shipwrecked || furina & neuvillette

🫧 13 🫧

Furina can't stop her mind from racing. After today, there is only two more nights until the funeral of Focalors. Two more nights. Three days. In the grand scheme of things, that was basically nothing. She turns to stare at the ceiling, Neuvillette asleep beside her.
Sighing, she gives up on trying to sleep. Night after night, she finds herself in the middle of the same dream, the same nightmare. It never stops - until it ends with Neuvillette shaking her awake.
She goes and opens the window in the lounge, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

Furina knows that Neuvillette can't stop her from sacrificing herself once more - as much as he wishes he could, the man cannot read her innermost thoughts. And while she's sure that she has convinced him that she is not willing to sacrifice herself, while she's been agreeing to his plan, she's been secretly forging her own. A plan that she's not breathed a word of to anyone.

Sick of staring at the same walls for the last few hours, she opens the front door and descends the stairs to the bottom floor of the Palais Mermonia.
She's entirely alone, the Melusine's have returned home for the evening. Padding across the floor, pulling her silk robe tightly across her chest, she slips into Neuvillette's office. Furina remembers how often she'd barge in here unannounced- on days where she didn't want to be alone. Days where her thoughts were just a little too loud and her nightmares a little too real.
Neuvillette keeps his office tidy and organised, and she smiles at the pen that he forget to close before leaving today. To ensure that it won't dry out, the silver haired girl puts the lid back on, sliding it into his desk drawer. His office has always been a safe place for her, even before all of this unfolded.
"Furina?" Clorinde's voice finds her as the door opens. "It's not even three in the morning, what are you doing up? Where is Neuvillette?"
"Asleep," Furina sighs, bringing her knees up to her chest in his chair. "I didn't want to wake him."
"You can't sleep?" Clorinde sits in the chair opposite her.
She shakes her head, resting her head on her knees. "What are you doing here?" Furina asks, her voice quiet.
"I like... I like to be prepared. I wanted to have a look over the paperwork for tomorrow so that I know what I'm facing." Clorinde sighs. "I like how quiet it is at this time, all of Teyvat is asleep. I can think in peace."
Furina gets exactly what Clorinde means.
"I know what you're planning, Furina." Clorinde's voice changes, her eyes narrow.
Furina gives a light laugh, shaking her head. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that over the past few days, you've been a little bit too eager to follow along with Neuvillette's plans - even though I know that's not usually your style."
"It's a good plan," Furina shrugs.
Clorinde shakes her head. "It's not like you to not offer any ideas, or side remarks, or bring up things you don't like." The woman in front of her pauses. "And that leads me to believe that you, Furina, have devised another plan entirely. You were never planning on making it to Focalor's funeral, were you? I don't know how you've managed to fool Neuvillette, quite honestly." Furina can't help but look over at Clorinde with a wounded look on her face.
"I didn't know that you were so observant," she clears her throat. "I assume that Neuvillette mentioned about how Dottore gave him a choice between handing me over or Fontaine being punished?"
"He did indeed."
"So you can see that I don't want Fontaine to suffer at the hands of my actions... again."
"It was not your fault, Furina." Clorinde tells her sincerely, but Furina is not in the space to listen to her words. "The prophecy, everything... that wasn't your fault." Logically, Furina knows this. But still, her mind won't let her believe that for a single moment.
"Did Navia get the chance to talk to you?" Furina changes the topic.
Clorinde blushes. "Indeed, she did. But that's not the important thing here. Furina, you can't follow your plan. I won't let you do this."
Furina rolls her eyes. "You can't stop me, Clorinde. It's set in stone."
"Nothing about this whole thing is set in stone, Furina. We've come up with a plan, and that's what we need to follow."
"I thought we were friends," Furina can't help but murmur. "I thought friends were supposed to support each other."
"They are, but they're also supposed to tell you when you're being stupid or when a plan isn't going to work out." Clorinde speaks bluntly. "And I won't stand by and let you sacrifice this new life - not for a moment."
Furina stands up, frustrated. "Clorinde, you're being utterly ridiculous."
"No," Clorinde shakes her head. "No. I'm not being ridiculous. If I have to get Wriosthesley  to shut you in the Fortress of Meropide, then I will. We came up with a plan, and we need to stick to it."
Furina groans, exasperated. "If you think that I'd allow Fontaine to bear the consequences of something I have done, you are wrong."
"We're not asking you to let Dottore punish Fontaine, Furina. No one has said that. Do you really think that's what Neuvillette wants? He's stuck between a tidal wave and a cliff edge right now - protecting you and fighting for the city. Do you think that either of the outcomes are what he wants?"
"Neuvillette could get over me," Furina shrugs, even though she doesn't know if her words are true or not. "He's survived for thousands of years, and I know, that if it came down to it, he would know that the civilians of Fontaine mean more than a single person. He would get over it."
"Really? Because I don't think he would." Clorinde shakes her head, standing up. "I won't let you sacrifice our plan because you're so desperate to be the hero."
"Desperate to be the hero?" Furina exclaims, her cheeks red with anger. "Do you think I wanted this life? Do you think I asked for any of this? Do you think this is what I wanted? I'm not like you, Clorinde. I haven't lived a normal life, I don't get to live out my days as a normal person, going hunting at dawn every morning or drinking tea with Wriosthesley in the afternoon. I don't get that life. I never wanted to be a hero, I never wanted to act as the hydro archon, and I never fucking asked for Dottore to decide that I was his next test subject. None of the choices I've made have ever been to paint myself as a hero." Furina storms past Clorinde, pausing before she gets to the door. "Tell Neuvillette of my plans, tell him everything. But I will not let you, or him, or anyone else stop me." Her voice is quiet, but powerful.
She walks out of the room, slamming the door behind her.