Huh. I didn't expect this thing to be popular (if you could call 6 reviews in two days popular) but here we are. Guess I'll devote some time to this. I've hit a bit of a snag on Whipped into Shape so this might take its place for the time being. Fortunately it won't be anywhere near as long as Whipped so don't worry.
Disclaimer: Genshin Impact and its characters belong to Mi-hoyo and Hoyoverse; I own nothing.
In his journey across the whole of Teyvat, Aether liked to believe he had some notable experience with archons. After all he had managed to make friends with a drunken bard, a broke old dragon, a stalwart shut-in and, most recently, a precocious child with seemingly more sense out of all of them combined.
How bad could the Hydro Archon be?
"Traveler, today you shall be my servant!"
Well the answer was standing right in front of him, pointing and shouting at him as though he were a wanted criminal in her eyes.
Given how the trial between us went down, I might very well be, Aether thought with a grimace.
"Lady Furina-" he tried to speak but the archon cut him off.
"None of that!"
"Ehh?"
Furina adopted a haughty pose with her hands on her hips, her chin angled towards the sky as she giggled. "Befitting my station, you shall refer to me as your Supreme Excellence, Traveler. Normally I might have you dragged away for sullying my title like this," Furina stated, causing Aether's eyes to widen before she seemed to reconsider the thought. "B-but because you are new here, I shall forgive such slights and allow you to attempt once more. Be grateful for my magnanimity!"
And he thought Fischl was hard to understand…
"Uh… Paimon isn't sure what's going on, but maybe we should play along?" Paimon whispered to the blonde.
Aether shrugged. Well, if it meant getting on her good side, a little posturing couldn't hurt. Seems those lessons from Eula he'd had to learn so long ago would finally be put to good use.
Lowering into a sweeping bow, Aether let his body fall into familiar motions before addressing the young archon. "Your Supreme Excellence, Lady Furina. Good day to you. I was perhaps wondering if-"
"Sloppy," Furina deadpanned, making Aether flinch as if he had been hit by a hilichurl's arrow.
"E-eh?"
What followed was perhaps the most destructive criticism he'd ever faced, even from when Eula's uncle had refused to speak to them. It was humiliating, especially when he considered the fact that others were watching this scene play out with amusement. Paimon was no help either but that wasn't really her fault. None of them knew how to deal with the archon of Fontaine as it stood so all they could do was stand there as she completely dismantled their hard practiced routine.
"Do you understand what I am speaking of, Traveler?" Furina asked, or rather demanded of him as she leaned in, eyes firm with steel.
"I do," he gritted out, trying to keep his frustration in check.
"What was that?"
He sighed. "I do, your Supreme Excellence, Lady Furina…"
"Good. All else aside… once you rectify those shortcomings, you have the makings of a true noble."
Had Aether not learned what it meant to be a "noble" during his time in Monstadt, he might've taken that as a rare compliment from the archon who seemed to delight in making him squirm. Instead, he only found the remark belittling. "I'm fine with not being one, thank you."
"Pardon? What, perchance, is so vile about being compared to the most elegant of persons?" Furina questioned, raising a delicate eyebrow at him.
"Nobles have proven to be quite full of themselves, preferring to look down on others rather than change themselves," Aether stated bitterly, giving the archon a hard look. "When it comes to those types of people, I can't hold any respect for them."
Furina's gaze narrowed even further. "Are you insinuating that you cannot respect me, Traveler?"
The retort that had been ready on his lips died before it could leave his mouth.
In truth, Furina was about as stuck up as they came and didn't really seem to hold any regard for anyone but herself… But that wasn't fair to her. He didn't know her all that well yet and she had shown that she could be responsible and respectable, though even he didn't know the full truth behind that.
Maybe she did think twice about her actions and worked to improve, which was more than he could say for some of the other members of high society from the other nations he'd been to.
"I would like to," he answered honestly, earning a vigorous nod from Paimon as he looked up… and found the archon staring at him with wide eyes. Had what he said been that shocking to her? "Lady Furina...?"
"Hm?! Oh, oh yes," she cleared her throat a bit before going on in her usual flamboyant manner, "indeed, that would be the only suitable outcome for one such as my elegant self. In any case, I have decided that you shall be my chaperone for the day."
"Didn't Paimon hear her call you her servant though?" Paimon whispered at him.
Aether was also at a loss, though, he realized with a start, maybe now he could actually get the chance to talk to her about what she knew. "I'd be happy to accompany you, Lady Furina."
Like a coin had flipped, Furina's usual haughty smirk reared its ugly head, and it sent a small chill down Aether's spine. "Happy, would you? We shall see how long you maintain that opinion, dear Traveler. Now then," she strode forth quickly, almost hurriedly, "let us be off to the city."
"Wait, isn't there a trial going on today?" Paimon asked, glancing between both Aether and Furina.
Furina seemed to stiffen at that, her whole form going ramrod straight before she seemed to deflate a bit. "Indeed, however due to various circumstances I shan't reiterate, I have decided to take a small leave for the day. Now come, I do not wish to waste any more time than has already been lost."
Despite her lackadaisical front, Aether didn't miss how Furina practically scrambled away through the throngs of onlookers, leaving the blonde and his companion to share a bewildered look.
"Um… Paimon's not sure what that was all about, but we should hurry and catch up with her. Hey, wait a minute!"
"What is it Paimon?"
"Weren't you supposed to call her your Supreme Excellence or whatever?"
Aether directed a gaze at Furina's fading form, cocking his head a bit. "That's what she said. She didn't hold back on her criticism so why didn't she lay into me about that?"
"If you ask Paimon, she's the strangest archon we've met thus far," the fairy decided with folded arms.
"Yeah… strange."
Furina didn't even spare a glance for the reflection of herself in the waters of the aqueduct, pacing back and forth like a caged tiger.
All because of that fool's words.
"I'd like to," he had said, and once more she felt her heart skip a beat.
How was it that she had received mountains of meaningless praise from her people, bearing it all with but a smile and wave but then this boy comes along and her heart decides to perform gymnastics?!
What made him so special? Just because he was this renowned figure shouldn't have meant anything to her, especially after their duel in the courtroom before. If anything, she should've been furious at the sight of him and she had been – at first.
His lack of decorum aside – and it was lacking, by a grievous extent – his words regarding some of her most favored citizens grinded her gears something fierce. How dare he make such assumptions about her people? After all they were all modeled by her design, by her decree, so saying what he had might as well have been an attack on her own values!
That is, until he had said what he had.
He'd like to respect her? Well of course he would. She was magnificent, stupendous even! How could anyone not want to respect her divine form? It was heresy! And yet…
What is this… sweeping feeling of relief?
"Lady Furina!"
As if summoned by her troubling musings, the object of her frustrations once more made his entrance into her affairs.
Shoving these meddlesome thoughts aside for now, Furina turned to the blonde as he ran up to her, not even winded from the dead sprint after her. That only made her more annoyed considering she had nearly collapsed from the short sprint. "Hmph. You've kept me waiting, Traveler. The next time I take my leave, you should fall in step with me as my dutiful chaperone. What if something happened to me in the meantime?"
"Well, I'd come save you."
She nearly gave herself whiplash as her head turned towards him, her eyes widening at the quick response. How could this guy say such things so casually?! Did he not realize what his words meant to her?
No, that's not it. Why should I care so much about what he says anyways? It's only fitting he should come to save me. …wait, why do I need him to save me in the first place?! I'm the archon for Celestia's sake!
"W-well in any case," she coughed into her fist, trying to ignore the rising heat in her cheeks, "as my chaperone, I trust you will not hesitate should it come to that."
"Paimon was wondering," the little fairy made herself known next to the Traveler, putting a finger to her lips, "what's a chaperone anyway? Is it something you can eat?"
Furina's eye twitched slightly at the utter idiocy of the question but gracefully decided to let it slide. After all, foreigners unfamiliar with Fontaine's culture would be a bit lost when it came to such familiar terms. "Ahem. A chaperone is an individual whose purpose is to accompany a particular person throughout an activity that would require additional supervision."
"Oh, so the hydro archon needs to be babysat, then?" Paimon teased, smirking.
The waters behind her churned, mirroring how Furina felt about that statement but before she could bestow judgment on the little twerp, her companion stepped in to rescue her.
"Rather than a babysitter, maybe it's more like an attendant?" Aether suggested with a smile.
Furina's glower was swiftly replaced by a proud smile, nodding her head with satisfaction. "Quite."
"Ohhh, Paimon gets it now. Sorry Furina."
"Count your lucky stars that I have chosen not to put you on trial for such mindless remarks, little fairy," Furina stated, glaring at the fairy.
"Eeek!"
"You had that one coming," Aether chuckled at her, but winced as the archon leveled her stare on him next.
"And don't think you are exempt either, Traveler. I have yet to forgive you for humiliating me the way you did in court."
"Perhaps you should've done your homework," Aether taunted.
Indignant, Furina stomped her foot, and shouted, "I did, thank you very much!"
Aether and Paimon stared, wide eyed as an awkward silence fell on the trio.
"Uh…" Paimon uttered, glancing nervously between both the blonde and the archon, "well all that matters is that we found the real culprit, right?"
Furina shot a look at the fairy then back at the Traveler, studying him for a few moments before she sighed, settling herself down on a bench nearby. "As much as I loathe to admit, you make an excellent point. As graceless as my defeat was, it paved the way for the true villain to meet justice, with the bonus of serving as wondrous entertainment."
"I wouldn't call what he did entertaining."
Furina's eyes locked with Aether's golden orbs, taken aback by the steel that shone in them. It both unnerved and at the same time, irritatingly enough… interested her. "Loathsome as his actions might've been, the spectacle was certainly praiseworthy in its execution. That I can admire."
"Then you need to revise your standards."
"Excusez-moi?!" Furina practically squawked, outraged. "How dare you judge me – ME – the God of Justice! My values are without fault! It would behoove you to remember just who you are addressing, Traveler."
Aether looked as though he wanted to say something more, but instead he merely sighed and bowed like before, "Of course, your Supreme Excellence. I misspoke."
A small part of Furina wanted to hear what he'd been about to say to her, but like always, the larger part accepted it with an indignant huff. "Is that so? Well then you should be grateful I am a forgiving mistress, otherwise we might end up back in the courtroom with very real charges pressed against you."
"Somehow, I get the feeling you might lose that one, too," Aether remarked, allowing a small smirk to surface, breaking the tense atmopshere that had been building between them.
This man-!
"I never would've suspected someone as uncouth as you would be the revered hero that's been held in such high regard," Furina ranted, folding her arms over her chest. "But that only makes the coming trial that much more enjoyable."
"Trial? What do you mean?" Aether asked, starting to pale.
Furina grinned at him, leaning in a gleam in her eyes. "What else? I claimed no deceit when I spoke of your noble promise, thus I will see to it you will be a made into a figure properly suited to be seen with someone of my stature."
"Didn't you just make that declaration on your own?"
The young archon flushed at her blunder, but hid it with a giggle, "T-that's only because I have faith you will not disappoint me!"
"Really?"
"But of course!" Furina declared hotly, but then her mind registered the sheer zeal in her voice, prompting a brief pause. Swallowing a bit, she took hold of a strand of her hair, fiddling with it a bit – a nervous tick of hers that many had pointed out. "By that I mean, you haven't disappointed me yet, though the possibility exists."
Then the Traveler smiled, and Furina realized in that moment his smile could outshine even the sun. "Then I'll have to prove you wrong on that front as well."
Her heart continued to perform various gymnastics from within her bosom, furthering her frustrations.
What the devil was the issue here? Why was she allowing herself to get so flustered over one man?!
"Oh look, the aquabus is here!" Paimon pointed out, breaking the stalemate.
Furina decided to carry on with her initial intent of heading to the city this way… it absolutely was not her way of scrambling for any distraction to the Traveler.
"Then we shall proceed with the day's events!" the archon declared, leaping to her feet with gusto.
"Do you even have a plan on what you want to do, Furina?" Paimon asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Hmph! How amusing for you to think that I would not have an inkling on what to enjoy in my own nation. Rest assured that under my guidance you shall enjoy all that Fontaine has to offer and then some!" Furina boasted, sticking her chest out with pride and matching smile in place.
It was always important to maintain a consistent image on the surface, much how the people admired water from the surface. So as the trio boarded the aquabus, Furina was the picture of calm and pleased; but inwardly…
I DIDN'T THINK THAT FAR AHEAD..!
So the plan for this fic is to be told mostly from Furina's point of view. The Traveler will get his sections but the purpose of this is to explore Furina's personality and possibly give hints to her past. But I won't be taking any deep plunges into that area apart from some subtle hints here and there. I might - MIGHT - hint at a deeper connection between her and her predecessor but not much more than that I believe.
As mentioned above, this will be a short fic compared to my Sekirei story but I wanted to write this to A) play around with Furina's personality and her dynamic with the Traveler, and B) find some way to cope with the fact she won't be released until version 4.2 - meaning the end of the year most likely.
/wails in Furina anxiety/
Anyways, I'll keep putting this thing together and see how it all comes out. I have a vague idea of what I want to happen but getting there? Hehe, story of my life.