Chapter Text
He preferred cigars more than he did cigarettes. The finely rolled imported cigars from Fontaine were by far his favorite to indulge in, whenever they chose to play nice and open trade. Considering he had just executed several of their men, he wasn’t about to hold his breath for that to happen.
Nevertheless, said cigars he enjoyed indoors, next to the fireplace, while he either sat in silence or read a book. However, when he went on strolls around the city, as he did now, his tobacco of choice was cigarettes.
Flicking open his lighter, he let his thumb roll down on the wheel, igniting the flame. Bringing it up towards the stick in his mouth, his amber irises focused on the inhabitants passing him by without a second glance. The streets of Liyue were bustling with people, as was per the usual and it was always a welcome sight to see. It did not come as a surprise to him that he was naturally avoided, given his style of dress and that his visage was known to many.
Against the futile attempts of his bodyguard, pleading to accompany him, he was once again taking his walk alone. He was no fool, he avoided highly populated areas, such as the markets and kept close to the shadows as much as possible. Though his strolls were meant for relaxation, his guard was always up. How tiring it was to try and accomplish both at the same time, but he refused to be cooped up to long in the manor.
Eventually these walks ended with him at an abandoned park, one that was situated closed to the border of his city. The location wasn’t in the most safest of spots, especially if a turf war started up and so the area was cordoned off, eventually to be forgotten over time. Trees had grown to obscure the benches and what used to be a small pond, while foliage collected around the trails and large decorative boulders that laid about.
As old as he was, as often as he took these walks, he had witnessed the rise and fall of this particular park. Despite how rundown it looked, it was an area that gave him peace, so he decided that this would be his ‘special’ place, to at least finish off one more cigarette. The day hadn’t been particularly rough for him, it was more of the same and so he could not complain. However, that didn’t mean there wasn’t something lurking beneath the surface. Who else would try to betray his trust? Who else would aim to take down what he had created? What else would be used to stab him in the back?
He was tired.
Inhaling another drag from his cigarette, he found comfort in the heated smoke unfurling inside his lungs, before exhaling it all out. Going off the sidewalk, he began to push aside low hanging branches with his gloved hand, heading towards park and in particular, one bench he claimed as his own. He had considered having someone fill the empty pond, perhaps even going about adding koi fish or ducks, but that would mean telling someone of his special place. And he refused to do that.
“Hmmm, hmmm, la-“
Slowly, he lightened his steps so as to not make much sound, his ears picking up a soft melody, which enticed his curiosity, capturing his full attention. Following the voice, he came upon his special place, remaining hidden by a pair of trees, gaze falling upon the figure who sat upon his bench.
“-Welcome and well met, my brave little spark. How long have you wandered, burned bright as a star~ ♫”
The petite figure kicked their legs out from time to time, as they sang from their gut, head tilted back to let their voice resound in the sky above. The lyrics were not his sole focus, but rather the voice that captivated his very soul. It captured it in a vice like grip and squeezed it tightly, leaving him no choice but to surrender. He had actually come to be left breathless, lowering his cigarette from his mouth in awe.
“Sinking deeper and deeper in calm embrace. Loving tide sweeping in, bear you down~ Should you meet us, arise and surface thus! With your own beating heart wish them well~♫”
It frustrated him to no end that he was unable to look upon the figures face, as they wore a mint green hoodie, with what looked like mini doughnuts decorating the sleeves. However, he was certain they were female, if not by the pitch of their voice, but by the ample bosom said hoodie could not hide away. It was now that he loathed the fact, he did not know everyone in his city and that he could put a face to this girl, who tore at his heart, making his very soul vibrate with life, a feeling he thought he’d never experience again.
“Hush love, close your eyes. Let them sleep all blind, in such a still night! It calls to unto dreams, be and all~ Though you will weep, the winds rise again, for this-“
Frowning, the girl’s song was abruptly cut short, as he witnessed another figure sprint out from behind a grove of trees, panting and looking as if he were being chased. His amber eyes remained on the girl, who stood, turning quickly to face the boy. He was only able to catch a glimpse of what was under her hood, a flash of honey blonde hair, left him craving more, his curiosity unsated. By now he had crushed his cigarette into ash, letting the remnants flutter to the ground. His eyes narrowed upon the boy, who wore a similar outfit save for the backpack hoisted upon his back, his motions frantic as he jogged up to the girl.
“I think I lost’em!” looking over his shoulder, the boy seemed to be second guessing himself. “I got it though, let’s get out of-“
“YOU SON OF A BITCH!”
It would seem more and more unwanted people were trampling all over his special place, which left him in a very sour mood. Whereas he didn’t mind finding a singing angel, now he was bearing witness to a gang of neanderthals bumbling bout, stomping all over the place in their failed attempt at capturing their prey. None of them were vision users, so that told him all he really needed to know. As for the other two, who stood their ground, not in the least bit terrified of the gang that rallied upon them, he was unsure of.
“Lost them, huh?” it was the girl who spoke with a mocking undertone.
“Ha, didn’t expect them to be so fast. Man, color me surprised.” His tone indicated the boy wore a goofy smile on his face, unfazed by the predicament they now found themselves in.
“You fucking punk!”
“Hey, Daizo,” one of the thugs spat, glaring at the pair. “, aren’t they those damn getbackers!?”
“I don’t give a fuck who they are! They’re fucking dead!”
When the one named Daizo made to pull out a gun, did he go about raising his hand, about to put an end to man’s life. He cared not for the boy, but the girl he could not see come to harm. As he made to summon his geomancy, did he freeze in place, witnessing the pair move in perfect sync, their speed to the untrained eye, almost impossible to see.
Having dropped his bag, the boy made to move with his sister, the two spreading out as they moved faster then any of the thugs could keep up. This of course baffled Daizo, as he waved his gun around in the process. The man was unsure of where to train his gun, as he tried to follow each figure, finger plastered on the trigger in an attempt to threaten them. As if the wind itself guided their steps, the boy and girl brought down Daizo’s partners, with swift kicks to the faces, the men falling unconscious by the ferocity of each of their blows.
“What the-“ gasping as he flailed around, Daizo didn’t have a chance to fire his gun, before the speedy duo was suddenly in front of him, one landing a punch to his face, while the other his gut, sending him hurtling back, his entire body slamming to the ground.
“This is why I should have gone!”
It was at this moment, when the two were reveling in their victory, that he was finally able to see the girl who had touched his soul, with her voice alone. If he were being honest with himself, it mattered not what she looked like, for he was already infatuated. As she went about throwing off her hood, staring grumpily at the boy, did he find himself resisting the urge to come out of hiding and capture her in his arms. To say she was beautiful, felt entirely disingenuous, for it was far too simple a word. She was a vision to behold, her honeyed locks falling around her face, golden irises practically glowing with life, as her flawless, ivory skin glowed in the light the moon provided from above.
“Oh right, right, if you went, I’d be sitting here for ages!” the boy had now done the same, letting his long, honeyed braid fallout from the hood. “You may be good at stealth, but I’m the best when it comes to slipping away.”
Twins. They were twins, there was no other explanation for how similar their appearances were.
“You did a great job ‘slipping away’, Aethie. Real stand up!” she was of course being sarcastic, as they now walked to pick up the bag her brother had dropped.
“Give me a break, this bag’s heavy! Also, I had to stick to certain roads, because they were saying something about that Morax guy walking around.”
“Morax guy…? You’re talking about the family leader of Liyue? I thought his name was Zhongli.”
“I think people who revere the dude like a God, call him Morax. Some sort of traditon or whatever…Zhongli’s basically his name for the public. Apparently, the dude’s supposed to be like over a thousand years old or something.” Having picked up his bag, the boy went about patting it down, cleaning up the dirt that had got onto it.
“… Oh yeahhh, I remember Paimon saying something about that. Pfft, what a crock.” the girl laughed. “Can you imagine if it were true!? Just up and meeting a living dinosaur, like ‘what was the world like a THOUSAND years ago, Mr.Morax~?’”
“Haha, honestly it’d be super cool to pick that dude’s brain, if he was that old! Mannn, I’d like to know how people lived in the stone age! But I heard he’s sorta unhinged, like no one but the people of his city and other family bosses get to see him in person. Paimon said that if you do end up in his path, it’s either make a contract or you die kind of thing. Scary stuff. It makes sense why hardly anyone goes into Liyue.”
“Save for us.” she giggled
The boy smirked, “ Anyways, I didn’t expect to hear the big honcho himself would be strutting around casually. Especially when this dude gets targeted like crazy. I heard that if anyone succeeds in offing the dude, they become the new mafia boss. You’d think after so many failed attempts, he’d just hole himself inside his manor.”
Shrugging, the girl patted her brother upon the shoulder, before both started off, “Maybe’s he’s a proactive boss, like Barbatos! Diluc say’s that Mondstadt has a problem with finding him sometimes. The guy just ups and leaves, without even saying anything.”
“Damn… Where does he go? Bingo night!? Also, when did you and Diluc get close enough to start a conversation?”
Rolling her eyes, the girl ignored her brother’s last comment, “You know what makes me mad is that while they up and go on random walks, thugs like this-“ as they passed Daizo’s body, Lumine kicked the man in the gut for good measure. “-guy, up and steal from the Twilight District and no one cares. Wish they’d walk around rounding up THESE wastes of space. Oh, but heyyyyy, as long as it’s not from any of the other cities, its fair game.” She mumbled angrily.
The twins had made it past the tree line, disappearing from sight, but their voices still carried. They weren’t murderers, all of their blows had been non-fatal, so Daizo was by now was rolling onto his stomach, gritting his teeth in seething anger, as he meant to reach for his gun. It was then that an expensive, black loafer grinded his hand down onto the ground, causing him to cry out in pain.
“I shall have to have these shoes cleaned later.”
Daizo’s blood ran cold, feeling the oppressive aura looming over him. He wasn’t a smart man by any means, but he knew better than to open his mouth at this moment. Swallowing down on his pained moans, he dared a look up at the man whose foot remained on his hand. The second his gaze met with the man, did he feel his entire face being cratered in, his body flipping onto its back with the amount of force that had almost sundered his face. “M-Mora-ax…” his face was a mangled mess, how he managed to utter one word was a miracle.
In the darkness of the night, those iridescent, amber irises glowed threateningly. Normally Morax took no pleasure in watching the suffering of one of his people, however, he held disdain for this individual imparticular. They were not only a filthy thief that sullied the Liyue name but he was also the cause of his blonde angel’s ire. Hearing him wheezing, seeing a piece of tooth matted over his cheek, witnessing his fingers scrapping across the gravel of the ground, as blood pooled from the orifices of his face, brought Morax only a modicum of appeasement.
Bringing his foot down upon the man’s face, hearing the sickening crunch of his skull splattering like a rotten pumpkin, made him sneer at the mess that was now his shoe. His eyes fixated on Daizo’s cronies, both groaning in pain, as they were rise from their unconscious states.
Striding over to one of them, he wasted no time in pulling out his gun, aiming it at one of their heads.
*BANG*
= + =
Lumine and Aether Tigel whirled around in shock, having heard the resounding crack of what sounded like lighting and thunder colliding together. A gunshot.
“What the-“ another shot rang out, causing both to jump in place.
“T-That came from where Daizo and his men were.” Lumine looked to her brother, who quickly grabbed at her wrist, forcing her to stay in place.
“We need to get out of here!” they may have been scumbags, the worst of the worst, but his sister had a good heart. Even a man like Daizo she’d go about saving, if his life hung on the line, because that’s just the kind of person she was.
“B-But-“
“Now, Lumine!” starting to drag her away, Aether’s heart raced inside his chest. So in lieu of that, Aether decided to be the pessimistic and hardened twin, so as to not see his sister’s brains splattered across the walls. It was an even trade, one he didn’t mind, because he loved his sister and her big, dumb heart.
“What do you think could have happened!? Do you think it was Daizo having a tantrum?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. If we’re caught, then we can say goodbye to our heads.”
= + =
“Xiao.”
Whenever Morax spoke the man’s name, he only had to wait a few seconds, before hearing the soft flutter of fabric and the sound of feet landing upon the ground, to know that his loyal bodyguard had answered his call. There wasn’t a need to look his way, as Morax focused on the direction the twins had gone, already missing the gorgeous girl, with the harmonious voice.
“Have Keqing and Ningguang, find out who else followed this man. Tell them that when they are done, to have Hu Tao ready her coffins. Once she is done having her fun, make sure to burn the hovel they festered in.”
“As you wish.”
“When you are done giving those two their orders, I need you to find out everything you can on a pair of twins, none as the ‘getbackers’. I am making an assumption that they are from the Twilight District, if that helps. Once you acquire to their identities, which I am positive you will,” he turned now to face the man, who remained knelt on one knee before him, head bowed humbly. “, I need you to gather them for me. Both of them. Delicately and alive. I trust you will handle this matter with discretion.”
Xiao did not question Morax, nor would he, even if his extraction meant going against the neutrality treaty between the districts. “As you wish, Boss.”
Looking over his shoulder, Morax wore a smile. All he needed to do was be patient and soon, his singing, golden eyed angel, would be all his.
🔶🌻In The Hands of a Dragon 🌻🔶
Chapter One
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Accessing Educational Holographic Assistance
Please choose your option:
🔴Teyvat
🔴Cities/Districts
🔴Mafia Families
🔴Trade/Foreign Affairs
🔴 Teyvat is massive continent, home to five prominent nations. Surrounded by a massive expanse of ocean, there exists in the waters not far away, the Kingdom of Khaenri'ah, which is in essence apart of the same continent, being connected by a massive island in-between.
🔴 The five prominent cites (also referred to as Districts) are Liyue, Inazuma, Mondstadt, Twilight and Fontaine. Due to the Twilight District being directly below the island that connects to Khaenri’ah, there is a neutrality treaty in effect for only Twilight, which protects its people and its trade. Each district, except for Twilight and Khaenri’ah, is governed by prestigious mafia families, whose roots stem deeply into each of the cities histories.
🔴 Mondstadt’s family, The Venatorinze, 2nd oldest of the families. Lead by Boss Barbatos.
The Dragon Family, the oldest of the four families and deeply shrouded in secrecy. Lead by Boss Zhongli (aka Morax)
Leviathan, the youngest of the four families and ones whose traditions and customs are celebrated by all in Fontaine.
Kamisato Family, Inazuma’s sophisticated and benevolent family. lead by Boss Ayato Kamisato. It is rumored however that the Shogunate, a minor subsidiary in Inazuma is the real leader, but these rumors have yet to be verified. All trade regulations, treaty signings and funding go through the Kamisato Family.
🔴Liyue and Inazuma very often shut down their borders, for extended periods of time. Mondstadt, Fontaine, Twilight and Khaenri’ah hold outstanding relations with each other, making their districts the most hospitable to visit for merchants. Liyue’s harbors is the largest compared to Mondstadt and Fontaine, their trade partners across the ocean are Snezheya, who also deal with Fontaine, Mondstadt and the Khaenri’ah Kingdom.
“More like the Tsarista plays Devil’s advocate and go towards whoever holds out the most money for. We always see her Fatui agents skulking about, wondering who holds the best cards in the deck. ” Having entered the living room, Aether hopped over the back of couch. “What’cha asking Paimon to teach ya today, Klee?” he eyeballed the tablet the little girl sat in her lap. On the screen was a picture of all the mafia families logos, along with dozens of tiny paragraphs.
Thanks to the ingenious efforts of Alice, Klee’s mother, Paimon was created. An AI, able to communicate and think all by itself. It was almost as if the woman had created such technology with magic, considering how Paimon was able to comprehend basic and advance human interactions, while also being able to jump from any device with Bluetooth support, without the need for permission.
Aether and Lumine were unsure why the woman decided to give them such an impressive piece of technology, something that could benefit any of the districts, especially Mondstadt. But Alice had laughed in their faces, the woman positive that Paimon would be better off in their care then in the hands of anyone else, even the nation she worked for.
“I think she’ll be in good hands with you two. No… I KNOW, she will be. Besides, you two refuse to go to college, so at least have her teach you some courses. You two may not belong to me, but I do care. Oh, could you also babysit my baby this weekend? Thanks~ ❤️!”
“I am teaching Klee about the Teyvat we know today.” Paimon stated matter of fact. “I just finished teaching her all about King Alberich’s kingdom and the neutrality of the Twilight District.”
“Uncle Kaeya loves coming to the Twilight District!” with a bright smile, Klee looked towards Aether. “I do too! Because Lumi and you are here! Big brother Albedo likes coming here too! He gets upset when his experiments keep him away, or if the survey team doesn’t get results on time, because he likes Lumi a lot and wants to spend lots more time with her!”
“Is that right?”
“Klee, maybe we should get back to the lesson.”
“No, no,” taking the tablet from Klee, Aether shut it off with ease. “, please Klee, what else does big brother Albedo say?”
“That was rude!” Paimon’s voice came from the television speaker.
“What was rude?” walking into the living room from the kitchen, with a plate of pizza rolls, Lumine eyed her brother, who sat innocently next to Klee. “What’d I miss?” she gave Aether a skeptical look, before leaning over edge of the sofa. “Here, sweetheart.” Handing the plate to Klee, whose face brightened at the sight of food.
The Tigel twins weren’t always Twilight citizens, they were once under the care of the Kingdom of Khaenri'ah, dear friends to King Alberich, who was saddened to see them move out of his castle and onto their own little side business, being unofficial ‘getbackers’ to those in need. If something was pilfered, for the right price, Lumine and Aether would get it back. Though most of the time they were big pushovers and so even if their client was poor, they’d still go about getting back their stolen goods.
Unlike those with visions, the twins were special, as they were able to manipulate multiple elements and use them at their will. They were humble with their abilities, both deciding to help others instead of hoarding their good fortune. Having seen that the Twilight District was being needled and picked on by thugs from almost every district, they deiced to just make their base of operations in Twilight.
Said base, soon became their home and a meet up spot for everyone who decided to drop by. Klee was a regular, always being dropped off by Albedo or Alice, the two constantly busy with their work in Mondstadt. Whenever the Tigels got off a recent job, they were free to babysit and relax, until they received a new client, which could vary from a few days to a whole week.
“Paimon was teaching Klee about the districts.” Aether decided to change the subject, glaring at the television, daring the AI to out him. If she didn’t want to get her circuits fried, she’d keep quiet. “She just finished learning all about Kaeya’s kingdom.”
“Oh man, our old haunt!” snagging a pizza roll of the plate, Lumine popped one into her mouth. “How is Kaeya doing anyways? Last time I checked, he’s trying to find a bride.” Waggling her eyebrows, she chewed on the piece of food in her mouth.
“He is! Mommy says Uncle Kaeya is really picky, but Klee knows the real reason he hasn’t picked a bride yet. Uncle Kaeya says that he was hoping Lumi becomes his bride!”
Lumine began to cough on the pizza roll she was halfway through swallowing, just as Aether looked to be ready to fly off the couch and head over to the Alberich castle personally. Patting her chest, the girl began to laugh, as she cleared her throat, “He said that Klee?”
Nodding happily, Klee popped a pizza roll into her mouth, chewing while talking with her mouth full, “Mommy says Klee is really good at being a listener, so Klee hears a lot! Uncle Kaeya keeps saying the next time you visit, he’ll take you out on a date, Lumi! Are you going to be Queen? Can I be the flower girl!? I would love to see you in all the pretty dresses!”
“…” Aether glowered at his sister, who was giggling, as she patted Klee upon her head.
“I don’t know, being Queen kind of sounds fun!” she was having a great time teasing her brother.
“Over my dead body.” Aether muttered.
It was more then likely that Kaeya decided to mess around with Klee’s habit of repeating gossip and so the man went about telling the little girl all about his random plans to woo and marry Lumine. The twins were very much aware that that was something the King of Khaenri'ah would end up doing and that was the only reason the male Tigel wasn’t making a very scathing phone call.
But who was to really say what Kaeya’s feelings were? That is why Aether was only half playing at being irritated, expression becoming alarming sulky and moody. It was going on a year that the handsome, eye patch wearing man had made it known he was an eligible bachelor and that would have been more than enough time to find a wife. So far, he had come up empty handed. Maybe he was waiting for his sister. After being away from the castle for three years, both were now nineteen years of age, with Kaeya being only eight years their senior.
If it was him… I could see it. Now that Aether really thought about, he didn’t mind imagining the two together. Despite how the King acted, he was actually a very intelligent, kind, cunning and loyal man who didn’t go around flirting with just anyone. Looks could be deceiving and Kaeya was the farthest thing from a playboy, as some rumored him to be.
“Hey.” Now she was the one to glower, as Lumine brought up her finger to poke at her brother’s cheek. “I ain’t marrying no one. Ya hear?”
“Y-You don’t like Uncle Kaeya, Lumi?” Klee wore a distraught expression, clenching the plate tightly with her small hands. The little girl adored Kaeya and his great big castle, with all sorts of rooms she could run around in and cause mischief. Sometimes, she got so lost, the castle guards needed to be summoned in order to find her.
“I never said that!” laughing, Lumine tousled the girl’s hair. “I’m just not ready for marriage. Besides, if I become queen, I’ll have to give up helping people…” she snagged another pizza roll off the plate. “Can’t fight bad guys in a big, puffy dress and a crown!” the thought of marrying Kaeya had never crossed her mind before, not until this very moment. Having grown up as childhood friends, with Kaeya’s parents constantly telling him he was to marry a princess or some noble lady, made it so Lumine thought of other boys, then him.
Not that she had anyone in mind.
Klee giggled, making note to tell Uncle Kaeya everything she learned. “Big brother Albedo wouldn’t be happy if you married Uncle Kaeya.” She had no idea of what can of worms she was opening up in front of the pair. “I think Big brother Albedo wants to marry you too!”
“S-Say what now?” she couldn’t help but a blink a few times in shock.
“Alright!” Aether hurriedly clapped his hands together. “Let’s play the quiet game!”
Paimon began to laugh out loud through the speakers of the television.
= + + =
“Lumi?” sleepily, Klee clung to the girls arm, as she rested at her side, fighting to keep her eyes open, as her favorite kids show played on the screen.
Aether, who was playing a card game with Paimon on his laptop, looked over towards the sofa, watching as his sister placed a hand upon the little girl’s head, smiling tenderly.
“What’s up, Klee?” she whispered, wanting for the longest time for the girl to fall asleep. It was close to ten and she sort of regretted giving Klee so many Jolly Ranchers and apple juice. Either her mother or Albedo would be stopping by soon to pick her up and it was bad form to hand her over, high on sugar. It was a job well done in her book if Klee just drifted off to dreamland.
“Could you sing me a song?”
“Let’s see...”
By now Aether and Paimon were paying more attention to the pair on the couch, their card game forgotten and abandoned entirely, as the promise of Lumine singing loomed in the air. She had the gift of song, her voice alone able to soothe, make merry, or even heal, though . A lot of the castle servants would gossip and say that she was a siren in disguise, one who charm Kaeya and take a seat upon the throne. Those servants of course were always ousted from the castle, as soon as the Alberich’s heard of such things. Kaeya’s parents had adored both of them and would never stand for such slander, whether it be gossip or not.
But because such events did occur, Lumine had decided to never sing in front of crowds, or anyone she did not know. She chose to keep her gift hidden, to only be known by those she trusted. No one ever asked her to sing, knowing the stigma Lumine felt, but Klee was a child, she didn’t know any better.
“Once upon a time, a mother sang the last lullaby she’d ever sing, to her baby. Hoping that in the future, they would grow to be nice and strong. Hoping that they would remember just how much they were loved. Hmmmm, hmmm~ ♪♫ Hush now baby, be still love, don’t cry. Sleep as your rocked by the stream. Sleep and remember, my last lullaby. So, I’ll be with you… When you dream~ ♪♪♫”
Aether closed his eyes, finding solace in his sister’s voice, as it filtered around the room, like a gentle wave. He knew of the story she talked of, and it was as if he could see it so vividly in his mind, the visage of the mother, placing her baby in a large straw basket, singly softly to them as tears flowed down her face.
As his sister let the rest of the song trail off in a gentle hum, he watched as she laid Klee against the arm rest of the sofa, covering her with his jacket.
“I guess that did it.” She giggled, looking over her shoulder at him.
“Song or not, I’d have given her fifteen more minutes, before she conked out.” he smirked.
“It looks like Albedo is coming up on the porch!” Paimon announced, in a low whisper as well, careful not to wake up Klee.
At her warning, Aether scrambled out of his seat, hurrying to open the door, before the Mondstadtian Alchemist went about ruining all of Lumine’s work. Albedo was surprised at having the door open on him, while he had been about to knock, his eyes widening only slightly. He assumed Paimon, who was doing security on the house, had informed them of his arrival.
“Good to know the cameras are working.” He didn’t even wait for an invite, as he strolled right in.
The Tigel residence was only a one-story building, simple in design and brought no attention unto itself. This was their main place for clients to visit, who mainly came from Mondstadt, Fontaine even Twilight. It was supposed to be a ‘hush hush’ kind of business and a lot of their clients were just trying to get their valuables back, hoping someone could help them when said valuables crossed borders into other districts.
In order to not start turfs wars, there was just no way the authorities could traverse over the lines.
That’s where Aether and Lumine came in.
“You look like someone pissed in your cereal.” Aether muttered, closing the door.
Lumine stood from the couch, arching an eyebrow at the alchemist, who did in fact look quite pensive. He usually didn’t get like this, unless he had a hard problem to solve, or his survey team had brought back nothing to show for their work. “What’s up?”
“Three nights ago, the two of you retrieved some expensive equipment for a Rachel Weiss?”
“Yeah, from some low rent thug in Liyue.”
“Is that all you did?”
His question made the Tigel twins both frown, eyeing one another, before looking back at the man.
“What do you mean?” was what Aether countered with. “We retrieved the stuff, and no one was hurt…”
Lumine lowered her gaze, growing silent, knowing she was being watched by Albedo, who always went about studying her expressions. She was really bad at hiding her emotions, a habit that her brother had to pay for in the long run. Already he was making his way towards her, blocking her from Albedo’s sight, as if daring him to say anything to her.
“Why the hell are you asking, Giodano?” Aether growled, making sure to keep his voice low, so as to not wake Klee. Everything now, sounded as if he were hissing through teeth, which wasn’t far off from what he really wanted to do.
“…” deciding to stop being cryptic, Albedo answered. “Apparently, a small thieving ring was decimated in the span of a night. One belonging to Daizo Furyzu. Eighteen bodies unaccounted for, including that of their leader. The building they were apparently using as a base, was razzed to the ground. Nothing remains, save for ash. Eighteen bodies don’t just go missing without a trace, especially on Liyue soil.
This would have been exclusive intel from Lisa and Razor, who are on recon duty around the borders of Liyue, but it turns out that Boss Zhongli decided to make a public statement about it, several hours ago. Zhongli doesn’t just go around making ‘public’ anything, so of course when he talks, everyone listens.”
“W-What did he say?” it was Lumine who asked, watching as Albedo took out his phone, swiping around on the screen, before turning it to face the twins.
On the screen, was an image of a tall, handsome man, wearing a black, tailored suit. The suit alone looked pristine and expensive, golden trim lining around the edges. A long, trailed blazer was fitted over his shoulders like a cape, he was both regal and domineering all at the same time in his outfit. Even through the tiny screen, the man exuded power, dominating over the camera that centered on him, commanding attention with his presence alone. It was hard to look away, as his amber irises were piercing.
“To those that go about tarnishing Liyue’s name, let the smoldering ash of a fire long burnt out, be a reminder that the Dragon family does not condone your actions, nor will I tolerate such blight to fester and grow. There will be no negation. No contracts. Punishment will be swift. To the individuals that so graciously took back what was pilfered, my apologies go out to you.”
“…” Lumine found herself taking a step back, unsure as to why her heart started to rapidly beat against her chest. Goosebumps rose up across her arms, as she desperately wanted to avert her gaze, but found she wasn’t strong enough too. For some reason, it felt as if the man on the screen, Zhongli, was looking right at her. But that was impossible, the video that she was watching was pre-recorded, there was no way he could see her through the screen. R-Right?
“I hope that in the future, I will be able see you again.”
The recording went blank.
Silence fell over the three, with only the low hum of Klee’s cartoon filtering in background.
“So now you see why it is that I look as if ‘someone pissed in my cereal’.” His eyes narrowed upon Aether. “Were you two seen!?”
“NO!” Aether gritted out. “We had our hoods on, we took the back ways paths!”
“… The gunshots, Aether…” beginning to shake her head, Lumine lifted her gaze towards her brother. “After we left, we heard gunshots. M-Maybe, Zhongli was hiding somewhere, m-maybe he saw us…”
“And what, he just let us stroll right out of Liyue?” Aether turned to face her. “N-No! That’s crazy. He just didn’t decide to be nice and clean up Daizo’s gang for us…” he was shaking his head with added fervor.
“Regardless, I suggest the two of you remain out of Liyue for the time being.” He looked between the two twins, before his gaze fell on Lumine. “It would be unwise to step foot back into the city. His message doesn’t make much sense, but I cannot help but feel a foreboding undertone to it. The man does not just simply make a proclamation like that, without a purpose. So please, abscond from taking on any requests from Liyue clientele.”
“Y-Yeah, sure.” Lumine nodded her head sincerely, still reeling over the image of the man and his piercing amber gaze.
Albedo nodded, satisfied with that response, especially coming from Lumine.
“Well… Then, I feel just slightly bit better…”
= + 12:23 a.m. + =
“LUMINE, WAKE UP AND ROLL!”
At Paimon’s scream, did Lumine find herself bursting out of sleep, rolling as she commanded, out of bed. Her entire body hit the ground, as she heard the disgruntled grunts of a man having missed his chance to grab at her.
“THEY BLEW OUT THE ELECTRICITY!” in Paimon’s rushed explanation, Lumine was dodging another man who ran into her room. She could hear from down the hall, Aether being attacked in his own bedroom. “I JUST MANAGED TO GET BACK ONLINE WITH THE BACKUP GENERATOR! I’M CALLING EVERYONE!”
Gritting her teeth, Lumine weaved around the men who were quite literally trying to tackle her, their arms extended out like demonic teddy bears, wanting hugs. Her eyes widened when she saw the rope that one of them held and her fight or flight response kicked in. Kicking off the wall, she round housed the man with the rope, sending his body hurtling into that of his partner. Watching them getting knocked back was satisfying, but short lived, as Lumine started to hear more footsteps rattling down the hallway.
“RUN LUMINE!”
Speeding out her door, barefoot, wearing only a loose-fitting t-shirt and gym shorts, Lumine was met with two strangers who barred her exit. From her brother’s room, she witnessed a man being thrusted out the doorway, as Aether had sucker punched him in the face.
“Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” One of the men down the hall muttered, staring her down.
Aether walked out of his room, cracking his neck from side to side, at the same time Lumine straightened herself up, hands clenching into fists. “I don’t know Lumi, you wanna try the hard way?”
“Heh, you damn right I do!” with a manic grin, Lumine punch the ground in front of her, sending a tidal wave of wind down the hallway, knocking the thugs off their feet and right into the living room. Her brother wasted no time in rushing out, grabbing up one by the face, lurching him right off the ground, hurling his prone body right at the wall.
Casually walking into the living room, Lumine glared at the man Aether had left for her. “I don’t know, that was pretty easy to me.” She could see the way he trembled, while she tried her best examining his clothes, trying to look for anything that would give away where these bastards were from. “Who do you work for?” she had never tortured a person before and Lumine didn’t want to have to start now. Maybe a couple of punches to the face would work.
“That seems to be all of them.” Aether stared down at the miserable waste of space, that laid passed out near the doorway of the kitchen. He looked to his sister, who bent forward, hauling the man up by the collar of his shirt. Just as she raised her fist to land a blow, did the pair feel a powerful, pulsating aura wash over them.
“AETHER WATCH OUT!” Paimon’s voice blasted over the speaker to the entertainment system. One moment Aether was standing in spot, the next he was being rocketed back into the wall, passing out at the sheer force that was used to send him pummeling back.
“AETHER!” releasing the man’s shirt, Lumine whirled around in shock, eyes pinned on the figure who now stood in the spot her brother once stood. The man wore a oni like mask, eyes of said mask glowing an eerie green color. “…”
“Do not try to fight me.” The masked man warned. “You will not win.” He continued.
“…” gritting her teeth, Lumine stared past the man, towards her brother who looked to be alive and breathing. Aether…
“You will let us capture you no-“
“FUCK YOU!” launching herself forward, Lumine slid in front of the man throwing a punch, which she expected to miss. Twirling herself around to avoid his hands which were aimed at her gut, Lumine used her elbow to bash him across the side of his skull, grateful the bastard was around her height. She wasn’t giving him room to breathe, as she used her surprise momentum, to lurch her body to face him, aiming a punch right into his gut, putting as much power into the blow as possible.
It had been everything she had.
Lumine watched in horror, as the man slid back only a couple of inches, but otherwise, perfectly fine.
“W-Who are you?” she panted heavily, letting her hands fall to her sides.
It had been their first loss. Ever.
Straightening himself up, the man in the oni mask, motioned his hand towards the men behind Lumine. “Capture her. Do not be violent.”
“Like hell I’m going to-“
“If you do not comply-“ the man pulled out a gun, aiming it at Aether’s body. “-I will shoot him.”
“…” Lumine froze, the blood draining from her face. “You do and you’ll be the first ever person I kill. I promise you.” As she said this, Lumine let herself be grabbed, the rope coming around her body. She never stopped glaring at the man in the mask, whose gun remained on her brother, until she had been fully trussed up. She could tell though, that his eyes were trained on her, throughout the whole process.
Humiliated, she struggled against her bindings, glaring at the man who lowered his gun.
All she could do was let them take her.
As she was being dragged out of her own home, Lumine looked over her shoulder miserably, witnessing a couple of thugs begin to pick up her brother off the ground. She could only hope that wherever they were taking them, they would be together, and he would remain safe.
= + 1: 30 a.m + =
For the past few nights, Kaeya Alberich had been plagued by insomnia, so he ended up answering his cellphone the moment he saw Albedo’s name upon the screen. It was unlike the alchemist to dial his number, not unless it was something important.
Not unless it involved the Tigels.
“We have a problem…” was the first thing he heard upon the answering the phone.
“Out with it!” it didn’t bode well when even Albedo was having a hard time trying to speak.
“Aether and Lumine have been kidnapped. I think the Dragon family have them.”
“…” Kaeya grew silent, before finally finding his voice again. “Did Paimon-“
Not even bothering to let him finish his sentence, Albedo continued, “She recorded a lot of footage, but they were smart. No distinguishing tattoos, no clothes that would sell them out. One of the men wore an oni mask, something Lisa is certain she has seen before. It’s why I’m almost certain Boss Zhongli has something to do with this She believes that the man under the oni mask, is one of Zhongli’s right hand men.”
“We have to be a hundred percent sure…” it pained him to have to think rationally, but before he was a best friend, he was also a ruler of a Kingdom. “We can’t go about this half-cocked.”
“We are doing all we can, Kaeya.”
“I know.” His heart grew heavy. “… I know you are… Keep me informed.” His finger pressed the ‘end call’ button.
With a frustrated shout, Kaeya flung his phone straight across the room, the device hitting the wall, shattering into pieces.
= + 2: 04 a.m. + =
Oh please, Paimon… Please have recorded some footage. Have SOMETHING to show Albedo and the others… It crossed her mind that even if they did find out who had taken them, that they would be unable to do anything to get them back.
Were two, no named twins, really worth starting a war?
Lumine just couldn’t see something like that happening. She did see however, Razor, Diluc or even Albedo attempting a solo rescue. These were all possibilities and it pained her to think she and her brother were at the mercy of whoever had kidnapped them. To think she would ever become the damsel in distress, was shocking and she found herself for the uptenth time trying to break free from the ropes that bound her.
Aether… Having been haphazardly dumped into the back of some seedy van, Lumine had been grateful to see her brother being hoisted in beside her. It was the only thing that kept her docile through that entire ride, being able to be near Aether. However, when the van had come to a park and she was being hauled, was she separated from him, much to her dismay. She had cried out to keep them together, but her pleas were ignored.
It was regretful that she had been too preoccupied looking after her brother, that she hadn’t gotten a good look around where she had been taken. All Lumine was sure of, was that it was a pretty massive building, that reminded her a lot of Alice’s mansion estate. The woman lived quite luxuriously in Mondstadt, which was surprising, given she and Klee were hardly ever there to enjoy said luxuries.
The room she had been hauled into, was spacious, neatly decorated with paintings and museum like furnishings. There was even a fire roaring in the fireplace behind her, which kept her warm, considering she was still in her pajamas. It was all just so surreal, like something straight out of a suspense movie. Lumine would have never had thought that Aether and her would be kidnapped right out of their home. And to be hogged tied like this! We got too full of ourselves! I was no match for that oni guy… I barely did any damage to him. Like he was being slapped then punched!
In the middle of her pity party, the door to the room open and Lumine watched as everyone who had been idling away, now suddenly stood at attention, backs straightened, heads held high. From her place on the floor, she now looked towards the figure that approached her.
N-Not him… Despite the fear that welled inside of her, Lumine remained planted on the spot, refusing to shy away or even flinch. Kneeling upon the ground, eyes directed towards the man who eventually came to crouch before her, Lumine now found herself face to face with the supposed, thousand-year-old God of Liyue.
Zhongli.
It had surprised her that he had knelt down at eye level with her, she had half expected to be kicked in the face or gut, was even preparing for it. But no, the man was now looking at her with a concerned, or what looked like a tender expression, his eyes fixated intently upon her face, as if committing it all to memory. He was far to close, so close that she could feel the warmth he exuded and Lumine was certain it wasn’t from the fireplace. She was having a hard time maintaining eye contact, without it feeling as if she were about to kiss him
Lumine had heard this man was unhinged, brutal and cruel, so she wasn’t about to let her guard down. At any moment, she was expecting him to pull her hair, punch or even go about slapping her. But none of that came, only his constant staring, which could also be considered a form of torture in her mind. If she thought he had been handsome in the video, being right in front of the man, was a whole different scenario.
Her breath caught, as his hand came up, fingers grasping her chin, tilting her head from side to side. It didn’t make sense what he was doing, but it was better then getting her shit kicked in, so she kept quiet, letting him do whatever it was he doing.
“Who hurt you?”
“…?” this time, she did flinch, as his thumb brushed across the side of her face, next to her ear.
“A small bruise is forming. Who hurt you?” he asked again, careful in making sure not to press to hard upon said bruise.
Lumine’s eyes darted towards the man at the back of the room, the one who had thrown her in the van with little care. She was unsure if it had been his rough handling or her constant flailing about, but she had bumped the side of her face on a toolbox, which had hurt for a couple of seconds. She had named names, but Zhongli had in fact followed her gaze, as he now looked over his shoulder.
“Was it him?”
Something in the way Zhongli had asked his question, made Lumine's stomach start churn, “… H-He threw me in the van, I hit my face along the way… It wasn’t his fault!” She wasn’t sure was the man began to smile so broadly, as if she had just said something extremely adorable.
“’It wasn’t his fault’ you say.” He looked positively amused. “Protecting your kidnapper, how… Benevolent. You cease to amaze me.” He stood, pulling his gun out of his its holster, as he turned to face the man whom Lumine had pointed out.
*BANG*
Lumine had squeezed her eyes shut far to late, as she had seen the man’s brains splatter across the wall. O-Oh Gods… The sound of a body hitting the ground echoed in the room and she couldn’t help but look towards those who had stood nearby, all of whom were silent as the grave. Dozens, if not hundreds of movies she had consumed, but none of them held a candle to the real deal of seeing someone being shot in the face.
“You must forgive me,” Zhongli turned back to face her. “, I lost control.” He stated somberly. “I did however give specific orders and it does sound and look as if you were put through a rough time.”
“…” usually she would come back with a smart ass response, like ‘yeah, no shit sherlock’ or ‘wow, you’re so fucking observant’ , but for the time, she had lost her backbone.
“I do need to know something, and I implore you to be honest, little one.” He was once again squatting down, bringing the back of one of his gloved hands to caress her cheek. “Did anyone else mistreat you?”
Meeting his sharp, piercing gaze, Lumine swallowed what little salvia she could muster. D-Don't touch me... She was almost certain that if her eyes were to fall on anyone else, he’d go about shooting them, no questions asked. That knowledge alone frightened her, as she was unsure why this man was giving her such power. Was he toying with her? Was this some sort of sick twisted game? At this point, she'd take a beating.
Fuck... She thought miserably.
= t b c =