Author's Note: Please give the story a chance, more info at the bottom 3
Title: Who Wants To Live Forever
Opera Epiclese, Fontaine, Evening:
"I…see what some people mean about the stage being a touch creepy at night" She mused quietly footsteps echoing gently as she stepped up to the stage looking up at the Oratrice, a faint snort as the full name ran through her mind 'The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale…How did we EVER think anyone would take that name seriously?'
She shook her head with a huff "Come on Furina…focus here you didn't come ALL the way out here in the dead of night…to make fun of the name of the machine. Debating with yourself in front of the mirror wasn't helping…and this is the closest I'm going to get to talking to her. And I really need to talk to someone about this…"
She paused biting her lip a bit in worry one last nervous glance around as if to reassure herself she was alone as she chuckled faintly "I mean…I guess that's the point…I'm not really talking to anyone but…at the same time I have a problem…and I literally can't think of anyone else to speak to…and…here I am talking myself in circles…"
She shook her head walking across the stage with a sigh "I… I know what the plan was… I play the role of the Archon till the prophecy is averted somehow… and then I'm free and get to live a normal life… and I'm grateful… I'm glad we succeeded with the plan…even if I didn't know the last steps of it but I've been adjusting… I'm moving on…even acting a little again, mostly helping behind the scenes but… I even have friends…Clorinde, Navia, e-even Hu-Tao out in Liyue…but…they're not who I'm here to really talk to you about…" she sighed "Its about... the Traveler…Aether" she admitted "He… he's been there trying to help…even helped encourage me to help with the play where I got my vision, he's been so amazing… since I stepped down."
"I mean…w-we've had our rough spots… h-he's pushed me before but its…to try and help…I couldn't just wallow in my own doubts forever… he wouldn't let me" she sighed "And we've…we've gotten closer…a lot closer since we started hanging out..." she blushed heart skipping a beat "I just… I have a problem… and its not one I thought I could have…" she swallowed thinking how to bring it up. "We've been dating… lately and… he's leaving soon for Natlan… I've debated going with him but…I-I just t-there's a bigger problem." She swallowed "He's immortal…and…"
"And you're not" A new voice suddenly cut in making her jump a foot with a scream as she spun around in shock sword appearing in a panic as she spotted the source a tall dark clothed man approaching up the main aisle "Hey Miss Furina…is this a private therapy session or can any grumpy ole Duke join in?" he asked.
"Y-your Grace-" she started in surprise as he cut her off
"Please just... Wriothesley, I'm not here on official business" he chuckled quietly "I just…was swinging by to try and get our mutual workaholic friend to come out for a couple drinks but he's too busy…as usual" he sighed "And I overheard you talking in here and figured I'd check in."
She bit her lip with an awkward chuckle "I-I just was sorting some thoughts out about things, I-I'm fine I promise" she stuttered dismissing her sword with a flash
Wriothesley chuckled "Come on I heard enough to know your debating SOMETHING to do with the Traveler" he retorted "trust me I get it; age can be a helluva speed bump in things"
"Neuvillette still dodging the topic?" she asked, as she had noticed the two tap dancing around each other for awhile
"he just doesn't wanna move forward all sorts of excuses that amount to our debates about differences in ages" the Duke sighed arms crossed "I try to tell him I don't care but… well you know how stubborn people like that can be, and I guess to some degree they have a point it's not like we can change the fact we age can we?" he mused with a dry chuckle.
She sighed biting her lip as she sat on the edge of the stage as he leaned against the front "…. actually…" she started quietly "that's…actually technically not entirely true" as she glanced away gloved hands fiddling with her bow idly unable to look at Wriothesley as she waited for his reply.
"Wait, wait, wait…I thought you we're as mortal as I am… and that it was the actual archon that made you immortal" he replied confused "…unless"
"Oh no no no I'm JUST as mortal as anyone on the street at the moment, I just…might have figured out how to ah…change that?" she replied quietly tapping her fingers together. "Its crazy I know I just… its part of my ah…therapy session here"
"… Go on"
"I… I just…" she trailed off embarrassed
"Furina its…kinda obvious you two are close" he noted "Lemme guess your debating doing this too yourself to stay with him huh?"
"…. Yes…" she admitted quietly "I-I just I know he's going to ask why… after all the work to let me be free…but..."
"The important answer to that question is one thing, would you rather lose him and live a normal life, or face forever again with him"
She stared in surprise "h-how..."
"Come on think I haven't had the same debates with trying to knock sense into that damn dragon?" Wriothesley asked with a raised eyebrow "I admit it's a lot more speculative and such with mine."
She sighed "I mean that makes sense" she mused "I…I've been thinking about this a lot lately, I-I can't help it, it's just…a big decision"
"Yeah, I get that," Wriothesley mused "and knowing you could 'fix' the issue if you really wanted isn't helping huh?"
"… No, but I know his reaction if I do something like this frivolously" she sighed "after all the work to undo it the first time" her head dropped a bit "But…its still in my head"
"So…how hard is this trick of yours?" he asked as a sudden derailment "Like I'd assume it could be undone if need be right?"
She blinked trying to get her head around the shift in topics "I-I mean probably I…haven't quiet figured out that part" she admitted "I-I don't really know a lot about removing curses and such, its not a very common subject around Fontaine"
"Fair enough, might need to go pester Aether's friends down in Inazuma or something, they might have a better idea how to"
"I've been trying to make arrangements for a trip but… its been busy with Aether preparing to visit Natlan soon…it just… I'd like to figure this out before he leaves…"
"Oh, why's that?"
"I-I… I'm debating going with him…but I don't want him worrying about me or..."
"Or the debate in a few years when your growing older and he's unchanging?"
"Beyond that I've been busy training, both with my sword and my vision, Clorinde has been helping me a bit, a-and so's Aether but I don't want him wondering more about how much I'm practicing. I-I want to surprise him… o-on multiple fronts"
The duke chuckled faintly "I mean fair enough nothing wrong with surprising someone you care about" he mused deep in thought arms crossed
"…Yeah," she trailed off in thought distracted for the moment.
"…. Do it" he cut in suddenly making her jump as she stared eyes wide
"w-what? Y-you know I can't undo this right? If I curse you its permanent" she retorted "I-I mean if I we're to die that might undo it, I just..." she trailed off as he held up a hand turning to look a determined expression on his face
"I'm serious Furina, I'm not an idiot, you think I haven't done some poking of my own?" he demanded with a raised eyebrow, "Look our resident Iudex keeps making a point about the fact he's basically immortal? He should remember who he's talking to" he gave a dry chuckle.
"W-what exactly do you mean by that?" she asked, trying to catch up with the sudden shift in tone, biting back her nervousness she never should have mentioned what she'd figured out about all this.
"I don't just accept problems and such if I can find a way to deal with them." Wriothesley retorted smirking slightly "Its how I've managed the Fortress up to this point after all."
"Look I-I don't even know if there's SIDE EFFECTS to this idea… I-I just because I remember how it was done and think I can do it again doesn't mean I'm an expert" she replied in a slight panicky tone. "I-I've never cursed someone I was the one who WAS cursed I just remember how Focalors did it a-and I think I can reenact it"
"Look I'm not expecting you to be a sudden expert on this, but I am willing to try" he shot back cutting off her freak out "I get its risky, I get your nervous but… I'm willing to take the risk to try. If it works you know it works, I get rid of the biggest hurdle he keeps throwing at me, and you get to test drive this trick on someone other than yourself." He turned to smirk at her as she stared wide eyed "I see it as a win-win for everyone"
"I-I…are you absolutely sure?" she asked quietly "I-I hear what you're saying I just… I never imagined I'd be considering doing this to anyone else"
The Duke sighed as he stood up turning to face her properly "Yes, I'm absolutely sure, I'll deal with the consequences myself, and if he gets mad when he finds out, I'll take the hit, I talked you into this." He chuckled "I kind of am after all"
She nodded softly "Then just take my hand a-and brace yourself, I don't know how this is going to feel" she admitted quietly. She held her hand out as she felt Wriothesley's grip hers in return as she closed her eyes in focus as her vision glowed digging back in her mind, for a long buried memory…of talking to her mirror-self and the strange icy feeling as her life was bound to eternity as she focused her Vision glowing brighter as watery energy slipped up from the glowing gem up around her arm and down to travel back up his arm in return slithering up to sink into his chest as he gasped his own vision flickering as if in response. It didn't take long as she felt the power ebbing as he stumbled back slightly shaking his head. Even though she was glad to already be sitting as her vision dimmed a wave of dizziness hitting her.
"Ugh…that…that felt weird" he admitted "You okay?"
"Yeah, it just…a little dizzy I'm fine" she admitted shaking her head slightly "a-are you?"
"Yeah, I'm fine just…feeling a little tingly I guess" he chuckled "So…that's it?"
"It should be, your now...for lack of a better term cursed to eternal life, at least from age" she warned "You…you can still fall to injuries"
"So, the clock stops mattering but a sword through the gut is a sword through the gut, got it" he mused. "Thanks Lady Furina" he added with a faint smile
"I-I…I've told you all stop..." she started only to be cut off with a hand on the shoulder as she blinked.
"Today you earned the respect alright? You did something I don't think anyone else could do, and you let me talk you into trying it despite your doubts. Now its just seeing if this worked, it shouldn't be hard to tell given a little time, right?"
She nodded "yeah I mean you should just…kind of hold where you're at age wise" she mused quietly "so at this point its just wait and see."
"And with that, I should probably get going, it's been nice and all but I'm afraid I'll start raising questions if I hang around much longer" he sighed "plus it's a bit of a long walk back to the Fortress. I hope you figure out your own debates Miss Furina" he added with a faint bow before he turned to walk out as she sighed.
"Ugh…you know I never expected it to turn out like this coming out here to talk to you" she mused aloud "I…I think I know what to do" she muttered rising up slowly, "Wriothesley's right… its all a matter of if I could imagine letting him go…and I can't…" she sighed quietly "So…as soon as we're sure this crazy idea of mine works, I'm next" she breathed softly words only for herself and the quiet Oratrice "I know I already dealt with 500 years…and alone…I'd never be able to endure…but with him at my side we can handle anything." She smiled decision made as she turned to the back of the stage with a final bow.
"Thanks Mirror Me…for helping me fix my brain" she noted softly "I hope your not mad at me for this…but I know it's the right decision for me." And with that she turned and started on her way out of the Opera House, footsteps echoing quietly through the silent room.
Author's Note:
So a little context, Furina and Aether have been dating a decent bit and he's coming up on the start of his trip to Natlan, she's having doubts as time goes by and the fact Aether doesn't age is starting to hit that, they're close there's no doubt about their connection
she's just worried about leaving him behind again if she lives a normal lifespan.. hence her debate about what to do, and Wrio is having similar issues with Neuvillette, I might touch on more of this if I develop a stronger story to toy with all these ideas with, but for now it came out in this oneshot hope you all enjoy~