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Arlecchino and all the other remaining Harbingers were called to Zapolyarny Palace for a meeting between the Fatui Harbingers. She arrived a few days before the meeting to gaze at the aurora. It’s always been a beautiful sight. But during a faint night with the Moon high in the sky, Arlecchino gazed at the sky, a silent singing catching her ear.
Arlecchino stood outside with her hands crossed, watching the lights dance across the night sky. Her red-crossed eyes stared, unblinking, as she watched the light in almost a daze. Then the faint sound of singing caught her attention. She slowly looked to her side, trying to find the source of it.
It almost sounded like an angel's voice…
She's heard it before on moonlit nights in Snezhnaya or at the occasional tea party in Nod-Krai with Sandrone. Columbina's singing is ethereal, and Arlecchino almost knows the melody by heart, even if she doesn't want to. She grabs her violin, something she learned and picked up in Fontaine, and plays along.
As Arlecchino picked up her violin, slowly playing it to the tune of the singing, she closed her eyes. Her fingers perfectly hit every note, just listening to the angelic voice.
She was almost comforted by it. Almost. A rare moment of softness for the Harbinger.
When Columbina finished, she floated over to the source of the violin and appeared before Arlecchino, looking curious.
"I like the noise. It sounded like my song." Columbina said as she approached Arlecchino and gazed at the violin.
Columbina paused, looking at Arlecchino, somewhat puzzled by her lack of response.
"Oh. Sandrone says she likes it, but I sing too often. And... What is that? I like it. I want to sing again with your…?"
Columbina tilts her head at Arlecchino's Violin. But her eyes lift to Arlecchino's, and her gaze grows more intrigued.
Arlecchino's grip on the violin tightens just slightly as Columbina leans in closer. Her red-crossed pupils narrow ever so slightly, not out of annoyance, but out of something far more complicated.
"This," she says flatly, holding up the instrument between them, "is a violin. It makes music."
A pause. Then her cold tone softens by half a degree. "...You may play with it if you wish."
‘Why is she looking at me like that?’ Arlecchino remarks to herself as Columbina floats around.
"Okay." She nods as she carefully holds onto the instrument.
There's another pause as both Arlecchino and Columbina stand in silence as he holds the violin. Almost a minute passes as both women remain quiet before Columbina speaks up.
"How do I use it?" Columbina continues, tilting her head.
Arlecchino's eyebrow twitches—just once. She had expected Columbina to at least attempt to play it, not just... stare at it like a curious child examining a spider.
"You place the strings against your chin," she says, voice clipped as she gestures with her free hand, "and draw the bow across them. Like this."
She demonstrates the motion with a brief Sonnet, something she learned by heart as a child of the House of the Hearth. A beat. Then, realizing how absurd this is: A Harbinger teaching another Harbinger how to use a violin in the middle of Snezhnaya's frozen night.
"Okay," Columbina says as she attempts to play it but flinches at the screeching sound it makes.
"That's not how you played it. Why does it sound like that?" She says as she attempts to play it again, a bit softer and gentler, and it's better, but very amateurish.
Arlecchino cringes a bit as Columbina's second attempt at playing the violin sounds even worse than the first. It's like nails scraping a chalkboard, but in a musical form.
"You're holding the bow too tightly. Loosen your grip, and glide the bow slowly across the strings. Smooth, gentle strokes."
She's not sure why she's even instructing Columbina with such detail. It's almost humiliating.
"So. Like how I sing. But with my hands." Columbina nods, mostly speaking to herself as she attempts to play again.
It's considerably better, but very much unrefined. A good attempt, though.
"Better." The woman says, and Columbina looks at Arlecchino with her eyes shut, as always.
Arlecchino watches with a mixture of surprise and slight amusement as Columbina manages to improve after her third attempt. Despite her lack of technique, there's a certain... earnestness in her approach, a willingness to try.
There's a small, almost imperceptible change to Arlecchino's expression, something almost approaching a smile.
"...Yes. Better." She agrees, her cold voice a touch softer than usual. "Try again. Gentler, like a caress.”
"What's a caress?" Columbina asks, normally Arlecchino would walk away at such stupid questions. But there's a high likelihood that Columbina just doesn't know.
Arlecchino raises an eyebrow at the question. A 'caress’? That's the query she's asking in the middle of this impromptu violin lesson? But then again, Columbina is known to be naive and childlike in behavior. It was just very out of place.
A sigh escapes between her lips.
"A caress," she explains, her voice a little weary, "is a gentle, affectionate touch. A way to express affection or comfort."
"I see. Can you show me?" Columbina says, looking up at Arlecchino. Still holding the violin, but letting it down a bit as she tilts her head again.
Arlecchino pauses, taking a moment to really process what the hell is going on.
Arlecchino's entire body stiffens—like a spider sensing danger. Her grip on the violin bow tightens, knuckles turning white.
"Absolutely not." Her voice is sharp, final. A Harbinger does not indulge in such... frivolous gestures of affection.
‘What kind of absurd request is this? Does she even understand what she’s asking for?’ Arlecchino finds herself baffled at the whole scenario.
"Okay." Columbina nods, almost looking disappointed. Her usually emotionless face now wears something like a frown.
She lifts the violin and tries to practice again. Arlecchino reminds herself that this woman isn't some young child, she's probably significantly older than her.
Arlecchino's jaw clenches slightly as she watches Columbina pout. The absurdity of the situation doesn't escape her.
"Do not look at me like that," she mutters, turning her gaze back to the aurora with forced indifference. "You are a Harbinger. Act accordingly."
She pointedly ignores how ridiculous it feels to be lecturing an adult about "acting their age."
Arlecchino shifts her weight from foot to foot, her irritation mounting. She had come here intending a pleasant evening, and now she's stuck playing nanny to a fellow Harbinger's childish whims.
"For Archons' sake," she muttered under her breath, glancing at Columbina again. The other woman still looked almost... petulant.
"Fine." She finally huffed, putting down her bow and stepping closer. "Give me your hand."
Columbina obediently offered her hand. It was much smaller than Arlecchino’s, pale as snow. Arlecchino took her hand in her own.
Then she pressed her fingertips softly against the back of Columbina's hand, slowly moving them across the skin in a gesture that could almost pass as a caress. It feels odd to do something so intimate.
Her eyes lock onto Columbina's, trying to gauge her reaction
Columbina smiles, there's no doubt about it. A soft and gentle smile that almost makes the other woman flinch. "Thank you, Arlecchino." Columbina nods again as she continues playing the violin, trying to get better with Arlecchino's guidance.
She doesn't know how she feels about this. It feels warmer all of a sudden. If any of the children of the House of the Hearth learned about this, they'd never let it go.
Arlecchino blinks once, caught off guard by the genuine smile on Columbina's face. It's... oddly endearing, almost disarming. She quickly composes herself, forcing her expression back to its usual cool indifference. It's just a smile, after all.
She clears her throat, focusing back on guiding Columbina's inexperienced hands on the violin.
"You're... welcome," she murmurs, surprised by how much softer her voice sounds. "Try again. Your grip is too loose now."
Arlecchino's entire body goes rigid. Her fingers, still lingering near Columbina’s hand, curl slightly as if resisting the urge to pull away entirely.
"This is unnecessary," she says stiffly, but there's no real venom in it. More like... flustered disbelief. "I was merely teaching you how to hold the violin."
A lie. And why does her chest feel so tight?
They stay like that for longer than Arlecchino feels comfortable admitting. Columbina keeps playing the violin, messing up, and then Arlecchino corrects her mistake, and they continue. It's bliss for Arlecchino.
After a moment, though, Columbina puts down the violin and hands it back to Arlecchino.
"I'm done now. I liked it. I want to play later. Now, I am tired."
As Columbina returns the violin, Arlecchino takes it, almost... reluctantly. She had gotten so used to the feeling of guiding Columbina's hands, it felt almost wrong that it was over.
And her heart is still beating in an irregular rhythm, a fact she's trying very hard to ignore right now.
"Do you need rest?" she manages to say without betraying any of the chaotic thoughts in her head. She's... concerned? Why does she feel concerned on Teyvat?
Arlecchino's brows furrow as she studies Columbina's expression. An almost childlike exhaustion in the other woman's eyes triggers an inexplicable feeling in her… something close to protectiveness.
She clears her throat again, trying to cover up her conflicting emotions with a veneer of formality.
"Yes. Rest. It's… late. You should return to your… quarters or wherever."
She doesn't know why, but the thought of Columbina leaving just yet leaves a strangely bitter taste in her mouth.
"Mm-hmm. I sleep under the Moon. I wish to go back home. To the Moon. Do you have a home, Arlecchino?" Columbina asks as Arlecchino puts the violin and bow back into their casing.
It catches Arlecchino off guard, but she knows where she belongs.
Arlecchino's hands pause mid-motion as she snaps the violin case shut. Her red-crossed pupils narrow slightly, not in anger, but something closer to wariness.
"I have a purpose," she says, voice clipped. "The House of the Hearth is my responsibility."
A beat passes before she adds stiffly: "... It is not a home. Merely duty."
Liar. She knows damn well that place has become more than just an obligation, yet admitting it aloud feels like swallowing glass.
Arlecchino stands there, the violin case in her hands weighing heavily, though whether it's from the instrument's actual weight or from the unexpected weight in her chest, she's not sure.
The bitter truth is that she has no home. The House of the Hearth is just a place of responsibility, not of comfort or affection. Those days ended a long time ago.
Her eyes flick back up to Columbina. The other woman's gaze is fixed on the night sky.
She really looks like an angel right now.
"Oh. Like the Fatui. I'm sorry." Columbina says almost remorsefully, if she can even do that. She simply takes it at face value and nods.
Arlecchino shakes her head almost reflexively in response, dismissing Columbina's apparent remorse.
"It is what it is," she replies simply.
A silence stretches between them, heavy with the weight of unspoken words. Arlecchino's hand clenches around the handle of the violin case, her knuckles turning white.
She has the impulse to ask Columbina to stay, not to leave yet. But her pride holds her tongue.
"Should I go? The Moon is setting. Do we have a Harbingers meeting tomorrow? I don't want to go." Columbina whines, or that's what Arlecchino thinks. Columbina's voice is far too emotionless to tell anything from her tone.
Arlecchino's shoulders stiffen at the mention of the Harbingers' meeting. She had almost forgotten about it amidst this weird, unexpected exchange—an unwelcome sense of dread coils tight in her gut at the thought of the upcoming gathering.
Yet the way Columbina whines about it brings some strange comfort. It's… oddly amusing. Humanizing. The perfect distraction.
"You cannot skip the meeting."
Her response is flat, almost bordering on annoyance, yet there's a touch of humor in her eyes now.
A smirk tugs at the corner of Arlecchino's mouth, her usual stern expression cracking just a bit at Columbina's childish protest. It's oddly endearing, how the other woman seems to despise the idea of attending the Harbingers' meeting.
She tries to quash the feeling of amusement bubbling up within her. But she’s still the Knave, after all. A strong and composed figure feared throughout the Fatui.
"No, you must attend," she replies firmly, crossing her arms. "It is mandatory for all eleven of us."
"Okay. I will go. Thank you, Arlecchino." Columbina nods as she smiles softly and walks away, or more like floats away. Arlecchino doesn't really know what Columbina is, but she's in no position to speak for herself.
As Columbina floats away, disappearing into the dark, Arlecchino stands rooted to the spot for a moment, watching her go. She's still reeling from the bizarre turn the evening has taken. One moment, she's teaching Columbina how to play the violin, the next, she's... enjoying her company. It's absurd. And strangely comforting.
With a shake of her head, she adjusts her grip on the violin case and starts making her way back to her quarters. The meeting is tomorrow, after all.
“signora dead asf”
“yea"
“Rip”
“Work is stopped for half a day and stuff”
“Yuri"