"Look! We're here!" Changchang's words send a wave of dread washing over Y/N.
Y/N follows the little girl's gaze towards the familiar structures emerging from the hazy horizon. Y/N can make out the vague shapes of the dock and metallic buildings in the distance. The sun reflects off of all the metal and glass incorporated into the steampunk city. Clouds of steam and smoke billow into the sky from the city before fading into the blue sky.
Y/N feels her stomach lurch as she tries her best to keep her breakfast down where it belongs. Her palms feel clammy with sweat. After four years, Fontaine has barely changed. Despite whatever superficial differences there may be, the same claustrophobic air hangs over the city. And that isn't the fault of the city. In fact, the mixture of Rococo architecture and steampunk details make Fontaine one of the most aesthetically-pleasing nations in Teyvat. However, Y/N's image of this nation is forever tainted by her family.
As the ship reaches the harbour, Y/N's grip on the straps of her bag tightens. Disgustingly familiar, and yet the atmosphere of the docks feels foreign. Where this pier and these ships once represented Y/N's exit ticket out of the hell-hole, they now stand before her as the gateway to her doom.
"Are you feeling alright?" Ji Tong asks worriedly, seeing the sour expression on Y/N's face.
Y/N presses her lips into a thin line. "I'll be fine." I hope. She takes a sharp breath as she slings the strap of her bag over her shoulder. No going back now. You can do this. She thinks with determination as she follows the crowd off of the ship.
Ji Tong and Changchang part ways with Y/N, Changchang giving Y/N a tight squeeze before vanishing into the sea of people.
"Alright, Y/N. Let's go, brain. Entering 'work-mode.'" Y/N mutters under her breath as if it will somehow help her control nausea resonating in her belly. "You have to go meet with Ms. Moreau. You don't want to be late, do you?"
A few days ago, a lawyer from Fontaine had written to Y/N regarding her contract with her family, reminding Y/N that she needed to come back. Y/N wrote back to that lawyer, explaining her situation and asking for assistance since Y/N couldn't get any deeper information from the law books in Mondstadt.
Thank Gods she agreed to help me. There's no way I'm going to win a court case against my parents with my shitty knowledge of Fontaine law. Y/N thinks to herself as she maneuvers through the crowds.
Suddenly, a flash of scarlet hair catches Y/N's eye. Her heart skips a beat as she picks up her pace, ignorantly hoping for the impossible. "Dil- oh." Y/N frowns at the sight of her sister standing before her. You're an idiot, Y/N. Why would Diluc even be here?!
"Y/N!" Ida exclaims in a high-pitched tone. Her attitude towards Y/N has flipped one-eighty degrees since they last spoke. "Welcome home! Gods, I didn't even know if I would be able to find you amongst all these people. Looks like you came right to me." She smirks.
Y/N rolls her eyes. "Why are you here? The contract only said I had to come back to Fontaine and join the Fatui. I technically don't have to see you at all." She states as she continues to push past the crowd, leaving Ida behind.
"Oh, come on! Don't be such a sourpuss!" Ida quickly catches up to her, slinging her arm over her younger sibling's shoulder.
Y/N shoves Ida's hand off, sending her a withering glare. "I thought you said you hated me? Usually, you aren't all buddy-buddy with people you hate." She sarcastically quips.
Ida clicks her tongue at Y/N. "Are you still mad at me about what I said at the Wine-Tasting party? Listen, I'm sorry. I wasn't lying, but I was definitely way out of line. Let's just pretend it didn't happen, alright? We should try to get along if you're going to be living at the L/N estate with all of us again."
Y/N lets out a scoff. "I have a hotel room away from you all."
"You can't live in a hotel for the rest of your life!" Ida retorts.
Y/N smirks at her. "You're right. I'm not. I'm actually only staying in Fontaine for a few weeks. I'll be out of here as soon as I win my freedom in court."
Ida's face doesn't shift into the surprising look of shock Y/N expects. Instead, her grin only widens. "Do you really think you'll be able to escape this contract? I'm sure you're well aware that our family has never lost a single court case. How do you think we've managed to keep our status and wealth for so long?"
"I think you're forgetting that I'm also an L/N- unfortunately," Y/N adds. "What makes you think I'll lose so easily?"
Ida doesn't respond, simply letting out a laugh before switching the topic. "Anyway, what do you think of my hair? Do you like the colour?"
Y/N clenches her jaw. I fucking knew she dyed it on purpose.
"No?" Ida pouts at the lack of response from her sister. "Maybe his hair was a little brighter..."
Y/N resists the urge to turn around and punch Ida square in the face. Getting arrested for assault won't help her win any court cases.
"Did you just come here to mock me?" Y/N hisses.
Ida chuckles. "I'm not that petty. I just want to let you know that we're having a family dinner this evening at the main manor. We're all awaiting your arrival."
"Ha! What makes you think I'll come?" Y/N shoots back.
"Attendance isn't optional, Y/N. After all, we just want to give a nice welcome back home." Ida responds. "And you aren't going to let them all assume you died somewhere on the streets of Mondstadt, are you?"
Y/N balls up her fists. As much as she doesn't ever want to step foot on that forsaken estate ever again, she's also curious as to how her family will react to her coming back a successful adult. Just imagining the looks of shock on her relatives' faces sends waves of satisfaction through Y/N's body.
"What time?" Y/N asks after a moment of thoughtful silence.
"Seven o'clock," Ida responds with a grin. "I'll see you tonight."
Ida stops following Y/N, allowing her to leave her sister behind on the docks.
What did I just agree to? Y/N sighs at herself before shaking her head. I guess I can always take a rain check if I don't feel up to it later. But for now, I have to meet with Ms. Moreau. Y/N thinks as she picks up the pace as she makes her way out of the harbour.
-----
Donna tears up the letter in her hands before chucking the fragments of paper into the fireplace. The flames crackle as they hungrily swallow the paper and ink, reducing the fifth letter she has received in the past week or so to ashes.
Donna's chest heaves as she whips out a blank sheet of paper and the nearest pen. Without minding how messy her writing is, she writes in big, bold letters, "Stop contacting me. I am done with Y/N and Diluc."
She shoves the letter into a blank envelope, copies down the address from the lilac envelope she just received and seals it. Donna lets out a sigh of frustration. I should never have trusted that Fatui as my wingwoman. They obviously have some other agenda. Donna thinks as her eyes rest on the Fatui logo stamped on the ripped-open envelope. Well, I'm not going to give out any information. I'm not going to fall for their tricks again!
Donna lets out a sigh of shame as she recalls the embarrassing lengths she had gone to keep Y/N away from Diluc- her obsession. Thank Barbatos Y/N had snapped her out of her foolish ways before it got any worse.
Quickly descending the stairs into the main floor of Floral Whisper, she squeezes past the few customers at this early hour of the morning and exits the shop. She opens the hatch of the mailbox beside the shop only to have a few more lilac envelopes tumble out onto the ground. Donna lets out a sigh of frustration as she shoves her letter in and scoops up the mail on the ground. If they don't stop contacting me, I should tell the Knights of Favonius. This is getting ridiculous.
As Donna heads back inside, a question lingers at the back of her mind. Why do they keep asking about Y/N? She's across the ocean now. What am I supposed to do about this?
Donna frowns as she thinks of the Fatui's intentions towards Y/N. Who do I tell about this? I don't know who already knows about Y/N's situation among her friends. Donna's tired of spilling Y/N's secrets to those around her. However, she knows she must tell someone. Something about this whole ordeal leaves a sour feeling at the back of Donna's throat.