Chapter Text
Furina, formerly Lady Furina De Fontaine, has no idea what to do with her life.
For hundreds of years, she never had to think about something like that. Her mission was to play the part of the Hydro Archon and make sure that Celestia was none the wiser. Day in and day out she played the role to perfection, deserving of every award Fontaine had to offer. She sat upon her marble throne, untouchable to her people. They loved her and worshiped her. She was their god.
And yet, it wasn’t her. It was Focalors they loved.
Furina regrets choosing such a brash and outgoing personality for her alter ego. While she does display some of these characteristics herself, she played them up for the character. She thought she’d be more charming that way. Unfortunately, she was correct. The audience loved the character of “The Hydro Archon” that Furina created.
She had never felt so unloved as she did sitting on her throne in the Opera Epiclese while the audience cheered a name that wasn’t hers.
The loneliness of her circumstance got to her more than she liked to admit.
But she preferred not to dwell on those memories. Centuries of pretending to be someone you're not and having nobody to confide in has lasting consequences on a person. Furina knew this. She was currently learning to live with those consequences.
She still lived alone, but it wasn’t as bad as before. She didn’t have to go to sleep with the crushing weight of her responsibilities anymore. She had friends to talk to her, though she wouldn't say she was particularly close with any of them. She enjoyed their company and had nice conversations with them. But she didn't know how to go about forming a long-lasting relationship even if she wanted to. Centuries of loneliness do that to a person. She felt too distanced, too foreign.
So, most of the time, she ended up instinctively pushing away anyone who tried to reach out on a deeper level.
Monsieur Neuvillette once asked Furina if she saw him as a father figure. Furina chose the wrong time to take a sip of her tea.
“Pardon?” she asked, reaching for a napkin.
“In many stories I've seen and read, characters in a similar relationship as the two of us are usually described as an independent but fragile young woman, and a kind older friend who fills in the role of her father. Is that what you see us as?” He asked in that calm voice of his. Furina had to admit his voice was soothing. Like a warm cup of tea at the end of a horrible day.
Furina pondered the question for a moment. She had no parents—unless you could count Focalors herself. Furina didn't. So, she really has no authority on this subject. And Neuvillette honestly wasn't more than just a close acquaintance of hers who happened to know too many details about her life.
“Sorry to disappoint, but no. You're just a friend to me.” ‘ Just a friend .’ Had that choice of words been too harsh? She made it seem like Neuvillette wasn't worthy of being considered a father figure. He certainly was. He was kind and empathetic, even if he didn't realize it. He was a patient listener and always gave excellent advice. Furina just held no familial affection towards him.
She wouldn't know how, anyways.
“Ah. I see. I'm honored to be considered your friend, then.” The smallest of smiles graced his lips. Furina couldn't bring herself to return it.
On a separate occasion, Furina found herself at the café with famed magician Lyney. He'd offered to treat her to tea and cakes, and Furina had realized all too late that he'd asked her on a date.
“Might I ask what the esteemed Lady Furina does with her free time?” Lyney raised an eyebrow. He was charming—sure—but Furina felt butterflies in her stomach whenever he spoke. And not the good kind.
“I told you, just Furina is alright,” she reminded him. She forced a polite smile for emphasis. It's not that she didn't like Lyney. He was sweet and funny and made her laugh on occasion. But she felt no love.
She wouldn't know what to do with it, anyways.
Thankfully, Lyney could take a hint. “Alright, Miss Furina. I can tell you aren't interested, and so I will pursue you no further. But please, finish your tea and cakes. All my treat,” he said. His understanding smile eased the tension in Furina's gut, if only a little.
It’s not that Furina wanted to push people away. In fact, she wanted nothing more than someone she could confide in. Someone who understood her and enjoyed her company. Someone who knew her better than she knew herself. Someone who would be there for her, no matter what. Someone who would comfort her. She wanted someone to love.
She just hoped that, one day, she’d meet the right person and things would click. She would easily accept someone like that into her life, no questions asked. Furina wanted it more than anything .
Furina had heard the term ‘hopeless romantic.’ It was a popular character trope in theater, after all. But the hopeless romantics she’d seen on the stage had always been rays of sunshine with an optimistic view on life. That couldn’t be further from her right now. Her world had been drenched in darkness for centuries. She had succumbed to it.
But now, she was suddenly thrusted into the light. A perfect Fontaine, with a perfect Archon. She has her freedom and she has friends. She even has a vision. She should be happy. What else could she ask for? Why was she being so ungrateful for the gods’ gifts?
Furina only felt guiltier.
There had to be a way out of this mess. The one thing she liked about no longer being the Archon was that she saw Fontaine from a whole new perspective. The novelty was exactly what she needed. It was fresh and exciting. But it soon grew dull.
She’d heard tales from merchants and adventurers who’d been outside of Fontaine. She’d heard the Traveler’s stories from before they arrived in Fontaine. She knew there was a much bigger world out there. She’d always wanted to see it. And now that she was no longer the Archon, she had that chance.
Furina decided to plan a journey across all of Teyvat. She wanted to see the sights of the world. Taste their delicacies. Partake in their festivals. She wanted to experience it all. And she wanted to do it alone.
She wouldn’t miss Fontaine much. She might miss her few friends, but the Nation of Hydro was home to many bad memories. She thinks it’ll do her some good to leave for a while. If all goes well, Furina will be a different person by her journey’s end. She wasn’t sure what exactly she was looking for. But she’d seen stories where the protagonist goes on a life-changing adventure and ends up completely different. Maybe she hopes it will happen to her. Archons know she needs some changing.
She laid a map across her kitchen table and brought out a pen. She had never planned a trip before, let alone such a long one. She took her time going over every detail on the map. She planned her route, decided which cities she’d visit, what transportation she might take, and how long she’d stay in each place. She could work out the rest of the details when necessary.
She planned to start by heading south to Sumeru City. Then cross The Chasm into Liyue, and visit Liyue Harbor. From there, she’d take a boat to Inazuma. After her stay in Inazuma, she’d take a boat up to Mondstadt. From there she planned to hike to Chenyu Vale, and then further north back to Fontaine.
She admired her scrawling all over the map with a satisfied smile. It all felt so much more real. She was going on an adventure. She was becoming someone new. As all the stories say, she was going to find herself.
Furina liked that phrase. It suited her perfectly. After centuries of playing the role of Focalors, the Hydro Archon, she hardly knew who Furina was. She knew that Furina was shy, but bold and kind-hearted, and loved to eat sweets. But she didn’t know much more than that. Hopefully she’d learn a few things about herself on this trip. She grew more excited by the second.
This trip was exactly what she needed.
***
Days of preparing for her trip finally paid off when she hopped on the ferry to Sumeru. She watched her hometown grow smaller and smaller in the distance, as the unknown drew nearer. The red sands in the distance were captivating. She squinted her eyes to keep them from watering. It was so bright.
She’d only seen Sumeru in photographs. She knew half of it was a scorching desert, and the other half was a humid rainforest. So either way, it would be hot. If she recalled correctly, Sumeru was the Nation of Wisdom, with Lesser Lord Kusanali as their Archon. Furina had never met another Archon. She was unsure if she lamented this fact.
Meeting the other Archons would have been stressful, certainly, but she wanted to know what a real Archon was like. Did they talk differently than her? Act differently? How did they think?
But Furina had been sure they’d see through her facade instantly. So she had never met one. Now, however, Furina was a mortal, so she could get all her answers. Maybe Lord Kusanali would let her visit. Furina knew they were roughly the same age, about 500 years, so perhaps meeting Lord Kusanali wouldn’t be as scary as meeting any of the other Archons.
On the boat with her was a pair of adventurers and a merchant. Hopefully she could tag along with one of them to Sumeru City. She had plenty of maps and guidebooks with her, she just thought it might be easier with a guide. She timidly approached the adventurers. They recognized her instantly.
“Ah! Lady Furina! What an honor!” The taller of the two said.
“No, no, just Furina is fine,” she insisted.
“What brings you out here? On a boat to Sumeru?” The other asked. Furina paused, unsure of how to answer.
“I’m on an adventure.” She immediately regretted saying it. It sounded too corny and… cliche. Furina may be a lot of things, but she is not cliche. “I mean, I’m going on a trip around Teyvat,” she clarified. The two adventurers nodded, clearly enamored with anything she said.
“Are you heading to Sumeru City first?” the tall one asked.
“Yes. I was hoping that I could tag along with you,” she admitted. The two adventurers shared a look.
“Apologies La— Miss Furina, but we won’t be going that far. We’re just going to study the temples in the desert,” they explained. Furina huffed and nodded.
“I understand. Thank you, anyways. Good luck” she said. Maybe that merchant would help her. She walked towards the other end of the boat. He seemed to be dressed in exotic clothes, so perhaps this was a return trip for him. Furina wasn’t quite sure what region he hailed from, however.
“Good morning, sir,” she greeted with a smile. He did not return it.
“Yes?” he asked, impatiently. Ah. She may as well just get to the point.
“I was hoping I could go to Sumeru City with you? So I’m not traveling alone?” she said. He narrowed his eyes at her.
“5,000 mora and you have a deal.” He held out his hand. Furina took it gratefully. Truth be told, she couldn’t read maps very well. There was the very real chance she would get lost in the desert. She shuddered at the thought. What a horrible fate, dying out there all alone.
“Where are you from?” She asked, attempting to make friendly small talk.
“Inazuma,” he said, curtly. Furina decided no more small talk. She took her seat and continued admiring the red cliffs up ahead. They loomed above, the sharp peaks almost like a warning.
For the first time since her journey began, she felt nervous. Was this the right decision? Should she really have abandoned her home like this? What if she ran out of money halfway through her trip? What if she felt even worse after she returned to Fontaine? What if something went wrong and she never came back?
That last thought made her shudder. No. She wouldn’t let her mind go to such dark places. Not anymore.
***
After a few days of venturing through the desert, and eventually the rainforest, Furina and the Inazuman merchant arrived in Sumeru City. She found that she didn’t mind camping out as much as she thought she would. She liked to admire the constellations at night. She paid the mora and the merchant went on his way.
Furina decided to soak up the atmosphere before finding a place to stay. The city was full of new sights and sounds. The instruments she heard playing from street corners were nothing like the ones back home. The smells were nothing like she’d ever smelled before. Usually she was partial to sweet treats, but all these savory snacks for sale were making her open her mind a little. She decided to purchase one later, since she ate recently.
For the time being, Furina was content just walking around the city aimlessly. She was in no hurry, after all.
She noticed lots of young people who were wearing the same green and white outfit. A tunic with a matching cap. She thought the ensemble was terribly unfashionable. Still, she held her tongue. No point in making a fool of herself on her first day in the city. She’d be here for a month, after all.
She made her way around the city, slowly taking in the ambiance. Eventually she hoped to get a proper tour, but this would suffice for now. She stopped right below a large branch of the Great Tree. She looked up to admire it.
The Gods’ generosity truly knows no bounds. They gifted humans such a beautiful and sturdy tree to build their city on. What a thoughtful gift.
The Gods were generous, Furina repeated in her mind. The Gods are generous. She liked reminding herself of that. They gave me a Vision. They favor me. She hoped that thinking these things would comfort her ever-present wounds. This means I am worthy of Celestia. I am a good and brave person. It felt silly to think such things, but she found herself thinking them a lot. Somehow knowing that someone, somewhere cared about her enough to give her a Vision, and guarantee her a spot in Celestia, made the weight on her shoulders a little more bearable. She knows she has other people who care about her. But her Vision was tangible proof. She is favored. She is wanted.
If she didn’t constantly remind herself of this, she would probably fall back into the all-too-familiar pit of loneliness. She is not alone. She is not alone.
She touched her Vision. She did this a lot. Just to remind herself that it was still there. It was cool to the touch, and felt like glass. When she shook it, she heard a sound like sloshing water from inside. This made her wonder about the physical properties of other types of visions. She never had the courage to ask her friends, though.
“Are you lost?” an unfamiliar voice asked. It took Furina a moment to realize the question was directed at her. She pulled her gaze away from the branches above her and saw the owner of the voice. He was tall, blond, and very well dressed. Furina was especially fond of his red cape, and those dazzling earrings. He gave her an empathetic look.
“Oh, no need to worry. I’m only out for a stroll,” Furina assured, not interested in causing trouble.
“Ah, I see. Are you a tourist, by any chance?” he asked with a smile. Furina couldn’t help but smile back.
“Why, yes. I’m visiting from Fontaine on a tour all around Teyvat,” she said. The man’s red eyes widened.
“Fontaine? I love Fontaine! I have family there, so I visit often. How long will you be in Sumeru?” He seemed quite friendly. Furina enjoyed the small talk.
“I’ll be here for a month. I just arrived today and everything is so overwhelming! I have no clue where to start,” she said, gesturing vaguely around her.
“I know how Fontanians like their operas. Have you been to the Zubayr Theater yet? One of my friends is a dancer there—she’s amazing. You have to see her perform,” he sounded so excited.
“A theater? Say no more!” Furina almost giggled. She hadn’t talked like this with someone in a while. Pointless, pleasant chatter. It made her feel like she was at a tea party. “Where is it?” she asked.
“The Grand Bazaar. If you’d like, I could show you where it is.” Before Furina had the chance to answer, someone else joined the conversation.
“I thought we were going home, not offering tours,” said an annoyed voice. The speaker appeared out of nowhere behind the blond man. He was also tall and had graying hair that swept over one eye.
“Alhaitham! Don’t sneak up on me like that,” the blond sighed. “We can afford to spare some time to show this nice woman where the Grand Bazaar is, can we not?” He sounded slightly irritated. The gray-haired man shrugged.
“As long as it doesn't take too long,” he mumbled.
“I can find it on my own if you have somewhere to be,” Furina assured. She had no interest in disrupting anyone’s plans.
“Oh, don’t listen to him. We’ll gladly show you,” the blond said, with that infectious smile. He started walking, the gray-haired man trailing behind him with his nose in a book, and Furina followed. She quickened her pace to keep up. It was unfair that she was so short.
They led her to a doorway on the side of the Great Tree itself, which intrigued her. She became more intrigued when that doorway led through a small tunnel, and a set of actual doors. The blond man held them open and her senses were bombarded with sensations. The lights, the sounds, the smells, it was all too much. She ran into it.
There was music coming from seemingly everywhere. Smells of incense and spices and delectable snacks wafted through the humid air. The echo of conversation off the walls only added to the noise level. She stood in the middle of the street, taking it all in. It was almost too much. Furina loved it. She’d never experienced anything quite like this before.
“Oh, it’s magnificent! ” Furina said, lost in the beauty surrounding her. She heard a soft laugh and returned to reality.
“It does have that effect on people. The theater stage is right up there. It looks like Nilou’s performing right now!” The blond sounded just as excited as Furina was to see the performance. Furina wasn’t sure what to expect. She hadn’t set her hopes anywhere near as grandiose as the Opera Epiclese. Still, the stage was lackluster compared to what she expected. Not even curtains to close. Not even a side or backstage.
But all her complaints vanished the moment she saw the dancer.
The performer, Nilou, according to the friendly blond, was entrancing. She moved expertly, every move carefully curated. As if the music had been composed specifically to follow her body, and not the other way around. Furina felt herself moving closer, but didn’t remember telling her feet to start walking. She had long, red hair that moved like flowing water when she twirled. Her costume was elegant, with billowing white and blue fabric, and gorgeous gold-adorned horns upon a headdress. Furina wasn’t sure who the costume was representing, but she thought it was beautiful nonetheless. It definitely suited the dancer.
Her ocean blue eyes fixed on Furina, and she felt the air leave her lungs. Furina suddenly forgot there were other people in the audience. This dance was for her and her alone. She stood there, mouth open in awe, and watched the dancer’s flawless performance. Furina couldn’t remember seeing a performance as passionate and beautiful as this in all her 500 years. Sure, Fontaine’s operas weren’t solely focused on dance, but some of the stories were incredibly moving. And still, this performance seemed to leave them all in the dust.
The song ended on a high note, while Nilou stretched her arms towards Celestia, head bowed. The crowd erupted into cheers and Furina was reminded she wasn’t the only one who had witnessed it. That made her a little salty for some reason. Nonetheless, she joined in on the cheering.
“Bravo! Bravo, I say!” She clapped excitedly. Nilou grinned like a young child getting a puppy. She bowed elegantly and locked eyes with Furina again. Furina suddenly felt a little warm under all her layers. Maybe she shouldn’t be wearing a jacket in this heat. Maybe it isn’t her outfit causing her to flush like this.
Oh, my… Furina thought.
She’d never believed in love at first sight. It was a common trope in the operas she watched, and while sweet in the story, she never believed it was possible in real life.
But she had just been proven wrong.
“Isn’t she stunning?” a familiar voice asked. The blond had returned to her side. “I think everyone falls a little bit in love when she dances. She’s just so… breathtaking…” he sighed dreamily. Furina found it endearing.
“And with me standing right here,” the gray-haired man huffed.
“You—! I-I… You know what I meant!” The blond crossed his arms indignantly. Furina didn’t even bother wishing them goodbye before rushing up the stairs to meet Nilou halfway. She had no idea what she was thinking. Her body reacted before her brain did when she noticed that Nilou was leaving.
“That was amazing,” Furina managed to say. Nilou’s smile somehow grew wider.
“Thank you very much! I appreciate the compliment.” She sounded like she genuinely meant it. Furina wondered how many times a day she was complimented. Probably not nearly enough.
“I’ve seen my fair share of theater performances, but never anything quite like that. It was… mesmerizing,” Furina sighed. Nilou’s cheeks flushed and she looked at the ground.
“Oh, you’re too kind!” she giggled. Furina smiled at the sound. It was sweet, and made her think of thousands of tiny golden bells ringing.
“May I ask about your costume? It’s beautiful, and suits you very nicely.” Furina couldn’t stop the words from coming out of her mouth. She tried to save it. “I-I’ve been in quite a few productions myself, and never seen such a gorgeous costume.” Nilou’s eyes lit up, like she’d been waiting for someone to ask her that question for years.
“It’s supposed to be a representation of the Goddess of Flowers. I hope it's pretty enough to do her justice!” Nilou twirled, and her skirt spun with her. It’s more than pretty enough, but Furina bit her tongue this time.
When Nilou spun, Furina noticed something on her outfit she didn’t notice before. “You have a Vision?” she asked.
“Oh! Yes! I found it attached to my waist after what I consider to be one of the greatest performances of my life,” she said with a sheepish chuckle.
“Really? That’s almost exactly how I got mine!” Furina said. Nilou looked up at her with something in her eyes. Furina couldn’t place just what it was. Something akin to excitement, perhaps?
“Oh, I would love to hear the story, really, but I have somewhere to be,” Nilou said, her pretty smile fading and being replaced with a frown. “Tell you what, meet me tomorrow morning at Puspa Cafe and you can tell me over coffee. Sound good?” She asked, starting down the steps. Furina nodded wordlessly. Nilou smiled and ran off.
When she came to her senses, Furina realized what she had just done. She had witnessed one of the most beautiful performances in her life, and flirted with the performer. And it worked. She had just scored a coffee date. She should be bursting at the seams with excitement. She had a date. A chance at making a real connection with someone. Wasn’t this exactly what she had been hoping for?
But all she felt was dread. Maybe it was normal to be nervous. But she couldn’t shake the feeling. Was she ready for something like this? To really get to know someone? To have a meaningful relationship?
Furina knew she wanted it—more than anything—but she didn’t know if she could handle it. Would she be too scared to even say anything? Would she know how to have a proper conversation beyond small talk? What if Nilou found her uninteresting? Worse, what if Nilou didn’t like her?
Well, there’s no turning back now, is there? Maybe this would be good for her. She should do more things out of spontaneity. It felt good to just decide something out of nowhere like that. Like she had more control than she realized.
No more testing the waters, she decided. From now on, she’d be diving into things head and heart first.