Chapter Text
Interminable loneliness.
Interminable performance.
Furina dared not dream about a day when the masquerade would be over, but she could never keep herself from wondering occasionally.
When would it come?
What would it look like?
How would she feel?
She certainly hadn’t anticipated that at a time when emotions should be surging inside of her like a tide, there would only be resounding emptiness.
Perhaps it is only natural that after centuries of dramatising her emotions, of maniacal bouts of laughter and fits of tearful rage, that everything would wash away once the stage lights went dark.
In the fuzzy aftershock, all Furina had done was sit and watch numbly as the sun cast light upon a nation she thought had been doomed.
Doomed due to her own failure, a stumbling misstep after five hundred years of resolve.
Now, she sits on the edge of her four-poster bed between red velvet curtains. A cruel imitation of a stage, even if she doesn’t have to perform anymore.
Yes…she doesn’t have to perform anymore.
Mirror-her had saved everyone.
She’s not needed anymore.
Furina casts her eyes to her belongings. She’d begun the process of hastily packing them into boxes and suitcases the moment she’d returned to her room. By now, the sky has darkened several dramatic shades and the last remnants of sunlight glow orange along the horizon.
The prophecy had been wrong, and now the sun sets on a nation marred by sin.
She thinks for a moment, tipping her head into her hand.
Perhaps not anymore.
Perhaps all has been forgiven.
The thought does not bring her as much solace as she thinks it should.
Following the day’s heaving chaos, the stillness of her room feels oppressive. Even after all these years, the silence of her own company always has a way of amplifying every unbearably lonely thought inside of her.
For a moment, Furina thinks she imagines the gentle knock at her door. Her head turns sharply, and she waits to see if it comes again.
Sure enough, it does, louder this time.
She considers remaining silent and letting whoever it is pass, but then a familiar voice seeps in.
“Lady Furina? I’m terribly sorry to be disturbing you at a time like this, but…I believe I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you.”
Furina exhales slowly. “Neuvillette?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
There’s a pause.
“…Lady Furina, are you alright?”
Laughter bubbles up inside Furina’s chest and gets caught somewhere inside her throat, bursting out in the form of a sharp, choked-off noise. When she feels something drip onto her leg, she instinctively lifts her hands to her face and finds that they come away wet.
It would seem that she’s crying.
The door opens slowly, and Neuvillette steps into the room. His eyes find Furina, and his guarded expression falls in an instant.
“Oh, dear.”
Tears drip down Furina’s cheeks, and there’s a painful pressure building in her throat.
“How much do you know?” She asks, voice wavering.
Neuvillette lets out an audible breath. His expression is pained.
“Everything.”
The reality of the word crashes down over Furina all at once.
Countless nights spent wishing desperately that she could confide in Neuvillette, countless probing questions from him cast aside with laughter and a flippant flick of her hand, countless guilty tears shed over the clandestine hope that he, in all of his seeming perceptiveness, would just look beyond the performance and figure it out .
But…no. In her heart of hearts, she’d never truly wanted that.
She knew well what her fated responsibilities were, and what the consequences would’ve been should Neuvillette have uncovered her identity. Her resolve had to remain steadfast.
And yet, after everything, he knows now.
He knows.
Furina’s next breath shudders and breaks apart, devolving into a series of frantic sobs that shake her entire frame. Her lungs begin to burn, and she tries to suck in desperately needed oxygen, but her efforts only send her spiralling into another fit of despairing sobs .
Through tears, she looks toward Neuvillette’s blurred form, hovering uncertainly by the doorway.
She holds out her arms, eyes pleading, and Neuvillette softens immediately, shoulders sagging.
He moves forward, sweeping across the room and lifting Furina up, gathering her in his arms. She wraps her legs around his waist and winds her arms around his back, burying her sobs into the crook of his neck. She feels Neuvillette’s chest deflate as he exhales. He hoists her up a bit further so that he can place a small kiss along her hairline.
“You did well, dearest,” he murmurs.
The words only make her heaving sobs come out harder. She feels as though she’s trembling to pieces, an overwhelming feeling seizing up inside her chest that’s impossible to parse out or understand.
“Shhh, shh, it’s alright.”
Neuvillette begins to pace across the room, and Furina sways gently with each footstep. She feels a gloved hand run up and down her back as she tries to take another deep breath, but it devolves into another series of shudders. A whine crawls up her throat, faster than she can temper. Her hands ball up tightly in the back of Neuvillette’s coat, knuckles turning white from the pressure.
Neuvillette’s fingers run gently up her back again, settling in her hair. He runs them carefully through the strands, sweeping them away from her face.
“I cannot imagine how difficult it must’ve been, for all these years.” Another kiss, pressed delicately to the top of her head. “You were so brave, ma chérie.”
Furina hiccups, pressing further into the crook of his neck. She stays there for a long few minutes, basking in the warmth and affection. All the while, Neuvillette continues to pace about the room in loose circles, smoothing a hand along her back and dropping the occasional kiss to the crown of her head.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the tension that had been wound so tightly throughout her body begins to seep away. A day of turbulent, roiling waters finally mellows out into clear, trickling streams. The cacophony dissipiates into the very recesses of her mind, until the only thing she follows consciously is the steady motion of Neuvillette’s footsteps.
Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
She melts fully into his embrace, shoulders sagging forward. Her breaths even out, and her tears begin to dry on her face, creating that familiar tight, itchy sensation she’s come to loathe over the years.
When Furina finally lifts her head to peer up at Neuvillette, a gentle smile comes to his lips.
“There you are.”
He hoists her up again slightly and adjusts his grip so that he can support her with one hand. The other hand comes up to her face, hovering for a moment. A strange sensation washes over her cheeks, almost akin to the feeling of a damp washcloth, and the itchiness from the dry tears is slowly soothed away.
“How are you feeling?” He asks.
Furina sniffles. “Tired.”
Neuvillette nods. “Yes. I do believe some much needed rest is in order. How about we lie down?”
Furina hums in agreement, but then proceeds to tighten her hold on Neuvillette, pressing her nose into his neck.
“Ah. This may present some difficulties,” he says.
Furina only snuggles in further. Neuvillette lingers for a moment, breathing in deeply as he smooths gentle circles over her back. Slowly, he sits down on the edge of the bed so that Furina ends up on his lap, still wrapped around him tightly. He brushes her hair away from her face, humming.
“You may have to let go for a moment if you wish to be in a comfortable position to rest, dearest,” he murmurs into her hair.
Furina whines at the words. She feels exhausted to the bone and she can barely keep her eyes open, but she doesn’t want to let go.
Somehow, Neuvillette manages to soften his voice further.
“Hmm. I must say, these blankets are exquisitely soft. Are you quite sure you wouldn’t like to be wrapped up in them?“
She tilts her head up and rests her chin on Neuvillette’s chest, blinking up at him. He smiles, gently pressing his nose against hers.
“Cuddles?” She mumbles, the syllables blurring into one another.
Neuvillette nods. “Yes, of course.”
Furina reluctantly loosens her grip and climbs off his lap, falling back onto her bed with a thump. She watches as Neuvillette stands, rounding the bed so that he can fold the blankets over her, swaddling her. He smiles as Furina worms her arms out and raises them toward him, making grabby hands.
He sits on the edge of the bed and takes a moment to remove his shoes and his coat, before leaning back and drawing the velvet curtains shut around them.
A certain tentativeness returns to Neuvillette’s expression as he lowers himself onto the bed beside Furina, but it quickly recedes once she snuggles up against him. She winds her arms around him and smushes into the crook of his neck once more. Neuvillette draws her in with a sigh, and she feels one last kiss being placed on the top of her head.
“Sleep well, dearest.”
Furina finds a rental apartment that isn’t too far away from the Palais Mermonia, all things considered. Perhaps some might raise their eyebrows at the choice considering her absolute refusal to step foot inside the site of her centuries-long masquerade. They might expect that she would try to flee as far away as possible.
Truth be told, she’d never intended to do such a thing. She certainly could not see herself burrowing away somewhere in the wilderness far from any semblance of human existence. No, no, that wouldn’t do at all. Much too dull, and…lonely.
Though, perhaps living in the heart of the city is no sureproof guard against the encroach of loneliness.
Furina spends the first days in her new apartment laying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. Occasionally, she manages to spare a glance toward the unpacked boxes and suitcases stacked against the wall.
Once she was no longer regressed, Neuvillette had calmly informed her of all the things he had learned in his encounter with Focalors. It had seemed as though he’d been anticipating some form of emotional reaction, especially considering her outburst the previous night, but Furina couldn’t summon much of anything in the way of a reaction.
It’s hard to put words to the sort of tiredness that has settled into the marrow of her bones and weighed her down for centuries. So, she’d offered him a few words she hoped might suffice.
“I understand.”
Then—
“I’m feeling tired again. I might go and lie down now.”
Furina wonders if she’ll feel tired forever.
Just a few weeks ago she could never have imagined laying still and doing nothing like this for hours on end. It’s as though the tension and adrenaline of guarding her identity had been the only things keeping her from collapsing in on herself.
She sighs, throwing an arm over her eyes to shield them from the bright threads of sunlight filtering into her room through the paper-thin curtains.
Focalars had thanked her. She’d told Furina that she was free to live her life as a human, just as she’d wished they could. But how does one go about such a thing? She’d witnessed the very heights of human emotion during glorious operas and heart-pumping court cases, but she’d never truly considered…this. Mundane, day-to-day existence.
Fontaine has been saved, and…she isn’t needed anymore. Isn’t that what freedom means, after all? Being someone who is no longer needed? She no longer has any grand purpose to fulfil. There’s no reason to distance herself from others anymore, but there also isn’t any reason to get closer to them. She’d only ever known her old acquaintances in her capacity as the faux Hydro Archon, so she doesn’t have any excuse to contact them now.
Perhaps she doesn’t know how to be human.
Furina ponders this for a moment, slowly removing her arm from her eyes.
No, that isn’t right.
She’d spent her entire life acting as a god, yes, but…she’s still human.
Perhaps the real heart of the matter is where her performance stops and her true self begins, but even that isn’t so simple to understand. Her true self and her performance have shaped one another over the centuries, and have become inextricably linked to form the person she is today. She’s no longer the naive girl she was when she’d had her very first encounter with Focalars, nor is she just the role that she’s played since then.
After a few more minutes, Furina heaves another sigh and slowly pries herself from the bed, standing on unsteady feet. She’s out of food, and she’d promised herself yesterday that she would go out and at least buy a few ingredients for macaroni tonight.
She stands in place for a few minutes, willing herself to cross the room and open her bedroom door.
Before she can adequately prepare herself to do so, she’s startled by a firm knock at her front door.
Furina blinks. She hadn’t been expecting anyone. Who would there be to expect? Neuvillette, perhaps? No, he must have a trial today, or…or something.
The knock comes again, and Furina feels a stab of panic. She finally leaves her bedroom, making hastily for the front door.
“Who is it?” She calls, pressing her ear up against the polished wood.
“It’s Clorinde,” comes the voice outside, in that oh so familiar monotone.
Furina backs away from the door for a moment, raising a hand to her chest.
It’s…Clorinde? She’s here to see her? Or, there might simply be certain loose ends to attend to. Yes, perhaps she’s here in a professional capacity. That would make sense.
She unlocks the door and pulls it open, squinting slightly at the glaring sun.
“I noticed the flowers outside your house were dead, so I brought new ones,” Clorinde says, as she extends a bouquet of shining romaritime flowers.
Furina blinks as she accepts them. “I…thank you,” she says, taking a dazed step back as Clorinde enters.
Once inside, Clorinde takes a long moment to scrutinise the apartment, eyes flitting over the bare walls and unpacked boxes. Furina lowers her eyes to the bouquet as she does so, feeling warmth bloom across her face.
Finally, Clorinde turns to her. “Monsieur Neuvillette informed me that he’s covering the expenses of your accommodation.”
Furina clears her throat. “Ah, yes. Yes, that’s correct.”
“Was he unwilling to pay for something nicer? I would be more than happy to cover the difference for better living arrangements—“
“No, no, Clorinde, you’ve got the wrong idea,” Furina rushes out. “Neuvillette had no hand in choosing the accommodation — I chose this place. I…like it. It’s in a good location, and it will suit just fine.”
Clorinde considers this for a moment, a displeased tilt to her mouth. After a moment, she nods.
“Very well then. If you’re sure. But, you should unpack.”
Furina sighs, hugging the bouquet to her chest. “Yes, of course. I…will do so eventually. Moving into a new home is a process, after all. These things can’t be rushed.” She laughs, a bit weakly.
Clorinde stares for a moment, arms folded. “I’ll help you. Come on.”
With that, she walks toward one of the boxes in the bare living room. Furina splutters, hastily setting the flowers aside and following her.
“Clorinde! I, I can assure you that I have it under control, there really is no need to lend your assistance here,” she insists.
“If you put it off, it’ll only make you feel worse. Besides, I’m more than happy to help.”
“I— but— I really don’t—“
Clorinde sighs. “Come on. It’ll take less time than you think. Humour me?”
Furina makes one last noise of protest before slumping her shoulders. “…Alright. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to make a start.”
Clorinde nods. “Good.”
She unsheaths her sword to slice the tape for a box. Furina almost offers to grab a pair of scissors instead, but promptly realises the only pair of scissors in this apartment are the pair buried inside one of the boxes.
“You’ll need furniture, too,” Clorinde says, as she sits down on the ground and extracts a heap of clothes hangers from the box.
“I…” Furina looks about the living room for a moment. Upon inspection, the lack of…well, anything, is quite apparent. Not even a chair.
“…I suppose so, yes.”
Somewhat reluctantly, she helps Clorinde hang up all of her clothes in her closet, before moving on to the other boxes. Surprisingly enough, once she hits her stride, it feels quite nice to slowly fill the rooms of her apartment with her belongings. The space feels a little bit less dismal with each carefully placed item.
While they’re in the kitchen putting away a cutlery set, Clorinde speaks up.
“Though I’m more than happy to help, I did have a purpose for visiting,” she says.
Furina winces slightly. “Oh! Yes, of course. What…what was it, then?”
“I wanted to extend an invitation to you. I’m usually not one for gatherings, but a few old friends are meeting tonight that you may remember. A couple have retired from the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol, but we used to have close dealings with them. I know them personally and can attest to their character, of course. I wanted to see if you’d be interested in coming along, that’s all.”
Furina’s heart races.
A gathering?
She’d spent so long avoiding them precisely because of their intimate nature. It is far easier to conceal your identity at a bustling event than it is when someone is asking you personal questions over wine. She used to brush off invitations like this for a specified purpose, but…she doesn’t exactly have an identity to protect anymore, does she?
Clorinde must get a sense of what she’s thinking, because a small smile forms on her lips.
"I don't suppose you have any reason to refuse now, do you?"
Furina sighs, gaze falling to the tiled floor.
"Well...I'm not very good at this sort of thing, so, um...Don't you think I'd, you know, be a bit of a wet blanket?"
“I don’t think so. These people may not know everything that has occurred over the past week, but they won’t be expecting the Hydro Archon. They’ll be expecting…you. However you wish to present yourself.”
“I, just. I suppose I don’t know how I wish to present myself. I’m not even sure what to do, or what to say anymore.”
Clorinde’s smile softens slightly. “If you’d like my advice, I think you just have to feel some things out as you go along. In any case, I’ll be there, too, should you need support.”
Furina hesitates for a moment, conflict bubbling up inside of her. Though she does not have an identity to conceal any more, there are still so many things that could go wrong…would it really be alright if she went, and just…winged it? It’s what she’s been doing all along, isn’t it?
She bites her lip. “…Okay. In that case, I suppose I will gratefully accept your invitation.”
“Wonderful. I’m glad.” Clorinde seems to think something over for a moment, tapping her chin. “Then, I suppose now would be a good time to choose an outfit, would it not?”
“Ahhh…well…” Furina laughs, a bit nervous. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to dress up, perhaps.”
Clorinde nods. “I saw a nice dress while we were unpacking your clothes. Come on, I’ll show you.”
Once they settle on a suitable outfit for the gathering, it’s only another hour or so before they’ve finished unpacking the boxes and put each item in its respective place.
If Furina had any food left, she might’ve made something for both of them to celebrate a job well done. As it stands, they celebrate with two glasses of water.
Clorinde sits atop a mound of flattened boxes, looking thoughtful.
“I noticed while we were unpacking that you didn’t have any items for children.”
Furina frowns. “Items…for children? Why would I…” she trails off, eyes widening. “Oh.”
“I thought it would be nice to have some things for when you feel that way, that’s all,” Clorinde says, as though it's the most casual thing in the world.
Furina feels her face warm slightly. “Oh! No, I. No, it’s…it’s quite fine, I don’t need anything.” She clears her throat. “I can entertain myself. Or, I can just…wait, until I feel bigger again.”
Clorinde hums. “I see.”
Surprisingly, she drops the topic after that, which saves Furina rather a lot of stammering and embarrassment.
As the sun begins its descent toward the horizon, they start to prepare for the gathering, chatting all the while. Furina sits cross-legged on her bed whilst Clorinde utilises the newly unpacked bedroom mirror to apply her lipstick, and Clorinde watches on with an encouraging smile as Furina brainstorms conversation topics.
“I wouldn’t overthink it too much,” she reminds her, as they finally head out of the door into the evening chill.
At first, Furina can’t quite get her heart rate settled, and she feels as though she’s stumbling her way gracelessly through every introduction. It feels like she’s consciously trying to be a normal person, to stitch her sentences together correctly and time her pauses just right. But, over the course of the night, she loosens up. This is partly a result of the numerous glasses of wine she drains, but also due to the comfort of Clorinde’s presence right beside her.
She eventually finds that laughter bubbles up her throat naturally, and that it doesn’t sound wrong in her ears, elegant or maniacal or restrained. It simply is.
That night, Furina comes home to flowers that aren’t dead and an apartment entirely rid of unpacked boxes.
Perhaps freedom does not have to be quite as lonely as she thought it would.
It’s a slow process, but Furina does begin to venture from her apartment on occasion. Now that her kitchen supplies have been unpacked, she’s even starting to take a bit of pleasure in selecting the ingredients for her nightly macaroni.
Most days, she will venture to the vegetable stand across from her apartment, wander up a bit further to the nearby grocery shop, then call it a day and return to the confines of her apartment.
Today, however, Furina finds herself lingering along the Vasari passage, her bag of groceries slung over her shoulder. The sun has finally broken through the clouds after a week of miserable skies and drizzling rain, so there is more bustle and excitement than usual.
She’s not quite sure when she’d started to observe the people around her on her daily grocery trips. Initially, she’d been so single-minded about getting what she needed without drawing attention to herself that her surroundings had been a blur.
Honestly, she still doesn’t like the idea of drawing too much attention to herself. As far as the public is concerned, she’s a faux archon who knowingly deceived the people. There’s no forgetting a once-in-a-century trial like the one that ultimately found her guilty.
Though her adoration for the citizens of Fontaine was necessarily expressed in the form of dramatic proclamations whilst acting as the Hydro Archon, there is a real part of her that does care deeply for others, and that wishes to observe them. There’s much to be gleaned from their various displays of emotion, far beyond the theatre of opera or court trials.
This time around, her eyes follow two young boys who dart between vegetable and fruit stands in their game of tag, earning the ire of various street vendors. They dart past two women with linked arms, who carry cake boxes as they chat. Their brief bouts of laughter are lost amid a sea of noise.
Furina’s gaze lingers on the boxes of cake, which have the Hotel Debord’s familiar logo stamped into the side. She sighs to herself, adjusting the grocery bag on her shoulder. She’d almost forgotten how much she misses their limited edition cakes.
Hmm…the Hotel Debord is not a very long walk, is it? It’s right by the Court of Fontaine, after all.
Surely a quick trip couldn’t hurt?
Furina looks toward her apartment, then back toward the bustling crowds headed toward the Court of Fontaine’s shopping strip. She hesitates, before stepping out onto the cobbled pavement and joining them.
The streets are so crowded that Furina feels a rather novel sense of anonymity as she separates from the thrum of people and enters the Hotel Debord.
Though their limited edition cakes are sold out, Furina is more than content to leave with a few boxes of small la lettre a focalors cakes.
She intends to head back to her apartment, she really does, but then she spots the library and remembers that she’s read through all the books in her bookcase. Surely that must necessitate more books?
Furina nods to herself.
Yes, yes it must.
When she leaves the library an hour or so later with a bag full of borrowed books, she truly intends to head home this time, but then her eyes spot a large blubberbeast plushie at one of the stalls she passes and before she knows it, she’s frozen in her tracks.
It’s a stall with various toys and items for children. As her eyes travel the length of the table, she spots a set of glowing lumitoile lights, and she brings a hand up to her chest in awe.
Two of her favourite animals? Surely the universe must be tempting her.
Before she can debate whether or not she should approach, the stall vendor seems to decide for her.
“Miss Furina! I wasn’t expecting to see you out here. I saw you had your eyes on our blubberbeast over here?”
Furina’s heart jumps inside her chest at being addressed. She takes a tentative step forward, offering the lady a rehearsed smile.
“Ah! Yes, um, yes I did. I was thinking of buying it for…”
The people of Fontaine know that she doesn’t have any family, so referencing a niece or nephew would be a mistake.
“…A friend! Yes, a friend. They…like blubberbeasts.”
The vendor smiles kindly. “Well, I’d be more than happy to let you take a look if you’d like. Here.”
She picks up the blubberbeast and lifts it over the table, offering it to Furina.
“I…yes, of course. Thank you,” she says, as she accepts the plushie.
Somehow it seems even bigger now that she’s holding it. About half the size of her entire body, to be exact. Its fur is smooth and soft, and her hands can just barely clasp together with her arms wrapped around it. Excitement swells inside Furina’s chest, and she can’t help but give it a small squeeze.
She peeks her head over the top of it and asks, “How much does this one cost?”
“It costs 2500 mora,” the vendor tells her. “Quite the steal for a toy of that size, I would say!”
“I see. And what about those lumitoile lights over there?” Furina asks, gesturing to the lights in question.
The vendor reaches over to grab them, examining the price tag. “These are 500 mora.”
Hm…3000 mora in total. That’s not too bad, is it? That’s about the price of a meal from a fancy restaurant, after all.
Furina looks down at the blubberbeast, with its squashed face and large, round eyes.
After a moment, she nods. “In that case, I’ll take them both.”
“Wonderful!” The lady reaches under the table for a small bag, and carefully deposits the lumitoile lights inside. “You know, we mostly had the blubberbeast as a display item to attract a few looks from people passing by and make our stall stand out, but I’m kind of glad that he’s finally found a home! Now I’ll have to think of what else we can use to catch people’s eye.”
Furina nods, shifting the blubberbeast into one arm so that she can reach for her purse. “Yes! Yes, I’m sure that my, ah, my friend will like it very much. And I look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with. It’s important to stand out when there are so many stalls around, after all.”
“Yes, of course,” the vendor agrees. “And I must say, Miss Furina, it’s a pleasure to see you out and about again. I daresay Fontaine has been a little bit dull without your presence.”
“Oh.” Furina considers this for a moment. “I suppose it has been a while. Well…I appreciate it.”
She hands over the mora, watching as the lady counts through it. After a few moments, she lifts her head again.
“While you’re here, Miss Furina…I’m sorry if it’s presumptuous, but do you perhaps have any plans to return to the stage one day? I know my daughter would absolutely love it if you did. You don’t have to answer, of course, I understand why you’d want to maintain some discretion around your future projects!”
Furina winces. “I, um. Unfortunately, I don’t have any plans to feature on stage for the foreseeable future. I’ve just grown a bit tired of performance, that’s all.” She flashes a smile that feels wrong on her face, like it’s too sharp or too bright.
The stall vendor nods at the words. “Of course, I understand. Well, either way, I look forward to seeing you around, Miss Furina.“
Once they exchange a few final pleasantries, Furina starts on the trip to her apartment, without detours this time.
Considering that had been the first real interaction she’d had with someone who recognised her, Furina would say that it went surprisingly well.
She continues to muse over this as she approaches her apartment, only blinking out of her daze once she notices a package on her doorstep.
With some effort, she shifts her various bags onto one arm, crouching down to pick up the package and wedging it beneath her chin. Attempting to unlock the door is a bit awkward, considering that she has one knee up to balance the blubberbeast on, but eventually she’s able to push inside and set everything down on the kitchen counter.
Furina sighs, scanning over everything. She’d only intended to buy groceries, but then she’d ended up with cake, books, a stuffed toy and lights. Perhaps this could be counted as her very first impromptu shopping spree.
She picks up the package and examines it, eyebrows raising as she scans over its sender.
It’s from…Wriothesley?
She grabs a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawers and carefully slices it open, peering inside.
Beneath layers of bubble wrap lies an intricately decorated porcelain tea set, as well as multiple boxes of tea leaves and tea bags, seemingly in a variety of flavours.
There’s a note stuck to the teapot that reads:
For your new apartment.
“Oh.”
Furina delicately extracts the rest of the tea set, feeling oddly warmed at the gesture.
Wriothesley has long been sending her packages with tea, out of what Furina assumed was merely a show of respect for his archon, but…it seems this cannot be attributed to those same motivations.
She’d only ever exchanged brief words with Wriosthesley, of course, but Neuvillette seems to place a great deal of trust in him, so Furina can only assume that he must be a good person.
She turns, intending to sit down, before quickly remembering that she still doesn’t have any chairs in her apartment. Instead, she scoops the stuffed blubberbeast into her arms and jumps up onto the counter.
She’d considered sending a letter to Neuvillette or contacting Clorinde over these past weeks, but she could never bring herself to. She doesn’t want to be any sort of burden, especially considering how busy they must be. At least…not without some kind of excuse.
Hm…perhaps she could buy a dozen boxes of desserts, and claim that she needs someone to help her eat it all?
She sighs. No, that would be far too obvious.
As she thinks up a few more excuses, her gaze drifts back to the tea set. Suddenly, her eyes widen.
Of course — she could have a tea party!
Then, she looks toward her unfurnished living room and her shoulders slump again.
She’d at least need a table for that. And it might seem too frivolous, anyway.
She thinks a little bit more, squeezing the blubberbeast to her chest.
At the very least she should send Wriothesley a thank you letter, right? It’s only customary, after all.
Furina nods to herself, jumping back down from the counter.
Her blubberbeast joins her on the floor of the living room as she begins drafting out her letter.
Furina truly had not anticipated that a request from the traveller to fill in the lead role for a struggling acting troupe would spiral quite so much out of control.
Of course, she only really has herself to blame for getting so deeply invested in the success of this acting troupe’s final performance together.
In the process, she’d even visited Poisson, which is a place she’d been decidedly avoiding altogether. But…it had felt good to face head on, even if she’d been met with vitriolic stares from most of the people there.
Furina had witnessed the troupe’s collective misery over the passing of their late director and the tension it wrought on their relationships with one another, but she had also witnessed the way they had come together — the fumbling rehearsals, the drama, the laughter.
All of it had culminated in a beautiful tribute to their director, their passion and emotion playing out on the grand stage of the Opera Epiclese. It had truly reinforced Furina’s desire to watch and capture the breadth and depth of human emotion in performance.
And, of course, it had culminated in Furina herself taking to that stage to fill in for the ill lead actress during the final scene.
When all is said and done, she finds herself standing before the Fountain of Lucine. Her eyes are shut gently as small droplets of water from the fountain splash up and occasionally land on her skin.
Over the last few weeks she’d spent hours agonising over her feelings on returning to acting. Does she even truly enjoy it, or had her interminable performance become such an integrated part of her that she feels she must like acting, because what else has she ever known?
Does she like acting, or does the Hydro Archon like acting?
Is there truly any distinguishing between the two?
Perhaps it doesn’t matter so much whether her enjoyment of theatre is an intrinsic part of her or something she had developed along the way.
Ultimately, she’d enjoyed herself on that stage, and found that perhaps she wasn’t as averse to returning to it as she’d originally thought.
“Lady Furina. I did not expect to see you here this late.”
She hears Neuvillette step forth, and feels his presence beside her. She takes a moment to breathe.
“It’s peaceful here at night. I haven’t had the chance to visit lately.” She pauses. “By the way, Furina will do just fine. I’ve…never been particularly fond of the formalities.”
“Oh. I see.”
Furina opens her eyes, only to find guilt written into the lines of Neuvillette’s expression, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
She sighs. “Oh, don’t make that face — I didn’t mean it that way. It’s not serious, I just…it’s a preference I’ve realised, that’s all.”
Neuvillette nods. “Understood. In that case, I’ll make sure to refrain from using formal address in the future.”
Furina nods. “Thank you.”
They linger there for a moment.
“I must congratulate you on your performance, by the way. It seems your guidance was invaluable to the troupe, and your acting was wonderful as always. May I ask what the reason behind your change of heart was? You seemed rather sure that you would not return to the stage yourself when we spoke earlier today.”
Furina smiles faintly. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to. I was so sure that I wouldn’t perform, but then the lead actress fell ill right before the final scene, and I just…couldn’t bring myself not to step in.”
She thinks for a moment, watching the water as it rushes upward and splashes into the pool below. The constant motion shatters any moonlit reflection that may otherwise develop on the water’s surface, but there are brief glimpses of it.
“It’s strange, I was expecting that I’d at least be a little nervous, but as I walked out onto that stage, I just felt this…resolve, come over me. I felt like I was doing it of my own accord, even if my hand had been forced by the circumstances.”
Neuvillette hums. “I can imagine that after all these years, steeling yourself in the face of nervousness prior to a performance must become like muscle memory. But, on top of that, perhaps you finally felt as though you were acting for yourself.”
Furina exhales slowly, turning the words over in her head.
Her performance as the Hydro Archon had been a neverending affair, defining absolutely every aspect of her life. Yet…here, she had willingly stepped into a character who she had come to resonate with, and she had found herself genuinely enjoying it.
By the time she’d reached the final chorus and looked out at the watchful crowd, blinded by dazzling stage lights, she’d felt her heart positively soar.
“Yes,” she agrees, a bit breathless just thinking about that moment. “After so long, I never thought it’d be possible. What does acting for myself even really mean, anyway? When I used to take to the stage, it always felt like I was trying to escape from something, to find some reprieve while still being in the spotlight. But…now that I’m free…I think I do have a desire to express myself.”
When Neuvillete doesn’t respond immediately, a nervous laugh forces itself from her throat, and she casts her gaze toward the ground.
“I’m sorry, you probably just wanted to congratulate me on the performance, and here I am dumping all of these thoughts on you.”
“There’s truly no need to apologise,” Neuvillette assures, “I didn’t intend for the silence to come across badly — I was merely taking a moment to think. As I said when you and the traveller approached me today, I’m very pleased that you’ve rekindled this passion you have for the performing arts, and that you’ve been able to come to these conclusions. It is no easy thing, finding your footing after centuries of playing a role.”
Furina nods. “Yes…I suspect it won’t be easy for a long time. Though, surprisingly, the gods seem to have shown me their favour and granted me a vision. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but…I must be doing something right, I hope?”
“Ah. Yes. Yes, I…suppose so.”
Furina’s eyebrows raise at the awkward tone. She turns to Neuvillette, scrutinising him for a moment.
“Hmm…that’s right. You mentioned that the Hydro Archon’s divine throne has been destroyed, didn’t you? So that means…did you…?”
“I did not play a direct role in your receiving a vision, if that’s what you’re asking. Though the attainment of hydro visions is no longer at the whims of any higher divinity, fragments of my power may still be received by those humans who demonstrate remarkable will. Thus, it is not up my conscious discretion. You have earned your vision just as other vision-bearers have.”
“Oh.” A tentative smile forms on Furina’s lips. “I see. I think I understand.”
Silence falls between them for a moment, filled with the sounds of rushing water and distant night-time bustle. Furina inhales deeply and lets it out in a rush, eyes fluttering shut once more. There’s a gentle breeze, but the evening chill does not have any sort of bite to it.
“I’ve been meaning to write to you,” she confesses suddenly, before her mind can quite scramble to catch up.
“Oh? Well, I appreciate the thought. I do apologise for not making more of an effort to stay in touch following your departure. Things have been rather busy as of late, and…I thought perhaps that you might need some space.”
“Hm. I thought so as well at first, but I think when I left the Palais Mermonia I was seeking distance from the place itself, rather than the people I knew within it. In fact, I…I was thinking…if you’re not too busy, that is! And…and if you want to, of course…” She winces, folding her arms over her chest. “…You could come and see my apartment some time?”
Neuvillette nods. “I would love to. I’d have to check my schedule, of course, but I am more than willing to free up an afternoon to come and visit.”
“Oh!”
Something warm and inexplicable unfurls inside her chest, a tension she didn’t even know she’d been clinging onto.
She smiles. “Of course. You can let me know when you’re free, then.”
“Wonderful. And, while we’re on the topic of your apartment, Clorinde informs me that you are in need of some furniture. I am more than happy to cover the costs and have someone select some for—“
“Oh, oh dear, no, no, no, that won’t be necessary,” Furina laughs, a touch embarrassed. “I can assure you that I’m more than capable of selecting some furniture for myself. Besides, if I want the place to feel like home, it’s only right that I should select the furnishing, is it not?”
“Yes, of course, I understand. In that case, I look forward to seeing your selections.” He pauses. “Have you also perhaps considered purchasing some children’s items for your apartment?”
“Wha— I— Agh , seriously, did Clorinde tell you to ask that?
Neuvillette frowns. “I’m afraid I don’t follow. Why would Miss Clorinde tell me to ask such a question?”
“I…” Furina narrows her eyes, examining him for a moment. “You know what? Nevermind that. I— I can assure you that I’m quite fine as it is. In fact, the other day I even bought a— no, actually, never mind that as well.”
Furina swears that she sees a faint glimmer of amusement in Neuvillette’s eyes. She bites the inside of her cheek, directing her gaze at the fountain before them.
“You appear to be uncomfortable. Would you perhaps prefer I not bring the topic up?”
Furina sighs, unfolding her arms. “No, it’s fine. It’s just…”
“Just…?”
“You know.”
“Do I?”
Furina directs a glare at him. Neuvillette brings a hand up to his mouth, presumably to conceal a smile.
“My apologies. I of course understand that this may be a source of embarrassment for you. However, I believe it’s important to note that there is no shame in your regressing to a younger mindset. I certainly never intend to be judgemental in my inquiries.”
She softens slightly at the sincerity.
“I know that, too. It’s just…still embarrassing.”
“I understand.” Neuvillette looks thoughtful for a moment. “If I may ask, what is it that you enjoy about regression?”
Furina blinks. “What do I…enjoy about it?”
Neuvillette nods. “It seems to me as though you’re often preoccupied with how it embarrasses you, or makes you feel ashamed. Perhaps it's worth considering what it gives you.”
Furina muses over the words for a few moments.
“I’m not sure exactly. I suppose…it doesn’t feel like I’m acting. That may sound silly, considering that we just had an entire discussion about how I’m not entirely averse to acting, but…I feel like I can just be. I can laugh, and react, and…not overthink things so much.” She feels her face warm slightly. “Sorry. Maybe that seems simple.”
“Sometimes the answer is,” Neuvillette says. “That doesn’t make it any less true. I think you are someone who has suffered a great deal in the interests of others — perhaps you deserve to just ‘be’, whatever form you find that may take for you.”
Furina swallows, unbidden tears pricking at her eyes. She subtly catches them with her sleeve.
Dammit. Neuvillette and his wisdom.
“It was a blubberbeast plushie.”
He turns to her. “Hm? I’m…afraid I don’t understand.”
“Earlier, I mentioned that I bought something. It…was a blubberbeast plushie.”
“Oh.”
Neuvillette’s features soften into a smile that he doesn’t try to conceal this time.
“Well, I’m sure it’s a lovely plushie. And does this blubberbeast have a name yet?”
Furina shakes her head. “Not yet.”
“Well, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”
She smiles at the words.
The silence that falls after that is peaceful.
They’ll have to take the aquabus back to the Court of Fontaine sooner or later, but for now, Furina finds herself lingering before the fountain and basking in the quiet company.
Furina spends the following few days experimenting with her vision. In the process she almost floods her apartment a couple of times, which earned her some amount of discontent from her landlord, but she thinks it’s certainly worth it.
It's a strange experience at first. She can feel her newfound connection to the element of hydro, but her attempts to focus that connection and control it fall short. After much experimentation, however, she quickly gets the hang of it.
At her lowest of lows, when Furina felt lost in the performance and couldn’t lean into madness to stiffen her resolve, she used to imagine that three characters from her favourite book were by her side.
The tale of a brave young girl named Crabaletta and her efforts to uncover the secrets of the Mansion where she works, all while developing a close bond with the other servants at the Mansion — the surintendante and the gentilhomme.
A centuries-long curse, broken by young Crabaletta’s heroic efforts.
Though Furina is no longer in the dark place that had led her to dream up friends for herself, the tale continues to remain close to her heart.
It only feels right, then, that these vibrant characters should be given forms that capture the essence of who are they are.
Considering she’d only obtained her vision a few days ago, she certainly hadn’t expected things to go as well as they did.
She finds herself blinking at the hydro creatures before her.
Gentilhomme Usher, in the form of an octopus, Surintendante Chevalmarin, in the form of a seahorse, and of course, the crab-shaped Mademoiselle Crabaletta.
She watches, still blinking rapidly, as Chevalmarin floats across the room, quickly followed by Usher. Crabeletta crawls up to her and slowly extends a claw of invitation.
Finally, Furina manages to reign in her shock, and sheer joy swells inside her. She places a hand atop Crabeletta’s claw, and gasps as Chevalmarin races by them, leaving bubbles in his wake.
She giggles, delighted.
“I know this place might not feel very homely at the moment, but I promise it will feel more like it soon! Hmm…actually, I still haven’t put up those lumitoile lights, have I? Would that help make you guys feel at home?”
Though Furina does not receive a verbal response, she takes the flurry of bubbles they produce as an emphatic yes.
“Very well then! We’ll put them up…hmm…yes, we’ll put them up in the living room. It has the most space, after all.”
Putting up the lights is a more complicated affair than she expects it to be, partially because all three of them seem very eager to help her, which leads to the lights getting tangled up in Usher’s tentacles a few times.
Nevertheless, once they do manage to hang them up, they make for a very pretty sight.
“What do you guys think, hm?”
Chevalmarin and Usher zoom about the room, whilst Crabeletta clicks her claws a few times.
She beams, and takes that as a job well done.
As it turns out, the trio add a presence to her apartment that makes it seem far less stiflingly lonely.