smitten ੈ✩‧₊ childe

ii.

ENDLESS ocean eyes bored right through her lazy narrowed orbs, both of them looking at one another with pure curiosity. the two children heads tilted in synchronisation like lost puppies before (name) spoke up - her melodic voice sliced through the thick, palpable atmosphere surrounding the two youngsters smoothly.

"who are you, state your business in the zapolyarny palace, child." the young girl muttered out, clearly judging the ginger as her eyes trailed up and down his figure. snowflakes coated strands of his hair curtaining the sides of his face, strangely, the boy had not a single gleam or shine in his eyes. this only fuelled (name)'s suspicions, her senses were heightened as she awaited the response of the male who looked her age.

"i'm.. joining the fa..tui, my name is ajax," the so-called 'ajax' bashfully answered, ignoring the tense atmosphere which threatened to envelope both of them once again. "a kid? joining the fatui.. that's new." she blurted out mindlessly.

"hey! i'm not a kid!"

"you shouldn't talk back to me, i'm 14. probably. no. definitely, your senior and the next in line for the position of 11th harbinger."

(name) proudly boasted, head held high. ajax could only hold in his laughter, the corners of his lips curled up slightly as he let out a playful chuckle before nodding his head in mock agreement. not wanting to openly disrespect the next in line for the "11th harbinger" position.

(name) raised an eyebrow at his behaviour before catching on to his attempt at theatrics. almost instantly, her face flushed ruby red in embarrassment. "i mean.. you might be older physically but my mental is probably.. you know, older than yours?" she rambled on and on and on.

to save the young girl from further embarrassment, he raised his left hand. hovering it over her lip as if indirectly asking her to keep quiet, she looked at him - visibly offended but remained silent nevertheless.

"don't worry, i'm 14 too. however, i sort of need your assistance miss 11th harbinger. i'm assuming you know this palace inside out, if so, could you perhaps give me a tour?" the ginger scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly as he awaited the young girl's response.

"sure," she shrugged, eyes narrowing at the audacity of the young boy. (name) turned her back to him before speed-walking away. leaving ajax to run after her.

"w-wait hold up!"

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at the ripe age of 14, ajax — who went by the code name — childe, had already mastered most weapons alongside (name).

they were officially assigned as partners due to their age group. hence, able to bond and work well with one another.

(name) and childe had an overwhelming amount of potential only they could bring out of one another. their combat skills worked exceptionally well together, countering most enemies, making them the ultimate dynamic duo. striking fear amongst many.

approximately 4 years had passed ever since ajax — otherwise known as childe or tartaglia — served the fatui as a warrior. over the years, he had gained respect from many.

including the fatui harbinger, pulcinella who is the fifth out of the eleven harbingers. however, the spot for the eleventh harbinger remained empty; seeking a potential candidate. though it was obvious that spot would soon be given to (name) considering that she was the heir to the tsarita's throne and her brillant capabilities. in addition, she trained endlessly just for that position alone.

that is why..

"bear with me as we come to the end of the nomination ceremony. after this long awaited moment, i'm pleased to announce that the newly appointed 11th harbinger is..

childe."

..you're kidding.

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author's notes: i hate writer's block.. im just gonna give a rough context of childe's and (name)'s past continuously till i find the motivation to write the plot. hope this chapter still served as entertainment! i promise it will be worth the wait, i want to make their past as clear as possible so that i can have more ideas on how to end the book and go back to the present. i hope i don't disappoint !