*Disclaimer* - I do not own the copyright to Genshin Impact or its characters.

*A/N* - Greetings everyone, hope all is well. With the newest update for Genshin Impact just released and having completed the Archon quest, I am truly amazed at how much I like Furina. Her personality is honestly making me eager to see her more as the story in Fontaine expands. She's a complete and utter dork while also having that sassy nature and a different personality when confronted with something that she doesn't have total control over. Not only that but seeing her get all excited when the Traveler first arrived in Fontaine and how she had a whole show play out casting one heck of a first impression got me interested. Plus, her posing in the theater was the lynchpin to me really liking her as a character. That and the whole trail was hilarious. Hence, while the update and story are barely out, I figured why not put out a story involving her and Aether. Just a random idea that came to mind. Now, enough of me rambling. I hope you'll enjoy the chapter and take care out there.

The cool evening air was exactly what Aether needed at the moment.

After having gone through quite the arduous day of exploring the Court of Fontaine, he was left alone while standing on one of the outer rims of the city gazing at the hydro experiment gone wrong in the distance. The large cubes of water suspended in the air left him a bit curious about what exactly happened. But on the other hand, that would be something he would look into at another time. Although his arrival in Fontaine had been anything but normal, he couldn't help but admire the new sights before him.

A side passion of his while he continued to track down his lost sister.

Shaking his head to the side, Aether let out a yawn as his mind recalled the day's events that led to him standing along the outer rim. His day had begun with Paimon wanting to get familiar with a few of the restaurants located within the city and him easily agreeing to that idea. Due to the plethora of accomplished commissions, they had dealt with before setting out for Fontaine, he found it to be a reasonable request from his flying companion as they had been through quite a lot in the short amount of time they were in Fontaine.

Moreover, it was safe to say their journey in the land of hydro had just begun and that many more mysteries and adventures awaited them. At this point, with Fontaine being the fifth region for them to tackle, things were starting to become routine. Now, coming back to the day's events, Aether also recalled running into Navia who was out shopping for a few pieces of equipment that could be used to bolster and promote Spina di Rosula's reputation now that the public had taken a newfound liking to the group. Navia then asked the two if they would like to accompany her to which Paimon wholeheartedly agreed while he decided to fly solo for a bit and do a little sightseeing in unique locations.

Hearing the boy's perspective, the two girls respected his request and happily went about their way to do some shopping which left the Traveler all by himself. Something he hadn't experienced for quite a minute. It was honestly strange to be without Paimon. He'd be sure to tell his traveling-

*sniff*

The sound of someone sniffing caused Aether to stop thinking and begin questioning if what he heard was real or not. Ever since the incident with the Primordial Sea, he had started keeping an open ear to whatever sounds might be playing around him. With his elemental sight and now heightened hearing, he was starting to think that his body was coincidentally changed to be more aware than any normal person.

Granted, he wasn't exactly normal, to begin with.

Nevertheless, he swerved his head to the side while making sure not to make any sudden movements for worry of driving away the sound he had just heard when suddenly, he heard it again only this time it was way closer than he expected.

*sniff* *sniff*

Confused about where the sound was coming from, the blonde-haired boy moved his head up and then down and was about to move to another part of the platform he was currently standing on when out of the corner of his eye below him he spotted a familiar set of white and blue hair followed by a top hat with a ribbon and white frills.

It was Furina who was the one making the sniffling noises.

What caused Aether to raise his eyebrow at seeing her was that the Hydro Archon was all by herself with nobody around her leaving her in quite the unusual scene. Practically every time he and Paimon had seen the God of Justice, she was surrounded by followers or guards watching her every step. Hence, he couldn't help but tilted his head in curiosity.

What was she doing here? And why was she crying?

Normally, when caught up in a situation like this, Paimon would be the one to suggest moving closer to see what was up, but since it was just him alone, he decided to swallow a bundle of air he didn't know that he was holding onto and slowly approach the Hydro Archon.

Step by step, Aether was now only a few feet away from Furina when the sound of his foot hitting the ground caused her to jump back in shock and stare directly at him. An awkward silence was now encumbering the distance between them.

From his point of view, the enigmatic, loud, and overjoyed girl he had encountered when he first arrived in Fontaine was nowhere to be seen in sight. Now, the girl who stood before him had a slight trail of tears staining her face while her eyes looked to be red and puffy from crying. She also had parts of the front of her hair looking a bit disheveled and not as prim and proper as she always had it. A complete contrast to the Hydro Archon he had encountered in court.

"A-Aether!? Ahaha… well, this is certainly a surprise" Furina replied while quickly wiping away the tears left appearing in her eyes.

"…Are… Are you okay?"

The words that left Aether's mouth were the only ones that seemed right for the current situation.

"H-Huh? Oh! My, my you must be curious about my disheveled appearance. Worry not! There's nothing wrong and I was simply taken aback by how beautiful the land appears at this very hour. Well, of course, it would look this magnificent. It is after all protected and ruled by yours truly!" Furina cheerfully countered while bringing both of her hands to her hip and striking a confident pose.

However, Aether knew that it was all a ruse. Anyone with a right mind could see that the Archon was putting up a façade while masking how she truly felt. It didn't help her case that her red eyes contradicted the rest of her body language.

"…Stop."

"Hmm? Stop what exactly?" Furina asked sweetly.

"What you're doing now... It's not going to work on me."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you- "

"Now you're just deflecting it."

"Deflecting what exactly? Honestly, you're not making this any clearer, outlander" Furina responded in a condescending tone.

With his eyes not leaving hers, Aether started going on the offensive to force the girl to stop diverting the conversation away.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. That switch out isn't going to work on me. Maybe anyone else in this city or country but not me" Aether declared.

Letting a fracture appear on her face, Furina's eyes were cast down before showcasing a more confused expression. However, that brief break in character was exactly what the Traveler thought was happening. She was hiding her true emotions.

"Hmm… I think you might be confusing yourself. Either way, that's not important. What is important is what are you doing out and about on the outskirts of the city?" Furina questioned the boy, obviously moving away from the main topic.

"I went out for a walk and just found myself along the outskirts. Enjoying a moment to myself" he replied to the Archon's question.

"Ooh. Makes sense. I don't see your… balloon companion anywhere meaning that you really are alone. Although, it does strike me a bit odd."

"What does?" Aether asked, still watching the girl before him closely.

"Who would've thought that the famous Outlander was like anyone else and needed a moment to himself?" Furina teasingly said.

Aether shook his head and continued to stare right into her blue eyes while raising his hand to his chest.

"And who would've thought that the Hydro Archon herself had some humility hidden under a mask" Aether retorted.

The God of Justice merely sent a glare at the blonde-haired boy and didn't say anything until she waved her hand in the air and let out a sweet laugh.

"Ahahahah! I'm afraid I still don't understand what you quite mean. Moreover, hasn't anyone ever told you that creeping up on people could be filed as an offense? Especially if it was the lovely and magnificent Archon of this amazing nation!" the girl bolstered loudly.

"You could do that… have me arrested for such a ridiculous law directed around you… but there's one thing that I'll have taken away from here no matter what."

Focalors seemed to lean her head forward in a curious manner.

"And just what might that be?"

The Traveler took a step toward the Hydro Archon so that he was closer to her as she seemed to stiffen up at his action. She then began scanning him up and down to get a read on his behavior but was puzzled when the Outlander's face and body language were still directed toward her. If anything, Aether not breaking his posture was causing her to want to take a step back.

"…I'll know that something was bothering you tonight. To the point that you were crying. Something that I'm sure not a lot of people know about… or maybe nobody at all in the entire nation knows" Aether calmly said while his eyes observed the girl's facial expression.

Having journeyed through several different regions and met so many unique and amazing people, Aether had greatly improved his social skills along with picking on social cues that people emitted when something good or bad was happening. Whether it was a simple nod of their head or a lightning-fast break in their facial expression, he had a better idea of how vast a reaction could be. Hence, why he knew there was something more to Furina and the façade she was struggling to keep up now.

"Here ye, here ye, the nonsense coming out of your mouth is honestly something else, dear outlander. However, it's as I clearly stated before. There is nothing wrong with me nor is it something you should be concerned about. Furthermore, even if there was something wrong, then what ground does it even concern you at all!?" she proclaimed while raising her voice at the last tidbit directed at him.

"That may be… I could've just ignored your sniffling sounds and gone elsewhere. Pretended that I didn't hear anything and that my heightened senses from the Primordial Sea are still in effect. However, I didn't." Aether said this while confidently looking right at Furina. "I heard someone crying and couldn't just ignore it. No matter who it was. Human, animal, creature, Archon. It doesn't matter. I did what I thought was right and even now… I still think I'm right. I still think that something is bothering you, Furina."

In the next instant, a drizzle of rain started to fall from the sky making it, so the air had turned a few degrees cooler than before while also painting a somber tone to the developing situation between the Hydro Archon and Outlander.

Hearing the Traveler call her name the way he did, Focalors simply lowered her head to the point that some of her hair managed to cover her eyes. The feeling of being caught off-guard was distinctly what she was feeling now. Her body felt heavy and her gloved fingers were now trembling.

It wasn't fair.

All she wanted was a simple night.

A night where she could let herself relax.

Even for a moment.

Nobody around here or watching her closely.

And yet, here the Outlander was grilling her on what exactly was bugging her. Part of her wanted to chastise the blonde-haired boy and force him to leave her be. However, another part of herself… wanted to say something. A simple reply that would get him to stop prodding and understand her more clearly. An internal battle was currently being swayed within her mind and she couldn't help but clench her teeth and fight back the tears that were causing her eyes to become blurry.

"I…Um…" She stammered out.

This caught Aether's attention as he didn't say anything and waited for her to say anything.

"I… I know what you're trying to do!" Furina unexpectedly shouted out.

"H-Huh? What are you- "

"Don't play dumb, outlander! You're just trying to butter me up and get me to say something embarrassing so that you can prance around and use it as blackmail. The art of deception is something you're surely skilled at given what I've heard of your adventures."

Frustration was evident on Aether's face as he had his mouth agape while staring at the girl. The only reasonable thing he could do was shake his head and tell her what he was thinking right now.

"You really think I would resort to something like that?"

"Who knows? You certainly tend to cause quite the commotion wherever you go."

"Well then, let me make this clear, Your Majesty." He said this in a smart-aleck tone of voice. "If you think I would hold or blackmail whatever is bothering you, then you've got me read wrong completely. I want to help you. Even if it's just you talking about nonsense. I still want to help. No strings attached and no favors."

Saying this, Aether knew there was a chance of talking with her about a plethora of things that he wanted to know about. Including anything regarding Lumine's whereabouts in Fontaine in the past. Alas, he knew that could wait. Now was not the time for that.

"…"

Furina had once again gone quiet only this time she had shifted her body so that she was now facing away from Aether and staring straight at the water cubes hanging in the distance. It would be a long moment of silence until she finally budged and let her quiet voice out.

"…Why are you really helping me?"

"Because we all need help sooner or later. Whether it's something colossal or something so small that it doesn't warrant anyone's help. Everyone needs a little help once in a while. And right now, I can tell that you need that" the boy replied, never letting his eyes wander away from her form.

"…I- "

Before she could say anything else, Aether beat her to it.

"And let me make this as clear as day. Right now, I'm the only person in the entire city- no, the entire country that would not look at you any different than I did before this encounter. I still see you as Furina. As Focalors the Hydro Archon. Sure, we just barely met, but I can tell that there is more to you than meets the eye. I've seen you get excited and eager as well as become quiet and worried. Complete contrasts between the two sides of you and I'm sure there is a valid reason for that… everyone is entitled to change how they're feeling based on what's bothering them."

Aether said all this while keeping a hand over his chest and giving off a restful attitude. He wasn't much of a talker but when he did talk, he could practically talk your head off. Now, however, he felt that he said all that needed to be said. Now, all that was left was to let the Hydro Archon speak of what grievances were weighing heavily in her heart and causing her to cry.

As she processed the boy's words, Furina couldn't help but be grateful that the rain was keeping a steady rate of flow as droplets were trailing down her face. In addition, it helped mask the actual tears falling along her face.

"…You must think I look pathetic. Me, the Hydro Archon wallowing away in sadness like this."

Shaking his head, Aether gave an honest response, "No, I don't. After meeting several of the Archons from other nations, I'd be more surprised not to see you cry or show actual emotions. Hearing what the prophecy entails and how the situation with Childe went… it's honestly fair to say you have your hands tied."

"As childish as that description sounds… you're essentially not wrong."

'Childish? Psssh. Coming from the one who was getting defensive when the Oratrice's decision was the opposite of what it should have been' Aether said to himself while frowning at the girl.

A moment of silence settled into the area as Furina was now staring right at Aether with her eyes still looking red but conveying a sense of collectedness and pride apparent in her face.

It was also at this point that the light rain that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere stopped. As soon as it started, it now disappeared leaving behind a calm and cool evening air to the area.

"Then, outlan- I mean, Aether, would you be willing to… hear what I, the God of Justice, have to say about what's caused… this" Furina said while gesturing to her unsavory appearance.

Not giving an obvious answer, Aether took a few steps toward the Archon before slowly lowering himself so that he was now sitting on the edge of the outer rim they were both located on and began patting the ground next to him. Seeing this action, Furina was left slightly confused until she saw the Traveler roll his eyes and nod his head to the ground.

Finally, understanding the outlander's action, Furina let out a quiet groan which was heard by the boy who shot her a look that basically told her to get over it. Deciding to get it over with, the white-haired girl lowered herself so that she was only a few inches away from encountering the boy.

On the outside, she kept a neutral look on her face while they stared out at the sight before them. But on the inside, it was a whole different situation. Her imagination was running at full speed with so many fantasies starting to play out with her leaning her head on the boy's shoulder and him resting his head onto hers. Or that she would play it off as her being cold and he would wrap his arm around her in a comforting sort of way. Moreover, she mentally imagined herself doing cartwheels and jumping up with joy at how the Traveler was leaving her even more stunned by the minute with his caring and kind attitude to make sure she knew that he would be there to help her.

For once in a long time… she didn't feel alone.

Even with the boy's presence being right next to her, she felt on a higher level of emotion that the famous Traveler who she had heard so much about was truly someone she could now rely on. Whether it was to discuss matters that bothered her or someone to direct her egocentric ideas to. Furina couldn't help but feel her heartbeat pick up in earnestness.

"So, where should we start?" Aether assuredly asked her.

"How… How about from the start?"

Wide-eyed, the blonde Traveler let out a lively chuckle.

"That might take a minute if we're going all the way back to the start."

A brief moment passed before Furina started happily laughing along with a small tint of pink was added to her cheeks casting off quite a look for the pretty girl in the night light.

"Pfft. Hah! Hahaha. No! Not like that you moron! I mean from your first time arriving in Fontaine."

Flashing a small smirk, Aether knew what she meant and got himself comfy. It seemed like the Hydro Archon had a lot on her plate and he had nowhere else to be now. Paimon wouldn't mind hanging out with Navia and Spina di Rosula for a bit longer. Besides, he was busy with something quite important.

Helping a new friend with her problems that were eating away at her. Along with offering him a chance to get to meet the real girl who presented herself in a self-centered tone that left him quite startled by her first impression. A girl who above everything else... was more than what everyone initially thought.

The real Furina.

*A/N* - Greetings there, hope this story was readable lol. In addition, as of posting this story, it's been found out that you can hear Furina's voice within the fountain right outside the Opera Epiclese. She appears to be saying a few things along with crying which adds to the idea that we are really only seeing one part of her true character. I can't wait for more of her history, personality, and character to be expanded upon. Not to mention, I'm also betting that she'll be the first Archon to actually make her feelings apparent whether it's through her lively act or whatever her true persona might be. Either way, thanks for checking this random story out, and hope your day or night goes well. Take care.