| | The Water Seals My Mouth || Furina Genshin Impact ~

Chapter 2: No answer

[Traveler's POV]

"No answer. Paimon hopes she's alright, it's not like Furina to ignore us like that.." Paimon looked down at the floor, I could see tears start to form in her eyes. I pat her on the back, trying to reassure her.

"I'm worried too, but I'm sure she's fine."

Paimon sniffles before speaking up; "But Paimon's worried! What if.. what if she's done something bad?! Like.. like-"

"Paimon, Furina would never do something like that! That's... that's not like her okay? She's... she's alright." I spoke up quickly, though I wasn't even sure of myself. WAS Furina like that? I didn't know, no one knew what she was really like. She had 500 years of perfecting her mask, so she was quite literally unreadable.

Paimon picked up on my hesitancy and uncertainty, so her worries remained un quelled. "Oh, Paimon has a bad feeling. What if something really did happen? Paimon wouldn't put it past her, especially with how she-"

Before Paimon could finish with her anxiety-ridden rambling, the door to Furina's residence creaked open, leaving a small opening into the house that was then blocked by a tired looking person.

"O-oh!" Furina shut the door quickly before opening it back up seconds later. "It's you two! Um.. hello...."

An awkward silence filled the space before it was abruptly stopped by Paimon hugging Furina and sobbing into her chest, leaving Furina perplexed and confused. Because Furina was so thrown off guard, she inadvertently switched into her "Archon Persona" she was so used to doing for several years.

"Hey get off of me! Ugh, why are you clinging to me like that?! You're going to ruin my clothes with your tears!" As soon as Furina yelled, Paimon backed off and dashed behind me, I had never seen Furina snap at her like that before. Furina realised what happened and immediately felt guilty.

"N-no wait I'm sorry Paimon! That, that was an accident, I-!" Furina cut herself off by mumbling to herself about how she was an "idiot," before facepalming. I spoke up.

"Furina? Are you alright?" As soon as she heard my words I watched as she snapped, yet again.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? You wouldn't understand, stop trying to act like you care, it's not going to get you anywhere!" Furina's face morphed into shock as she quickly tried to backtrack.

"I didn't mean that I swear! I promise I didn't mean that."

...

Awkward silence yet again.

..

"It's.. alright Furina." I respond.

..

In the tense and awkward silence, Furina finally breaks the silence. She turns her gaze over to Paimon.

"Uh, Paimon. Um.. why were you crying..?" Furina looks at Paimon expectantly. I turn behind me to check up on Paimon, who was trying to compose herself after getting yelled at.

"*sniffle* Paimon thought that you.. that you had.. died or something!" Furina's eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

"WHAT?! Dead!? Paimon you think I died?! How?!"

"*sniffle* Because you haven't left the house in days, and Paimon got scared you got so sad that you-" Furina scoffed and cut Paimon off.

"I'd NEVER be as stupid as to ever do that Paimon! I value my life you know!" Furina sighs before continuing.

"Geez, I can't believe you'd think I'd ever even consider going through with that!" Furina averted her gaze with us, picking a spot on the ground to fixate her gaze on instead. That, was a bit odd, but regardless I decided to bring up the reason why we were here in the first place.

"Has everything been alright Furina? Navia and Clorinde said that they were worried about you because you didn't answer the door when they came by earlier. They also told us you haven't left the house in 2 weeks, and haven't spoken to anyone in nearly a month!" I eye Furina, but not in a judgemental way, it was in a concerned way. She was doing fine before according to Clorinde, the fact that she went out with her showed that she was somewhat fine... right?! I awaited for a response, but I was left with tense silence as she fidgeted and kept staring at that singular spot, she looked like as if she was debating something in her mind.

A few moments pass and Furina finishes her debate as she speaks up; "No I just haven't had the need to really go out much, cause-" Paimon interrupts Furina

"But Navia and Clorinde said that them and the others haven't heard from you in nearly a month! How can you explain-"

"Paimon don't interrupt me! I was talking!" She snapped, yet again. I thought it was quite odd. She kept switching from her "normal" self to her "Archon persona, although, I didn't really know if I could call it her "normal" self. What was normal to her? Any time there was a question asked and it provoked an emotional response from her, she'd always respond in her "Archon Persona" and not as her.. I wonder why? Is this the effect of those 500 years of non stop acting? Did it become so bad that now she subconsciously reacts to things in that way?

"Anyways! As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted.. I've also been quite busy and haven't had the time to chat with anyone. I've been moving in, settling in, arranging the furniture, decorating, finding a job-, well, actually, Neuvillette keeps insisting that he covers my financial costs so I don't have to work, but quite frankly I don't feel like burdening him more than I already have" Furina went on a list of everything she had been doing these past few weeks. As she went on, I thought that maybe, she really was busy, so that explains why she might not of had time to socialise. I thought that until Paimon asked a few questions

"Then how come if you were doing all that why did everyone that Navia and Clorinde questioned all say they hadn't seen you leave the house? If you were out getting a job wouldn't of someone have seen you? Also, what jobs were you applying to? Also, Paimon REALLY wants to see your house so can we-" Furina frantically cuts Paimon off, and blocks off the door to her house with her hand, preventing Paimon from rushing on in.

"N-No absolutely not! I-it's still not ready!" Furina's voice was shaky, tinted with clear nervousness

"Aww but you've been settling in for 2 months now haven't you? How is it not ready yet?" Paimon paused for a few moments before smirking.

"Or is your house just messy and you don't want us to see it?~ Paimon thinks that's why you won't let us in!" After hearing that response, Furina stumbles over her words

"H-hey that's- that's incredibly rude to assume! You're barking up the wrong tree you know that right?! Cut that out and just.. just go!" Furina's stern demands fell deaf on Paimon's ears, as she quickly flew past Furina to open the door.

"Let Paimon see then-" Paimon froze when the door swung open, showing the interior of Furina's house. Furina looked away in shame and embarrassment, feeling incredibly exposed. The curiosity got the better of me, and I too peeked into the house.

..

..

This was how she had been living like...?