Chapter Text
"What are you guys doing?" Tartaglia asked.
The sun was shining brightly on the beautiful sky of Sneznaya and the mood was warm, unlike the previous snow storm. As Tartaglia walked from his current resident to the Zapolyarny palace, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and joy for his homeland. He took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air and all the positivity around him, from the towering snow mountains to the freezing crystal-clear river that flowed nearby.
However, his nice and peaceful walk was soon interrupted when he spotted a two of his Harbinger comrades standing near the palace gates. They seemed to be so focused in something and Tartaglia's curiosity got the best of him.
Sandrone was the first to notice Tartaglia's presence. She had been keeping a watchful eye on the scenery in front of her and had quickly spotted Tartaglia as the youngest approached them. However, she didn't react to him, choosing instead to maintain her composure and keep her focus on the sight that make her amused.
It was Capitano, who was standing beside Sandrone, that signaled Tartaglia's arrival. He indicated with a subtle nod of his head that they had seen two people leisurely walking in the front yard of the Zapolyarny palace. Tartaglia followed Capitano's gaze and squinted to get a better look.
"Is that Regrator and the doctor?" he asked, trying to identify the figures in the distance. Despite the bright sunshine, the figures were still somewhat difficult to make out. Tartaglia's eyes scanned the area, and he tried to determine what their two fellow Harbingers might be up to.
As Tartaglia and the other Harbingers watched from a distance, they observed two figures walking towards the Zapolyarny palace. The two men seemed to be in good spirits, chatting and slightly laughing with each other as they strolled along. Despite their unusual behavior, Tartaglia and the others recognized them immediately as The doctor and the banker.
The scene was rather a strange one, as Dottore and Pantalone were notorious for their cunning and dangerous ways. Whenever they teamed up, it usually meant trouble for anyone in their path. Yet, here they were, walking together in a carefree manner, completely unexpected for those who knew them well.
Signora, Scaramouche, and Arlecchino arrived not long after Tartaglia and the other Harbingers had noticed Dottore and Pantalone's unusual behavior. Signora was the first to comment on the strange scene, her face contorting with disgust as she spoke.
Signora rolled her eyes as she approached the group. "What a disgusting sight," she remarked, shaking her head in disapproval. Scaramouche and Arlecchino exchanged a look, both of them knowing exactly what Signora was referring to. They too had noticed the odd behavior of their comrades and had been trying to figure out what had caused such a dramatic change in their behavior.
"They must have eaten something weird at the New Year's party last week," Columbina said, giggling to herself. "I've noticed they've been acting strange ever since... Maybe, you know. Something happen when both of them not present?"
Columbina's lighthearted comment receive a few chuckles from the group, but it did little to ease their concerns. The sudden shift in Dottore and Pantalone's behavior was too significant to simply dismiss as a case of indigestion.
"So, are we going to the palace or are we going to stay here and gossip about those idiots in love?" Scaramouche asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest and waiting for the others to respond.
Tartaglia gasped in disbelief. "Are they really in love?" he asked, his voice laced with surprise. "I thought they were happy and smiling like that because they had accomplished another crime together. You know, like partners in crime?"
A few of them shook their head, still trying to wrap their mind around the idea. It was hard to believe that the two men who had caused so much chaos and destruction were capable of experiencing such tender emotions. They know why the doctor always stick up with his dearest banker lately, but it doesn't mean they're going to be a lover or something.
Sandrone finally spoke up, breaking the silence among the group. "They are not like you, Tartaglia, always thinking about bloody fighting," she said with a small grin. "Dottore and Pantalone are more... cerebral in their approach to their work."
Tartaglia shrugged, still processing the strange sight of the two usually calculating and ruthless men walking in such a relaxed and jovial manner.
"Hmm, but we can't be sure yet," the puppeter added, turning her robot to the others. "It's possible they have just accomplished another successful blasphemy together and are simply celebrating as partners in crime."
The Harbingers exchanged looks of confusion and after a few second, their expressions quickly shifting to amusement as they realized they were all thinking on the same page. Arlecchino let out a laughter and snorted before turning to the others with a sly smirk. "For the Archon's sake, looks like we're all thinking the same thing, huh?"
The others couldn't help but chuckle in agreement, nodding their heads in unison. "Oh dear, let's hold an emergency meeting, shall we? For their sake," Signora said as she planned something mischievous. "Let's hope we don't have to resort to violence this time."
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It was already past lunchtime when the Harbingers began to gather in their usual meeting room, located in the left wing of the grand Zapolyarny palace. The room was dimly lit as Pierro the one who organize meeting room and the air was thick with the smell of old books and incense. As they took their seats around their usual large, plain meeting table, each member had a different expression on their face--some were curious, some were skeptical, and some were downright disapproving.
But Tartaglia, as usual, was the most excited of them all. He had been the one of them who propose the emergency meeting, after all. And it wasn't hard to convince her majesty Tsaritsa to approve it--all he had to do was bat his puppy-dog eyes and ask like a child begging for a candy. The others tended to pamper Tartaglia like their little brother and he shamefully knew how to use that to his advantage.
As they settled into their seats, Tartaglia piped up with a question, "Are we not going to invite Pulcinella and Pierro?"
Signora quickly shot down the idea. "We are not going to invite those party pooper boomers in this meeting."
Tartaglia couldn't help but chuckle at the remark, causing Signora to turn to him with a raised eyebrow, "Talk about yourself."
Signora bristled, "What?!"
The ginger haired young man grinned, "No, nothing. You must have mistaken what you heard." The tension was broken as everyone erupted into laughter, with Sandrone playfully punching Tartaglia's arm.
Inviting Pierro to the meeting was out of the question as he was known to be an aloof and solitary figure, rarely showing interest in anyone's relationships or personal matters. Moreover, he was probably out from Snezhnaya at the moment, which none of the Harbingers were privy to.
As for Pulcinella, he was the mayor of the city and had a lot of responsibilities to attend to at the city hall. It was unlikely that he would be able to spare any time for a meeting that did not concern the affairs of Snezhnaya or the Fatui.
Capitano cleared his throat and looked around the table. "So, what's the emergency?"
Columbina leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eye. "It's about our dearest doctor and his favourite banker," she said, barely able to contain her giggling.
The others exchanged knowing glances. It was clear that they had all noticed the strange behavior between the two men. But as they began to discuss their observations, it quickly became apparent that they were all thinking the same thing--could it be that Dottore and Pantalone were actually in love?
Tartaglia couldn't contain his excitement. "I knew it! I knew there was something going on between them!"
Sandrone rolled her eyes. "Duh, please. Don't tell me you believe in that silly lovey-dovey stuff."
Arlecchino shrugged. "We don't know for sure yet. But we need to find out what's really going on between them."
Scaramouche scoffed, "You all have gone soft. Whatever happened to our mission to cause chaos and destruction?"
Signora chuckled. "Oh, Scaramouche, don't be such a stick in the mud. Haven't you heard that love makes the world go round?"
Tartaglia chimed in. "Awww come on, Scaramouche! You know, Love is a beautiful thing. It's like a flower that blooms in the midst of chaos, especially to someone like the doctor and Regrator!"
"Fine, but if this plan goes wrong, I'm blaming all of you."
And with that, the Harbingers began to brainstorm their ridiculous and mischievous plan, full of error' but they will make it surely, complaint from Scaramouche and Capitano mostly, also a lot of demonic laugh. They knew it was a long shot, but who would pass up the potential to add a newest addition in their black mail, to not to prank their comrade in arms?
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