Chapter Text
Sandrone
How did I get assigned this lunatic for a partner? Thought Sandrone, gazing out over the ocean. Waves shimmered with morning light far below her, and the Aquabus produced a gentle hum beneath her. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, while Violetwing Angler Gulls sang above. All in all, a lovely Fontaine day, if not for the young man sitting opposite to her.
Sandrone had proposed an experiment involving closed pneumousia circuits in her dolls. Originally she wanted to do it alone, but rather unfortunately, her dolls were made from humans - so her project involved biological engineering.
While she had vociferously opposed the idea of working with one of Dottore's segments, a certain annoying old man (read: Pulcinella) had insisted on "moving on from past greviances" and "making new friends". It was horrible, and Sandrone had only agreed to make him shut up.
Either way, she mused, it's not unpleasant the way I thought it would be. This segment's... chatty. And seems like a kid. Weird. Glancing over, the segment in question was indeed holding a one-sided conversation with Sandrone.
He's telling me about his life. As if I want to talk to him. Tsk, irritating child... at least when we get there, I'll have Arlecchino for company.
"... so that's why I've been super excited to be here!" Finished the segment (Theta, Prime had told her) happily.
Sandrone unenthusiastically hummed in response, but the gregarious segment was not to be dissuaded in his pursuit of conversation.
"Hey, Prime told me you're Fontainian. Is there a lot of fun things in this nation? Based on what Childe tells me, the Blubber whales or... Blubber something are incredibly cute! You think we can see one sometime? I wanna pet it," continued Theta.
This kid is quite a socialite, chatting with Tartaglia and Dottore like that, Sandrone thought. Out of curiosity, she decided to reply for once. "How old are you anyway?"
Not even batting an eye at her intentionally snarky tone, Theta cheerfully replied, "I turn 23 in two months! How old are you?"
"Don't you know it's not polite to ask a lady her age? Tch. Fine, I'm 22."
Theta looked confused. Very, very confused. He did his best to pose a delicate question (and failed miserably, but no one has to tell him that), "Prime once mentioned that you'd been in the Fatui for a pretty long time. And that you're immortal. So... how long have you been 22...?"
"A while," Sandrone said stiffly.
Theta finally fell quiet. For the Marionette, it was a blissful twelve seconds. Then he started talking about how the House of the Hearth seemed like a happy family, and he wanted to try Fontainian desserts because Columbina likes them, and that he wanted to go diving with Freminet, and that the blue otters were cute, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.... not that Sandrone was listening.
Theta
Theta had always known he was different from the other segments. When he was created, he was still at his Akademiya age. It felt like Theta had gone to sleep in his dormitory, and woke up to fluorescent white lights in a Snezhnayan laboratory. Segments age and grow in their own ways, and though Theta was supposedly 22 now, he still retained Prime’s personality from the age of 17, because that was the age Theta was created with. After all, he never went through Sohreh or being expelled. Theta was more Zandik than Dottore.
“Wow, the whole Court is almost shining! What’s this white stone they use for everything? I heard Sumeru City had a bunch of walkways and tiers. Childe told me the Court of Fontaine does too, and there’s an elevator we can take to go up and down. Are we gonna ride an elevator? Sounds so cool!”
The Aquabus slowly drifted to a stop, and the nice little Melusine guide told them they could get off. Wordlessly, Sandrone hefted her suitcase (Pulonia) and stood up. Theta exuberantly skipped down the steps, and in a moment of realization, noticed that Marionette wanted him to help her down. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for him to understand, so (hopefully) he didn’t embarrass himself (in Sandrone’s eyes, he absolutely did).
Theta extended a gloved hand, and Sandrone took it. Her eyes are pretty. Like the sea, and like the sky.
Even the Aquabus station in the Court of Fontaine had a certain glamourous sheen to it. Elegant potted flowers adorned corners, and gold gilding lined every wall. The tiles beneath their feet were spotless, lit by stained glass windows in every direction. Sandrone looked like she belonged here, in her elegant black and yellow dress (now clearly of Fontainian design) and gold-lined high heeled boots. Theta, on the other hand, was still in a blue shirt, loose black pants, and a lab coat. Not the greatest outfit choice.
Shaking off thoughts of his clothes, Theta drank in the beauty of his surroundings. And the elevator. It must be an architectural masterpiece! The door was open, and people were filing in. The elevator walls were made of shimmering silver and prismatic glass, with the natural sunlight highlighting every exquisite detail.
“This is incredible…” Theta murmured in awe.
“What are you planning to do? Stand there like an idiot? Move!” Sandrone emphasized her words by giving the segment a slight push. Theta stumbled forward, shaking off the stupor and following Marionette into the opulent elevator.
Unfortunately, the elevator was very cramped. Fontainians and travellers alike needed the lift to traverse the complex structure of the Court. Theta could hear Sandrone muttering curses under her breath. The segment feared for the other occupants’ lives. Inadvertently angering the Seventh Fatui Harbinger is and should be often regarded as a death sentence.
Fortunately (for everyone except Sandrone), Marionette’s wrath had yet to reach boiling point when the Harbingers finally disembarked from the lift. Prematurely, Theta sighed in relief.
Then Sandrone spoke, “What is wrong with these people? Ugh, I hate that we have to stay ‘low-profile’ so as to ‘not make a mess’. Arlecchino gets a whole squadron as escort whenever she travels.”
The ranting continued for some time, though Pulonia thankfully prevented her from gesticulating as well. Passerby occasionally gave the Harbingers strange looks, some directed toward Sandrone’s clear anger and others meant for Theta’s outlandish outfit. However, Marionette was distracted by her own ranting, and Theta was busy marvelling at the Court because Archons above it was beautiful.
Ruffled awnings sat on glimmering storefronts, elegant white stone and green steel framing stained glass windows on every shop. The tiles beneath their feet were pristine, each fitting perfectly into place and every design immaculately symmetrical. Rows upon rows of cultivated flowers lined the walkway, sectioned off by intermittent gold street lamps resting upon the white railings. Beyond the trees and flowers was a line of water, crystal clear and glimmering in early noon sunlight. This impeccable beauty was not cold and unforgiving like Snezhnaya, nor was it warm and welcoming like Sumeru. It was something different, not cruelty and not love - it was justice.