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“Madame Furina! She’s here!”
There was a cacophony of screaming and shrieking as the black Mercedes adorned with rings of cornflowers stopped right outside the bustling venue. Flashes of white, interspersed with mere milliseconds, blinded the passersby on the opposite street, and there were shouts of frustration from the present security who had promptly become more alert and active, as if brought to life with the arrival of the vehicle.
The driver of the Mercedes exited, dressed in formal suit and tie, the lines of his jacket lined with navy blue, matching with his stylistic tophat. He was unfazed from the glittering environment, reaching for the door handle of the backseat and smoothly gliding it open, slightly bowing his head in deference.
The crowd entered a period of repose, transfixed in a moment stretched out for several more, as the individual of the hour came into view. A head of curled white hair rose from the seat, sleek heels clacking on the pavement as she gathered her silver purse. Heterochromatic eyes, light and dark blue, shone against the resumed flashing of cameras and spotlights. Her navy blue dress was designed with black patterns, and there would surely be much speculation as to what they meant this time.
Furina smiled for them, feeling the cool beaded necklace around her neck, its presence tantamount to the physical absence by her side. Past the divided lines of the crowd, the red carpet, and the press, posters with her dazzling smile stared back, alternating with her co-star.
“Thank you, Pierre,” she said to the driver, stepping away from the car. The spell broke in a snap, and the crowd was active with renewed vigour.
“Let us away, Madame Furina. It’s a busy one.”
This voice came from beside her, as Clorinde exited the car behind her. The bodyguard had adopted her usual dark purple suit, her hair braided in a long strand for the occasion.
“Of course.” Furina was not complaining, and she put on a smile worthy of the droves of assembled fans. Her feet carried her towards one side of the line, waving and smiling. Hands were extended over the barrier stands, holding frames, books, even funko pops with the express purpose of receiving an autograph.
“Hello!” She spoke to the young girl right at the front holding a poster frame for her new movie, The Little Oceanid, in her hand. The girl acknowledged her greeting with an excited jump, squealing as Furina delicately signed her autograph. It was a blur after that, of greeting her fans, signing their offered items, ignoring the exceedingly blinding flashes of light, and trying to get everything as fast as possible.
“They’re starting to get anxious,” Clorinde said, leaning into her ear. Furina glanced back to the entrance of the red carpet, and was surprised to see how much she had gotten done. Unfortunately, there was never enough time to greet everyone, or give everyone the equal amount of time. Many fans wanted to have conversations that were simply not possible.
“Madame Furina, please sign this shirt before you go!” She turned towards the man who had pushed himself toward the barrier, holding out a shirt picturing her in one of her previous movies, where her character had been a farmer in a period setting. Furina accepted the offered marker and began signing it with a smile.
“Is it true that you and Monsieur Neuvillette are no longer dating?” The man asked as she worked, and only the countless hours of media training were what maintained her cool expression and composure. She shot him a fleeting glance, just enough to catch a glimpse of his face and attire, and felt a wave of disappointment wash over her.
Beside the supposed fan, other people leaned closer to hear her answer. Furina stopped her signature halfway through and closed the cap of the pen, looking the man straight in the eyes.
“Please go through the proper channels to secure an interview with me, sir.” She lightly dropped the pen into the stretched out shirt and walked off before the sputtering reporter could come up with a counter. Around them, the crowd hollered and chanted her name again. Clorinde fell into step beside her.
“They’re not going to let it go until you address it, you know?”
“Unfortunately for them, I have the law on my side.” Furina winked, skipping forward with all the visible confidence of a cat who had never tripped.
<><><>
The theatre was packed, roaring, vibrating, trembling with the sheer energy of the people who had come to this premiere. No matter how many times she walked up to this stage and into a seat at the front, Furina wouldn’t ever get used to it. Contrary to public opinion, she wasn’t born with the ability to completely capture an audience, nor was she gifted with the confidence of a moon to soak up the sun’s light and reflect it, and yet she did it all the same.
The warm welcome from the crowd was soon forced to fade as the lights in the auditorium dimmed and the sound of the opening moments of the movie began rumbling through it. Furina’s heart skipped a beat as she slipped into the seat reserved for her, Clorinde belatedly taking the one on her left.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, heightened senses picking up on the hesitancy. The raven head furtively gestured behind Furina, to the seat at her right, her lips sliding into an exasperated smirk.
“Hello.” A soft smile paired with darkened violet eyes hiding under a navy blue fedora greeted her, as if they expected a warm and joyous response. An incessant urge bubbled in her chest and Furina grabbed onto one of her arm seats to hold it and push it down.
“Wha-” She babbled like a fish caught out of water, and then breathed deeply when she felt eyes being drawn towards her general direction. “What are you doing here?!” She hissed in a whisper, a maelstrom of emotions both rising from and raising her rapidly beating heart. The delicate chuckle that came in response was anathema to the tendrils of control she was clinging onto.
“And miss the chance to see that look on your face?” He quipped, his deep voice somehow softer than her hushed whisper had been. “I even dressed for the occasion.” He gestured to his clothes, a long black coat hiding his navy suit. It fit perfectly across his shoulders, adorned with strands of white hair hanging from a low hanging ponytail.
“Yet, somehow, this cursed jabot is still here.” Furina reached for it and gave it a teasing tug, causing him to cough into his hand.
“Well, I cannot help some things. It was quite the race against time.” Neuvillette smiled sheepishly, and when was the last time he had done that? Furina couldn’t remember. It looked magical.
“I’m assuming Xavier colluded with you on this? Clorinde certainly didn’t, she would never betray me like this.” She ignored the pointed clear of the throat that came from her left side and focused on staring into Neuvillette’s gaze.
“I give no comment, my lady.” He avoided like the slippery otter he was.
“Fine, be that way, but you are currently in my court, dear. It’s only a matter of time until I get all the answers I need.”
“I had no illusions as to otherwise.”
Let it not be said that half the theatre missed the first few minutes of the film trying to listen in on the animated conversation happening in the front rows. Nor that anyone with even a foot in the celebrity culture had any doubts about the participants of said conversation.
Furina remained in a state of upheaval throughout the film, her heart dropping and beating with every moment that resulted in silence or led to gasps as the story of an Oceanid played out. Not particularly because of the audience itself, but because of how long it had been since Neuvillette was sat beside her in such a circumstance. It felt like premieres such as this had become commonplace and just another part of her work, just as his work demanded him to dedicate absurd amounts of time to it.
She couldn’t help but steal glances beside her, studying his side profile, hidden as it was under the shadow of the fedora. His usually narrow eyes were wide with wonder, as if they had forgotten the world Furina resided in. But she also supposed the story of a magical sea creature sacrificing her form for a small town in a love for life was perfectly suited for his sensitive heart.
“If only I could return to the water’s embrace, wouldn’t the world be a lovelier place?”
Her eyes were focused solely on him as the musical piece of the film finally revealed itself. They had kept this as secret as possible. She didn’t miss the hitch in Neuvillette’s breath as Clio sang, her human form transcending back into the water from which she had been born.
“Dear Mother, would you be able to forgive?”
Furina lifted her hand from her armrest and slid it to his wrist, drawing shining violet eyes, flickering with emotion that raised concern.
“Are you alright?” She mouthed, for it was so rare to see him moved to tears over a fictional story rather than an actual one. He maneuvered her hand into his and squeezed gently.
“Yes, it just reminded me of something.” He smiled.
Furina chose to ignore the clear flash of a camera for her own sanity.
<><><>
Furina was in a daze as the applause crescendoed and faded, the past few hours beginning to catch up on her. She thanked the audience and expressed that they enjoyed the film as much as she enjoyed making it. It seemed The Little Oceanid was a hit already, with sobbing faces already declaring they want to see it again. People were already singing bits of La Vagulette as they began filtering out of the auditorium.
She darted backstage to be dressed in her ‘anti-media’ clothes consisting of an all-encompassing coat, a beret that hid her hair shape, and sunglasses, and rushed into her private-private car at the back of the cinema. Somehow, she was later than the culprit of her current state.
“Don’t ever do that again.” She let her head fall back against the headrest, letting out a sigh which held all her tension. “I’m certain someone took a picture of us…”
Neuvillette said nothing for several moments, and she didn’t really have the energy to get on his case about it. She didn’t need to either.
“I apologize…I didn’t realize this was too big of a surprise.” He was looking at her as Clorinde began to drive. “I just saw how hard you worked on this film, and I wanted to be there physically for once.”
Furina turned her head to see blinking purple eyes, a stubborn strand of hair sticking up like a blade of grass now that the fedora was off. What caught her attention were the black spots under the eyes, and it was not hard to notice the slightly sunken cheeks after that.
“Neuvillette, you know I have never begrudged you for having your own commitments, which are far more severe than mine. Nor do I truly mind our relationship being public knowledge. I mean, everyone kind of knows already.” He immediately looked down and fiddled with the hat in his hands. “We more than make up for the lack of time we spend in each other’s actual company. And I work hard on every film.” Her light-hearted pout drew the small smile she had wanted to see, glowing in the moonlight which filtered through the windows of the car.
“It wasn’t just that…Clio is a character close to your heart, is she not? I can feel it.” Furina blinked, not expecting such a response. He seemed to take that as confirmation. “It only felt right.”
“How did you know?” She choked out, and this time it was her turn to avert her gaze, her heart fighting to escape the confines of her mortal coils. It wished to plunge out and attach itself to the one desperately calling out for it just feet away.
“Furina…” she dared to look back up. “I’ve known you since we started learning to walk, how can I not know? I don’t know anyone else who seeks beauty in this world the way she did.”
Her breath hitched.
“Sometimes I forget you were a theater kid before the law bewitched you,” she said, covering up her break in composure with a chuckle. Neuvillette reservedly smiled before taking on a purposeful look.
“And I might have another surprise for you.”
Oh just wonderful.
The rest of the ride home was a jittery stomach full of butterflies for Furina. The traffic was insane, and added another twenty minutes to their commute, and all that time Neuvillette refused to open up about just what he had prepared. By the time they finally reached their suburban home, Clorinde all but pulled them out of the car and pushed them inside, leaving them awkwardly standing in the dim lighting of the quiet house.
“Will you finally just tell me? You’re horrible at surprising people.” Furina tapped her foot on the wooden floorboards, her heels clacking a countdown of her patience. Neuvillette cleared his throat and gestured to the stairs leading to the second floor. His impassive face was perfectly opaque against her impatient glare, so she stomped up as fast as she could, only to come to a sudden stop at the top.
“This is…”
The living room on the upper floor was adorned in blue and white decorations, balloons and chandeliers hanging from walls, a golden table situated at the far end of the room, covered with a white tablecloth faced with two chairs and holding a pot of metal which clearly housed a well-cooked meal judging from the scent.
Memories came flooding to her, submerging most of her into a world of unreal dreams. A modest classroom, a teacher, some peers, but most importantly, a white-haired boy with a perpetual frown on his face and violet eyes that the other kids ran from in terror.
“My soul, a tear in the currents.”
Furina whirled around to see Neuvillette striding up the steps, his overcoat shedded to reveal the fancy navy blue suit he was adorned with. More importantly, his lips were moving. That was his voice she had heard in perfect melodic harmony.
The boy was always quiet, which was odd to Furina even when she was a toddler who shouldn’t know any better. He would crawl over to the stack of plushies and squeeze them and no one would join him to play, so one day, she decided to be the one.
“Hwello!” She greeted chirpily, holding her own Fontemer plushie which she had named Chevalmerain. A chubby face with wide violet eyes turned to look up at her, as if shocked that she was real.
“Hi…”
“I’m Furina, what’s your name?” She grinned, holding a small hand out.
“Neuvillette.” He hesitated for only a moment before extending his arm out, unsure eyes looking around.
“What?” She questioned.
“...My mom said I’m not supposed to talk to girls.” Furina blinked for several moments, and then looked around the play area, feeling like she was missing something.
“There’s only girls in this place.” She stated, resting one hand on her hip. The boy nodded sagely, as if this wisdom was not known to many.
“Witnessing the passage of time. Alone to contemplate.”
He reached for her hand with a bow, and she was sure she missed the mark thanks to the burning and blurring of her vision. This melody…she knew why it was so familiar. A gloved hand entwined with hers, gently pulling her and twirling her into a watery embrace which was both majestic and domestic.
She was the only girl he talked to. Furina realized this after their parents enrolled them in the school’s theater classes. Neuvillette’s mom wouldn’t allow him to participate in any play unless he was acting opposite Furina. Furina didn’t know what separated her from the rest of the girls, but she wasn’t complaining. She certainly didn’t mind doing more things with her friend.
“Her soul, a tear in the ocean’s heart. Troubled by the omen of a hopeless future.”
They moved like flowing rivers converging into one, their hearts threading out and guiding each other. Heels stepped perfectly in a rhythm they had never once practiced, their arms folding and extending like swans who were born to flourish in the waters of the world. She had never known her Neuvillette could sing, she should have known that.
They tripped over their feet repeatedly during the first rehearsals. Furina was too deliberate with her motions while Neuvillette was too awkward. Their instructor made them stay overtime to practice until the soles of their feet hurt and their ankles were bruised. But Furina found she didn’t hate this time spent. She wanted it to never end. To never stop catching Neuvillette when he tripped over his own legs, to never stop being caught when she fumbled over the twirls which left her arms feeling like heavy logs.
A chorus soared from seemingly nowhere, a mirror rendition of La Vagulette, and Neuvillette guided her into several spinning twirls, his hands never once leaving her shoulders. The melody peaked as he slowed their pace, ending with a simple bow forward, leaning her back onto his knee, a proud, boyish, smile adorned on his face. The music faded before the next peak could come, and all Furina could do was look up in absolute wonder into a face surrounded with a heavenly glow.
“What did you think, ma cherie?” That normally deep voice was out of breath, more gasping than speaking, and Furina thought she must surely be sleeping and this whole night has been a dream. A blissful, lovely dream straight from her childhood’s fondest memories.
“I-I’m…Neuvillette -,” she said eloquently, still locked in the ending pose of their ethereal dance. Neuvillette leaned forward, angling her head up, and her arms instinctually embraced his shoulders tightly, savouring the kiss of her wildest dreams.
There was no world, no time, no duties or commitments. There was only them, one soul a current in the ocean, entwined with another soul that had wandered the vast expanse in search of its heart. And in the ocean that was their home and their past, Furina knew, they had always been meant to find each other.
For if one of them were to falter, the other would be by their side.
He lifted her to her own feet, cupping her cheek like she was breakable porcelain before separating slowly. Furina found herself transfixed in his gaze which beheld an abyss of emotions she had only caught glimpses of before. She traced her hand over his chest, lingering on his erratic heart, and rested her head forward, hiding the overflow of tears which cascaded down her cheeks.
“What did I say about time well spent?” she mumbled, relishing in the uneven chuckle it earned her.
“Am I forgiven for my earlier infraction then?” Furina snorted, covering up her snotty nose with her glove.
“The jury’s heart is completely won, I’m afraid.” She turned her head back up, gazing into her heart’s reflection. “Thank you, Neuvillette.” His shining gaze blinked, and the radiant smile that was gifted to her would reside in her dreams and memories until the day she no longer lingered on this world.
“For you, I will be here forever and tomorrow.”