Tanya's New Scarf

Tanya's gotten a gift for her birthday.

She never expected how much it would change her life. For the better?

She'll certainly think so once it's done~

Notes:

Thank you to Qetlani for prompting this story <3

Work Text:

Tanya sighed quietly, letting herself relax just a touch under the midday sun of autumn. The cold season was just beginning to set in, and a brisk wind was fighting the sun's rays for dominance on the young girl's exposed skin.

Still, Tanya took a moment to appreciate the weather. It was quite rare for the blonde to get the opportunity to actually relax, and honestly, even then, she hardly allowed herself to.

But today was special. Because today was her birthday.

Normally, Tanya wouldn't care. Birthdays rarely meant anything past the age of majority, and even in her first life, she hadn't attached any particular importance to them. Hell, she didn't even really know if it was really her birthday- It was simply the day the orphanage had assigned as her birthday, not knowing the true date of her birth.

But in this life, she liked acknowledging them. She couldn't justify a celebration or anything, but every year she survived without bending the knee to Being X was a small victory that she allowed herself in the privacy of her own mind.

Nothing grand- just an acknowledgment of her continued success, a mental pat on the back, and a promise to work to be able to do the same next year.

That was the whole of her birthday plan this morning when she woke up. Up until her loyal adjutant, Visha, welcomed her in her office with a wide, eager smile.

Somehow, she had found out that today was Tanya's birthday. And she had plans of her own for the day.

"I still can't believe you did this…" Tanya mumbled, making Visha chuckle beside her.

"Please, Major- It's your birthday! And I knew if I didn't take action, you wouldn't celebrate it properly. And you can't even be mad about falling behind on work!" Visha reminded the blonde, almost teasingly, and Tanya sighed again.

"Indeed…" If anything, Tanya should blame herself for not realizing that Visha had been duping her into getting ahead on her workload all week, all to free up a day to celebrate.

Tanya blinked as Visha suddenly stopped walking beside her. "Major…"

Tanya turned toward the brunette, who was standing still a few steps behind her, a worried expression on her face. "If you truly don't want to do this, we can just go back- or I can go, and you can do whatever you want with your day! I just- wanted to make sure you took the time to relax, since you rarely do so…" Visha almost mumbled, her hands coming up in front of her chest, fingers fidgeting with one another nervously.

Tanya blinked, surprised at Visha's words, before sighing again, and shaking her head. "Honestly… If I was truly opposed to this, Visha, I would've said as much at the office."

It wasn't as if Tanya hated breaks. After all, the goal of all workers was to be able to rest once the work was done. But Tanya was irritated, because she'd been tricked by her adjutant.

Tricked into taking a break for her birthday.

She chuckled lowly, shaking her head again. "Come on. You tricked me into this, so you're responsible for showing me a good time." Tanya said, turning back around and resuming their walk, prompting Visha to quickly rush back to her side.

"Yes, Major! I won't disappoint you!" Visha promised, and Tanya was inclined to believe her.

She rarely did, after all.

And so, the pair walked through the busy streets of Berun, exchanging small talk as Visha slowly unraveled her plan for Tanya's birthday.

Their first stop was in a small coffee shop, where Visha treated Tanya to a cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant, both of which the blonde eagerly devoured, needing to force herself not to scarf down as fast as possible in front of Visha, though judging by the smile hidden behind her own cup, she doubted that she had successfully hidden her enthusiasm.

And though Tanya had tried paying for her own things, Visha had insisted on treating her, claiming that she shouldn't pay for anything on her birthday- a claim Tanya would've contested, had Visha's wallet not been bursting with her coworkers' money that she'd fleeced off them in their latest thought-to-be-secret card game.

Instead, Tanya let Visha spend some of her ill-gotten gains on her, and pretended not to know where the money had come from as they exited the coffee shop, and continued on their trip.

Their next stop was actually an unplanned one. Visha drageed Tanya to the open-air market, eager to prove her previous point by buying Tanya a proper gift, and, well…

Tanya had a hard time fighting back against the argument that Visha was allowed to spend her 'hard-earned pay' however she desired. Not without admitting that she was aware of her men's gambling and tacitly tolerated it. So, the young girl resigned herself to receiving a gift. There were worse fates after all.

And though there was quite the crowd taking advantage of the fading remnants of summer, neither of the girls accrued undue attention, having traded their normal uniforms for more casual clothes.

Tanya's did look worse than Visha's, given how little interest she had in her wardrobe, which was probably why the brunette had directed the blonde toward a couple of kiosks selling different articles of clothing, all grouped close to one another.

Though, if Visha wanted to buy Tanya a dress, the girl would put her foot down.

If she accepted such a gift, she would be expected to wear it, lest Visha think she was ungrateful. But on the other hand, Tanya doubted Visha was the kind of girl who would try and force one on Tanya. But then again, she had just tricked Tanya into going out, so…

Tanya shivered as another gust of wind managed to tickle her neck, making her grimace slightly.

"Are you alright, Major?" Visha asked, concerned. "Should we head inside?"

"No, that is unnecessary," Tanya replied, waving off the brunette. She wasn't about to complain about an autumn breeze.

"Oh!" Visha suddenly exclaimed, pointing at something on the other side of Tanya. "How about we get you a scarf?"

The blonde turned, and saw the kiosk Visha had pointed out. Which, indeed, sold scarves, among many other accessories, like hats, gloves, and ties.

Tanya hummed, considering. Normally, she wasn't one for accessories. Not only because they were discouraged while wearing the uniform- which she wore pretty much every day, today being a notable exception- but also because, well…

The one thing she wore that could be called an accessory was a pendant that had a 50/50 chance of killing her or brainwashing her every time she used it. So there was some bias against it.

Yes, the Type-95 was a weapon first and foremost, but it was the closest thing Tanya had to an accessory. Her hat was a part of her uniform, as was everything else she usually wore.

But a scarf wasn't just an accessory- it was practical.

And Tanya did love practical gifts.

So, she nodded, and the pair approached the accessory vendor, who greeted them with a smile but didn't approach them as they started looking through his scarves.

They were functional, in Tanya's opinion. Not overly fancy, but not of an obviously poor quality either. As for the style- well. Tanya couldn't really speak on that-

Except for one particular scarf, which was shocking enough to make Tanya almost flinch at the sight.

Not because it was hideously ugly, but because of how weird it was.

Unlike all the other scarves, which were all functionally identical, being very long rectangles of woven cloth with simple patterns differentiating them from one another, this one was…

Well, Tanya doubted it was a scarf, to be quite honest.

It had little in common with any scarves she had ever seen, after all. It was cylindrical in shape, looking more like a large worm than any article of clothing, though it was hanging limply on its hook, showing no sign of life that Tanya could see. And whatever it was made out of wasn't cloth. If anything, it had something akin to a plastic-like sheen covering its bright blue… body? Not to mention how, instead of the right-angled scarves, this thing ended in two tapered tips, only reinforcing the worm comparison. And it was so much smaller than all the other scarves, only being as long as Tanya's forearm, if that. Could it even function as a scarf if it could only wrap around a neck once, maybe once and a half times?

Honestly, if it wasn't hanging right below the 'Scarves' sign, Tanya would've assumed it was an adult toy- which was quite possibly completely impossible. This was the 20th century in alternate history Germany- Sex toys wouldn't be sold out in the open. Though, then again, it was the 20th century.

Tanya closed her eyes as she considered the new possibility that just crossed her mind. She would never call herself a fashion expert, and she was even less familiar with historical fashion. Perhaps this was simply avant-garde? Was this the first of a wave of a new style of scarves that would take Europe by storm for a few years? She didn't have a clue.

Tanya found herself chuckling, imagining the streets of Berun filled with people wearing this weird scarf. It wouldn't be the weirdest trend she'd ever heard of, but still…

"Here you go, Miss!" The merchant suddenly called, making Tanya's eyes blink open again, only for them to widen as she watched Visha buy the weird scarf with a smile on her face.

Huh. Tanya wouldn't have expected Visha to like that scarf. Not that it was any of Tanya's business, of course- wait, no-

"Here you go, Major!" Visha said, holding out the scarf to the blonde girl. "Happy birthday!"

Tanya froze, her mind suddenly racing.

Oh no. They'd come here to buy a scarf. For Tanya. And Tanya had started staring at a particular scarf for a long while, confused.

But Visha must have taken her confusion as interest, and perhaps even longing! And before Tanya could even realize that fact and try to explain herself, her adjutant had bought the scarf for Tanya.

And now, she was holding it out to the blonde, while the merchant- and a few bystanders who'd heard Visha's words- watched curiously.

Every second that passed brought about more attention, and Tanya was very aware of the social pressure currently forcing her hand. Aware, and powerless to resist it.

All she could do was bend to its will.

"Thank you, Visha." Tanya said politely, hiding her worry and panic behind a smile as she grabbed the scarf- only to blink as she felt it against her hands.

It didn't feel plasticky like she'd thought. It was smooth to the touch, and soft, flexing underneath Tanya's fingers as she squeezed it lightly. It had a bit of heft to it as well- Tanya's fingers couldn't touch one another around it, and while it wasn't heavy, it definitely had some weight to it.

Not the kind of scarf Tanya could forget about while she wore it.

And speaking of… Tanya couldn't quite hide her blush as she wrapped the bright blue scarf around her neck under Visha's expectant gaze, only to blink again.

Despite how short it was, it actually held together quite easily around Tanya's neck, almost as if it was somewhat adhesive to itself, leaving it to hang around Tanya's neck without risking falling off- not to mention that it was actually quite a good scarf?

It was very warm, and completely cut off the sneaking wind from brushing against Tanya's neck.

And, well…

Tanya realized that her only complaint was how strange it looked, which was a very petty reason. So, when she looked back up at Visha, she could honestly say "I love it. Thank you for the gift, Visha."

The brunette smiled back at Tanya. "It looks good on you! Matches your eyes." She said, and Tanya looked away, her blush intensifying a touch.

"Y-Yes, well-" She cleared her throat discreetly, before turning back toward Visha. "What's next on the itinerary?"

Visha smiled down at the embarrassed Major, before eagerly dragging her along through the streets of Berun. After the market, the pair walked over to a restaurant where Visha had made a reservation for dinner, and then they'd headed for a park to meander around in, chatting idly as they digested their food.

And through it all, Tanya found that she really was enjoying her scarf. It truly was warm, leaving her neck feeling almost toasty even as the slowly setting sun began losing its fight against the autumn wind more and more, though it was also a bit bulky. But it did bend and squish as Tanya moved her head, so it wasn't really limiting her movements or anything.

It was just impossible to forget that she was wearing it, not just because of its warmth, but also because of the way it was pressing against her chin slightly- but even that wasn't a big issue. If anything, Tanya could almost see it as some form of neck support, letting her rest her chin against the blue scarf without needing to look down.

And her biggest worry was also almost completely waylaid, given that no one seemed to pay her weird scarf any particular attention. Oh, sure, she'd get the occasional looks, but none were as dramatic as Tanya's own reaction to seeing it.

She took it to mean that her own confusion was just that- her own. No one else seemed to think that her scarf was weird, or at least, particularly so.

And if nothing else, maybe the fact that she was in a child's body meant that passersby simply didn't think much of a child wearing something strange.

No matter the reason, it left Tanya with, quite literally, nothing to complain about as the girls began making their way back to the military office.

"Thank you for organizing this, Visha." She ended up saying, making the brunette blink as she turned toward the blonde.

"Oh!" She blushed a touch, though her smile was quite radiant. "It was nothing much- I just wanted to repay you for your own thoughtfulness, Major!"

Tanya waved her words away. "No, no- You were right. I wouldn't have done this for myself." The blonde said, idly rubbing at her new scarf. "Not the coffee, not the scarf, not the dinner- I enjoyed our day out. Thank you for doing this for me."

And she was. She did, in fact, feel grateful to Visha. After this day out, Tanya felt a touch more relaxed, as if the fires of the frontline were just a bit further away, and Being X's omnipresent threat just a touch fainter.

Visha's blush intensified as the girls reached the door to the office. "W-Well- You're welcome, Major-"

"Tanya," the blonde corrected, making Visha blink. "While we're off duty, you can call me Tanya."

Visha giggled behind her hand. "Well, you're welcome, Tanya. As your adjutant, I'm always happy to help you. Even if that means making you stop working~" The brunette almost teased as they stepped inside, and Tanya shook her head disapprovingly, but there was no hiding the smile tugging at the corner of her lips as the girls began making their way toward the in-house rooms they'd been assigned.

"But if I catch you trying to trick me like that again, I'll make sure that you don't have the free time for it, understood?" Tanya added, making Visha giggle again.

"I'll make sure not to get caught then~" Visha said with a smirk, only to straighten up as Tanya glared at her. "I- I mean- Understood, Major!" She said, snapping a crisp salute, and making Tanya smirk.

"Good," she replied, her childish voice almost taking on a childish turn as she did. "Good night, Visha." She called as she turned toward her in-house room.

"G-Good night, Major!" The brunette replied, just before Tanya's room door closed behind her.

Tanya yawned widely now that she was out of sight. In the privacy of her own room, she could show just how tired she was from walking around all day. Her childish body simply didn't have the endurance for marching.

Thankfully, as a mage, she could simply fly wherever she was needed usually, but every so often, she was reminded of her very real physical limitations.

She yawned again, stretching her small arms high, and groaned.

She'd told Visha the truth earlier- she did feel very relaxed. And she was eager to make use of this relaxation to go to bed early, and make sure that she actually hadn't gotten behind tomorrow morning, bright and early.

She yawned again- Damn, she really was tired. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing her uniform, nor was she planning on wearing these clothes again anytime soon, so she could simply drop them to the floor without a second thought to deal with tomorrow.

She shrugged off her jacket, struggled with her shirt for but a moment, before slipping out of her boots and pants, leaving a trail of dirty clothes from her door to her bed, in which she almost crawled, sighing tiredly as she curled up underneath the covers.

What a day… When Tanya had woken up this morning, she'd expected her routine, and instead, she'd been dragged all aroud Berun on foot by the apparently unflaggable Visha.

The blonde let out a small, quiet chuckle. Honestly, that girl…

Well, she supposed that without such a peculiar adjutant, she wouldn't have had such a relaxing day, nor acquired her new scarf, so-

Tanya blinked, suddenly pulled out of her half-asleep state.

Her scarf.

A hand reached up to her neck- and indeed, she'd forgotten to take it off.

She huffed. Stupid.

She wrapped a hand around the thick scarf, and started pulling it off-

But why would she do that?

Tanya blinked, her hand stilling. She frowned, before shaking her head, dismissing the strange thought.

She couldn't sleep with a scarf-

Why not?

It wasn't proper-

She was all alone in her room. No one would see her.

Tanya blinked again, hard. What-

And it was so warm~ So comfortable~

Tanya sighed as her body relaxed into her bed. It really was warm and comfortable…

And it was a gift! She should appreciate it properly~

Yeah… She wouldn't be able to wear her scarf with her uniform tomorrow morning after all. She needed to properly appreciate Visha's gift…

And wear it as much as possible~

And wear it as much as possible~

Tanya sighed one last time as the warmth and relaxation finally conquered her mind, making her eyes flutter close and leaving her to sink into the darkness as her newest scarf tightened around her neck just a little bit more, unseen and unnoticed by all.

When Tanya woke up the next morning, she felt refreshed and energized.

She'd slept like a log all throughout the night without so much as a dream, and her scarf hadn't bothered her one bit.

Though why would it have when it was so warm and comfortable~

Tanya smiled idly as she touched the blue substance, before getting out of bed. Thankfully, she'd woken up before her alarm, so she had more than enough time to get through her morning routine as well as clean up yesterday's clothes, sending them off for a good wash, only to pause as she grabbed hold of her scarf.

She didn't need to have it be washed.

She'd slept through it, and she couldn't know how clean it had been when she got it-

But while it was being washed, she wasn't wearing it. She wasn't showing appreciation for Visha's gift.

That- was also true. And it wasn't as if the scarf smelled or anything. In fact-

Tanya pulled on it slightly, just to bring it up to her nose and take a big sniff of it, before sighing pleasantly.

It had a slightly sweet smell to it that brought candy to Tanya's mind. More than tolerable enough to fill her nostrils with while she finished her morning routine and got dressed, putting her uniform on and making sure that it was perfectly fitted in the mirror- though her collar was obviously messed up by the scarf, still tightly wrapped around her neck.

Tanya stared at her reflection for a moment, fidgeting.

It looked good on her~

It really did match her eyes.

It belonged on her neck~

Scarves were meant to be worn. But she couldn't wear it with her uniform.

She needed to show Visha that she appreciated her gift~

I-It was against regulations…

She needed to wear the scarf as much as possible.

I-It might get confiscated… but maybe it was worth the risk?

…

Tanya shook her head. No, of course not. There was no reason to do something so frivolous.

Carefully, Tanya unwrapped the scarf off her neck, only to almost immediately begin shivering as her neck was exposed once more.

She already missed the warmth and comfort of the scarf- but no. Tanya was a Major. She couldn't be seen being lax with the rules.

Carefully, Tanya laid the scarf on the bedside table, before turning back toward the mirror. She fixed up her collar, making her uniform pristine once more, and left her room, making her way back to her office to meet up with Visha, eager to make sure that her one day off hadn't led to any issue.

As usual, Tanya arrived almost at the exact same time as Visha did, and she couldn't quite hide her smile as the brunette's eager expression.

"Good morning, Major!" Visha greeted sunnily, and Tanya returned the greeting as they entered their shared office space.

"Good morning, Lieutenant. Ready to show me if you're as good as your word?" Tanya almost teased, but Visha didn't so much as blink.

"Always, Major!" She replied confidently, and over the next few minutes, Tanya would find her words to be true.

As far as she could tell, despite having taken an unplanned (for her) break, they were still perfectly on schedule. The only thing they could even be accused of being behind on was a handful of non-urgent memos that had arrived while they were gone, none of which expected a same-day response.

Tanya's lips twitched. "Well, good job, Lieutenant. I suppose that I have nothing to complain about then."

"Thank you Major!" Visha replied with a grin.

Though of course, just because they weren't behind didn't mean Tanya would allow either of them to slack off.

As soon as the blonde had confirmed her adjutant's previous claim, she got to work once more. Some people might claim that paperwork was dull and unengaging, but to Tanya, this was what work should be.

Safe and fairly compensated.

She was perfectly fine with boring if it paid her bills and it was safe. She would even say she enjoyed every moment she wasn't needed on the frontlines- though of course, she wouldn't ever say so out loud.

It was almost meditative, honestly. Scanning through the papers, her eyes reading the words almost without absorbing them, the scratching of her pen-

Tanya shivered suddenly, her shoulders climbing to cover her exposed neck as she felt a breeze in the room.

Her eyes instantly went to the windows- only to find them closed.

The door, similarly, was also closed.

Her eyes scanned the room, but there was nothing to cause a breeze in the room- She shook her head. It didn't matter.

She had work to do, and this distraction had interrupted her flow.

She let out a breath, and focused once more, her sharp eyes quickly scanning the text on the document she'd been working on to remind herself of what she was doing before being interrupted.

Carefully, Tanya felt herself falling into the rhythm of paperwork once more- only to gasp quietly as she felt another breeze, making her flinch.

"Major?" Visha suddenly asked, making the blonde turn toward the brunette, who was sitting at her own desk. "Is everything alright?" She asked, a worried twist to her lips, and Tanya forced herself not to blush.

"Yes, everything is fine, Lieutenant." She replied, looking back down at her document, only to shiver again as another breeze brushed against her neck.

She ignored Visha's next question, pretending to be focused on the paperwork in front of her, even though she couldn't seem to get through a sentence before being distracted.

In the end, despite her earlier determination to prove that her break hadn't made her complacent, she failed to actually get all of her work done at the end of her shift.

It wasn't the first time this had happened, of course. Tanya wasn't perfect, after all.

But this felt- shameful.

The work wasn't challenging- Tanya was simply incapable of actually focusing on it without being distracted by that damnable breeze. It was so relentless that Tanya ended up with sore shoulders from constantly trying to sink her neck into her torso to keep it warm- to no avail.

"Uh- Major?" Visha asked as her shift came to an end, and Tanya swallowed her pride as she looked up at the brunette.

"Lieutenant. My apologies, but it appears that my work will be keeping me up a tad longer. Feel free to leave if your own work is done," Tanya replied.

She wasn't about to force Visha to do overtime because of an incompetent superior.

The brunette hesitated for a moment, looking down at the blonde, before carefully saluting. "Yes Major. I'll- see you tomorrow?"

Tanya nodded, making sure not to let Visha see the way her fingers twitched as another breeze somehow managed to worm its way between her shoulders and her neck, staring at the woman's back as she made her way out of the room, only for a question to burn her lips, and slip out before she could stop it.

"Lieutenant? Do you- feel a breeze?" She asked, making Visha pause and turn back toward Tanya, a confused look on her face.

"No? At least, I don't think so…" She replied, tilting her head to the side as she considered the question, and Tanya sighed.

Of course not. She shook her head. "It doesn't matter- Please don't let me keep you." She said, biting her lip as another shiver shot through her body, making her grimace slightly.

Visha blinked as she looked at the girl, before frowning ever so slightly. She spun on her heel, opened the door, and left with a brisk step, making Tanya sigh.

Great. Now, Visha thought that Tanya had been trying to make conversation instead of working. Ridiculous- This whole day had been ridiculous!

Tanya certainly didn't like the cold, but she'd never been this sensitive to it! She'd served in Norden, and now, an exposed neck left her unable to work? What was wrong with her!?

"Ridiculous." She found herself spitting out loud, glaring at the papers in front of her angrily, as if they were somehow responsible for her own failure.

She shook her head, picking up her pen again, only to immediately drop it as she gasped, another full-body shiver shooting through her and making the smooth object slip from her shaking fingers. It rolled across her desk for a moment, only to almost immediately reach the edge, and fall off the other side.

Tanya let out a shaky breath, forcing her shivers down. She glared at her traitorous hands, only to stuff them underneath her armpits and stand up, making her way around her desk to retrieve the lost tool.

This was a joke. A mockery of her fortitude and strength. She could stand up to artillery shells, hysterical mages, and self-proclaimed gods, but a breeze?

Tanya would laugh if she wasn't so angry. As it was, she needed to stop herself from stomping childishly as she reached the front of her desk, and bent over to grab the fallen pen-

Only to gasp loudly as the breeze returned, and this time with a vengeance.

It slipped up her outstretched arm's sleeve, curling around her throat like a vise and stealing her breath for a moment, making her eyes widen in shock.

The breeze passed as quickly as it appeared, but it still made Tanya's legs weak enough for her to fall to her knees, panting as she hugged her middle.

She stared down at the pen below her wide-eyed, completely stunned by the abrupt sensation. That- couldn't be an ordinary breeze.

What the hell was happening to her!?

Tanya flinched as the door was slammed open, making her turn toward it, ready to deal with the intruder-

"Major!?" Visha cried at seeing the blonde kneeling on the floor, hugging herself. "Are you alright!?" She asked, rushing to Tanya's side.

Tanya flushed, looking away from Visha's large, concerned eyes. "I'm fine." She replied, feeling completely ridiculous. All of this for a breeze…

Honestly- "Honestly!" Visha cut in, making Tanya blink. "Do you expect me to believe that when I find you like this? And you've been off all day as well!" Visha replied, and Tanya shook her head.

She forced herself to stand up again, ignoring her adjutant's hands as they hovered over her body. "I'm fine, Lieutenant." She insisted, forcing her hands away from her armpits to instead fold them in the small of her back- "Gah! L-Lieutenant!" Tanya cried out as Visha grabbed her hands before she could hide them away again.

"Your fingers are cold," Visha said with a frown, making Tanya flush and look away as the brunette looked back up at her. "And you complained about a breeze earlier. And you keep trying to hide your neck."

"F-Fine! Fine, yes, I was a little cold." Tanya bit off, ripping her hands out of Visha's. "No need to make a production of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get this work done." She said, turning on her heel again-

"Nope." Visha declared, grabbing hold of Tanya's shoulders before she could.

Tanya blinked, stunned as her adjutant made her turn back around toward her fully. "L-Lieutenant?" She asked, confused.

"Visha. My shift is over, Tanya, and so is yours." Visha declared, and Tanya blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of Visha's words, before deciding that she didn't care to try. She simply shook her head, and shrugged off Visha's hands.

"Your shift might be over Lieutenant, but I am not done with my work. I need to get this done before I can turn in for the night-"

"No." Visha repeated, grabbing hold of Tanya's shoulders again. "You need to go see a medic, Tanya." She declared, before pulling Tanya along as the blonde gaped at her.

A medic? For a breeze? Forget cowardice- this might be the worst thing that could ever happen to Tanya's reputation!

"No- Wait- Lieutenant! Stop!" She struggled, hard enough to make Visha freeze at her vehemence. Tanya almost stumbled as she ripped herself out of the brunette's grip, only to actually stumble as the breeze returned, making her gasp loudly as her body was wracked with another shiver. Her leg shook as it hit the floor, only for her boot to suddenly shoot out from under her-

"Tanya!" Visha cried as she caught the blonde mid-fall, before hefting the diminutive mage up into her arms. "That's it- We're going to the medic." She declared, frowning.

"No- Visha, please!" Tanya begged, making Visha freeze again. "There's no need for a medic! I was just- feeling cold, that's all!" Tanya explained, making Visha's frown deepen.

"That's-"

"Please, Visha!" Tanya found herself begging her adjutant. It was shameful, but she'd rather ruin her reputation with a singular woman than with the military at large.

The brunette stared down at the blonde in her arms, before letting out a slow sigh. "Fine. No medic."

Tanya sagged in Visha's half-hazard grip, almost making her drop the blonde as she did. Thank fuck-

"But."

Tanya's eyes shot back up to Visha, who was staring down at the Major seriously.

"You're going to sleep in my room tonight so that I can keep an eye on you. And if anything happens, we're going to see the medic, no questions asked. And you need to stop fighting me."

Tanya opened her mouth to protest, only to close it with a click. That was- probably the best she could hope for. "Fine." She agreed, reluctantly. "As long as we don't go see the medic tonight."

Visha nodded, her expression relaxing just a touch. "Honestly…"

Tanya huffed out a laugh. "That's my line."

"No, its mine now. Apparently, taking breaks isn't the only thing I need to make you do." Visha mumbled as she carefully dropped Tanya back on her feet.

The blonde adjusted her uniform, forcing down her blush at how desperately she'd been acting over a stupid breeze-

"And here." Visha said, making Tanya blink- only to gasp as her neck was suddenly envelopped in warmth.

Tanya almost moaned as her shivers stopped almost instantly as her scarf was carefully wrapped around her neck, her eyes fluttering for a moment as warmth flooded her body.

"I was planning to go get your scarf for you given how much you were shivering, but now… Well, we'll see if it's enough." Visha spoke, and Tanya found herself smiling slightly as a hand came up to touch her scarf.

"Thank you." She told the brunette, grateful that she had such a caring adjutant.

Visha blushed at her words for some reason, but Tanya didn't worry about that. Now that she had her scarf, she could get back to work, and-

"Come on, Tanya." Visha said, interrupting the blonde's train of thought. "You're spending the night in my room, as we agreed."

"Yes, but I need to get my work done first. I'll come join you later-" Tanya's protest was cut off as Visha's arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her waist, and lifted the blonde up carefully.

"No. That can wait. It's either my room, or the medic." Visha insisted, but Tanya barely heard her as she sagged in the brunette's grip.

Oh.

Tanya hadn't realized how cold she still was until she felt Visha's warm arms around her, not to mention her torso, pressed up against her side.

Before she could stop herself, her own arms wrapped themselves around Visha, and she pressed herself against the delicious warmth, sighing as she did, and making Visha blink in shock.

"Oh, you really were cold, Tanya…" She mumbled.

Tanya's head lolled from side to side as she was carried out of the room, almost drowning in precious, pleasurable warmth, both from her scarf and Visha's body, leaving her completely serene as Visha carried the tiny blonde back to her room.

Thankfully for her, Visha was careful not to be spotted, which was not a concern of Tanya right now.

No, all Tanya cared about was staying as warm as possible, for as long as possible~

She was so lost in the warmth that she didn't even notice as they entered Visha's room, only coming to her senses as she was pulled away from the wonderful warmth.

Being warm was so good~

Reflexively, she clung to Visha's body, clung to the delicious warmth, mewling in protest as she was so cruelly pulled away from it.

"T-Tanya, you need to let go of me!" Visha cried, embarrassed, but Tanya needed the warmth. Being warm was so good-

She wouldn't have the scarf without Visha. She wouldn't be warm without Visha. She needed to listen to Visha.

-But she needed to listen to Visha, her arms going limp and allowing herself to be pulled away from the wonderful warmth- only to blink suddenly as she was carefully lowered to the floor.

Woah. Tanya hadn't realized just how cold she was if just another source of warmth was enough to make her act so shamelessly-

But she needed to be as warm as possible~

Indeed she did. Already, she could feel the cold creeping in on her ever so slightly. Thankfully, her scarf did a wonderful job at keeping her warm and comfortable, but she could be even warmer and even more comfortable.

Tanya shook her head again, trying to clear it. She really needed to get a grip and focus on something other than staying warm.

But why should she when she could instead relax and be warm?~

Tanya sighed as she idly touched her scarf, running her fingers across the smooth surface. Feeling warm was very nice, and she wished she could just relax-

Damn. Maybe she really was sick? Maybe she should've gone to the medic- she felt as if she wasn't thinking quite right-

"C'mon, Tanya," Visha said softly, pulling at the blonde's uniform, making Tanya blink up at her. "We need to get you into bed."

Tanya blushed as her jacket was carefully removed from her. "V-Visha, wait-" She replied, mumbling slightly, making Visha pause for a moment.

This was so ridiculous- What was Tanya even thinking? Sleeping with Visha? Even if it was only to share a bed? This might've been fine on the frontlines, but if people found out about this here, there'd be rumors far worse than if she went to the medic for no reason-

But think of the warmth~

Tanya shivered as her shirt suddenly felt too thin, making her hug herself reflexively.

Visha cooed quietly. "Don't worry, Tanya. This is just for a moment- We'll warm you up in no time~" She reassured the blonde, her warm hands making Tanya's eyes flutter as she slowly undressed the young girl.

N-No- Focus, Tanya- This didn't feel like sickness-

She needed to relax, and focus.

Y-Yes! Just, take a deep breath, and focus her mind, and try and think through this haze-

Focus on the warmth~

Focus on the scarf around her neck, warming her up so deliciously- Tanya shook her head. No, that wasn't the issue here-

Focus on Visha~

Focus on her adjutant's hands as the brunette carefully undressed Tanya, her fingers gliding over her cold skin and leaving trails of fire behind them. the blonde blinked slowly as she obediently lifted her legs for Visha to remove her pants- No, wait-

Focus on relaxing, and being warm~

Tanya shivered as she was stood standing almost nude. She was- cold…

"I'm sorry, Tanya," Visha whispered quietly. "I didn't think to get your pajamas- but don't worry."

Tanya gasped quietly as Visha's large, warm hands carefully grabbed hold of her waist, and lifted her up into the bed.

"I'll make sure to keep you warm tonight," Visha promised seriously-

She's perfect~

Tanya's heart fluttered as she stared up into Visha's equally warm grey eyes. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out before Visha flipped the covers, and lay Tanya down in bed, moments before joining her, her long arms wrapping around Tanya and pressing her to her own, nearly naked body.

Instantly, Tanya felt her mind begin slowing down again as her body heated up. Against her cold body, Visha's exposed skin almost felt scalding, but Tanya couldn't stop herself from pressing herself closer to the brunette, her earlier worries completely forgotten as she nuzzled Visha's large breasts sleepily.

Visha giggled at the touch, but the sound seemed distant to Tanya's ears. The blonde's eyes had already closed, the warmth surrounding her completely shutting down both her body and her mind- especially when a hand slipped up her back, and carefully threaded itself in her blonde locks, almost making Tanya start drooling as the warm palm made her brain simmer in pleasurable warmth~

This is where Tanya belonged. In a warm bed, safe from danger, completely relaxed~

Yes~ This was perfect~ Tanya couldn't even think of staying awake as she basked in Visha's warmth, her small body curling up against her as consciousness fled her.

"Good night, Tanya~" Visha whispered in her ear, but it was already too late.

The words echoed in Tanya's sleeping brain, heard but not truly registered.

Soon, Visha followed suit, carefully holding the blonde's cold body against her. Tanya's body temperature had always been on the cooler side, but now…

Well, it was slowly but surely warming up, so that was good at least. Visha was so worried about Tanya's health that she couldn't even begin to worry about being this close to the almost naked girl, nor about how she felt against her body.

Nor about how strangely she'd started to act as soon as she put that scarf back on her.

All of it was drowned out by her worry for Tanya, and it took her many minutes before she herself fell asleep beside the major, her face twisted into a frown that showed that her sleep was far less peaceful than Tanya's.

And for a moment, the room was still, only disturbed by the two girls' breathing as they clung to one another in their sleep.

But only for a moment. Because soon, Tanya's scarf began unravelling itself. Not because it had slipped while Tanya slept.

But because it was repositioning itself slightly around its host's neck.

The 'scarf' wasn't really intelligent in the way most people would think of. But it wasn't completely driven by instinct either.

Saying that it was capable of planning would also be a bit of a stretch, but far closer to its actual capabilities.

Listening, and learning.

The 'scarf' was psychic in nature. It couldn't understand speech, but it could somewhat grasp the underlying meaning of words as it piggybacked on its host's mind.

That was how it had learned that its host- the 'Tanya'- was far from ideal.

The young female was under scrutiny, and frequently in danger. She couldn't carry it around as much as was ideal. Her mind was also not pure- it was contaminated by another external influence.

But the 'scarf' wasn't even smart enough to understand the option of giving up on her, and finding another host. Though, to be quite honest, it didn't care.

The 'scarf' wasn't in the business of making choices based on how easy or hard something was. Only in what would allow it to pursue its biological imperative. And as a parasite, its primary goal was the continued well-being of its host, as well as being able to continue its parasitizing.

Thankfully, as it learned that the 'Tanya' was a less-than-ideal host, it also learned how to make her better.

There was another female who was often around its host. One known as the 'Visha'. She was quite a bit older than the 'Tanya', and could make the 'Tanya' do things she didn't want to, just like the 'scarf' could.

In this, the 'scarf' found many points of commonality between itself and the 'Visha'- but of course, it didn't have enough individuality to understand things like kinship or sympathy.

It only saw opportunity.

The 'Visha' was already close to acting like the 'scarf'. Perhaps, if she was even closer, she could help the 'scarf' make the 'Tanya' a better host.

Which was why the 'scarf' was making a move this soon. It couldn't quite weigh risk and reward, but it could tell that this was early to do such a thing. Deep down, its instincts were telling it that it should wait until it had grown larger before attempting to do something like this- especially to something like the 'Visha' who was not its host.

But the 'scarf' could tell that it was in danger. The 'Tanya' was used to having something trying to influence her mind. She was fighting its influence, and not wearing it as often as she should, especially not in the beginning stages of its parasitizing, where its influence was at its weakest.

If the 'Tanya' had realized that the 'scarf' was influencing her mind while she wasn't carrying it around, she might've realized its true nature.

In short, while the 'scarf' needed help. And help, thankfully, was in reach.

Carefully, it unfolded itself from the 'Tanya's neck, ignoring the deep sense of unease being unattached from its host made it feel.

This was unnatural. But it fought its base instincts, and began clumsily approaching the sleeping 'Visha'. It was still in its infancy, short and not adapted for independent movement. But both females were deep in sleep, and neither noticed the 'scarf' as it clumsily flopped about, rolling off the 'Tanya's shoulder, before slowly, carefully climbing up the 'Visha'.

Thankfully, the 'Visha's secondary sexual characteristics helped the 'scarf' climb her body, until it reached her head.

Of course, the 'scarf' wasn't looking to switch host. Not only because its instincts told it that switching host was often very noticeable, but also because, despite her failings, the 'Tanya's youthful body was a very good point in her favor.

After all, the younger she was, the longer she could serve as the 'scarf's host.

No, the 'scarf' had another use for the 'Visha'.

Carefully, the 'scarf' maneuvered its way around the 'Visha's head, until it found her ear. Then, carefully, it began sliding one of its end into it, making the female gasp softly in her sleep, but it was already too late.

The 'scarf' could influence human minds through skin contact alone, but if it wanted to make more long-lasting changes, it needed more direct contact with them.

Again, its instincts warned it that it was too juvenile to take such a risk, and again, the 'scarf' ignored them.

This risk was necessary.

It needed help.

And the 'Visha' would be that help.

The 'scarf' carefully maneuvered its tip down into the 'Visha's ear canal.

Of course, it couldn't truly reach her brain through it- but slithering its tip into her ear brought it closer and closer to her brain. Instinctually, it knew that the closest to the brain it was, the easier influencing the 'Visha's mind would be.

Of course, this would normally be very uncomfortable to the female, but the 'scarf' knew exactly how to deal with that.

After all, its specialty was keeping humans docile and compliant.

It ignored the 'Visha's quiet vocalisations of pleasure as it continued burrowing itself deeper and deeper into her skull, often struggling to make its clumsy juvenile body do as it desired and making the 'Visha' gasp loudly as it twitched inside her head.

Thankfully, the 'Tanya' was sleeping very deeply, and remained completely unaware of what was happening right next to her, even as the 'Visha' achieved orgasm repeatedly in front of the 'Tanya', gurgling and moaning loudly.

Soon, however, the 'scarf' felt it had burrowed deep enough. Half of its body was stuffed inside the ear, and had it been intelligent enough for the thought, it might not have looked forward to digging itself back out of the female.

But it wasn't intelligent enough for such thoughts. And it was focused on making the 'Visha' help it.

Of course, simply telling her to help the 'scarf' was hardly an option. Such a strange and uncharacteristic thought would fail to influence the female.

Instead, the 'scarf' followed its instincts as it scanned the 'Visha's mind, and found the thoughts she was already having that could help it.

Thoughts of caring for the 'Tanya'. Wanting the 'Tanya' to be safe. Wanting the 'Tanya' to be happy.

Those were all useful thoughts to the 'scarf', and it brought them closer and closer to the surface of the 'Visha's mind, pushing down thoughts that wouldn't help it and got in the way.

Her loyalty to the 'Tanya' was useful, but not her loyalty to her family, country, or fellow soldiers, so they were all buried beneath the former. Her attraction to the 'Tanya' was useful, but not her attraction to other females, nor her shame over said attraction.

On and on the 'scarf' went, rearranging the 'Visha's mind to make her more helpful to the 'scarf'.

Most of its work was making the 'Visha' more protective of its host, of course, but part of it was also making itself more important in the 'Visha's mind.

After all, the 'scarf' only cared about the 'Tanya's safety insofar as she was its host. The 'Tanya's health was simply one way this parasitization could come to an end. It would need to account for others.

Thankfully, the 'Visha' already had thoughts about the 'scarf'.

It pulled up her happiness at how much the 'Tanya' liked her gift, how good it looked on her, how well it warmed her up-

And it pushed down her hidden unease at the strange-looking 'scarf'. Her suspicion over how the 'Tanya' was acting after receiving it. And of course, all the thoughts regarding making the 'Tanya' no longer wear it.

Importantly, the 'scarf' made sure that the 'Visha' didn't forget about all those reasons. It simply made it so that she would not think them more important than making the 'Tanya' continue carrying the 'scarf' around, and so, would work to help in the continuation of that fact.

In the end, it took the juvenile 'scarf' multiple hours to do all of this. It knew its juvenile status had been a hurdle, but it had managed to accomplish its objective, with more than enough time to spare.

It once again ignored the 'Visha's movements and vocalizations as it pulled itself out of her ear, and tiredly made its body move back to the 'Tanya'.

The 'Tanya' lacked the secondary sexual characteristics that would help it reach her ear, but thankfully, the 'scarf' only needed to wrap itself back around her neck- which was much easier to do.

Instantly, the 'Tanya's sleep settled as the 'scarf' resumed flooding her body with warmth and pleasure, making the younger female sigh pleasantly. Good- despite its sporadic contact with its host, the 'Tanya' body had already acclimated itself to its presence.

Soon, removal would be completely impossible, and it now had the 'Visha' to help it reach that stage~

And so, the 'scarf' returned to immobility, not quite sleeping, but not quite aware either.

Simply waiting for its strength to recover, so that it could continue making the 'Tanya' a better and better host.

When Tanya woke up the next morning, it took her a few moments to realize that something was off.

Partially because of just how hard actually waking up was that particular morning.

Tanya had never struggled to get out of bed, but it felt as if the bed was quite literally holding on to her that morning- and given just how warm and comfortable it was, she was almost tempted to let it win, but of course-

She should remain in bed.

Indeed. She, of course, should remain in bed- wha-

The bed was warm and safe and comfortable~

Tanya sighed as she felt her body relax slightly into the sea of warmth and comfort surrounding her. Yes, it was indeed very warm under the covers, and Tanya would like to remain in it, but she couldn't.

Why not?

Because she had a job to do.

Why would she want to work in the cold?

Tanya shivered at the memory of that damnable breeze- only to shake her head. No. She wasn't about to let a breeze jeopardize her job-

"Hmm~" A voice suddenly hummed, making Tanya freeze as she realized it could only be this close if it was in her bed. Her eyes shot open in surprise, only for Tanya to freeze again as she found herself staring deeply into a bar-clad cleavage "Don't move so much, Tanya…" Visha mumbled in Tanya's ear, making the blonde's eyes somehow widen even more, especially as she felt what she now recognized as the adjutant's limbs pulling the blonde closer to her nearly nude body.

Instantly, the events of the previous day speared through Tanya's sleep and warmth-addled mind, and she began pushing back against the brunette.

"V-Visha-" Tanya stuttered out, only to flush as one of the brunette's hands left her back, to instead lay a finger on her lips, silencing her. Softly, almost delicately, Visha tilted Tanya's head to make her look up at the older woman.

"Shhh~" Visha quietly shushed the blonde. "It's too early to wake up, Tanya~" Visha said, staring down at the girl in her arms with half-lidded eyes, and Tanya opened her mouth to protest-

Visha knows best.

-only for it to slowly come to a close. "I- I see…" She replied against Visha's finger. She supposed her adjutant would know when they needed to wake up better than Tanya- this was her room, after all…

Visha smiled at her, before the hand left her lips, to instead carefully brush through Tanya's hair, her nails trailing against the girl's scalp as she did. "Go back to sleep, Tanya." She gently ordered as she pet the blonde's head.

Tanya blinked, confused at the gesture-

She loved Visha's touch. She should listen to Visha.

-only for her eyes to flutter as pleasure tingled down from Visha's fingertips and down her spine, leaving her to only mewl weakly as Visha's hand carefully dragged Tanya closer to her, pressing her face into her cleavage.

Visha was safe. Visha was warm. She should listen to Visha.

Tanya hummed against Visha's chest, smiling weakly as she felt her nostrils be filled with the brunette's scent. Y-Yes, Tanya was completely safe in Visha's arms. There was no way her loyal adjutant would allow her to sleep in. She could just, close her eyes again, sink into her warmth, and go back to sleep in Visha's arms-

Visha will take care of her.

-knowing that Visha would take care of her…

Or at least, so she'd thought at the time.

"I can't believe you let me sleep in," Tanya grunted as the two girls reached their office once more, quite a bit later than they should have.

Visha chuckled quietly as she closed the door behind the pair. "Major, you clearly needed the extra rest."

"No. I needed to get back into the office early so that I could catch up on the work I failed to do yesterday. Now, not only do I have a backlog, but it is growing as I begin my day late," Tanya almost bit the words as she spoke them, but for some reason, Visha remained strangely unaffected by her obvious anger.

She simply shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as the girls sat behind their respective desks. "I doubt you would've gotten much work done with how tired you were," she replied calmly, perhaps even teasingly?

No- It didn't matter. Tanya could deal with Visha's strange behavior after she'd dealt with her mounting paperwork.

She needed to hurry up and catch up on her work before her superiors started asking questions. They'd be a lot less tolerant than Tanya was toward Visha.

Of course, rush was no reason to do a half-job. She made sure to keep her standards as high as usual, even as she worked through yesterday's workload as quickly as she could-

Tanya shivered as a breeze brushed at her exposed neck- and she froze, wide-eyed.

No. No no no, she was not going through this again.

She'd of course left her scarf behind again today- she couldn't wear a bright blue scarf with her uniform. Even the most tolerant of officers would balk at such an eye-catching accessory.

And now, she would pay the price.

But that was fine. It was fine!

Tanya wasn't about to let a breeze stop her from working.

She ignored it, and focused on her work. All she had to do was push the physical sensation of the cold breeze brushing against her neck out of her mind, and focus on the paperwork in front of her, and completely disregard the shivers shooting down her spine as the breeze tickled her neck, and focus. On. Her. Work!

Tanya dropped her pen before she snapped it in half.

Fuck.

She couldn't do it.

She scanned the room again, but again, there was no open window. The door was closed. Visha was sitting at her desk, and not walking around the room or anything.

There was no breeze. There couldn't be one.

Tanya could almost sob as she felt it against her neck once more.

She hadn't even begun on yesterday's work, and already, she couldn't take anymore.

She- might actually need to go see the medic…

She looked up from her desk once more, forcing herself to speak steadily as she addressed Visha-

Who was no longer at her desk.

"Here you go, Major~" Visha suddenly spoke up from behind her, making Tanya turn back, only to freeze as she felt her scarf being wrapped up around her neck.

Immediately, Tanya sagged in her chair, sighing in pleasure as warmth suffused her body once more, but-

"L-Lieutenant? You know that this is against regulations?" Tanya asked as she looked back at Visha, who smiled softly down at the blonde, her hands carefully laying themselves down on her shoulders after she was done tightening the scarf.

"Perhaps. Are you going to tell anyone, Major?~" Visha asked, teasingly, and Tanya almost scoffed at her.

"Of course not. But someone could walk in at any moment and see me like this," she rebuked, only for her eyes to flutter as Visha's fingers on her shoulders tightened just a touch, digging into her tense shoulders pleasurably.

She loved Visha's touch.

"Don't worry Major. As your adjutant, its my job to answer the door for anyone who wants to see you. I'll make sure to give you time to be presentable once more," Visha spoke softly, every word landing like a blanket on Tanya's worries, making her sag more and more into her chair.

"I'll keep you safe, don't worry," she promised with one final squeeze that almost pulled a moan out of Tanya's throat, before she returned to her desk, leaving Tanya to stare at her retreating form, warm and comfortable with her scarf once more.

She could trust Visha. Visha would keep her safe. No need to worry.

Tanya sighed, her mind slowly settling down. Yes. If Visha was there, then there was no need to worry, was there? Visha might not be obedient, but she was loyal. She'd keep Tanya safe.