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It was not often that Arlecchino and Columbina had the free time to journey to Fontaine. Of course, Arlecchino was there much more often due to the House of the Hearth and her many “children” that occupied the nation, but even then… the Harbinger had many duties that kept her preoccupied. And of course, Columbina was in Nod-Krai. More often than not, if Furina wanted to see either one of her partners, let alone at the same time, that meant she was going to have to take a journey.
She did not necessarily mind this. It allowed her to see so much more of Teyvat than she ever thought she would. Of course, she was not as well traveled as—well, as the Traveler, but she found that she traveled more than many of her Fontanian friends. She’d even gone to meet Arlecchino in other nations, such as Liyue and Mondstat! She had yet to travel as far as Natlan or Inazuma, but she found she one day wanted to.
That was beside the point though. The point was that she had to travel often to see her partners, and usually only one of them at a time.
Currently, she found herself in Nod-Krai for a little trip to see Columbina. Her acting troupe was taking a small break between productions, so it was the perfect time for a trip. She’d have loved to go see Arlecchino as well, but she had no idea where the Harbinger was at the moment. That happened from time to time, and it made Furina wonder if she’d gone back to Snezhnaya. Not that it mattered. Arlecchino would resurface eventually, as she always did, and Furina would be delighted to spend some time with her boyfriend then. For now, she would be very content to spend a few days with Columbina.
She’d met the moon goddess through Arlecchino. Actually, the two of them had been together long before Arlecchino ever met Furina. She’d learned that Arlecchino had been a bit fascinated by her and rambled to Columbina about her. Well, rambled was likely not the right word. She didn’t think that Arlecchino had rambled in her entire life, but she probably clinically spoke about Furina to, at the time, the other Harbinger, both in regards to her mission, but also the enjoyment Arlecchino got out of tormenting Furina.
Apparently that was common though, Furina had learned. Arlecchino had also enjoyed sneaking up on Columbina and scaring the living daylights out of her. The only difference was that Columbina had actually managed to do it back.
Furina doubted she would ever have the skill necessary to creep up behind Arlecchino and catch her off guard.
She couldn’t even sneak up on Columbina!
“Hello, Furina,” Columbina greeted with that floaty voice and small smile of hers. “I trust your journey went well.”
“As well as it could!” Furina declared, before rushing forward to wrap her girlfriend in a crushing hug and bury her face in her chest. “I missed you, dear! Oh! Won’t you come to Fontaine soon? I want to show you one of my shows!”
Columbina let out a little oof as the breath was squeezed out of her by Furina’s overzealous affections, but she was quick to return the embrace, even if her touch was much lighter. Feather light, in fact, as if she were afraid to interact with the world around her. “I’ll see what I can do sometime soon,” she said. “I think I would enjoy one of your shows.”
Furina laughed, already delighted by such a prospect. “We’re getting ready to start production on a new one. I’ll be sure to send the details. Perhaps you could even bring some of your friends. That deer lady seems like she might enjoy the theater. She certainly has a flair for the dramatic!”
“Maybe…” Columbina conceded. “Lauma does have many duties that keep her preoccupied though.”
“Ah, a shame! Well I’m sure—” Furina cut herself off and took a step backwards, scrutinizing Columbina as she did so. She looked no different from how she always had, beautiful, pristine, almost unnaturally so, and so very delicate. Truly, as if she were moonlight given physical form. Her dress flowed in the soft breeze of the harbor, the feathers of her winged headpiece doing the same.
There was, however, one thing that differed from normal.
A dark gray and black suit jacket was draped over Columbina’s shoulders. It did not go with her dress at all, and was slightly too long for her, but oddly, it almost suited her. The harsher colors and straight lines of the jacket contrasted brilliantly with Columbina’s ethereal, flowing appearance.
It was one of Arlecchino's suit jackets.
“Where did you get that?” Furina demanded as she jabbed a finger towards the jacket.
Columbina tilted her head, adorably confused. “Get what?”
“This!” Furina lunged forward to pinch the sleeve between two fingers. “Arlecchino’s jacket! Is she here?”
“Not at all,” Columbina said. “I’m actually not quite sure where she’s at… Last time she visited, she left it here with me.”
Furina gaped, almost offended. “She’s never left one of her jackets with me!” She’d love to have some pieces of Arlecchino’s clothing, something to take some comfort in during the long periods of time they were forced to spend apart. Clothes would smell like her, and would remind Furina of her presence. And oh, how she loved the times that Arlecchino had wrapped her up in her huge Harbinger coat when Furina got too chilly. She doubted Arlecchino would ever part with that coat for long, but she would be quite happy with a suit jacket like Columbina had received!
“Have you ever asked her for one?” Columbina asked.
“W-Well! No!” Furina crossed her arms and turned her nose up. “But should I have to ask for such a romantic gesture?” She liked to be pampered, she loved grand displays of affection! And her partners knew that!
“But you know Arlecchino,” Columbina said simply. “She just isn’t going to think of those kinds of things.”
And well, that was true. Arlecchino would not know romance if it bit her in the ass. She was loving and fierce and devoted to a fault, but romantic? Furina would not call her that in a million years. Any and all of the romantic things they did were because Furina put them together. Come to think of it, it was much the same with Columbina. Archons, how did these two function without her in a relationship?
“Just ask her for one next time you see her,” Columbina suggested.
Furina let out a long suffering sigh. “I suppose you are right. I’ll do just that.” She wanted nothing more than to be dwarfed by Arlecchino’s clothing, bundled up in it as she went about her days.
She reached out and took Columbina’s hand, threading their fingers together. “Come on. I want to see what’s going on in Nasha Town! Though I might be stealing that jacket from you. It’s always so cold here! I don’t understand how you’re not freezing in that dress!”
Columbina chuckled, and let Furina lead her away from the docks.
It ended up being three months before Furina saw Arlecchino. It wasn’t their longest record by far, but it was still longer than Furina would have liked. Regardless, she tried to understand. Arlecchino was the Fourth of the Fatui Harbingers, an incredibly busy woman with an incredible amount of power. Despite what Furina would like, she could not take up all of Arlecchino’s time.
And, of course, Arlecchino gave her no warning when she showed up again. Furina simply opened the door of her apartment one morning, and there she was.
Furina yelped and bounded backwards, not expecting to see a menacing person towering over her first thing in the morning, before it registered who it actually was.
“Arlecchino!” she squealed as she launched herself at the other woman. She wrapped her arms around her torso and stood on the very tips of her toes so she could give her a kiss.
With a soft laugh, Arlecchino ran her nails down Furina’s spine, eliciting a slight shiver, and she smiled against her lips.
“You could have told me you were coming!” Furina pouted as she settled back on her feet and placed her hands on her hips to glare up at her boyfriend. “I would have made plans!”
Arlecchino stared down at her, expression vaguely amused in an almost condescending way. Had anyone else looked at her with such an expression, Furina would be furious, but Arlecchino could get away with things most people couldn’t. “You need to learn to be prepared and more aware. I followed you home last night and you didn’t even notice.”
Furina’s mouth fell open. “You are such a creep!” She turned her head away. “Maybe I don’t want to put up with you right now!” It was a lie, of course, and they both knew it. Alrecchino’s eccentricities were part of why Furina loved her so much, and she knew the opposite was true as well. It took a special kind of person to match Furina, and she was incredibly grateful she had found that in both Arlecchino and Columbina.
“That’s just as well, because I won’t be staying long. I was checking up on some of the children,” Arlecchino said. “And decided to spare some time for my favorite Archon.”
“Not an Archon anymore,” Furina reminded her. “And I do have to wonder if the Tsaritsa would have something to say about that.”
“It can be our secret,” Arlecchino said as a faint smile curled her lips. “But never mind that. I have been informed that someone was jealous of my clothing being shared.”
Blush raced across Furina’s cheeks and she ducked her head. “I—I was not jealous!”
Arlecchino hummed, clearly disbelieving. “Is that so?”
“It is so!” Furina exclaimed. “I merely thought it would be romantic to share clothes! Of course, Columbina is more than welcome to your suit jackets. I just—”
More gracefully than should be possible, Arlecchino deftly removed her suit jacket, and deposited it over Furina’s shoulders. “Is that enough to please you? Or should I let you raid my entire wardrobe?”
Furina blinked, and grabbed the edges of the suit jacket to slowly wrap it tighter around herself. The fabric was not exactly soft, but was comfortable, and as she had predicted, it smelled so wonderfully of Arlecchino. She tucked her chin into the collar of the jacket, and let out a soft sigh. “No… this is fine. I can really keep it?”
Arlecchino huffed, amused. “I do not give things I intend to take back later. It’s yours for as long as you want it.”
“Thank you,” Furina breathed. “It’s nice to have something that reminds me of you.”
“Of course.” Arlecchino held her hand out. “Now, would you like to join me for breakfast, or should I leave you to your day?”
Furina took her hand. Her acting troupe could wait a couple hours for her.