Chapter Text
"Fuck.." A strained groan left the ebony's lips as he rushed to make himself presentable in front of the mirror, his calloused fingers fumbling to button up his shirt.
"Language, papa!" Sigewinne pops her head in just as Wriothesley fixes his tie. The girl had toast, that she had prepared herself, in her mouth, staring daggers at the irresponsible adult's direction.
"If I get scolded for being late on my first day, it's your fault!" The sassy young girl huffs as she chews onto her breakfast. "Sorry, Winnie. I was unpacking last night. Can't be mad at your old man for tryna make our new home, well- homely?" Wriothesley grins as a feigned attempt of relaxing his daughter's false wrath towards him.
To be honest, he was sure this tough act of hers was to hide the fact that she was nervous. After all, it wasn't easy to start fresh in a separate region.
He decided to have the talk in the car, considering they might be even less punctual the more they stuck around in their undecorated home.
Picking up his daughter's bag and swinging it over his shoulder, he gestured his daughter towards the car that Navia had so generously offered them. More about that later.
As he starts the engine and makes their way silently to the elementary grounds, Wriothesley couldn't help but notice the way his daughter shifted in her seat uncomfortably, her school bag wrapped tightly in her embrace.
When they caught a red light, he reaches out to ruffle her hair with a slight smile. "Don't worry so much, Sigewinne. I'm sure they'll welcome you. If not, I'll have a word with your teacher. Yeah?"
"I'd rather you not do anything so embarrassing.. I can handle myself fine!" Sigewinne grumbles, her face lighting up but she seemed appreciative of the gesture. My, where did she learn to act so tough?
Wriothesley finds himself chuckling quietly, patting her once more before pulling away when the light turned green.
Once they reached the entrance, he noticed that there weren't many students going into the school. Probably because the bell had already rung a more than 20 minutes prior...
Sigewinne hops out of the car, taking a shaky breath that didn't go unnoticed. Since there weren't any cars behind them, Wriothesley left his seat as well to wrap his arms around his daughter, hoping to send her off with a clear mind. "You know my number, if anything, call me, alright?" Wriothesley whispers quietly, which in turned earned a nod from Sigewinne.
A bright smile captured his lips as he got up and ruffled her hair, much to the 8 year old's dismay.
"Pick you up later! Love you," He calls out as he enters the car once more, pulling down the window to watch as the girl returns his affection, waving to him before disappearing into the halls of her new academic life.
He sighs through his nose, grabbing his steering wheel as he starts to make his way to the Spina Di Rosula's newly built headquarters in Inazuma.
Both him and Sigewinne moved to the country of eternity due to an investigation that Navia, his boss, wishes to hold here.
He was unaware of the details, but if Navia had promised to support him and his daughter if he accepted the mission and how could he deny a more comfortable life with the child he has come to love caring for?
Clorinde had introduced him the job. For a brief explanation, the Spina Di Rosula was an abandoned organization in ancient Fontaine until Navia's father revived it.
He had turned the Spina Di Rosula's name into a detective agency and carried out investigations for their clients. After his passing, the blonde took over as his place.
Her goal is to serve Fontaine, but she was more ambitious than her late father. And Clorinde mentioned how it was both admirable and a nightmare to handle. She wishes to extend help and build connections throughout the seven nations of Teyvat and Inazuma had been her first 'victim'.
He had solved a few cases during his time in the Spina Di Rosula. And that was where he had met his daughter Sigewinne. The details about it were to heavy to recall.
Wriothesley parked in front of a small but delicately designed building, slamming the car door shut as he entered the headquarters.
"Uh Clorinde? Navia? You there?" He calls out to the nearly empty lobby, raising a brow.
"Sir Wriothesley." A voice called for him and the male spun around to find Melus and Silver greeting him politely.
"The boss is in the discussion room with Miss Clorinde. You should head there while we prepare some tea for the three of you." Melus informs him and Wriothesley thanked them before making his way.
"And look who finally showed up." Clorinde sighs when the ebony strolled into the room like he wasn't around thirty minutes late.
The navy-haired woman leaned back against the whiteboard, her attire prim and proper. A white blouse and tight, black blazer, accompanied with a pencil skirt to her knees. The other woman in the room had the same attire, though unlike Clorinde's tied back hair, Navia had her gorgeous wavy locks pinned up slightly with a bow.
"What? I have a daughter y'know." Wriothesley scoffs as he graciously took his seat on one of the many chairs that surrounded a huge, round table.
"We made sure that your daughter's school isn't far from the headquarters yet you manage to be tardy." Clorinde bites back and Navia laughs calmly.
"It's alright, we're all adjusting to a life in Inazuma anyway! The sun is quite a beautiful sight.." Navia sighs, smiling absently.
Right.. the sun. He had been so caught up in moving that he didn't take the time to bask in it's beauty. During his years in Fontaine, the country was shrouded in dark clouds and heavy rainfall. And if he weren't mistaken, it has been for perhaps a few hundred centuries.
So seeing such clear weather was something a Fontainian would be in awe of.
"Anyways!" Navia clears her throat, her once dull eyes now shining with ambition. "We're all gathered in Inazuma for a special investigation. It's a bit... Different from the cases we usually do." Navia adds.
"What do you mean?" Wriothesley raises a brow.
Their work usually tends to handle matters where ordinary cops can't figure out. Like investing murders, figuring out the identities of people illegally importing goods, preventing assassinations from happening.. Y'know the casual stuff.
"I'm sure you're aware of it! Since we're in a new region, we have to make sure the Spina's name is the talk of the country! We gotta do something incredible here if we have to put our name out! Especially with competition from the Bantan Sango Detective Agency in Hanamizaka!" Navia whines, pouting a bit.
"My father would be ecstatic to hear we off branches from Fontaine and we're here! The furthest possible region from our home country! If we're able to be recognizable, who knows what's next for us and the organization!"
"How do we proceed with that plan without a proper case?" Clorinde inquires, folding her arms.
"I'm sure something will happen!"
"But there's no guarantees they'll approach us instead of their local detective agency." Clorinde refutes, thinking for a while.
"Then we just have to jump in on the action!" Navia pumps her fist, determined to make her father's legacy blossom further.
"All I'm hearing is that we're free to do what we want until an actual case pops up," Wriothesley laughs jokingly, earning glares from the other two women in the room.
"If you want to be out of a job, you're free to do as you please." Navia huffs, possibly wounded by one of her best agent's lack of enthusiasm for her grand plan.
Wriothesley puts his hands in the air and laughs lightly. "Just messing with you two. If anything occurs, both of you will be the first to know. But for now, I think I'd like to enjoy Inazuman culture for a bit. Maybe if we immerse ourselves with the people, they'll feel more comfortable with trusting us or somethin' like that."
"That is the most dumbe-" Clorinde was cut off by Navia's squeal of excitement. "Great idea, Wriothesley! We should try doing some charity work, maybe that'll show them we're friendly and wish to help them with any mystery related problems they're facing!"
Wriothesley cocks Clorinde a smug grin when Navia seemed to enjoy his idea and the navy-haired woman rolled her eyes playfully.
The hours went by quickly as they spent the time to familiarise themselves in the new region they'd be calling home until Navia was satisfied with the Spina's reputation in Inazuma.
If Wriothesley were to take note, he quite likes the convenience Inazuma has. Fontaine is covered with roofs to shield the people from the heavy rain, while Inazuma is an open city that shines underneath the sun. Though, he heard that Inazuma suffers quite the storm themselves, though it's not as frequent as the ones in Fontaine of course.
Wriothesley, terrible with time, checked the clock as he was leaving the supermarket with bags of groceries. In horror, he realized he was nearly an hour late.
Oh archons above.. he's never going to hear the end of it from Sigewinne..
He tossed the bags into the back of the trunk with a grumble as he had a bit of trouble closing it considering the small space but he manages.
He didn't find Sigewinne waiting for him in the front of the school, and Wriothesley would be calling her endlessly if it weren't for the fact that he had no battery.
"Fuck.." Wriothesley cursed as he parks his car, rushing into the halls. If he recalled, his daughter's class should be Swordfish III.
After asking around for a bit, he managed to find the room, peering into the classroom and the sight warms his heart.
There were a few other children apart from his daughter, whom he had no idea of, but they were surrounding a tall man, whose back was facing him. He seemed to be entertaining the children by allowing them to braid his hair, muffled giggles he could hear from behind the door that separated him from them.
He swallows nervously, his palms sweaty because one, his daughter might very well throw a fit at him. And two, he didn't wish to interrupt their fun. However, it's time for Sigewinne to go home. With an intake of breath, he knocks the door lightly, startling the people inside.
The man turned before the rest of them did and holy fuck, did Wriothesley's heart stop for a fragment of a second.
The way the other male's long, braided hair fell perfectly onto his shoulder when one of the children lets it go from the shock of being interrupted. Those dilated lilac pupils from shock (and a certain type of sorrow but Wriothesley does not notice.) His pale cheeks had a rosy hue on them, his glasses slightly falling off his nose. He was about to catch himself staring when the door swung open and his daughter had his arms around his legs.
"Papa! You're very late! See, Mister Neuvi!! This is why I was late today! Papa is-!"
"Woah woah, that's enough. I'm sorry. Don't gotta throw me under the bus." A laugh bubbles from his throat as he ruffled his daughter's hair. His attention now back on the teacher, who was slowly walking towards them. If Wriothesley was blind, which He wasn't, he might have thought Neuvillette was on the brink of tears. But perhaps it was because his eyes shone so brightly?
A slight cough erupted from Wriothesley's throat but he couldn't bring himself to say anything in front of a literal beauty. Say, he might sound ridiculous but maybe he's jealous that Sigewinne will get to see him everyday.
"Are you Sigewinne's father?" A voice so smooth, so sweet filled his ears and Wriothesley swore he could melt.
"Y-yeah, yeah I am." His voice cracked on the first word, trying to cover it up with another cough. A smile spreads on the other man's lips as she glances at Sigewinne and back into his glacial blue eyes.
God if he could have his eyes on him forever.
"I'm Neuvillette, I'm handling her class and the subject of Science and Language. It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Mister..?" Neuvillette's smile seemed to strain but Wriothesley was busy basking in the man's sea breeze perfume to answer.
Until his daughter stepped on his foot.
"O-ow.." He looks at his daughter with a light glare but he could never be mad at her, watching her giggle and smirk at him.
That smug little-
"Wait my bag!" Sigewinne suddenly says, walking off to her seat, only to be interrupted by her classmates.
"Ahem. It's Wriothesley. Nice to meet you too. I'm relieved to see that my daughter is in capable hands." The ebony grins widely, his hand outstretched to which Neuvillette kindly takes and shakes.
And soft hands. Wriothesley added in his head. Damn, what a grip too.
"Papa! Let's go! I'm ready!" Sigewinne pops up out of nowhere and Neuvillette chuckles. "See you tomorrow, Sigewinne. May you both travel home safely." The teacher adds, leaning towards the door as he watched the two see themselves out.
"Mhm!! See you, Mister Neuvi!"
"Hopefully you'll be on time tomorrow," Neuvillette chuckles as they start making their way down the hall.
"Hear that papa? Be on time!" Sigewinne says loudly, earning an embarrassed laugh from Wriothesley and an amused one from Neuvillette.
"For a few minutes, Fontaine had experienced an incredibly phenomenon! The rain had stopped momentarily but Scientists are scrambling to figure out the cause of this temporary pause of bad weather. Is this an era of hope for Fontaine??" The pink-haired reporter enthusiastically announced.
"Wow." Wriothesley shuts off the television. He had just put Sigewinne to bed and he was just watching whatever was on but he didn't expect to be hearing that.
It might not sound like much. But to Teyvat, that ordeal was spectacular. For a region cursed with rain, even a few minutes without it was almost like a miracle.
Though, to Wriothesley, the weather isn't such a big deal. Weather is weather. A little rain won't stop him from doing what he has to do afterall.
If it rained, he'll still bring Sigewinne to school, he has to still go to work and certainly he has to buy groceries to cook.
Speaking of Sigewinne's school...
His mind travelled back to a certain white-haired beauty, his eyes closed and now he had a picture of him in his mind. He wondered if the blue in his hair were extensions or perhaps natural?
And that scent of the ocean when he was around him. It felt as if he was being embraced by the gentle waves and archons, Fontaine's current isn't tame at all. The sea breeze felt so right on that man, and how it brought him into a sense of tranquility so easily nearly made him shiver.
His soft, porcelain-like skin.. so much different from his calloused rough ones. He had to ask him what sort of lotion he used, if he ever used it at all.
He sighs heavily, a hand covering his face as the tip of his ears warmed a crimson color.
What was he thinking?
He simply had a glance at Sigewinne's teacher and he was this down bad?
Hah. His lonely, single heart must be playing with him.