Chapter Text
Every time Furina randomly remembered she prayed to never see that woman again. The red crosses regularly appeared in the corners of her eyes and in her dreams every now and then, reminding her of her weakness. And of her hunter.
The Knave was such a sadistic woman it made her sick. When she first met her as a Fatui Official she mutely stared at her hands in shock, these black hands of a killer, for couple of seconds not being able even to introduce herself properly. This woman knew that she knows. She wanted her to know. If she didn't then why would she show her these signature nails from that night? Furina's shame and frustration didn't help her overwhelming fear, especially since knowing that the attempt of an assassination belonged not only to a professional killer but to the 4th best one.
Hopefully, now things were better. Furina was retired, they didn't have to meet each other. There's no reason for it, right?
"...Unfortunately none of my children could deliver our small present to you this time. I've found it as a nice opportunity to express my apologies for the previous misunderstandings in person. I hope my presence doesn't cause you any discomfort, Miss Furina?"
Arlecchino stood right in front of her apartments holding what seemed like a box of assorted pastries. Some time ago it had used to be cakes, but later living completely alone Furina found them too sweet and too big for her liking. Maybe now with her new obtained mortality her body reminded her to eat something different and a bit more healthy this way, she didn't know. But she remembered that couple of times cakes could've gone bad before she managed to eat them entirely. Interesting enough, soon after these incidents Lyney started to deliver her assorted pastries. She didn't want to ask why though. Let it be coincidence.
Furina gazed at the box for a second, avoiding looking at the Knave's face. Her voice was as strict and serious as she remembered.
"N-no, not at all! I'm j-just a little surprised to see guests today! Hehe..."
Furina sheepishly laughed trying her absolute best to repress the intense trembling of her body.
"Would y-you like to... come in?"
Lyney never stayed to chat with her. He rarely showed himself at all. She knew it was him by pure luck recognizing the sight of his hat out of the window one time. She was thankful for that, really. The fact of delivery was pretty awkward for her by itself. She was sure it was the same for him too. This time though she was too afraid to know what would happen if she were impolite.
"I have some duties undone so I have to decline your offer this time, I'm afraid. But I must say the weather is quite nice these days. I'd be glad if you'd accompany me for a walk at the shore tomorrow evening. As far as I've heard you enjoy surfing, yes? The sea breeze feels fresh you might enjoy it. Well, It is only if you don't have any undone duties tomorrow."
Of course she doesn't. The Knave knows that. She knows everything. She will never let her free.
"...I'd love to." Furina silently said, not looking in Arlecchino's eyes even once.
They were walking along the shore edge. The sea breeze was indeed very nice, much better than stiff air of Furina's room. But Arlecchino's presence wiped out all possible enjoyment of the place. There was a thought in Furina's mind about summoning one or two of her familiars, but she was too afraid of them going into fighting mode near the Knave. So they kept walking in silence, listening to the birds and the sea, none of them knowing how to start this awkward conversation.
"Miss Furina," Arlecchino interrupted the silence of girl's thoughts, "Are you afraid of me?"
Now what's that supposed to mean? What will she do with my answer? Is she going to make it worse?
"I-I'm-" Furina's brain was working tirelessly. She stumbled out of internal panic almost falling onto the Knave. Before any of them could say anything the hydro vision shined brightly. Surintendante Chevalmarin appeared out of thin air looking at Arlecchino right away.
"N-no... I didn't want... I-it was-" Furina mumbled not knowing how to explain sudden activation of her vision. It was by pure instinct. For those long seconds of thinking about any possible neutral answer she desperately wished for protection.
The Bubbly Seahorse made a threatening noise and proceeded to shoot the Knave with her hydro bubbles. The woman didn't look threatened at all, her spear slashing the small familiar as it was just a usual hydro mimic. Furina grimaced at the sight, but noticed how the Knave lost her balance for one moment during the Chevalmarin's dying splash. It seems she didn't expect any attacks from Furina. Her mistake. Seeing the opportunity the girl struck Arlecchino's legs with her sword, making her partially fall onto her knee.
Before Arlecchino could get up Furina jumped onto the woman. Not thinking about anything in particular she grasped her neck like it was her own lifeline, making them both fall on the ground. Furina placed herself on the Knave's stomach and squeezed. But even now she didn't dare to look Arlecchino in the eyes. Even while being on top and strangling her only threat to death the girl felt like a cornered animal.
Furina deliriously stared at her own fingers gripping the Knave's throat. There was no resistance from the woman, no pressure. Maybe there was no Arlecchino at all, maybe she's being manipulated again, this time into believing that she'd managed to win. Maybe she's the one being strangled and that was her near-death delusions, a little gift letting her dream of how for the first time in her life she had some power.
"Miss-s F..."
Sudden sound from below stopped Furina from further spiraling and she pressed harder. She used to read murder stories for her performances. Even though Furina hated themes of death, she found it rather helpful to make the action on the stage more dramatic as well as more believable. She's also sure there had to be no sound.
Although Furina was cursed with immortality once she's also been blessed with her light and never changing body. She called this her only blessing since the sweets was one of the few things that made her life a little more bearable and she didn't have to worry about any health problems. But in the situation like this her lightness was also more of a curse.
The abrupt call of the Knave made her look at the woman's face for the first time. She looked tense but not too much, strict and emotionless even on the verge of death. Furina would find something like that beautiful on the stage, god-like even. But right now it was sickening. One of her hands was lying right next to her face but she never moved it as if giving Furina full freedom. Funny enough, it made the girl furious.
"Why?! Why aren't you even trying?!" She screamed in the face of the Knave, not caring about the consequences of her actions anymore.
"Are you not afraid of death? Or do you think I won't be able to strangle you, you monster?"
Furina squeezed as hard as she could but managing to get only light twitching of Arlecchino's eyes as a reaction. Mad wide blue eyes met black and red half-lidded ones. They were calm but they're also so, so heavy. Why were they like that? Furina pressed even harder at the same time trying to solve the mystery of these eyes. There's no insane thirst for blood that she thought she saw on that cursed night, there's no piercing anger or hatred she felt during the official meetings. These eyes were unnatural and scary but they're so,
so lonely.
Just like hers.
Furina noticed couple of droplets on the Knave's face. Her image became blurry. That's not fair.
"Why? W-why can't I get rid of you? I hate you!" Furina's voice cracked and all of the suppressed emotions, all of the fear and anger and frustration escaped her in a form of the loud cry.
Her grip finally weakened and she fell onto her hands sobbing hysterically and still holding the neck of her torturer. The girl heard loud wheezing and gasps of a woman underneath her, the woman she wanted to kill. She thinks she still wants actually. But she's too much of a crying mess right now to care.
"Why are you following me?! Why?! Why won't you leave me alone?" She was shaking and wailing into Arlecchino's chest, staining her coat and blouse thoroughly with tears, "Why can't I kill you even with my vision? Why won't you kill me yourself already?!"
Furina felt a hand on her back. She caught her breath for a moment, too afraid to move as if moving would trigger a strike. But instead of giving any pain the hand started rubbing her back. The pace was slow, and the hand itself was warm and very much gentle. Furina never had a mother but she'd seen mothers calming their crying children in a similar way. She didn't understand why the Knave was comforting her like that. But she let herself cry a little louder without asking any further questions.
"I-I'm sor-sorry" Furina managed to say between her slowly steading hiccups and sobs.
"No need." Arlecchino's voice sounded hoarse but as loud as usual, her breath was abrupt and unsteady but quickly recovering. Furina couldn't help but feel jealous at how good this person can control herself.
For some time they sat on the wet sand next to each other, both trying to calm their breath, the only sounds were calming waves of the sea water and Furina's sharp sniffles and hiccups which were also slowly settling down.
"Are you feeling better?"
"... Y-yes" Furina stuttered a bit but noticed she didn't fear the Knave as much as before.
"Would you like me to go?" Sudden question made their eyes meet again. Furina stared at Arlecchino with her wide watery blue eyes. The woman's image was a little blurry but she could still see her half-lidded piercing gaze.
The day before Furina would've squeak and try to run from this "stare of an assassin" but now... oh Archons, she looked so tired.
"I don't know." She answered honestly, "Why didn't you push me off yourself?" Arlecchino's eyes widened a little just for a moment.
"One of the signs of friendship is mutual trust. I simply trusted your choice." She paused and turned her head towards the sea with an audible sigh, "Don't get me wrong, Miss Furina. I wasn't going to perish by your hands. It's quite hard to kill the Harbinger even for the Harbinger. But I also wouldn't want to lie to you, especially since we're now, well, more sincere towards each other."
She highlighted the word "sincere" and looked at Furina again.
"I see." The girl said as she pressed her legs to her chest, trying to find any other words. Crying made her mind dizzy, so Furina just sighed and looked at the patterns of wet sand for a couple of minutes.
"Do you want to kill me? I thought-" Furina's lips began to tremble and she paused holding new wave of sobs back, "I thought y-you were going to."
"That is one of the misunderstandings I would like to apologize for. I have no interest in your assassination. My job required to get something of your possession but as soon as I've understood that you do not have anything useful I left. I've never intended to harm you in any way since."
"Then why are you trying to get closer to me? To "befriend" me?" Furina wanted to look at Arlecchino, wanted to see her eyes, wanted to know if they're as piercing as they were before or something had changed but a new wave of tears clouded her eyes not letting her see. She desperately blinked and tried to brush away her tears with her gloves.
"I must admit I'm impressed how despite 500 years of loneliness, uncertainty and everlasting masquerade you appear to have rather strong and kind soul. Many of my elder children enjoy your performances and your personality when they have the honor to talk to you behind the scenes. I simply wanted to know you better. These updated descriptions of you reminded me once a good friend of mine."
Furina looked like she saw the Knave for the first time. The blue eyes were full of confusion and distrust but at the same time she couldn't help but feel sad for the woman next to her.
"If you are feeling well I suggest us to go home. It's getting cold after the sunset, I'd like to change before any of us catches cold." Arlecchino stood up fixing her clothes.
Right. Furina looked at the ground in shame. She made a mess. The girl felt the Knave's gaze on her once again.
"I'm not holding anything against you if you are scared of that. After all I've got what I wanted today."
"What was that?"
"I finally understand you better. I will not ever appear at your doors after this meeting."
"No. I mean you may, well," Furina stuttered. She could swear she saw Arlecchino's eyes sparkle for a moment at her approval, "Not very soon, but I'll let you know if I'm ready for accepting a guest."
"Is that so? Very well." Furina thought she could hear a hint of amusement in her voice, "May we meet again someday."
The woman closed her eyes and bowed, proceeding her way out of the shore.
"Wait!"
The Knave turned to Furina. Heavy red crosses met light blue droplets once more.
"Do I-" Furina paused nervously, "Do I still resemble your friend?"
Arlecchino hemmed and looked at the girl intensely, as if examining Furina from head to toes.
"Not at all, but that is a good thing. There's no need to resemble anyone off the stage, don't you agree Miss Furina?"
Furina looked at the woman, blinking slowly. Her head was full of thoughts she didn't know how to express.
"Yeah. Yes, you're right."
The Knave politely nodded at her answer and walked away in silence. Furina stood there watching her "new friend" getting further away, looking at her trail of footsteps. When the sight of Arlecchino finally disappeared she closed her eyes and took a deep breath enjoying the warmth of the last rays of sunset behind the waves.