisting pain in his chest, but he can't let himself care too much. The strange bond he feels, the anger he'd unleashed when he thought she was going to die, it's too much for him to absorb right now with the looming threat of his own capture. So he resigns himself to just giving it up, to not let his feelings get in the way of the bigger picture here. It's fine. He'll be fine, she'll be fine, they'll die the same way and life will be over. His family will have to move on without him, somehow.

Ajax's head lifts when she stops at the door to take a call, wondering if it was her job trying to get a hold of her, and it seems his instincts are right. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he sits waiting expectantly for what the outcome of this phone call is- hopefully she'll tell him, and she does.]

What? You're saying that they were unable to recover the footage? So that means...

[Relief washes over him, sitting back and sinking into the raised back of his bed with a loud sigh. They might just be okay, and all that worrying they just did was for absolutely nothing at all.]

Hahahaha...I can hardly believe this. I suppose I'll have to eat my words here...fate showed us a thread of kindness after all. If that's the case...

[Pausing, he sighs again, this time more out of exasperation for his behavior and the conversation they'd had just moments ago.]

Okay. I know you're probably not interested in talking to me, but we really should get our stories straight before we speak with your supervisors. The more watertight it is, the more likely we'll get to move on with our lives without worry.

[ Yoimiya can hardly believe this either, this is the best possible outcome they could ask for. In an instant, it feels like their main problem has been resolved with a snap of fingers as if lady luck just granted them the blessing of a lifetime. Almost in sync, she lets out a long sigh of relief right alongside him. Looks like everything really will be okay in the end and soon, they will be able to put this whole ordeal behind them. She can go back to her mundane life as a secretary and Ajax... well, she really doesn't want to think about what 'normal' is for him. ]

Yes, I agree. It's going to look suspicious if we tell contradicting stories.

[ Besides, there's another matter that she needs to discuss that goes hand-in-hand, a little white lie she told the police involving him. She's going to have to come clean if they want to keep their stories straight but for the time being, she doesn't think she has it in her to do this, not now anyway. ]

I'm not really in the mood to discuss this right now. They don't plan on interviewing us until after we've both made full recoveries. We can figure something out once we're both out of the hospital. I just... I just need some time to myself.

[ Time to heal, to cool down before she blows up at him again, to process all this information and the most troubling of them all; pondering on why she still worries and wishes to see him even after learning about the dark truth of his occupation. ]

[With the biggest stressor out of the way now, Ajax feels like he can think a little straighter and keep himself in check a little better. She still sounds like she'd rather punch him in the face than have a conversation with him, so he nods in understanding back to her. He's got a lot on his mind as well, but now probably isn't the best time.]

Alright. Let's swap phone numbers at least for the time being, although I admit, I don't know where my own phone has gotten off to. If I can't find it, I'll have to get a new one. Either way, I can give you a call once I'm out of the hospital. Sound good?

[His voice is noticeably lighter in the wake of their spat, apologetic in hints of it, but it's moreso for her rather than for his deeds. It doesn't feel right to treat her badly like he had, something he's attributing to this sudden bond between them. It has to be because of their powers...maybe it's just something all people share who have them.

That's got to be it, right?]

[ Although she's not exactly in the brightest of moods after their squabble, Yoimiya appreciates he is willing to give her some much-needed space to cool her head. She picks up the apologetic hints in his voice and even though she's starting to feel guilty for also treating him badly it's not really enough until he's genuinely sorry. Nodding her head, she reaches for the notepad decorated with the hospital's logo, scribbling her phone number with a nearby pen and handing it over to him. ]

Sounds good to me. It will be better to talk about this in private, anyway. Since you're so familiar with them, maybe you know of a good location where we can avoid their prying eyes.

[ ... From the way she spits out that latter sentence, traces of her fiery temper are still there. Having some time away from each other probably will be for the best. If it's true that the Nizhnii corporation has eyes everywhere in the city, discussing their plan in a public hospital would spell their doom.

Another sigh spills out of her lips as she contemplates his words. His phone going missing sounds a bit concerning and despite everything, she's still willing to help him out since they're both in this together. ]

What does your phone look like? If I get a chance to stop by the police station to grab the rest of my items, I'll be on the lookout for it.

Thank you.

[He accepts the piece of paper, glancing at it only for a moment before folding and palming it for now. He'll have the nurse help him later with finding a place for it among the small amount of things he has with him- namely his clothes and wallet, which he spots sitting on a shelf in a cubby with his clothing that they'd stripped off of him- and get everything situated from there. An amused sigh is snorted quietly out of his nose, even though he can tell she's still mad. To think someone as low on the totem pole as him knows all that much about the shady company he works for, it's funny, but that detailed explanation will have to come later.]

It's nothing all that special. It's just your run-of-the-mill smartphone in a thicker black case. There's no real distinctions to it, but if it's at the station it'll be the only phone that doesn't belong to someone. Thanks for offering to return it to me if it's found.

[He does appreciate that a lot from her, and he hopes it shows. There's contacts in there that might be very questionable to the police.]

Listen, [he continues on, his voice a little more somber.] Even if my employer doesn't know about us, still...be careful.

[It's been tugging at his heart since she started to stomp towards the door, that in the time between her departure and their reunion, something could happen to her. That monster might reemerge, maybe Nizhnii found out a different way, maybe she's in trouble with her job somehow. It's a bunch of scenarios he'd rather not think about, but can't dismiss.]

[ A simple smartphone in a thick black case... got it, very easy to remember. There's no telling what sort of deep dark information is stored on that phone and who his contacts are, Yoimiya would rather remain blissfully ignorant than be privy to the details. However, she does know that if that phone ends up in the wrong person's hands, they will both be in danger. If it's in police custody, she'll have to wrack her brain to convince them to hand it over but gonna cross that bridge when they get there. For the time being, the two of them need to focus on some well-deserved rest. ]

Thank you as well.

[ A rare moment of her being short and to the point, unlike her usual chatty self. She has her hands on the handle, preparing to walk out. But for some reason, she can't bring herself to open the door, it doesn't feel right to leave in such a curt fashion. For a moment, she doesn't utter a word, standing at the doorway in silence until finally, she glances at him from over her shoulder. ]

... You be careful too. Get some rest and focus on making a full recovery. Try not to do anything too reckless.

[ Unlike the manner in which she chewed him out earlier, her voice is soft and her words are sincere. Regardless of his terrible job, she still worries about his well-being. Her heart can't take the thought of him kicking the bucket between now and the next time they meet. ]

[Her curt answer is to be expected, watching her move to the door and sitting quietly as he waits for her to leave. But she doesn't, she stands there for a second and surprisingly looks back to him, meeting her gaze. He responds with a warm smile of his own, letting a sigh out through his nose that he wasn't realizing he was holding, happy that their parting wouldn't be so antagonistic after all.]

Thanks. Until next we meet, Yoimiya.

[And he'll watch her go, letting himself sink back into the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Yeah, he thinks he can do that, relax and focus on recovering. With a smile still on his face, Ajax closes his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. The stress on his mind was greater than he expected, but he surprisingly has much better dreams now than when he was unconscious before- but they're still tinged with a darkness that he still doesn't understand. Hopefully, he can get answers to that someday.]

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how could i ever forget // outside the morning was cool and wet

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