AN: Be sure to check out chapter 10 as well if you haven't read this on ao3. I completely forgot to post it here so my apologies for anyone who was waiting here!
"Miss Furina," Neuvillette began with a bemused expression. "I understand wanting to partake in the festivities but to want to plan your schedule with no explanation as to why has me questioning your motives. Far be it from me to deny your request but I have to ask if this is part of an elaborate scheme to indulge yourself on sweets."
Furina raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was being serious and what he might have been suggesting about her.
"I simply want to make sure I can fit all that there is to offer into the time we have. Aether is very busy as we both know and it is paramount that Fontaine leaves a lasting postive impression which can only be assured if I'm also available." She folded her arms and held her chin up. "The sweets and other delicacies on offer are a nice little bonus, nothing more."
"And if he chooses to enjoy the festival with other friends he has made in Fontaine?"
Her posture crumbled and she glanced around nervously, wringing her hands to ignore the blush spreading across her face.
"A-ah." Before she could stop herself, she was speaking without thinking in the slightest. "Well, of course he's free to do so if he wishes. I-I mean I can hardly stop him from doing so, n-not that I'd mind if he did, but I was... hoping that since we can't guarantee when they'll be attending- not to mention with the free time I have, he might want to..."
It had taken her far too long to realise she was rambling and destroying all credibility her assurance that she had no ulterior motives might have had. Neuvillette looked like he was waiting for her to finish with no intent to stop her which she hoped he drew no amusement from. She knew should have just thought before speaking but with everything already said, she sincerely wished for any kind of distraction to suddenly arise to break the awkward silence.
When it became clear to him that Furina wasn't going to attempt to revise her words, Neuvillette began again. "If this is something you wish to keep to yourself, I apologise for bringing us to this point-"
"No, it's- I..." Furina interrupted. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this but she couldn't let Neuvillette blame himself for her not being able to keep a secret. Why was she trying to keep things secret from Neuvillette anyway? If there was anyone she could trust with the knowledge of her and Aether, it was him. It wasn't as if she had anything to lose either. It was embarrassing now but surely Neuvillette of all people wouldn't hold it against her. "I... well, Aether and I have gotten a little closer. A-a lot closer, in truth and we're sort of... um... dating now."
When Furina dared to look at Neuvillette again despite her embarrassment, she was just about able to catch the surprise cross his face.
"I see," A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "So you wish to make this Fontinalia Festival a special experience for him."
Furina nodded, a shy smile on her face. "I didn't want to make a big deal of it. You're the only person I've told."
"I understand." Neuvillette stood, pushing his chair back and bowed. "I thank you for your trust and confiding this information with me. This is truly wonderful news, Furina." Furina looked down at her feet, her smile widening and blush deepening.
"Now then, with this... context added to your request, I am happy to provide you with the information you need," he continued, flipping through a pile of papers on his desk. "As you may recall, you previously approved the Fontaine Film Association's proposal for a film festival this year."
Furina did recall that. Watching the results of the film festival sounded enjoyable, although upon remembering the name of the award that she had given her blessing to, Furina thought perhaps they could watch the entrants' films some time after the winner was decalred to minimise the amount of times she had to hear the official name of it.
No matter, there was plenty more to be entertained by.
Furina supposed she could let slide the fact that all her plans had been delayed by her new directorial duties given that Aether was also part of the production and she could hardly say no to the offering of Fontinalia Mousse. Even though she fully intended to hold it over Aether's head as a favour to be repaid when she deemed fit, the directing process came naturally to her, combining her love of the arts and want to keep take a step back from the spotlight she had had to endure for so long.
Still, it was somewhat daunting to begin with. Not so much adjusting to being a director itself, but more so that she was nervous about meeting and working with Aether's friends from Inazuma. News of her abdication had already spread, not that she could do much about the news cycle, but she hoped whatever had been written about her wouldn't colour certain perceptions of her. From her tea party with Fischl and Mona, she imagined the reports couldn't be that bad but reading any articles about it herself was something she still couldn't bring herself to do.
To her relief, the only focus was on the production of their film and she was welcomed into the varied group.
She was at least familiar with Chiori and Chevreuse. She had previously showed interest in many of Chiori's works at her boutique but on this occasion she was glad to not be the one wearing any of her outfits when she happened to witness the glares others would receive for having coffee anywhere near anyone in costume. Seeing Chevreuse brought back a memory of a cermonial performance she once planned for her department that regrettably fell through. Perhaps a revival of the project was in order now that she was better acquanited.
Her interactions with the Kamisato siblings and Yoimiya were nothing but positive. These days, Furina didn't have the energy to match Yoimiya though she certainly wouldn't knock her enthusiasm and diligence in being her assistant. She didn't have enough good to say about Ayaka and could hardly believe she hadn't already been scouted before for her acting. Admittedly, she couldn't get a full read on Ayato with him stepping down as one of the actors but he was still very polite.
She did happen to notice Ayaka becoming more animated whenever she interacted with him though. Furina quickly dismissed any feelings of jealousy that she felt might have been brewing. Sure, she might have accidentally revealed her hand to Neuvillette when he gave her the idea of Aether spending the festival with someone else and maybe she was still unfamiliar with how to deal with such situations but she was sure there was a rational explanation.
Aether had friends all over Teyvat and it had to have been a long time since he was in Inazuma. She could accept the idea that Ayaka was happy to see him again after so long and there was a lot of catching up to do with the changes happening in Inazuma from what she had read. Besides, it wasn't as if she could say she was being ignored. With her directing and Aether operating the Kamera, she had plenty of little opportunities to herself and she was still intent on showing him the festival with just the two of them.
Confident in her assumptions, Furina supposed there was nothing to worry about.
In the end, thanks to everyone's efforts, she was part of a production she could be proud of and yet somehow had no knowledge of the others working on and solving a case along the way.
And there she stood with the group around her as she held the trophy that she refused to refer to by name.
"We really won!" Yoimiya cheered.
"Despite the best efforts of certain people," Chiori commented. "From what I hear, this is a normal occurence for you, Traveller."
"Oh yeah, you'd be surprised. Like during Lantern Rite one time-" Paimon responded before he could answer only to be cut off when Aether laughed nervously.
"Haha, what Paimon means to say is uh, it's been known to happen from time to time."
"Come now," Ayato said with a light chuckle, placing a hand on Aether's shoulder. "I'm sure they're merely unfortunate coincidences."
The lighthearted banter was refreshing to Furina, so often used to performing alongside a troupes only to leave them to their celebrations. She always told herself with how much she had at risk and had to hide, she wouldn't have made good company in the long run.
After the official ceremony, the group milled around a while longer with Furina standing with Aether and Paimon. At Paimon's teasing, Furina handed over the trophy, telling her she could hold onto it in an attempt to direct her elsewhere.
Furina didn't think she'd ever heard her name used so much with Paimon insisting on using it and 'Furina Award' seemingly as often as she could in every sentence.
"So, how was that?" Aether turned to her. "Even though we kinda dragged you into it, you looked like you enjoyed yourself." Furina gave a small smile in return.
"It was fun," she replied. "I could have done without the difficulties on the last day but I'm proud of what we made."
"Who would have thought you'd be embarrassed of the award though?" he smirked.
"Oh, stop," Furina pouted. "I didn't expect to be where I am now when I named it. The extra attention it brings is something I could do without these days.
"Does that explain your reaction to that title Fischl gave you?"
"Th-that one was also my idea."Furina then shrunk away, a blush crossing her face. "The Grand maîtresse des cérémonie was a very respected member of the Court of Fontaine and given what we were doing, I thought it was fitting. I didn't quite expect to have more people hear about it though."
"It's all in good fun though, isnt it?" Aether said warmly and patted her hair. "And I doubt that you'll be forgetting this Foninalia Festival any time soon."
Furina inched slightly closer and tentatively reached for his hand.. "You... still owe me a proper tour of the festival don't forget."
"Alright, we can sort that out at some point."
"Director Furina?" Ayaka's voice came in, causing Furina to jump and return to her previous distance from Aether.
"Oh, Ayaka, haha." Furina smoothed out a crease in her sleeve to at least give the impression that she was as composed as always. "Please, you don't need to keep calling me director. We're done filming and we won! In no small part thanks to your amazing performance, I might add. C'est magnifique!"
"Oh, w-well, thank you very much," Ayaka smiled and bowed, slightly taken aback by the sudden wave of glowing praise.
"Don't worry, I don't think Furina was trying to overwhelm you," Aether said, stepping in. "I'm pretty sure the excitement of the ceremony is what's making her talk so much."
"Y-yes, that's it! Wait a minute- hey!"
"I see. It was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" Ayaka chuckled in response a little more at ease. "I just wanted to thank you for all you did as director. It truly was an honour working with you."
"That's very kind of you." Furina offered her hand out, which Ayaka shook gladly. "I don't really do this kind of thing often anymore but I'd be happy to do so again if Musketeer Pictures can bring us all together."
"I hope that day comes soon," Ayaka replied. She paused, looking to consider how to put what she wanted to say into words. "Can I ask one last thing?" Furina wasn't sure what it was but something was making her face fall slightly. "Would you mind if I spoke to Aether quickly? I won't be long."
Furina felt that the little voice telling her to wait a moment and consider her options was simply that feeling of jealousy she had been suppressing. On this occasion, her almost pre-programmed desire to keep her relationship a secret completely overrode it before she consider maybe hearing what it had to say.
"N-not at all!" she said with a little too much enthusiasm. Unfortunately in trying to correct it with a more dismissive expression, she carried on. "You needn't ask for my permission. It's not like I- I mean, h-he can..."
With her mind finally catching up with what she was actually saying, she decided the best thing to do would be to simply shut her mouth and keep it that way until she could think of a way to rescue the situation. She had to have had used some excuse for situations like this in the past. There was an easy way out of this if she just thought about it harder, she thought.
"Hey, it's alright," Aether said, snapping her out of her thoughts when he put his hand on her shoulder. "Just wait here and I'll be back."
Watching them both walk away, Furina slowly put her hand over her heart, dreading what she would feel. Her heart was pounding as she suspected. She tried to steady her racing thoughts. After all, what was the worst that could happen? They were all friends and she could trust Aether. Just because Aether had known Ayaka longer and, from what she had learned, been to festivals with her and fought alongside him in a competition...
A pang of anxiety gnawed at her as she compared her own experiences with Aether. She'd often bring down the mood of their time together with painful memories, she had him worried sick when she went off to practice with her Vision and, try as she might, she couldn't picture their interactions from when he arrived in Fontaine in anything but a negative light.
Furina's thoughts swirled.
She wanted to go after them but her feet refused to move. What would Aether think of her if she tried to stop them even if she told them the truth?
Countless scenarios rushed through her mind about Aether thinking she would just follow him around like a lost puppy whenever he had to go anywhere or that she wouldn't allow him to talk to his friends.
She couldn't bear the thought of what she felt Ayaka was going to say to him but couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.
Furina clutched at her chest, telling herself everything would be fine to try to push the worst case scenario from the front of her mind.
Standing beside Ayaka a short distance away from the festival grounds, Aether watched people take part in what was on offer now that the film festival had concluded. There was a comfortable silence between the two until Ayaka lightly chuckled before finally speaking.
"You're always ending up in some kind of trouble, aren't you?" She turned to him with a smile. "Everything during filming might have been a coincidence, but I couldn't help but worry when I read about what happened in Sumeru and all that went on here in Fontaine."
Aether smirked in response. "Yeah, it feels like I can't catch a break sometimes but it's always worked out in the end right?"
"Mm," Ayaka nodded. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. I was so excited that I'd get to see you again and I've had a wonderful time here with everyone. Chiori's the same as ever and I hope Chevreuse and I can meet again."
Aether tilted his head slightly, listening intently. He could sense that Ayaka was leading up to something important.
"And Furina..." With a slight hesitation, Ayaka continued, her tone carrying a hint of melancholy. "She's an amazing person, isn't she? Even the fact that she chose to join us for the film. After all, how many people can say they've created a film with a former archon?"
She paused, looking down at the ground before continuing. "I see why she's still so highly regarded... and why so many people are drawn to her."
Aether blinked, slightly taken aback by the sudden mention of Furina. Ayaka's words were thoughtful, and though she hadn't said it outright, it was clear that she had put the pieces together.
She turned to face him.
"I can only go off of what I've heard but it couldn't have been easy for her to start a normal life after being seen as an archon for so long." Ayaka gave him a small, almost wistful smile. "Seeing how she lit up when working with you and seeing her along with you just now, I feel like... you've been there for her, haven't you? Helping her find her way, supporting her through it all."
Aether was silent for a moment, considering his words carefully, finally settling on a simple reply. "...yeah."
Ayaka paused, taking a deep breath, her eyes meeting his. "I can see that you both mean a lot to each other. And while I... I had my own hopes... I wanted you to know that I'm happy for you both."
Aether's eyes softened, taking in her words. There was a genuine warmth in her expression despite the hint of sadness in her eyes, no bitterness or jealousy in her voice, only genuine acceptance and support. "Ayaka..."
Ayaka nodded, her smile more at peace now. "It's okay, Aether. You've shown me a lot of kindness and I'm grateful for the time we've spent together. I'll always treasure our friendship."
"Thank you, Ayaka," Aether finally said, his voice soft but full of gratitude. "That means a lot."
They both turned to look out over the festival once more.
After a few moments of silence between them, Ayaka was the first to speak. "I'm going to head back. It's been an exciting day and my brother will probably be wondering where I am."
"Alright," Aether replied, pushing himself from the railing he had been leaning on. "You're all gonna be around in Fontaine a little longer, right?"
"We are," she said. "There's still a lot I want to see here before we go. I still haven't gotten to see the dancing clockwork meka outside the opera house and we still have to find gifts for everyone back home."
Aether gently placed a hand on Ayaka's arm. "I'll still be around here for the foreseeable future so let me know if you're going out exploring or something. It'll be nice to hang out without having a film to worry about."
Ayaka nodded, one last kind smile on her face. She then stepped back, giving him a final, graceful bow before turning to leave.
Aether watched as Ayaka walked away, her figure gradually blending into the crowd. He felt a mix of emotions, knowing he should have expected as much when she asked Furina to speak with him. Still, he had the utmost gratitude and respect for her understanding and the strength Ayaka had shown.
He took a deep breath before turning back to where Furina was waiting for him. As he approached, he saw her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of anxiety.
"Is... everything alright?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Aether smiled softly, taking her hand. "Yeah, everything's fine." She looked up at him, slightly less anxious but still with unspoken questions crossing her face. "I promise I'll tell you about it but just know that I want to be here with you."
Furina felt a rush of warmth at his words, her doubts and fears beginning to melt away. Under normal circumstances, Furina would have thought to pry having not been given the full story but whatever had been said between him and Ayaka, she felt his focus squarely on her now.
She felt him tug at her arm. "Come on, there's bound to be something to do even at this time of night and you're gonna have to tell me the traditions behind whatever we find."
Furina gave a heartfelt smile. "I'd be happy to."
AN: Hope everyone has a good time in Natlan!