shipwrecked || furina & neuvillette

🫧 23 🫧

When Furina steps onto the boat, her eyes catch Clorinde's for a moment. Furina can't help but walk to her, wrapping her arms around her. Clorinde has never been one for hugs, but today she returns it.
"Somebody is going to have to put you on a leash," Clorinde jokes.
Furina laughs with tiny tears in her eyes as Clorinde gives her a squeeze before she lets go.
"No, but seriously, Furina - I'm really happy to see you." Clorinde gives a small smile.
"Did you miss bossing me about?" Furina laughs, hoping that she's fooling everyone into thinking she's perfectly fine. That the past few days have had little effect on her. She knows that she will not be able to pretend she's unaffected forever - but she wants to at least be able to decide how much of her trauma she shows people.

"Furina," Neuvillette tells her as she goes to get off the Aquabus. "I want to take you to Sigewinne."
"I'm fine, Neuvillette." Furina kisses his cheek, getting onto her tip toes. "You're worrying far too much."
"Furina." His voice is flat, and she can tell that he will not budge.
"Can I eat something first? And maybe find myself something else to wear? I can't have the people of Fontaine seeing me like... like this." She asks. She can tell that he wants to get her looked after right this very moment, that his mind is filled with worry for her. She motions to the fact she's still wearing his robes, the fact that she's in nothing but shorts and a shirt with a rip.

Neuvillette's eyes hover over the rip, at the scar that has formed beneath the fabric, and Furina covers it up with his robes, suddenly self conscious. Because it swims on her, she can easily wrap it around her body.
"He's barely eaten," Clorinde calls over her shoulder. "He could do with same cake too."
Neuvillette opens his mouth to reply but closes it again.
"Alright," he gives in a moment later. "But I really want to go and get you checked by Sigewinne because-"
"Because you're worrying," Furina tells him. "Dottore barely touched me, Neuvillette."
"I don't believe that," Neuvillette replies. "I don't believe that at all."
Furina sighs. "Well, I'm going to go get changed and get a piece of cake. Maybe two pieces, to make up for the few days I missed," she giggles, turning on her heel. She takes his hand, pulling him with her. "Be brave, hydro dragon."
Neuvillette shakes his head, but can't stop a small smile from tracing his lips.
"Furina," he pauses, stopping her. "I don't think I will ever let you out of my sight again," he breathes.
Furina smiles, reaching up and cupping his cheeks.
"Well, I could be saying the same thing about you, Monsieur Neuvillette." She's cut off by a crowd of Fontainians that have gathered. Once Neuvillette spots them, he steps away from Furina, dropping her hand.

She doesn't know if she's bothered by that or not - she knows that she shouldn't expect him to be so forthcoming to the public, considering that nothing about the Chief Justice is public... but she can't help but glance down at the ground, feeling silly.
"Come, Miss Furina." He tells her, gently ushering her forward, away from the crowd. "Let's go and get some cake."
Her eyes hover on the crowd of people for just a moment longer, wondering what they're thinking of her. She knows that Neuvillette probably didn't make a huge announcement that she'd been taken by Dottore - but they were probably wondering why she was standing in the middle of Fontaine looking like a wreck. Wearing the Iudux's robes, her hair still damp and flat down her back.
Furina glances down at the ground, her chest heavy. These were her people - even though she wasn't the Hydro Archon anymore.

Furina stares at herself in the mirror. She's locked herself in Neuvillette's bathroom, just so she can have a moment where she is not pretending to be alright. Furina's hands tremble as she cups her hand over her mouth, her eyes watering. She begs them to stop, begs them to disappear, but they don't. They run down her cheeks and as soon as she wipes one away, another takes its place.
Furina stares at the shadows under her eyes, at how she looks like a completely different person. While she always had a pale complexion... she looked like she'd seen a ghost.
"Furina?" Neuvillette's voice says her name from the other side of the door. "Are you alright?"
Furina sighs. "Yes, I'll be out in just a minute."
"The little girl that you helped get out - she wanted me to tell you how she knew you kept your promise." Neuvillette told her.
"Hana did?" Furina hiccups. "She spoke to you?"
"She told me about the story you told them, about how you promised you wouldn't leave without them." Neuvillette's voice is quiet - it's defeated.
Furina nods, closing her eyes.
"Did they all make it okay?" She asks, clenching her fists together at her sides. "All of the kids?"
"Yes," Neuvillette answers.
"You sent The Knave," Furina says gently.
"Yes." He replies. "Yes I did."
"Why?" Furina can't help but ask.
There's a long moment where he doesn't reply. She can hear him sigh as she moves towards the door.
"Because I love you, Furina. Because..." Neuvillette trails off, and Furina moves to open the bathroom door. Her hand hovers over the handle, waiting for his reply.
"Because I would stop at nothing to bring you home." She opens the door, knowing that her eyes are still wet. She doesn't meet his eyes at first, slowly letting them adjust to the sight in front of her. Neuvillette, back in his robes, his own eyes damp with tears. "I let you go," he tells her. "I have done many questionable things throughout my time, but in the past few weeks I have done far too many. I... cursed you, and then I simply let you wander out into his prison. I can't forgive myself for those things, I-"