Chapter Text
It takes an embarrassing amount of time for Furina to finally shake off the sleepy daze that hangs over her the following morning.
Once she manages to get herself into a sitting position on her bed, she finds herself blinking at the wall with bleary eyes for a few long moments. The warm sun pouring in through the window makes the idea of slumping backward and letting her eyes drift closed again seem all too appealing.
She casts her gaze toward the end of the bed, where Mademoiselle Crabeletta has already laid out her clothes for the day. She allows herself a few more seconds of stillness before getting to her feet.
Upon inspection, it seems Madamoiselle Crabaletta has laid out a dress for her. It must be warm today if she sees fit to bring out items from her summer wardrobe.
Furina makes relatively quick work of getting changed, and spares a couple of seconds to adjust her dress in the mirror. She grabs a brush from her vanity and begins to tug it through her hair as she leaves her bedroom.
She’s just contemplating the prospect of swapping out her usual tea for coffee when she’s met with the sight of Neuvillette puttering about in her kitchen, which brings her train of thought to a screeching halt.
Oh.
That’s right.
Neuvillette must hear her because he turns around, looking sheepish.
“Ah, Furina. My apologies if we woke you. Madamoiselle Crabeletta was just assisting me in brewing some tea.”
Furina blinks, her brush frozen halfway through a section of hair. After a moment, she pulls it through, and gets her mouth to move.
“Where did you sleep? Oh goodness, please don’t tell me you slept on the couch after already going out of your way to visit. And now you’re making tea? No, no, no, this will not do,” Furina says, bringing a hand to her forehead.
Neuvillette shakes his head. “Please do not trouble yourself. I can assure you I was quite fine with the arrangement.”
“It’s not fine,” Furina says, “I’ve already inconvenienced you far too much.”
“It is no inconvenience, I assure you. Please, sit down. The tea appears to be ready.”
Furina sighs and reluctantly takes a seat at the table, setting her brush down. She watches as Neuvillette sets two teacups down on the table and sits opposite her.
She takes a sip of her tea — it’s only polite, after all — before setting it down again.
She sighs. “So, listen…about last night.”
Furina pauses, unsure of how to follow the statement up. There’s so much there, so much she’s spent centuries burying, that the prospect of putting words to even some of it seems impossible. It doesn’t help that a certain level of drowsiness is still muddling her thoughts.
For his part, Neuvillette seems content to sip at his tea and wait for her to continue. It seems his patience knows no bounds.
She lets out a nervous laugh. “I’m…actually not sure what to say.”
“That’s quite alright. You are by no means obliged to,” Neuvillette assures.
“…Right.”
Silence settles in the air for a moment. Furina drinks her tea, gently swaying the cup to watch its contents swirl. She follows the motion with her eyes.
After a short time, she speaks again.
“Last night, you said that you could…sense my distress? How did you do that?”
Neuvillette nods. “Yes. As you know, I possess a connection to water. This connection has only strengthened, following the death of the Hydro Archon. You may have heard of the idea that water absorbs humanity’s emotions…and that tears contain the strongest of these emotions. I can sense these emotions from all waters in Fontaine, including the fountains, the rivers, the lakes, and…the rain.”
“I see.” Furina considers this for a moment. “But…surely, if the emotions of all of the people of Fontaine are absorbed by the water, wouldn’t that make them difficult to interpret?”
“Indeed. Emotions carried by water are often rather chaotic, and I tend not to purposely fill my mind with them if I can help it. However, this does not preclude me from picking up on them in specific cases, if I so choose. Checking in on you led me to pick up on overwhelming despair and distress.” He pauses, lowering his eyes to his teacup. “I thought something might’ve happened to you.”
“Oh,” Furina breathes.
It’s hard to imagine Neuvillette taking the time to check in on her with how busy he must be, especially seeing as he now has an entire nation to preside over. But…it would seem that he does, despite everything.
“That…means a lot to me,” she admits. “I hope I didn’t worry you.”
A faint smile comes to Neuvillette’s lips. “I think I am quite alright with worrying every now and again.”
His voice takes on a slightly more serious tone.
“I feel regret that I have not been able to visit these past few months, and that I have only been able to keep in contact via the occasional letter. Though I cannot promise my schedule will not open up significantly in the coming months, I would be more than happy to spend the day with you today. Due to our scheduled visit in a few days time, I had already started on some preparations, anyhow.”
There’s a pause. He looks up from his teacup, meeting her gaze.
“I truly hope you’ve been alright, Furina.”
Furina laughs then, her voice thick with unbidden tears.
“I have been,” she tells him, “I’m…happy. I didn’t think it was possible, but…I realise now that last night was the lowest I’ve felt in months. When I was the Hydro Archon, I felt all of that despair and loneliness every single night.”
Laughter bursts forth again, shocked and relieved and a whole range of emotions she can’t describe.
“But…not anymore,” she says.
Neuvillette smiles in a rare, unrestrained sort of way. “I am incredibly glad to hear it. I truly hope you can continue to find such happiness.”
She smiles too, and wipes at her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. “To be honest, I am a little tired of crying so much.”
Neuvillette chuckles. “Ah. That is only natural, I suppose. A part of the process.”
“Yes, I suppose it is.”
Furina inhales deeply and wipes away the last remnants of tears, composing herself a bit.
A few months ago, she might’ve considered staying a little longer with the way she had felt the previous night and musing on it in order to understand it. Now, she thinks that moving on might be the best course of action.
“You said we could spend time together today, did you not?” she asks.
“Yes, of course. Anything you would like.”
Her smile takes on a slightly mischievous edge. “Wonderful. I have ideas.“
Neuvillette’s expression is equal parts amused and concerned.
“Oh? You do?”
She stands up from her chair with a flourish. “Indeed I do. Allons-y, my dear Iudex!”
“I wanna have a tea party.”
Clorinde’s eyebrows raise at the statement.
It’s a slow-going Sunday morning, and she’s in the process of doing Furina’s make up so that she can be a princess.
Navia pipes up from where she sits on the couch. “Oh, I love a good tea party!”
“Do you mean today?” Clorinde asks, as she uses a brush to gently dab some blush onto her cheeks.
“Hmmmm…” Furina thinks for a moment, before shaking her head. “Wanna invite Neuvi too.”
“Neuvi?” Navia raises a hand to her chest. “Is that what you call him?”
“Sometimes…‘s easier,” says Furina, “but can’t tell him, ‘cause he’s too serious.” She exaggerates a frown, to demonstrate said seriousness, which draws a giggle from Navia.
“You know, I think Monsieur Neuvillette would appreciate a nickname — especially one coming from you,” she says.
Clorinde huffs and draws back for a moment, reaching for the lipgloss. “I think Navia is right. Though he is serious when it comes to his responsibilities, I’m inclined to believe he has a soft spot for you.”
Furina smiles. “May-be…”
As Clorinde starts to apply the lipgloss, she shifts, pursing her lips.
They’re sitting cross-legged on Furina’s new fluffy blue rug, which she has quickly found is an absolute joy to run her fingers through. But, after sitting still for so long, she’s starting to grow restless, fidgeting absently with her vision.
“Not much longer,” Clorinde notes, as though sensing her thoughts. “Just the lipgloss.”
Furina lets out a small sigh but remains still as Clorinde leans in close and applies the final touches with careful strokes. Once she’s done, she leans back and gives a small nod.
“There. What do you think, Navia?”
Furina shuffles around so that Navia has a view from the couch. After examining the make up for a moment, she gives a thumbs-up.
“Looks great to me! I think you’re a fully-fledged princess now,” she says.
Furina beams and jumps to her feet, giving a little twirl. The swishy fabric of her dress flares up as she does so, much to her delight. She spins for a few more seconds, before coming to a stumbling halt.
Clorinde smiles as she gets up from the floor, taking a seat beside Navia on the couch. “Alright. So what sort of a tea party would you like to throw?”
“A fancy one!” she says, as she takes a few graceful steps across the rug and performs another twirl.
Navia hums. “A fancy one, huh? Hm…and who would you like to invite to this tea party?”
“Mmmm…you…and Clorinde…oh, oh, and Crabeletta, and Usher, and Chevalmarin! Aaaand Neuvi,” she says, counting the attendees out on her fingers. And I wanna have lots and lots of desserts…and cakes! And scones, and decorations, and a table cloth with sea animals on it, and…hm, and also , also we need invitation letters.”
Furina skips around the back of the couch and bends back over it, slowly sliding down and propping herself up with her arms. Navia and Clorinde’s upside expressions look rather amused.
“I’m starting to think we’ll need a list so we can remember all this,” Navia says.
Clorinde nods. “That’s not a bad idea. Perhaps we can sit down over afternoon tea later on and prepare a checklist, when a certain someone isn’t feeling quite so energetic.”
Furina gasps when Clorinde playfully scribbles her fingers along her side and collapses into a heap of giggles, sprawled across their laps in a tangle of limbs. She scrambles toward Navia, sending Clorinde an accusatory look that’s probably slightly dampened by the smile on her face.
Navia chuckles, and helps her assume an upright position again. “Alright, giggly Princess. I say we start on the castle and round up your friends so we can play princesses.”
“Yes!”
Furina jumps up from the couch and turns to face them, placing her hands on her hips. “Who are you guys gonna be?”
“Hmm…I think I will be the princess’ loyal bodyguard,” says Clorinde.
“A bit on the nose, don’t you think?” Navia teases.
“Oh? And who will you be, then?”
“Me? Well…I think I’ll be the princess’ personal chef!” She lowers her voice, leaning in conspiratorially. “Except, I have a hidden secret.”
Furina’s eyes widen. She raises her hands to her mouth, leaning in. “What’s the secret?” She whispers.
A smile tugs at Navia’s mouth. “That I’m also a very talented fighter who can also keep the princess safe, of course!”
“Ooh,” Furina breathes, nodding seriously. “Then, then I’ll pretend I don’t know,” she says.
“Very good,” says Navia, nodding. “It’ll be a surprise, then.”
“Now that we have our roles, let's begin on the castle,” Clorinde suggests. “I think these couch pillows will make a good base.”
Their makeshift castle is not particularly castle shaped in the end — more couch-shaped than anything — but Furina thinks it looks nice. Especially with the blue lights she wraps around it to give it some flare.
“Princess Furina?”
The blanket they place overtop as a roof sags inward slightly, so she has to duck her head to peek out of the entrance.
“What is it?” she asks, as she looks out at Clorinde with wide eyes.
“I’ve come to inform you that Miss Navia has a new dessert for you to try.”
“Oh!” Furina gasps.
Navia blinks for a moment, before giving a quick nod. “I— ah— yes, yes of course. Please, if you will Princess, come out into the dining room and take a seat.”
She grabs one of the larger couch pillows and sets it down on the ground, before placing three smaller pillows around it.
Meanwhile, Clorinde takes one of the throw blankets they’d set aside during the castle-building process and unfolds it. Furina watches curiously as she rolls it up tightly, before unrolling it in Furina’s direction like a red carpet.
She brings a hand up to her mouth, utterly delighted.
Clorinde smiles, and offers an arm for her to latch onto, which she does gladly. They walk across the carpet to the makeshift dining table, sitting down on their respective pillows.
Navia mimes taking the lid off of a dish. “Alright, Princess. I have here a macaroni dish prepared with our finest cheeses, with strawberry éclairs for dessert. Please, do let me know if there’s anything else I can get for you.”
She exaggerates a bow, which coaxes a giggle from Furina.
“Mm, no, is good. Thanks Navia!” she says, as she picks up her imaginary fork to take a bite.
“But of course! It is my duty after all, as your humble chef.”
As they begin to eat their imaginary food, Furina spots movement in the corner of her eye. She casts her gaze to the doorway, where Surintendante Chevalmarin, Gentilhomme Usher, and Mademoiselle Crabeletta hover. Madamoiselle Crabeletta is holding a prop sword in one of her claws — something that Furina had purchased somewhat impulsively, and had been planning on donating to an acting troupe.
Navia gasps. “It would seem that these monsters are trying to crash the Princess’ dinner. How dreadful!”
“I must take action,” Clorinde says, standing from her pillow as she un-sheathes an imaginary sword. It looks a bit silly, considering that she’s carrying a real sword. Furina smothers a few giggles, which doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Oh no! It seems that the monsters have unleashed a giggle bug that’s bitten the Princess!” says Navia. She shakes her head solemnly. “This is dire. I can no longer just stand by.”
Furina watches as they both approach the trio, and engage in a battle with imaginary swords. Though it’s pretend, elements of their fighting styles are still apparent — Clorinde’s movements are fluid and efficient, while Navia’s possess slightly more elegance and flair.
She smiles throughout, even forgetting a few times that the hydro trio are supposed to be the monsters here.
Everything is going just fine.
Then, when Clorinde acts out her finishing blow against them, Surintendante Chevalmarin, Gentilhomme Usher, and Mademoiselle Crabeletta dissolve into a flurry of bubbles, and Furina just.
Freezes.
It’s part of the play, clearly intended for dramatic effect. But the sight makes irrational panic grip her chest for one heart-stopping moment.
Perhaps it would’ve been fine if there weren’t two sharp knocks at her front door a moment later, startling her and throwing her even further off-kilter.
“Oh! I’ll get that,” Navia says quickly, before disappearing down the hall.
Surintendante Chevalmarin, Gentilhomme Usher and Mademoiselle Crabeletta emerge again, seeming enthusiastic. It should be a relief, seeing that they’re okay.
Her unease must seep through the cracks of her expression, because Clorinde moves swiftly, lowering herself onto the pillow opposite Furina.
“Furina? Is something the matter?” she asks.
No , Furina wants to say, because there isn’t , really.
It’s simply two minor things that have thrown her off balance, just enough for her adult anxieties to gain a foothold and claw their way forth to the surface, leaving in her a strange state of limbo. Still partially regressed, but at the whims of her own self-consciousness, insidious as it is.
Enough to feel embarrassed that Navia and Clorinde are spending their valuable time playing princesses with her.
“I’m alright” comes Furina’s belated response. “Sorry.”
“There is no need to be sorry.” Clorinde lays her hand on the couch cushion between them, palm facing upward. “Forgive me for pressing, but are you quite sure you’re alright?”
Furina hesitantly reaches out, placing her hand atop Clorinde’s.
“Got…surprised,” she says, in a whisper. “They disappeared.”
“They?” Clorinde questions, before pausing. Realisation spreads across her face. “You mean your hydro friends?”
Furina nods.
Clorinde hums in sympathy. “Yes. That must’ve been scary, I presume?”
She feels her face warm. She really doesn’t like the feeling of being equal parts thrilled and mortified at being treated this way. She feels strangely shaky, and uncertain.
“Not small,” she mumbles, gaze lowering to their hands. “But not big.”
“I see,” says Clorinde. She seems to think for a moment. “Would you like to keep playing, or would you like to stop? Either way, I am happy to lend my support.”
Furina lets out a shaky sigh. She retracts her hand, and fidgets with the frilly hem of her dress.
“Don’t have to,” she says, lowering her head.
“Hm? You don’t want me to? Or, perhaps, you believe that I don’t want to?”
Furina presses her lips together. Count on Clorinde to get to the crux of the matter so swiftly.
“You’ve been so kind to me,” Furina says, voice cracking slightly. “I don’t want to waste your time with…this.”
She gestures toward their haphazard castle.
Clorinde sighs, not unkindly. “I do not spend time with you as an arbitrary show of kindness. I spend time with you because we are friends…and I care for you. I enjoy our time together.”
The words are slightly stilted, but the sincerity in them shines through regardless. The warmth in her tone seeps beneath Furina’s skin and pools somewhere inside her chest.
She slowly lifts her head. “Even when I’m small?”
Clorinde nods. “Yes, even when you are small.”
A shy smile curves Furina’s lips up slightly.
Clorinde smiles, too. “So? What would you like to do?” She asks, not one trace of judgement in her words.
Furina thinks for a moment. Before she can second guess herself, she holds out her arms.
Clorinde must get the message, because her smile softens.
“Come here, little one.”
She leans over and wraps her arms around Furina, lifting her up from the floor with surprising ease. She takes a moment to adjust her grip once she’s standing, one arm coming down to support Furina’s thighs, while the other settles on her back. Furina winds her arms loosely around Clorinde’s neck, pressing her nose into the spot just beneath her jaw. There’s always a certain comforting pressure in the way Clorinde embraces her. A firmness at each point of contact that draws her focus outward and grounds her to the moment.
Furina feels Clorinde’s murmured words when she speaks.
“Shall we have our afternoon tea now? We can start brainstorming that list for the tea party.”
She nods in reply, not trusting herself to speak. She's still in that awkward space between childish instinct and an almost visceral self-awareness that’s hard to shake.
Navia’s cheerful voice rings out as soon as they enter the kitchen.
“Oh, hey you two! I answered the door, it was just a delivery. I put the package on the table. I’m just brewing some tea, it should be — oh.” She pauses once she turns to face them, eyes flitting between them. She walks over, setting a hand on Furina’s arm. “Is everything alright?” she asks, voice pitching downward with concern.
Furina peers over Clorinde’s shoulder, giving a small nod.
“She was just surprised when her hydro friends disappeared,” Clorinde says, patting her back.
As if on cue, Surintendante Chevalmarin, Gentilhomme Usher and Mademoiselle Crabeletta enter the kitchen, appearing hesitant.
Furina extends a hand, smiling faintly as Surintendante Chevalmarin floats up and nuzzles into her palm, as though in apology.
“It’s okay,” she whispers.
Navia watches the interaction with a small smile of her own. “I bet that was scary, huh? Would some cake make you feel better?”
Furina perks a little up at that. She’d forgotten that Navia had brought along some cake from the Hotel Debord.
She nods.
“Alright then,” says Navia, chuckling lightly. “Just one moment while I get a few plates.”
Clorinde sets Furina down, and pulls out a chair for her. When Furina hovers uncertainly, she pauses.
“Is something the matter?” She thinks for a moment. “Would you like to sit on my lap?”
Furina nods slowly, testing the waters.
“That’s no problem at all. Come on, then, little one.”
Something inside Furina softens. She watches as Clorinde takes a seat in one of the chairs and shuffles backward to make space. Furina happily takes the cue. Once she sits down, she feels arms wind around her waist, and Clorinde’s chin rests on her shoulder.
“Alright, three la lettre a focalors cakes coming right up!” says Navia, as she approaches the table with three precariously balanced plates. She carefully sets two down in front of Furina and Clorinde, then one in front of the chair beside them.
Furina smiles. “Thanks, Navia.”
“Yes, thank you for purchasing these, Navia,” Clorinde affirms.
Navia waves them off. “Oh, please, it’s my pleasure. Besides, it gives me a good excuse to have cake.” She winks at Furina, who stifles a small giggle with her palm.
Clorinde huffs, amused, and reaches across the table for a notepad and pen that Navia must’ve retrieved earlier, dragging it toward them.
“As we’re eating, we can think about this tea party,” she says.
“Oh, yes, of course! I nearly forgot,” says Navia, as she sets a teapot and three teacups down on the table. She takes the seat beside them and pours tea for all of them.
Clorinde gently knocks Furina’s head with her own. “You said you wanted a fancy tablecloth, did you not? And decorations?”
Furina nods through a mouthful of cake. She chews quickly, then says, “ocean colours!”
Clorinde nods and notes this down. “Alright. Ocean coloured table cloth and decorations. How about the food selection?”
They go on like this, until the sun starts to warm the horizon and their teacups are cold to the touch. As Furina’s eyes wander the table, she finally takes a moment to examine the package that Navia had brought in.
She gasps with sudden realisation. “Tea!”
She draws it toward her, which prompts Clorinde to look over her shoulder curiously.
“From…Wriothesley?” she questions, mild surprise wound through her voice.
Furina nods. “Sends tea sometimes.”
“That’s rather nice of him,” Navia notes. She gazes at the package as Clorinde begins to help Furina open it. “Hm, speaking of which, I bet Wriothesley would be disappointed that he’s missing out on the greatest tea party ever.”
Furina’s brows furrow at the words. She doesn’t want anyone to feel left out.
“Invite him?” she says, tugging gently at Clorinde’s sleeve.
Surprise flickers across her expression. “Invite Wriothesley? Hm. Well, we would have to explain the situation to him.”
“Oh, I can already imagine him being the most outspoken conssiour at the party,” Navia says, giggling. “Is he good with children at all? Seems as though his job would force him to be quite serious and no-nonsense.”
“You would think so,” Clorinde remarks. “I believe he has somewhat of a soft spot for children, actually.”
Navia grins. “Oooh, prized intel from Miss Clorinde. Perhaps he might be a good fit after all.” She pauses. “Of course, this is only if you’re comfortable with him knowing, Furina. It’s entirely up to you, at the end of the day.”
Furina feels Clorinde nod. “If you don’t wish for him to know, we will of course refrain from inviting him,” she affirms.
Furina hums, a bit anxious. “Know him?” she asks, looking back over her shoulder at Clorinde.
“I do know him,” Clorinde confirms. “I’m willing to attest to his character.”
Furina runs her fingers along the creases of the package, legs swinging slightly.
“Neuvi likes him too,” she says.
“Yes. I do believe they have friendly relations,” Clorinde says. “But it is still entirely up to you, whether you are comfortable with his being there.”
“Hmmm…” Furina puffs up her cheeks, transferring air from one cheek to the other as she thinks. “…M’kay. If he’s nice.”
“You can always change your mind later on,” Navia notes. She pauses for a moment. “Say, would we even be able to drag him from the Fortress of Meropide, anyway?”
Clorinde smiles. “Leave that to me.”
Navia raises her hands in faux surrender. “Alright then. I’ll leave it in your capable hands. Perhaps this may even be a good opportunity to get some information out of him.”
When Clorinde raises her eyebrows, Navia giggles. “Alright, alright, point taken. A tea party is no place for an interrogation.”
“Inter-rogation?” Furina echoes, looking between them curiously.
Clorinde shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. Navia was just joking. I’m sure she’ll be very cordial.”
“Of course!” says Navia. “Only the finest of manners for a tea party of this calibre.”
Furina smiles, leaning back against Clorinde’s chest.
She’s feeling rather tired, all of a sudden. As Clorinde and Navia continue to discuss their preparations for the tea party, her vision blurs around the edges, and she has to blink rapidly to keep her eyes open. Their voices blur together, until they become a consistent hum.
Her focus is coaxed outward again when Clorinde gives her an affectionate squeeze.
“Time for a nap?”
Furina whines a bit at the suggestion, but she can’t deny that she’s already pretty much on the verge of falling asleep.
“Someone sounds pretty tired to me,” Navia agrees.
Furina turns and wraps her arms around Clorinde’s neck, eyelids fluttering.
Clorinde smiles down at her. “Would you like to go to the couch, or to your bed?”
Furina hums. She’s probably already lost this battle. “Couch?” she mumbles.
“Alright. We’ll go to the couch.”
Clorinde lifts her with relative ease, the same way she had earlier. Navia offers Furina a small smile.
“Sleep well, sweet girl.”
Furina melts at that, smiling back at her over Clorinde’s shoulder.
From the couch, Furina can hear the faint murmur of chatter seeping in from the kitchen. The sun bleeds across the horizon through the window, and the warmth of her throw blankets provides a perfect counterpoint to the evening chill as it begins to set in.
She dreams of an underwater tea party, with blubberbeasts, and stingrays, and seahorses.
The weeks trickle by after that, lost to the steady flow of time. Furina continues to pick up consultancy requests whenever one stands out to her, and even begins to venture further out of her comfort zone, striking up spontaneous conversations and trying new activities.
Her most recent venture had been surfing, which a shopkeeper she regularly spoke to had recommended to her. It had been rather challenging at first, but once she was able to maintain her balance for longer periods, she found herself rather enjoying it. Dazzling sunlight and salt-infused air, the ebb and flow of the waves. It all holds a certain undeniable appeal.
In the meantime, she also makes extensive preparations for her tea party. Neuvillette had responded to her invitation letter with enthusiasm, and promised to take a day off so that he could attend. Clorinde had informed her that Wriothesley would also be taking the day off to attend.
Furina can only assume that their conversation had gone well enough. Although the prospect still makes her feel somewhat nervous, it is not the sort of paralysing anxiety that would’ve caused her to retreat into herself months ago. She’d come to realise that there could be a good sort of nervousness, like the fluttering in her stomach before she delivered a crucial line in a musical, or stood on her surfboard for the first time.
She counts down the days on her calendar, crossing them off one by one as the tea party nears.
Seeing as Neuvillette had blocked off the entire day and the opportunity was a rare one, they agreed ahead of time that he could arrive earlier than everyone else and help out with the preparation. It’s just as well, because Furina’s excitement had led her to regress soon after waking up, and she would’ve struggled to get her fancy gown on if it weren’t for Mademoiselle Crabaletta’s aid. She feels rather grateful that she’d had the forethought to set the supplies out on the table in advance the previous night.
As soon as she hears the knock at her front door, she scrambles over at record speed, nearly tripping in her haste.
“Neuvi!” she exclaims, as she surges forth and and hugs him.
“Goodness,” Neuvillette chuckles, as he wraps his arms around her in return, “hello. I see we are feeling enthusiastic today.”
“Excited,” she says, squeezing him tightly.
A smile graces Neuvillette’s lips as he brings a hand up to her hair, tucking a small section behind her ear. “I’m glad,” he says, before pausing. “I do not believe I have heard that nickname before,” he adds, without judgement.
“Oh!” Furina hums, tilting her head to look up at him. “Mm…it’s easier to say,” she says. She stands up on her tippy toes, cupping Neuvillette’s face with her hands. “Plus it’s cute!” she adds, beaming.
Neuvillette softens. “Then, I do not object. You may call me whatever you are comfortable with.”
Furina’s smile widens. She rocks back from her tiptoes, slotting her hand in Neuvillette’s.
“Come on! I’ll show you everything!”
“Very well. Lead the way, dearest.”
Furina tugs him along to the kitchen, where Surintendante Chevalmarin, Gentilhomme Usher and Mademoiselle Crabeletta all sit on barstools. It seems they’ve removed the packaging from most of the decorations.
Neuvillette gives them a nod. “It is a pleasure to see you three again.”
He gets an enthusiastic response from all of them. Maybe they like him, Furina thinks.
She bounds forth, rifling through a few of the things.
“We have these—“ she holds up a deep blue tablecloth, “and these—“ she holds up a set of blubberbeast-themed napkins, “and these —“ she holds up a matching set of pink and purple candles.
This goes on until she’s personally shown him just about every item on the counter. All the while, Neuvillette nods along, humming in appreciation.
“Aaand that’s it!” She says, as she sets down the final item. “Do you like them?” she asks, eyes wide.
Neuvillette nods. “I appreciate this theme very much. You, Miss Clorinde and Miss Navia have made excellent selections indeed.”
Furina preens at the words.
“Perhaps we should start by setting the table, then?” Neuvillette suggests.
“Okay,” Furina agrees. “Tablecloth first!”
“Tablecloth first,” Neuvillette affirms. “I will take one corner, and you can take the other.”
As they begin to set the table, Neuvillette speaks again.
“It has been a while since we last saw one another. I realise I neglected to ask how you’ve been earlier.”
“‘M good!” Furina says, smiling. “Mm…went to the beach, and I surfed, and, and, I stood up and I balanced…and also, also , I went to the forest to catch butterflies.” She pauses here, pouting slightly. “Didn’t catch any…but I saw them! They were pretty,” she says, matter-of-factly.
“It sounds as though you’ve been rather busy,” Neuvilette notes. “I am glad to hear that you have found some interesting things to try.”
“What about Neuvi?” she asks, as she adjusts the placement of the candles.
“I have been well,” he says. “Things are still busy at the Palais Mermonia, but they have begun to settle now. I believe I should slowly gain more free time in the coming months.” He pauses, as though suddenly remembering something. “I…actually brought something for you. Would you like to see it?”
“You brought something for me?” Furina asks, hushed.
“Indeed I did. One moment while I retrieve it.”
Neuvillette walks over to the counter to grab the bag he’d brought with him, and spends a brief moment looking through it. He extracts what appears to be a necklace, and offers it up for Furina’s inspection.
She lets out an audible gasp when she sees it. The necklace has a large lumitoile charm, which appears to be made out of some kind of rubber.
Furina looks up at Neuvillette, who simply nods.
“Please, take it.”
She does so slowly, and takes a moment to feel the charm. The material gives just slightly when she presses in with her fingers
“I noticed when I visited some weeks ago that you fell asleep whilst sucking your thumb. Thus, when I stumbled upon necklaces with chewable charms, I thought it may come in useful for you,” Neuvillette explains. “Of course, if you do not wish to use it in that way, it is also nice to simply wear it as a necklace in and of itself.”
A smile dawns on Furina’s face at the words. She brings the necklace down over her head, so that it settles around her neck. Then, she steps forth and wraps Neuvillete up in a hug.
“Love it,” she says, in a whisper, “thank you.”
She feels arms wind around her back, drawing her in.
“But of course,” comes the murmured response.
They linger there for a few moments before separating once more.
“How about we retrieve the tea set now?” Neuvillette suggests.
Furina nods, a new burst of energy surging inside her as she bounds toward the cabinets. Neuvillette is quick to follow, hastily suggesting that she exercise caution.
By the time they’ve finished setting the table the midday sun has parted through a previously cloudy sky, beaming in through the window.
Furina gasps when she hears two knocks ring out in her apartment.
“I’ll get it!” she exclaims, before hurriedly making for the front door.
Neuvillette hovers by the kitchen doorway with a faint air of amusement as she pulls the door open.
“Navia! Clori— oh!”
Clorinde appears to be carrying a rather tall stack of cake boxes, enough that her face is almost entirely obscured, which seems awfully precarious. She shifts her grip and peers around the boxes, offering Furina a smile.
“Are those…all desserts?” Furina asks, slightly in awe.
Navia sighs as she enters, removing her sunglasses. “I did try tell to her it would be an overkill. Then, she even insisted on carrying it all.”
“I wanted to ensure that there would be variety,” Clorinde says, in a reasonable tone that rather belies her current predicament.
A smile twitches on Navia’s lips as she turns to Furina.
“So, how’s little miss doing, anyways? Ready for an awesome tea party?”
“Yes!” Furina says, with a twirl. “Neuvi and I have been setting up! Wanna see?”
“I would very much like to see,” Navia says, eyes wandering to the kitchen doorway where Neuvillette still hovers.
He approaches the three of them, offering Navia and Clorinde a nod. “Greetings to you both.”
“Ah, Monsieur Neuvillette. Long time no see,” says Navia.
“Indeed. I trust you two have been doing well?”
“We have,” Clorinde says. “I trust things are busy as ever in the court?”
“It is manageable. Certainly nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Please, allow me to take a few of those boxes, Miss Clorinde.”
As Neuvillette and Clorinde begin to divvy up the cake boxes, Navia catches her eye and smiles.
“Come on, let’s go to the kitchen,” she says, extending a hand to Furina. “You can show me the table set-up.”
“Yes!” Furina agrees, taking Navia’s hand. “It’s super fancy.”
“Super fancy, huh? Well then, I suppose I’ll have to start brushing up on my teatime etiquette, won’t I? Say, what’s the rule for holding your teacup again?”
Furina thinks for a moment, brows furrowing. Then, her face lights up.
“Oh, oh! By the handle only!”
Navia giggles. “Smart girl. Maybe I’ll just follow your lead then, shall I?”
Once they enter the kitchen, Furina lets go of Navia’s hand and bounds toward the table.
“Taa-daa!” she sings.
Navia makes a show of gasping, raising her hands to her mouth.
“Oh, it’s wonderful. You and Monsieur Neuvillette did a great job. And, I knew I made a good choice with those candles.”
Furina beams. She circles around the table, standing behind the barstools where Surintendante Chevalmarin, Gentilhomme Usher and Mademoiselle Crabeletta sit. “And look! Tophats!”
Navia’s eyes scan over the trio, lingering on their little hydro tophats.
She smiles. “Those are adorable. I commend the effort, you three.”
Furina smiles at the trio’s noises of approval. Madamoiselle Crabaletta takes off her top hat and bows her head.
“You know, I think this setup is missing just one thing,” Navia says.
Furina frowns, thinking for a moment. “Hm…what is it?”
“Snacks, of course! What say we help Clorinde and Monsieur Neuvillette arrange the food, hm?”
Furina perks up at that, nodding rapidly. “Ohhhh. Okay!”
Navia grabs the three-tiered tray from the middle of the table and places it on the counter, where Clorinde and Neuvillette appear to be sorting through the boxes.
Furina jumps up onto the counter, carefully moving so that she can cross her legs without accidentally knocking things over.
“Careful, dearest,” Neuvillette says, circling the countertop so that he can hover by her.
“I’m okay! Do it all the time,” she says.
Neuvillette shakes his head. “Ah, but that does not mean you shouldn’t exercise caution.”
“Mmmm…I guess …’kay, I’ll be careful,” Furina affirms.
A fond smile graces Neuvillette’s lips. “Very good,” he praises, leaning over and pressing a brief kiss to the side of her head.
He rests a hand on her back as he leans over to retrieve one of the open boxes. “Here, why don’t we arrange the desserts on the top tier of the tray, while Miss Clorinde and Miss Navia focus on the sandwiches and scones on the bottom layers?” he suggests.
Furina nods quickly. “Desserts,” she agrees.
“Very well,” comes the amused response, “let us begin, then.”
It takes some trial and error, but they manage to arrange the tiers in a way that looks presentable, whilst also squeezing in most of the sandwiches, scones and desserts that Clorinde had purchased from the Hotel Debord. They are just starting to brew the tea when another knock rings out in the apartment.
Clorinde pauses. “Hm. Must be Wriothesley.”
She turns toward Furina, who’s currently sitting on the counter and chatting animatedly with Mademoiselle Crabaletta.
“Furina? Shall we go and greet Wriothesley?”
Furina’s sentence comes to a sharp halt, and she nods. “Yes!”
She’s ready to just jump down from the counter as she normally would, but then she makes eye contact with Neuvillette. She pauses, and proceeds to carefully lower herself to the floor.
Neuvillette nods in approval, which brings a smile to her face as she approaches Clorinde. They venture out into the living room, toward the front door.
When Furina pulls it open, it is indeed Wriothesley who stands on the porch.
He offers them a smile. “Ah. Hello there. Sorry I’m a little late, I was just exploring the area a bit. Not often you get nice weather like this so early into the season.”
“Hm. Checking the security of the perimeter, then,” Clorinde notes, folding her arms. “I have already done so several times.”
Wriothesley chuckles. “As always, it seems nothing gets past you. I’m almost a bit worried you’re starting to pick up on my tricks.”
“I’m sure your penchant for creativity will allow you to form new ones,” she quips.
There’s a lingering smile on his lips as he steps inside, turning his gaze toward Furina. She smiles tentatively in return, fiddling absently with the casing of her vision. She can’t help but feel a bit shy all of a sudden.
“Miss Furina,” Wriothesley greets. “A pleasure to see you as always.”
He punctuates the words with a little bow, which earns him a huff from Clorinde. “A bit formal, don’t you think?”
“On the contrary, Miss Furina is our gracious host. It’s only right to show some manners.”
Furina stifles a giggle with her hand, and offers him a small bow in return.
Clorinde seems amused by the display. “I see. Then, on a slightly unrelated topic, may I ask what it is that you’re holding?”
Furina blinks in confusion, before directing her gaze down to the object Wriothesley has casually held against him. It appears to be round and…metallic? She wouldn’t have noticed it had Clorinde not pointed it out.
“Ah, of course. How could I forget?” Wriothesley takes the object in his hands and turns it to give them a better view. Furina’s eyes widen slightly at the sight. “It’s not often I make trips to the overworld, so I like to see a bit of what’s going on every now and again. I spotted this little guy at Leschots Clockwork Workshop as I was walking by. By no means am I an expert on clockwork toys, but I know enough to know that clockwork penguins are pretty in demand these days. All the rage, so to speak.” He chuckles. “Anyway, long story short, I thought you might like him.”
He extends the blue clockwork penguin toward Furina, who regards him with wide eyes for a moment. She sends a glance toward Clorinde, who nods encouragingly. Slowly, she reaches out, accepting the penguin. She turns it over in her hands, running her hands along its metallic grooves as she examines it.
Finally, she looks back up at Wriothesley with a tentative smile.
“Thank you,” she says quietly, as she brings the penguin to her chest. “…Do you wanna come to the kitchen? We have tea.”
He smiles in turn. “Ah, my one weakness. I’d love to.”
Furina can’t help but feel a small spark of excitement as she turns, leading them both into the kitchen. She watches Wriothesley closely as his eyes scan over the table. He must sense her gaze, because he makes a show of nodding approvingly.
“I see a lot of work went into this, huh? I must say, I wish I had the time to savour tea like this during the workday. Normally, the most I can do is put a bit of music on.”
Furina brings the penguin up to her face to conceal her pleased smile.
Neuvillette chimes in behind them. “Ah, but that is what makes these rare moments all the more meaningful, is it not?”
Wriothesley turns, whistling. “Wow. This must be a special occasion if our responsible Chief Justice is taking some time to unwind.”
“Indeed it is. How are things, Mister Wriothesley?”
As they strike up a conversation, Furina decides to walk over to the table so she can show Chevalmarin, Crabaletta and Usher her brand-new penguin. She nods to herself. Leave the adults to their pleasantries and their grown-up talk, with grown-up words, about grown-up things.
“Do you guys like him?” she asks.
Usher wriggles his tentacles, Crabaletta gives the penguin a pat on the head, and Chevalmarin zooms around the other two.
Furina beams, swinging her legs. “Me too. He has a little beak. See?” She taps the penguin’s beak, before pausing. “Hm. Does that mean he’s a baby? Maybe I have to be extra gentle.”
There’s the sound of a scraping chair to her right, and she looks up to find that Clorinde has taken a seat beside her.
“So. Do you like the penguin?” she asks.
Furina nods. “Mhm, I do. I think he’s just a baby,” she says, matter-of-factly.
A smile tugs at Clorinde’s mouth. “Hm, I see. Will the baby be joining the tea party, then?”
“Yes…but, but babies can’t drink from teacups,” she says.
“I think I have something that may help,” comes Navia’s voice from across the table. She smiles when Furina looks up. “I couldn’t help but overhear your predicament. As the faithful president of the Spina Di Rosula, I pride myself on my problem-solving skills.”
Navia leans across the table, setting what appears to be a hard plastic straw down on the table before them. Furina gasps as she examines it, awash in deep blue and dotted with various sea creatures.
She looks up again, and Navia’s eyes sparkle as she takes the seat opposite Clorinde. “So, what do you think? It’s only in case Mister Penguin needs it, of course, but it’s nice, no?”
Furina nods. “It’s pretty. I…” She pauses. “Mm. Penguin likes it,” she corrects.
At that moment, Wriothesley and Neuvillette approach the table — Wriothesley carrying a pot of tea, and Neuvillette carrying the overloaded tray of food. As they set their respective items on the table, Wriothesley offers the three of them a smile.
“What’s this I hear about Mister Penguin?”
“He’s joining the tea party!” Furina explains, as she gives the penguin’s head a small pat.
“We were just discussing the fact that Mister Penguin may prefer a straw to drink tea with,” Clorinde adds.
Wriothesley’s smile takes on a slightly amused edge. “Ah, of course. Whatever makes him comfortable, after all.”
He takes the spare seat beside Furina, whilst Neuvillette takes the chair at the end of the table.
“Speaking of which…will your blubberbeast companion be joining us, Furina?” Neuvillette asks.
Furina’s eyes widen.
She’d forgotten about Macaron.
“Yes! He’s — I’ll grab him,” she says, as she scoots her chair back and gets to her feet. She scurries out to the hall and into her bedroom, grabbing Macaron from atop her bed cover.
Her rapid footsteps thump through the hall as she bounds back into the kitchen, hugging Macaron to her chest. If she cranes her neck, Furina can just peer over the top of her, which doesn’t exactly give her much visibility.
She hears a chuckle from Wriothesley. “That’s one impressive stuffed toy. I would offer my greetings, but I don’t think I know this one’s name yet.”
“Macaron! Her name’s Macaron.” Furina moves one of her fins, imitating a wave. “She says hi.”
“Macaron, huh? Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Macaron. You look like you could definitely give a good hug.”
She buries her smile in Macaron’s smooth fur, squeezing tightly. After a moment, she walks forth, depositing Macaron on the spare chair at the unoccupied end of the table.
Then, she takes her seat again, and the tea party begins.
Clinking teacups, shining beneath the afternoon sun. The tiered tray, gradually emptying over conversation. The candles slowly melting away, wax dripping down toward the stem.
Clorinde leans forward to give Wriothesley an amused look. “Perhaps you should share the story of how you got those scars, Wriothesley? Last I remember, it was a rather enthralling tale. Perhaps Furina might be interested.”
He laughs, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. “Ah. I see what you’re doing. But maybe this story is a bit too scary to share for the little one.”
“What happened?” Furina asks, looking over at him with wide eyes.
There’s a smug tilt to Clorinde’s mouth as Wriothesley seems to think for a moment, before sighing and shaking his head.
He chuckles. “Alright. But you gotta promise not to tell anyone. It is top secret after all.”
Furina sets her half-eaten cake down on the plate, already enraptured.
She nods seriously. “I won’t tell anyone.”
"Say, have I heard this story before?” Navia asks, amused. “By the way you two are acting, this is something confidential.”
“Oh, that it is, trust me,” Wriothesley says. “The truth behind my scars is that I got them while battling a gigantic underwater sea monster — bigger than this entire apartment — which tried to take over the Fortress of Meropide.”
Furina gasps sharply, bringing a hand up to her mouth. “A sea monster? ” she whispers. “What did it look like?”
“It was pretty beastly — it had blue scales that can shift and change to camouflage in water, a long tail and massive claws. Sharp teeth, too. It’s a wonder I came out unscathed, for the most part.”
Furina squeaks, increasingly alarmed. “Is it still there?”
Wriothesley shakes his head. “Oh, no. No, I was able to drive it away, thankfully.”
“Whoa,” Furina breathes.
Neuvillette sighs over his cup of tea, exasperated and amused in equal measure. “They are only jesting, dearest. I highly doubt such a monster truly exists.”
Wriothesley grins. “Ah, spoiling the fun…he’s right though, kiddo. I’m just kidding.”
“And if it did exist, I’m sure you could make friends with it by giving it cakes,” Navia chimes in, smiling.
“Absolutely,” Wriothesley agrees, “I’m sure it’d have a soft spot for kids, too.”
“And it would certainly throw tea parties,” Clorinde adds.
Furina giggles, kicking her legs a bit. “Mm. That’s not so scary.”
The conversation continues, and Furina feels a distinct sense of contentment wash over her. The sense that she does not have to twist herself up into knots trying to be a person, trying to speak or act or laugh in a certain way.
By the time they wind up the tea party, light blues have given way to a blur of reds and oranges outside. The others have filtered into the living room, but Furina lingers in the kitchen, bathed in the dying glow of the sun.
She thinks back to the first week she’d spent in her apartment, when there had been a limited colour palette of cream-coloured walls and brown boxes. The space is almost unrecognisable now, a riot of colour and clutter and life.
Signs of life are tucked away into every crevice — a mug of forgotten coffee with a ring around the inside of it, dark against pale ceramic, a book on the shelf with a worn spine that sticks out further than the others because of how frequently she takes it out, the decorations that remain on the table, that her, Clorinde and Navia had spent so much time selecting.
And Furina still doesn’t know who she is, not really.
But one glance around at her apartment will tell you what she likes, who she cares for, the little interests she’s picked up and forgotten. The carpet she’s worn from pacing, the ink she’s accidentally smudged while agonising over what to write in letters, the trinkets and gifts she’s received from acting troupes as a show of thanks for her assistance.
For centuries, Furina has always felt needed, but not wanted, present, but not included, observed, but not seen.
She feels differently, now.
And that’s enough for her.
“Furina?” Neuvillette’s voice comes from the doorway. “Are you alright?”
She turns, a smile coming to her lips. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Neuvillette smiles in kind. “Would like to join us in the living room?”
Furina nods.
He holds out a hand to her, and she takes it.