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It’s been two months since Furina's been hiding away. She lived in a small house now, isolating herself from the people she had known to be adored by. Whether or not she was happy was a difficult question for Furina to answer. In some ways, she felt the best as she could have been, she was finally her own person, finally free from the curse her Archon had gifted her, but in the same manner, she had no meaning now. She wasn’t meant for any grand scheme the Gods had planned, she was just Furina.. The false archon of Fontaine. And that was a hurtful realization
. It took a bit of convincing that she was okay, but finally Furina was back on the stage. Neuvillette was wary at first, he always wanted Furina back, he missed her but when she suddenly reconnected with him, asking for the Opera Epiclesis for one evening, he had his suspicions. But Furina stared at him with wide eyes. “My whole life I’ve been forced to play a role, and now that I’m finally ready to do something I enjoy, you want to stop me?” She had pointed out and Neuvillette had no counter arguments. And tonight was the night Furina had been planning.
Furina had spent the morning picking out her outfits, she wanted to wear something white to make herself seem like a pure heaven sent Angel to the audience, though most of her clothing was blue and black, she finally managed to find a white frilly dress, trying it on she thought it fit perfectly, it reached slightly below her knees to make her feel comfortable with its length but not too long to make it see to regal, it had a flow to it like water and would swirl upwards with her body movements. It was perfect for Furina, perfect for the night she was planning.
The people of Fontaine were filled with eagerness to see Lady Furina perform again, many had mixed feelings after what had happened but after the 2 months of healing, only a few hard feelings were left. Mostly from Fatui children or those of Poisson who still blamed her for not acting quicker. When news of this performance reached all corners of Fontaine, many of them were wary. A certain Harbinger even had her own attention caught. As much as she wanted to pretend, she had a soft spot for the Archon, for her homeland. Maybe this Opera would be the closure she so desperately needed, that was what she was hoping.
It was raining that day, a symbol that used to strike fear in the Fontainions, a looming dread of the prophecy to come, but that prophecy had passed and rain no longer brought fear, to some it meant change. That something big would happen, to some it meant peace. Perhaps this was someone's final chance to stop what would happen that evening, a final beg for help, one that went unheard to all.
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After a bit of preparing, everything was ready, Furina stared at herself in the mirror with a huge smile, this would be life changing, the final resolution to everything that ever had bothered her, and she wanted to look the part. Glitter on her eyelids, striking pink lipstick and heavy blush reminiscing old stage makeup. Her hair is so delicately curled and tied up with Neuvilette’s help. She couldn’t stop smiling. Soon she heard a knock on the door.
“Miss Furina, may I come in.” It was Neuvilette, the one person who stayed by her side throughout all 500 hundred years, and the one who orchestrated her downfall.
“Ah! Neuvillette! Come in come in, I was just finishing up, is it a full house tonight?”
“It is but I can not help but wonder what purpose did you have setting this up… You were quite strict about my involvement in it.”
“It’s a surprise! Is that not what theater is all about? Not knowing, today you are a part of the audience, if you knew what surprises I had in toe, then it wouldn’t be very enjoyable for you, would it? So just, trust your former archon, and your present friend… Please.” At her softening of voice, Neuvillette relents, he could never argue against her even if he tried.
“Well, it’s 5 minutes before showtime. Be safe Furina.” He said before leaving.
“Be safe Furina..” Those words repeated in her head as she practiced her dance, every footstep to perfection till she could do it without thinking, the perfect finale that she had so delicately planned. As she walked on stage and the center light went to her, she couldn’t help but freeze. She had no one else around her right now, just her on the center stage, she could hear the audience whisper about her and she wanted to run and cry. She promised herself she wouldn’t be on stage and yet here she was, but she reminded herself who this was for. Herself, not for any citizen of Fontaine, any traveler who dares judge her from afar, any Fatui who questioned her ability, it was for her, Furina de Fontaine.
The first portion of her act was dance, no lyrics just interpretive dance, she let the music flow through her body as she used her hydro vision to add elements of awe, she made use of the stage expertly leaving no area left untouched, and once it was finished, she made a wave hit her, leaving her standing in the middle of the stage dripping wet. But this was not the end of her performance, of her finale, finale. After the applause had cooled down she stared proudly up at the audience.
“People of Fontaine! Those who grew to love me as their archon, and now as an idol. This performance is dedicated to you. To all of you who supported me throughout the years!” She paused before walking towards the front of the stage. “But even with thousands of people daily singing your praise, when you live a lie, life is lonely. And now, I’m not living a lie anymore, and I am forever grateful, Neuvillette has been nothing but the sweetest person I could ask for to be by my side.” She said sweetly before sighing. “But you all showed up to this performance, you all want me to return to what you knew before to the lie we all had believed and pray to return. This performance is here to show you that it will never happen. This is my final moment on the stage. So my adoring fans! All please feast your eyes on the final act of Furina!” Furina snaps, and a prop she had created, similar to the guillotine used to execute her, fell crashing down on her.
After managing to get her from the crowd Neuvilette successfully got Furina’s bleeding body to his office, she laid on the couch, her head resting on his lap while he anxiously awaited Siggewienne’s arrival.
“Public suicide… of all things I would have expected from you tonight, it was not that. I truly believed you were getting better.”
“I am..” Furina spoke softly with a smile as her glossy eyes stared at him. “I’m freeing myself, this is my first life changing choice as a freehuman, I’ve lived 500 years, I just want to go free now. Please don’t hate me for it..”
“Hate you-? Furina.. I-. I could never hate you. Never in 500 years, of the rest of my immortal life. You are the strongest person I know.” Neuvilette started rubbing her head comfortingly, while her stomach bled out, he was silently thankful she was not decapitated, he would not have held his composure to see his friends head lying on the floor. “But please.. Stay strong, for me Furina, help is coming now… I promise you it will be okay.
“Shut up.” Furina snapped as best she could while being on the verge of death. “Please just shut it… It hurts Neuvillette. I don’t want to hear your begging for me, I can’t hear it. Please, let me be selfish just this once, and give me this moment.”
Neuvillette stared at her, his face numb but his eyes filled with tears, he realized by her face, and her slowing heart rate, she wouldn’t make it. So instead of arguing with her he brings her closer to him, and hugs her tightly. “When Focalors died, she asked me not to cry, she told me it would be alright.. Furina. Please do not cry, I will do the same as she did for me.” Neuvillette was not the best at comforting, but softly a low hum came from his throat. As he started to rock her like a father would rock a child. Furina smiles up at him now.
“It hurts.. A lot less when you’re not alone…” She said, her voice cracking. “I can see the end now… but I’m not afraid-” Furina spoke despite tears falling out of her eyes. “Just please Neuvillette,,” She spoke with a begging voice. Neuvilette looked down at her, but in that moment she just smiled, as her body went slack. “Bonne journée, mon amie…” Neuvillette held her tightly one last time.
“Au revoir ma Lady.”