Work Text:
“What is the meaning of this, Pulcinella?“
Capitano stood in the door frame, eyeing his seated associate. His gaze shifted towards the small figure laying in Pulcinella’s lap. Long fingers softly ruffling the sleeping child’s hair as the man gestured for the other to lower his voice. A small ‘shh’ escaped smirking lips.
While Capitano hushed over he noticed immediately that the child was dressed in a Fatui uniform, a little too big for the frail figure. But it came as no surprise. After all, the uniforms weren’t made for children in the first place.
“Lower your voice, my friend, I don’t want you to wake him”, Pulcinella said.
There was a concerned look on Capitano’s face. He didn’t know what his friend had been up to, but he didn’t take him for someone who would just babysit someone else’s child.
“And who is this?” He indeed had lowered his voice. An effort to not wake the sleeping figure as per Pulcinella’s request. Even though the scene before him was confusing, he trusted the other to have a suitable explanation.
“He’s a new recruit.”
“Excuse me?”
Puzzled, indeed. The look on Capitano’s face must have spelled out all of his confusion. Pulcinella chuckled softly. A reaction he understood all too well. After all, this mere child was a true menace. One wouldn’t have guessed by just looking at the small boy, breathing softly and nuzzling into the harbinger’s warm lap.
When he met the boy, he was shocked too. A boy of fourteen years, brimming with an undeniable thirst for blood, beating up man after man. No matter which Fatui agent Pulcinella had thrown his way, the boy’s eyes had sparkled in cruel enjoyment. He possessed a strength he wasn’t even able to control. Casualties would have been merely a question of time.
“And why, pray tell, is a recruit snuggling up to you?”
For Capitano it didn’t make any sense. Did his colleague like playing favorites or what was the meaning of this? He looked displeased, waited still for an explanation he would understand. Pulcinella obviously picked up on his friend’s dissatisfaction, but decided to take things a step further. Humor in good faith, at least.
“Well, he fell asleep during his punishment, so I decided to let him sleep.”
Another chuckle escaped his lips as Capitano looked at him in horror. As if pampered soldiers would be any good. Even if it was a child, discipline had to be maintained. But just as he was about to lecture the other harbinger, Pulcinella pointed at a pile of heavy books. It was easy to punish a child, even though the boy was only of fourteen years, he wasn’t interested of letting him off the hook that easily.
“I would have him stand to attention, stacking heavy books atop his head. He managed to silently hold out a whole day before falling unconscious.”
“Don’t lie”, Capitano intercepted, “a mere child couldn’t possibly - “
“But it’s true, my friend,” Pulcinella assured him. His fingers meanwhile caressed the boy’s reddish cheeks. His gaze full of an unfamiliar fondness Capitano had never witnessed before. He heaved a heavy sigh, making up his mind to believe his associate. For now.
“Well then, humor me. What did the boy do to deserve that punishment?”
A heavy anticipation filled the room as Pulcinella smirked knowingly. He fully knew the other harbinger wouldn’t believe a word he was about to say. Still, he would tell the truth. All of it.
“Oh, you will not believe me. Little Ajax here had beaten up two other recruits within an inch of their lives. Effortless, I might add. Really, I’m glad they were able to survive at all. That’s not a given when facing this menace, believe me.”
There it was. The look on Capitano’s face. As if someone had told him about a fever dream. Another sigh was heaved as his hand wandered to his temple. Headache. Pulcinella would give him a headache today. On the other hand, while often up for a joke or two, certain things the other harbinger never joked about. One of these certain things was the recruitment of new members for the Fatui.
He thought about it. For a full minute, maybe. His hand brushed against the boy’s hair. Sleeping soundly, ‘menace’ wasn’t a word Capitano would have used to describe the child. He looked meek and frail, not like someone who would go around beating grown men.
“But he’s a mere child,” Capitano said.
The point he tried to bring across? He wasn’t even sure of it himself. There was disbelief, but also the belief his colleague wouldn’t outright lie to his face about things like this.
“Yes, a mere child,” Pulcinella repeated. “A child so thirsty for blood, whose parents willingly turned him over for conscription just so they wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore.”
Loving parents - not many of the Fatui recruits could say they had a loving family. For many the other Fatui recruits would become the family they never had. For Ajax, it was different. His parents harbored love for their child, but above that undeniable love, above all else, there was fear. A mighty fear that their small boy would hurt someone they held dear. That this once timid child would one day bring havoc to their tiny village, would turn into an uncontrollable monster, incapable of stopping himself from harming others.
It had stirred Pulcinella’s heart. A child that should have been innocent, stained with blood and violence, leaving behind the childlike innocence that now could only be found in his sleeping face. Calm, gentle and cuddly. It seemed almost absurd. Like a cruel joke of fate.
“I see,” Capitano replied in a pensive tone of voice.
While he looked at the sleeping face, his hand now fondled the boy’s hair. There wasn’t a trace of doubt left. Even though it was hard to believe, even though he couldn’t fully understand, but he trusted Pulcinella’s judgement.
Slowly, eyes fluttered awake. Bright ocean blue orbs sluggishly focused on the foreign man’s face. At someone who didn’t even stop to stroke his red hair. It took a moment for the child to realize the situation, before he abruptly slapped away the hand caressing him. He didn’t even realize that his head laid on Pulcinella’s lap as he straightened himself up, making himself ready to jump at the intruder. He would have, hadn’t Pulcinella placed his hand on his shoulder, holding him back.
There was a sudden pang of realization. Now cold eyes focused fully on Capitano, not shying away an inch. The older man was taken aback. He had to fully agree now: This boy was a menace. One, that with every fiber of it’s being, would have loved to jump his throat like a rabid dog. Eyes full of lust for bloodshed. This boy must have seen things. A cruel joke of fate indeed.
“Well, since you’re awake now,” Pulcinella started, calming the boy down more with every word spoken, “may I introduce you to Capitano, one of the Fatui harbingers.”
Now it was the boy’s turn to be taken aback. He blinked a few times. His head filled with thoughts about his posture, his bloodthirsty expression, his gestures. Slapping away the hand of another harbinger might have not been a great idea. Sounded like another punishment coming his way, if he didn’t apologize. Still, words were not spoken. Instead, Ajax just stared at the other figure, unable to utter a single word.
There were eyes filled with a certain wonder. One, Capitano knew full well. The question, that burned in the boy’s mind. An assessment. Oh, how cold eyes tried to peel into him, provoke him. It didn’t stop Capitano from reaching out, patting the boy’s head.
Ajax grew stiff. His hand twitched to slap away the intruding hand once again. His only fear seemed to be the punishment of treating a superior with disrespect.
“Wanna spar?” Capitano asked, a challenging smirk dancing on his lips.
Eyes fluttered awake even more, shined like a diamond with a sudden joy. Lips parted, the boy was about to answer, before Capitano suddenly pulled his hand away, sticking his tongue out to the boy.
“Just kidding!” he mocked.
Anger. The sudden joy was replaced by anger. Ajax wanted to protest, but all he could think of, was a short and simple: “You stupid – “
The edge of Pulcinella’s hand came crashing down to reprimand the boy. He winced in response as his gaze shifted towards his superior in an apologetic way.
“Please forgive him,” Pulcinella spoke, “this rascal is not fully disciplined yet.”
There was nothing in need of forgiveness. Pulcinella could tell that Ajax’ response peeked interest in Capitano. The other harbinger smirked. His gaze full of interest in the cheeky boy that one day would serve the Tsaritsa well. Pulcinella would turn that rascal into a perfect soldier, he was certain of it. Still, it seemed like a little push was needed. He stared right at the boy, but Ajax didn’t avoid his strict and crushing gaze others would have feared immediately.
“Well, strive to become our Majesty’s loyal weapon and I will give you the opportunity to spar with me one day. Sound good?” he offered.
Again, the boy’s eyes filled with joyous excitement. The prospect of a battle that would cost him everything, bring him to the edge of his abilities. He nodded eagerly, but uttered no word. It was then, that Capitano waved them goodbye, turned on his heels and left without another word.
“Hm, work hard, Ajax, or you know our strongest will forget you like any other recruit,” Pulcinella teased.
It was then that an eagerness in the boy’s heart grew. To not be forgotten. To get the match he yearned for, the moment he met Capitano.
____________________
“Look at you,” Pulcinella mused all of a sudden and was met with a short and simple “Huh?” in response. His protégé, who had grown into a capable man himself, looked at him in surprise, not fully sure of where this was going.
“You were such a rascal back then,” Pulcinella reminded him, a fond smile creeping on his face. He loved to tease the eleventh harbinger every opportunity he got.
Ajax had grown into a harbinger. Someone who was fully devoted to the Tsaritsa. A development Pulcinella had observed with delight. His little protégé, the troublesome boy, had grown into a capable man, who acted calm and collected most of the time. His lust for battle never ceased, but he managed to get his thirst for blood fully under control. The boy, more akin to a wild monster, became a finely-honed instrument of war. An important and essential asset for the Fatui.
“Do you need to bring this up now?” Childe sighed.
There was a soft blush on his cheeks. Embarrassment most likely. Being reminded of the past was not a joyous occasion most of the time, but Pulcinella loved to tease him with old stories. Stories of a cheeky and prideful boy, who was brought down to earth by stupid punishments and fatherly reprimands. The grin on his face only grew wider.
“Ah, I do feel reminded of the time you met Capitano for the first time. You really did try to call him a ‘stupid coward’ for not fighting you then and there.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me!” Childe protested harshly, before he calmed himself again with a sigh. There was an undeniable longing nested in it. “I do wonder, though, if I will ever get Capitano’s attention anytime soon. I really want to see how strong he is for myself.”
“I do wonder as well,” Pulcinella chuckled, knowing full well that Capitano never had ceased to observe Ajax’ development as closely as possible. But that, of course, was his little secret to keep.