shipwrecked || furina & neuvillette

🫧 2 🫧

The words ring in her ears, the way he won't meet her eyes, the way he's standing there. His shoulders are slightly hunched, and she knows that if he wasn't already wet with rain, she would see a tear running down his cheek.
"Does the offer for cake still stand?" Furina asks softly, hoping that he understands what a big deal this is. That she's offering to leave her place of sanctuary, the one place in the world that can offer her the safety she is convinced she needs.

Neuvillette looks over at her, his lips curving upwards in a tiny smile. She glances behind him and realises that the rain has stopped, blue sky has fallen over Fontaine once more. There would still be puddles on every street, but she'd have shoes on and she wouldn't need to touch it. There was relief in the fact that it wasn't raining.
"Indeed it does, Lady Furina."
"It's just Furina... now." She tells him quietly.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "It is a tough habit to break."
"I'll... uh... I'll be ready in ten minutes, if you don't mind waiting."
"Of course, please - take your time."

Furina stands in front of the mirror, trying to make sure that she looks presentable. She was going to decide against wearing her hat - but ultimately decided that if it were to start pouring with rain again, it would at least off some protection.
"Come on Furina," she whispers to herself as she adjusts her collar. "It's going to be fine."
What she's really worried about, but not saying, is that everyone is going to talk about her behind her back. That she'll be sitting there, eating her cake and talking with Neuvillette, and those around her will be talking in hushed voices, pretending that she's not there.
Seeing herself like this... she can't help but be taken back to that day - where Lumine tricked her. Where she was confronted on the stage in front of everyone. All of the people she tho that she could trust had been in on it. Sometimes she still dreams of that moment. It haunts her dreams and her days.
"It's going to be fine." She does up the laces of her boots, and thinks about how, now that she might go outside again, she should get a few more outfits. What she's wearing now - it's been her statement garment for years now. It's the outfit she wore in public, but even behind closed doors it signified the role she was playing. Any time she was in this dress, it meant that she had a job to do. It feels wrong, wearing it now.

But she's got nothing else suitable for the occasion, so she slips down the stairs once more. Sometimes, when she's feeling particularly blue, she'll lie in bed holding her vision close to her chest, getting any source of comfort she can from the thing. It felt like it was the one good thing that came out of it all. Although, she's never had any reason to use her hydro powers yet - she doesn't actually know what she's capable of.

Neuvillette is standing in the kitchen, staring out the window as she walks through the door. She clears her throat to get his attention, smiling.
"Being a Hydro dragon and all," she begins, a glimmer in her eye. "You couldn't just... make all of the puddles disappear, could you?" She nervously laughs, taking a deep breath.
Neuvillette takes a step towards her, his eyes warm. "For you? Anything is possible." He hands her his arm, and Furina threads her arm through it, holding his robes. He is perfectly dry - he is no longer wet. His hair is flawless as ever, it's billowing out behind him, and he looks every bit as brilliant as always.

Furina opens her front door, her breath catching in her throat. The blacksmith is to her left, the sound of armour and weapons being crafted fills her ears. She hesitates - even when Neuvillette takes a step outside. Her feet don't want to move. There are people in the street outside, she can hear them laughing. She curses herself for not considering how far she has to walk just to get to the cafe.
"Furina," Neuvillette calls her name calmly. "It's alright."
She forces herself to look at him, her brows furrowing together in worry. It has been thirteen days since she last felt brave enough to do this, and she's beginning to wonder if today isn't the right day. She gives a nervous laugh, taking a step backwards. Neuvillette holds her hand and doesn't take his eyes off her for a moment.
"Trust me," he tells her. "Trust me."