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Sandrone was in her room, bored out of her mind, scribbling away on her notebook. It wasn’t unusual for her to spend her time alone, cooped inside doing her research, but for some reason today was just unbearable!
This is what she gets for finishing all her scheduled research way before the deadline!
Now she had basically nothing productive to do.
And to top it all off, the Tsaritsa told her that she worked enough for the rest of the week (it was Thursday) and that she should leave some work for the rest!?
The “rest” being, who? Tartaglia? Everyone else was off to duty, well, except one little dove.
It was just her luck, really. Just her luck that this annoying girl took a liking to her, for some odd reason…
“~ ♪ “ The little dove was humming a calm tone, lying lazily on the doll’s bed.
“Mm…” Sandrone groaned inwardly, sitting on her desk, racking her brain trying to solve the problem she scribbled on her notebook.
But she just couldn’t focus! Columbina may have an enchanted voice, calming like an angel’s, soothing as a warm chamomile tea, but she really couldn’t have picked a worse time?!
The Marionette glanced at her with the corner of her eye; lying on her bed, her hair sprawled on the mattress and pillow, her clothes too revealing for her liking.
“Hmph, don’t you have anything better to do, Columbina?” Her voice didn’t hide her emotions, pure annoyance with a hint of anger.
“Hmm… no.” A quick answer, so quick that had Sandrone’s nerves fume.
“Ugh, seriously!” Sandrone stood up, walking over to her bed where Columbina lay peacefully. “If you came here to sleep, just sleep! Quit your humming already, got it?!”
“Oh, but I thought you liked my voice… I overheard a conversation you had with Arlecchino once-“
“W-What-! That’s- that was definitely none of your business! I didn’t know goddesses lacked basic courtesy! Now get out of my room before I… I kick you out myself!” The Marionette put her hands on her hips, looking down at the still lying Damsellete.
A small chuckle escaped the latter’s mouth. “We both know you’re only talk, Sandrone.”
“Excuse me!?”
“Hm? Was my voice not loud enough for you to hear me? What I said was-“
“I heard you the first time!” With a hmph sound she turned away, looking elsewhere. No point arguing. If she was human, she would definitely be getting grey hairs by now.
Columbina chuckled again, rolling over on the bed, like it was her own…
“Hah… for a moon goddess you sure act very aloof. Is it just to make everyone drop their guards around you, or are you really that ditsy…”
“Are you curious about me, Sandrone?”
“What?” Sandrone let out a small huff before walking back to her desk.
“If you’re curious about me, go ahead and ask me whatever you might want to ask. I swear, I’ll answer truthfully.”
“Why would I ever be curious about you, Columbina? Now, just lay there and be quiet, I had enough of your antics…”
“Mm…” Columbina hummed, getting up and over to where Sandrone was sitting. “What if I want you to be curious about me?”
Sandrone didn’t say anything, just turned her head towards her.
“I’ve been curious about you, Sandrone. Ever since I joined the Fatui, I would always, naturally, gravitate towards you. At first I thought that I was simply curious about your clockwork, but slowly I started thinking to myself…”
“…” Sandrone didn’t know if she should let her talk or find an excuse to end this conversation. But something inside her made it hard to cut Columbina off…
This was so sudden and unexpected. She never thought they’d be having this kind of conversation, in her room of all places! But… but still, she didn’t mind it. She didn’t mind hearing Columbina admit those things. If anything, it made her sort of… happy-
“… ‘if she’s a doll, does she need to be polished? Does rust grow around her joints? Would she sink in the water?’ Things like that.”
Columbina’s innocent smile was a big contrast to Sandrone’s irritated face.
“Is that all?” Her voice was laced with harshness, nothing Columbina wasn’t used to hearing.
“There’s more-“
“I don’t want to hear it then-!” Sandrone stood up from her chair, slamming her hands on her desk.
“Do puppets need to use the toilet, Sandrone?”
The doll’s face was red, with both anger and embarrassment.
“Stop talking!”
“But I’m so curious about how you live, Sandrone. Have you ever been in love?” Columbina continued talking.
“W-What!? That’s so sudden! I’m not answering your stupid questions, so just leave!-“
“Have you kissed anyone before?”
“H-huh-“
Columbina moved closer, “I would always wonder… if your skin is as soft as it looks.”
“What is this, Columbina!? Why are you suddenly spouting all these… insensitive and inappropriate questions!? Honestly, I would have never guessed that there was a pervert hiding behind that facade of yours!”
“I’m not a pervert, I’m simply curious.”
“Who in their right mind wonders about those things!”
“How else am I supposed to become friends with you?”
Sandrone scoffed, wrapping her arms around her chest. Friends? Friends?? What the hell did she think they were up to now?
“Have you considered that I don’t want to be your ‘friend’?”
Columbina’s face saddened. “Why is that?”
“We’re coworkers. I don’t like mixing my private life with my work life.”
“Hm… can’t we at least be friendly with each other?”
Sandrone rolled her eyes and grumbled, “The fact that I haven’t kicked your butt yet proves that we’re ‘friendly’ enough.”
The Damsellete’s face lightened up once more. “If I were to ask more appropriate questions, would answer at least some of them?”
The Marionette sighed, relaxing her face and posture.
“Fine.”
“But… firstly, can I touch your hand?”
“What for?”
“I just want to feel it, that’s all.”
“Ugh, fine, suit yourself.” Sandrone extended her arm, looking away from the girl in front of her.
And Columbina didn’t waste a second, immediately touching the other’s hand, feeling it, before entwining her fingers with hers.
“Wh-What are you doing??”
“I heard having physical contact with someone you like helps you calm down.” She said, as always her eyes closed, but with a small unmistakable smile on her face.
“Where did you hear that from?”
“I’m not sure… Oh, but you must hate me, since I can sense that you are awfully worked up…”
“Shut it!”
Columbina just chuckled, taking a step closer to Sandrone, still holding her hand.
“Why won’t you close your fingers around mine too, Sandrone? Are you not a fan of physical contact?”
“This isn’t about being a fan of that or not! You can’t just suddenly hold someone’s hand like that! It’s too…” She trailed off, not looking towards Columbina’s direction.
“Sandrone…”
“W-What now?”
“Can I start asking you some questions now?”
Sandrone huffed, clicking her tongue. “Fine, go ahead.”
The little dove smiled warmly, slowly letting go of the doll’s hand before moving away to go and sit on the bed, tapping the space next to her.
“… I’m not a cat.” She crossed her arms, not moving towards Columbina yet.
“I know.” Yet she continued tapping on the mattress for Sandrone to sit.
“Ugh…” Reluctantly, she sat next to Columbina. “Ask away, and make it quick.”
“Hm… what were you doing before you joined the Fatui?”
“…” Sandrone went quiet. What was she doing? “Nothing much, I suppose. I have spent a lot of time alone, researching, learning, upgrading… All those days are just a blur now, I can’t seem recall any timestamps.”
“It has been hundreds of years, right?”
“Hmph, don’t make me sound older than I am.”
Columbina let out a soft laugh, her hands lying calmly on her lap. A soft silence followed that died shortly after Columbina talked again, looking at Sandrone, or at least facing her.
“You like coffee and tea, right? When did it all begun, I wonder…”
Sandrone turned her head slightly, examining Columbina’s face; calm, sincere and with that soft aura she always carries.
“It… just happened. Alai- My... creator used to drink coffee, and I guess I followed his footsteps before even realising. As for the tea… that was just my own personal preference. It made me give off a more… elegant look.”
“Mhm, I agree. When I first met you, you acted just as elegant as you acted snobbish.”
“… hmph…” The Marionette looked away, at her messy desk, the unfinished scribble, the empty cup of coffee. A wistful expresion slowly settled on her face.
“Sandrone…”
“You don’t have to call out my name every time you want to talk to me, it’s just us two here.”
“I know, but I like saying your name. And I have a feeling you like saying mine, too.”
“Think whatever you like…”
Columbina scooted closer, not that there was much space between them, but now? They were practically cuddling…
“Uh, ever heard of personal space?”
“I have heard, yes.”
“… and you know what is it?”
“Hm… partially?”
Sandrone sighed…
They were too close, Columbina was almost clinging onto her.
“… do you have a heart, Sandrone?”
“What’s with you today…” Sandrone groaned, rubbing her face. “No, I obviously don’t. I have a core which could be the equivalent of that.”
“Does your core beat?”
“Hah, no. The most it does is maybe hum a little.”
“Can I hear it?”
The doll swallowed, averting her gaze, looking anywhere else. “You- why would you want that? Weirdo…”
“I’ll let you hear my heartbeat too.”
“And who said I want that?”
“But aren’t you just a bit curious? Have you heard a heartbeat before? Up close?” The dove moved her hand on top of her chest, feeling her heartbeat. “It’s calming…”
“… hmph, fine. Go ahead, it’s not like you’ll hear much.” Sandrone turned slightly, facing her once more.
Columbina didn’t say anything at first, but the smile on her face spoke volumes. She moved closer, “Hm…” she hummed, as she leaned forward, resting her ear on Sandrone’s chest.
Sandrone gripped her hand on the mattress, her eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty. She never let anyone this close, so how can this little dove manage to persuade her so easily?
After almost a whole minute of silence, Columbina moved away.
“Mm… I could barely hear it.”
“Hah, I told you that-“
“I didn’t expect your chest to be so soft though.”
“Wa-WHAT?!”
“Yeah, I think it also blocked most of the sounds your core may have made. But maybe if I pressed closer-“
“No way!? That’s enough!” Sandrone put both her hands on Columbina’s shoulders, making sure to keep the same distance.
“Hehe… anyway, wanna hear mine now?”
“Ugh, sure, whatever…” She let out a sigh, calming her frustration.
As she was about to lean towards Columbina, the latter removed her light coat she always wore, leaving her in an even more revealing dress.
“… is that really necessary?”
“I feel like it is. This will be the first you’ll be hearing a heartbeat, aren’t you excited?” She set her coat aside, her hands calmly place on top of each other on her lap.
“I doubt it’s going to be that big of a deal…”
“Anyway.” Columbina opened her arms, “Come here.” She said with a warm smile, more sweet than Sandrone was used to.
With a soft exhale, Sandrone leaned in closer, unsure of how to do this at first, but once she got closer, Columbina’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer, making her head rest right where her heart beat the loudest.
Sandrone froze for a second, that feeling almost numbing, foreign, unexplored… yet it felt so warm.
So much so that she… relaxed naturally, feeling her guard dropping at the feel and sound of the dove’s steady pulse. Her eyes, once widen in shock at the sudden contact, now half lidded, calm and almost… sad.
“… so this is a heartbeat.” Something she had spend all those decades living without ever knowing.
Something that she knew that once it stops, it’s never coming back…
Columbina hummed, still holding her close, not with any strength though. If Sandrone wanted to, she could easily break away from this contact. But for the time being, she stayed as is. Her hands that at first she didn’t know where to put were now clinging onto the light fabric of Columbina’s dress.
“We can stay like this for however long you want, Sandrone…”
“…” Sandrone just let out a soft sigh, her focus on the feel of the other’s heartbeat. “… shut up…” she murmured.
Columbina’s voice lowered to a whisper, just for Sandrone’s ears. “Was my voice distracting you?”
“As always…” Sandrone huffed quietly, matching the quiet whisper.
“Are you tired, Sandrone?”
“… just be quiet.”
The Damselette smiled, still holding the Marionette close to her heart, but being extra careful with her hands around her clockwork.
The sound it produced was almost like a steady heartbeat, though slower and more calculated; no sudden jumps, always keeping the same steady rhythm…
“…” The Marionette sighed softly, a sleepy one. She did spend these past days working, barely catching any sleep. And as much as she would hate to admit it… she found comfort in the Damselette’s arms.
Her eyes started closing, slowly, with little resistance.
The silence that followed was calming, with the sound of the doll's clockwork adding to the white noise, along with the quiet heartbeat beating against her ear.
And before she knew it, she was fast asleep in that little dove’s loving embrace.