Work Text:
Columbina was never good with technology. So when the machine stuck...
“Seriously? You live like this?” The girl with beige-coloured hair tied in a braided bun raises her voice. She furiously pressing buttons in the vending machine, her wind-up key seems to spin faster a bit than normal.
For outsiders, Sandrone is a hard to approach person(or a Mek?), but for Columbina, she is a dear friend, who while not admitting it, always helps her a lot.
“Thank you, Sandrone.”
Thump!
After the hero dealt with the challenge of the evil dragon(the vending machine panel), the damselette received her cold drink.
They found a nearby bench to sat down, resting in the much needed break time after a day of hardworking. The sun was already submerged a half, casting an orange hue over sky.
The sweetness with a hint of citrus flavor spread all over her tongue, before cold liquid soothe her throat. This flavor is nice…she will consider add it to her favorite list.
“Sandrone, Sandrone.”
“Hmph?”
“Why are you helping in Moon-Prayer night?” Columbina asks.
“What kind of question is that?” The marionette lowered her coffee can. Normally, Sandrone would prefer a stronger, and higher quality grounded bean from her hometown, but since they are busy right now, she made peace with the regular vendor canned coffee. “They offer said: enemy of enemy is friend.”
“Obviously, Fatui cannot affort those psycho from Heavenly-whatever-Principle co. spreading they dominant in market wider. Helping local festival is just a nice stepping stone.”
“Well, that was Tsaritsa and Pierror’s line.” Columbina pointed out, “I feel like…you have other reasons.”
Sandrone narrowed her sapphire-like eyes, “Why you want to know, anyway?”
Oh, that mean it something a bit…personal.
Her head slightly tilted, “Just pure curiousity.”
“That little girl from Nasha Town did have quite some interesting ideas.”
From her experience with Sandrone…her tone imply, that is the truth. But not full truth.
“...Fine,” Sandrone caught Columbia expression, mildly unsatisfied, but she yield with a sigh anyway, “It not any secret, nor harmful to let you know.”
The engineer took another gulp of coffee,
“A few years ago, that damn sicko of a organization once threated Alain and Rene, along with Mary-Ann and Jakob...”
Alain…this name, she heard a few time before in the tea party, Sandrone’s creator, and a great inventor. The others, must be his friends?
“Hah, a legal business? What a joke!”
“They almost worked to death to not let their hometown trapped in a dead trap, and the aftermath effect it left.”
Her voice contain a hint of bitterness.
“Not that is any important now, but that is type of opponent you’re going to facing, dear “Moon Goddess”.” Sandrone added with a hint of sarcasm at the end of the sentence.
“Oh…so you’re worried about me?”
“Who said I am worried about you?!”
Columbina standing up, fixing her costume. She really love the Moon Goddess costume Lauma and everyone made for her this year. “Thank you, Sandrone. See you in the festival tomorrow.”
“Perhaps next year you could also invited your parents too?”
In case Sandrone too shy to do it herself, perhaps she could ask Arlecchino a favor?
As if Sandrone can read her though, “COLUMBINAAAAA!!” echoed from the puppet voice box.