Chapter Text
“Finally, we would like to give a special thanks to our artistic consultant and event coordinator, Miss Furina!”
The crowd roars in fascinated astonishment, loud enough to buffer the conflict in the stand-in female lead.
They had not talked about introducing Furina as herself to the audience, given her stand on dabbling back into opera and still giving Fontaine the space they needed due to the Hydro Archon’s inactivity to the prophecy.
All she wanted was to help this committed troupe dedicate their final show to their late director. None of them could have predicted that she would also have to take the stage during the play. It was her one boundary for her own healing, but even then she thought to step up, because that is what the group had needed.
Still, she realized… Perhaps not running away from her passion, despite the recent events, is a step she had to make.
Her eyes well with tears as she allows herself to bask in their praise like she used to, the initial nerves from hearing her name gradually dissipating. Later, she would bring the issue up with them, but for now, she takes it all in.
She is reminded of the newly-given vision sitting atop her hips, and her hand subconsciously finds its way onto it. It’s here. It really happened.
Do you see this? She wonders. It had been part of the scene to bestow the lead a vision, but none of them knew a real one would show up. For her.
Furina scans the crowd intentionally, as if directing the question to someone in particular. Her eyes land on the Iudex seated on the front row, slow applause with a grin in his eyes. Everyone's chatter quiets down in her head; he is all she sees, luminous and grand.
She finally smiles back, tears flowing down her cheeks.
-
After they get together with the whole group, they each share their thanks before dispersing for the last time.
Furina feels lighter, partly due to being part of an opera after a while, but also as if the newly-obtained vision has given her the power to her own fate, and she does not feel as helpless as she used to. It's as if she's a new person, yet again.
The sun shines brightly as she heads back to her apartment, when she decides to take a detour to a familiar place. While sharing her thoughts and feelings with the traveler has been helpful, she wishes to share the joy given by her vision with nobody else but…
“Monsieur Neuvillette,” Sedene calls for the Iudex’ attention, before allowing the former Hydro Archon to enter his chamber. Gone are the days that she’d come and go as she pleases, for this melusine does her role with no exception.
“Miss Furina,” the Hydro Sovereign acknowledges, more of a whisper to himself than anything. His voice is etched with a tinge of surprise and longing anticipation.
While they have seen each other through figuring out Furina’s accommodations post-Palais Mermonia, it has been long since they had just spent their time together. Neither of them had brought up anything about the prophecy nor the perspective each of them had leading up to it during the times they would see each other.
Unbeknownst to him, Neuvillette was and is the single person Furina would have trusted her life with if she had to choose anyone to share about her previous situation. If it weren’t for the consequences, she would have poured out everything to him, down to the most minute detail. Especially when he asked during the final days. She had to run away, before she could give in to the tempting offer.
With her attempt to heal from the centuries of anguish, she also kept to herself for months after, which meant she yet again stayed away from her most trusted ally. She missed him, dearly. As he did her.
“Congratulations on the wonderful performance,” he says, breaking the ice. He drops the pen in his hand, stands up, and steps closer to the fumbling lady.
Furina had just suddenly allowed herself to do as she pleases, without prior thought. Now that she’s in front of the man who has always been at her side, she doesn't know what to do or say. She couldn’t look him in the eyes.
“Thank you,” she starts, but it comes out as a whisper. She clears her throat and takes a breath. She wants to tell him everything, from what her mirror-me had asked her to do to all the emotional turmoil she had to go through, and Neuvillette making everything bearable with just his presence and concern to the people of Fontaine and herself.
“Everything” is too vague to appreciate all that he has done, so she wishes to tell him each memorable detail. All the centuries they’ve spent together just could not be summarized in a sentence. Perhaps, she’ll take her time.
For now, Furina allows herself to fulfill the urges she used to keep to herself before.
So, she jumps in, wrapping her arms tightly around Neuvillette, and nuzzles into his shoulder.
He embraces back.