The decision to take a late morning walk around the city was doing wonders for Furina's headache after the evening she had had the night before.
She had finally made up her mind about joining Clorinde to her friend's gathering and throughout most of the morning was suffering the consequences of her decision to partake in the wine offered. While Furina's experience in drinking was almost solely limited to the occasional wine testing - believing it to be a poor choice of activity when combined with her never ending performance - she assumed she a few drinks wouldn't hurt.
In the end, all Furina really remembered of the night were the earliest parts where she stuck close to Clorinde not saying much until she was offered something to drink.
Considering Clorinde had evidently taken her home and was still there when she eventually woke up, Furina could take a guess at what had happened and could only hope she didn't embarrass herself.
According to Clorinde, she had continued to keep to herself for a while longer until someone made a passing mention of the Dawn Winery to which Furina looked to have taken a moment to connect some dots in her mind and had sprung into life saying she knows 'a guy who's friends with the owner'. She'd then dominated the conversation, branching off into tangentially related topics that she sounded like she was an expert in.
Ultimately, she'd claimed she'd been flying recently and was eager to show them all the steps involved if Clorinde hadn't stopped her from leaping onto the table. Clorinde appeared far too amused in letting her know that, at the time, Furina thought it was all in good fun and tried a few more times and when it became clear that the tabletop was out of her reach, Furina had instead latched onto her and made everyone very aware that she was the best bodyguard ever.
Furina groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Of all the things she could have said and done, it could have been much worse though she thought it best to avoid drinking for the foreseeable future.
Embarrassment of the event aside, she was at least glad that she could finally bring herself to attend. It would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago. It didn't matter to her that she had spent most of it not far from Clorinde but she could be proud that she was making progress since her abdication.
She'd have to thank everyone for their help and for putting up with her antics at the party.
Passing through Quartier Lyonnais, Furina felt that it was as good a time as any to return home seeing as her headache had largely subsided. As she walked by Bertin's House of Curiosities, she fought the urge to head over to the Adventurer's Guild.
From what she could see in her peripheral vision, there was someone at the counter talking to Katheryne but they were too tall to be Aether so she had no reason to stop by.
Wait.
She immediately stopped in place as soon as the thought concluded.
She already had plans in mind. She was going to go home, tidy up and maybe make something to eat if she still had any macaroni or sauce left.
Since when was she going to put everything aside on the off chance she happened to run into Aether again? Or was the walk she had decided to go on actually something her subconscious had cooked up as a roundabout way of seeing if she could find him?
That couldn't be right. She'd had too much to drink the night before - two cups from what Clorinde had said - and was just clearing her head. She was certain of that much. Her subconscious had simply planted the idea of wanting to see Aether in her head and was now looking for a way to link it with her walk retroactively.
Then again, her wanting to see him again couldn't have come from nowhere.
She shook her head and tousled her hair hoping to get rid of the rising heat in her face.
"I-It's perfectly natural for me to want to spend more time with him," she told herself. "After all, he's been helping me since everything happened and showed me all sorts of fun and amazing new things… and been there for me when I needed it…"
Furina drew herself out of her thoughts before she could continue finding more examples. Aether had done so much for her already and said he didn't mind spending time with her so she was well within her right to be interested in seeking him out.
Still, he'd met plenty of others and made many friends beside her since arriving in Fontaine so she couldn't assume he'd always have his schedule open for her. There was only so much she could accompany him in doing as well. If he was out on commissions to clear out any monsters or treasure hoarders, she wouldn't be much help.
Furina exhaled in disappointment. In all her years as an archon, she had never given much thought into learning to use a weapon to protect herself or learn anything to help her survive in the wild. She'd always left such business to her bodyguards and attendants over the years.
While she had watched more than her fair share of duels over the years as well as choreographed fights on stage, having participated in many herself, somehow she doubted much of it would carry over to conflict with an actual adversary.
She shuddered as the recent memory of the assassination attempt on her came to the front of her mind.
The mere thought of it made her want to stay at home and not leave without accompaniment again. At the time, she was sure everyone knew she was lying when she dismissed their concerns by saying she had barely slept but she couldn't let them know that their supposed god had been attacked and begged for her life.
At least with the prophecy, her other self had promised there would be a solution eventually but at the mercy of that assassin, she had never felt so powerless, so useless before.
Nowadays without her facade of godhood, wasn't that all she was now?
No. She couldn't think like that anymore. Aether said she was someone he could rely on. He believed in her and she didn't want to prove him wrong.
That said, as much as he said he didn't mind her company, if she kept coming to him for everything as she already had been doing, he'd probably grow tired of seeing her. He was patient with her but he surely had to have a limit.
"I just need to find things that I can do." Furina straightened her hair and held her chin in thought. "I can finish off reading the gliding manual, then I can look into getting my own license."
She nodded to herself. Getting a gliding license was a good start. She already knew the basics and it could lead to more in the future.
"I'd need to arrange some gliding lessons in which case. I could find an instructor but then I'd probably need my own glider and they might teach gliding differently in Fontaine. Aether said I was good at it and he was an excellent teacher as well."
Her musings left her with only one logical course of action.
"Maybe I should go find Aether. I can tell him that I went to the party with Clorinde. He'd be happy to hear about it."
Furina blinked.
"Wait, how did I end up back where I started?!" She groaned and ran her hands down her face. Looking over at the guild again, there was still no sign of Aether.
If she hadn't even seen him and her thoughts were already centred on him, how was she supposed to fare if he was around?
"Ugh, I can't help it! Things have been going so much better recently because of him. W-well not just him. That wouldn't be fair to Clorinde, Neuvillette and Paimon. Still… "
Furina gave a dramatic sigh and visibly deflated, not particularly minding who saw. It wasn't like she hadn't been standing around muttering to herself for the past few minutes anyway.
She wished she could take back the first part of her thought as a man approached.
"Excuse me, Lady Furina?" the man asked.
"Y-yes?" Furina squeaked, straightening out her clothes.
"I was wondering if you could spare a moment of your time. Oh, my name is Lauwick, by the way."
Furina noticed that while he was trying, Lauwick didn't seem to be able to maintain eye contact with her. Judging by how he still referred to her as 'Lady', he still held her in high regard. He seemed panicked though from what she could tell, it wasn't because of her presence.
She couldn't be sure why he would come to her in his apparent time of need but perhaps she could do something to help. Then again, with how she was now, she was unsure what she could actually do.
"Okay," she replied after some hesitation. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Oh, thank you!" Lauwick immediately bowed, catching Furina by surprise. "You see, I'm a member of a theatre troupe and we have performance coming up in a few days. Our leading lady is in no state to perform-"
Furina's breath hitched. Her heart was already pounding in her chest. Lauwick continued to explain his dilemma though it was drowned out by her own thoughts.
She always loved performing. The stage was her only refuge from the burdens of her role as Archon and her mere presence on stage brought joy to so many.
But to take on another role again only brought a rush of painful memories.
While she was free now, she was trying to find who she was beyond the Hydro Archon.
If she was on stage, would everyone just think she was trying to hold on to her former title?
What if she lost the person she thought she was developing into now like she had lost whoever she was when she first started her act?
Furina hated to disappoint him but things were different now
"-I know it's a lot to ask considering how close we are to the performance date and as an amateur troupe, we might not be up to your standards but I've heard nothing from the guild and you might be one of the only people who could still make our show happen."
Furina gripped on to her sleeve. From what she heard, the lead actress' illness was preventing her from performing and they needed a replacement otherwise the troupe would disband.
The show clearly meant a lot to him and the troupe and in the past, she would have already been inspecting the script and asking to watch a rehearsal. The fact that it was so last minute would have been a hassle to rearrange her schedule around but if it caught her interest it wouldn't have mattered.
Still, if even the thought of performing again was making her feel like this, there was no way she could return to the stage. It would be likely mean the end of Lauwick's troupe but she would have to decline.
"I'm sorry" she began. "After all that's happened recently, I've… decided to retire from performing. It's not a decision I've come to lightly but…" Feeling like she was already about to say more than she needed, Furina let her words trail off.
Lauwick's expression fell, disappointment etched across his features.
Furina felt awful. It should have been so simple for her to help. She was free to perform if she wanted and given that it was always something she enjoyed and was good at, there was no logical reason for her to turn him down.
"Oh…" Lauwick hung his head. She could tell he so desperately wanted to try to convince her it would be just this once but she had made herself clear. "But you must still have contacts with other actors or anyone else who can help us, right? Even if you can't perform yourself, is there any way you could make any arrangements?"
Furina bit her lip. There was always a distance between her and whoever she performed with. She may have been on stage with the same actors more than once but she was sure they didn't think of her as a friend. She was meant to be their god after all. Surely they could all finally relax and be themselves again once the performance was over. It at least worked out in that, if she didn't get close to them, there was no chance of them discovering her secret.
But what good was it all now?
The one thing she always loved doing and, when it could have saved a troupe in their time of need, she couldn't do it.
Maybe she really wasn't needed anymore.
"Hey, Furina!" an all too familiar voice called. Welcoming the distraction from her thoughts, she wheeled around to face an approaching Aether and Paimon.
Being brought back to her thoughts from before Lauwick spoke to her, was slightly more preferable.
She hoped she didn't look as despondent as she felt.
"Oh, were you asking about the commission as well, Furina?" Paimon asked. "Guess that makes sense. Katheryne said it was about a musical after all."
"Actually, Lady Furina was just telling me she wouldn't be able to perform," Lauwick sighed before suddenly brightening up when he realised who he was talking to. "Wait… I know you two! The traveler and Paimon! Are you experienced in acting at all?"
"Uhh, not really," Paimon scratched her head.
Furina's shoulders sagged a little. Though she understood why Lauwick would look to someone else after what she had just told him, she couldn't help but feel it was just another example of Fontaine moving on from her. What reason did they have to dwell on her when she was just a normal citizen now?
She jolted slightly when she felt Aether's hand rest on her shoulder.
Of course, she had mentioned how she felt about performing again before, she recalled.
Even though she'd already made her decision, the gesture was reassuring and already some of her doubts were beginning to fade away. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about how quickly that seemed to happen with Aether simply turning up and offering his support however.
"If you can't find a volunteer, we could put some money in to help pay another actress," Aether offered. "Or we could sponsor the show."
"Ah, no no, I couldn't ask for such a huge favour," Lauwick held up his hands. "Besides, we may not be able to pay you back. I truly appreciate your generosity but it wouldn't be right to ask so much of you."
"Lauwick, there you are!" Another voice called out. Lauwick froze while Furina, Aether and Paimon turned in the direction of the voice of an annoyed looking woman.
"Woah, this guy's popular today," Paimon commented.
"Oh, Dulphy," Lauwick began nervously. "Shouldn't you be resting? This morning, your illness-"
"I'll have you know, I'm just fine."
The two continued back and forth with Lauwick claiming her illness was far worse than she was making it out to be and Dulphy arguing that she was fully intending to play her role in their upcoming performance. Lauwick seemed to back down when Dulphy mentioned new medication that appeared to be the reason she was up and about.
Furina watched, thinking to herself that the problem had solved itself and she wouldn't have to get involved. She supposed it was for the best. With how the thought of it was making her feel, it was probably better that she left the performance to the troupe. It clearly meant a lot to them and Furina felt her presence, if she was able to perform, would overshadow what the troupe wanted to show to the public.
She didn't really have anything else to add since the lead actress was back. Aether and Paimon asked about whether the performance could continue to which Lauwick mentioned there were still some issues with the script and another of their actors to hash out but he seemed hopeful things would work themselves out.
"We should be fine for this performance at least," Dulphy added before sighing. "It's been difficult since we lost our director. She was the one who brought us all together and we're hoping to honour her memory with one last performance."
"Oh, Paimon sees why you were so desperate to find someone to fill in in that case."
"Yeah," Lauwick also sighed, hanging his head. "I should actually be thanking you two. Aurelie, our director, was a victim of that Vacher and thanks to you, he was finally brought to justice."
"The disappearances case," Furina muttered.
Vacher's words stuck with her long after the trial, mocking her people's idea of justice which in turn reflected on her. She'd hoped to dismiss his ranting as simply lashing out because he was finally caught but she couldn't deny all that he said.
Especially when he had said the people's suffering was being ignored.
Was it possible that if she had gotten directly involved, Vacher could have been stopped long ago? But she was no detective. What if she made a mistake in doing so or accused the wrong person? If her involvement didn't lead to the culprit being found wouldn't that have made people question her divinity?
Or what if she had been attacked?
She was reminded of her trial and the risk she had been willing to take with the Primordial Seawater.
What happened to the kidnapped women could have easily happened to her.
No, she couldn't have gotten involved, she told herself. She wouldn't have been able to help and at worst, she could have been just another victim and everything would be lost.
But that meant that the suffering of those such as Lauwick's troupe had escaped her notice. The culprit had been found guilty by the law but it couldn't bring back his victims. For her, once there was a verdict, she had little to do with anyone involved and was already thinking about the next trial but what about the families and friends of the victims?
Furina bit her lip.
If the troupe no longer needed a replacement for Dulphy, perhaps she could understand the effect a case that was solved in the eyes of the law had on those affected. Performing herself was likely out of the question but she could at least share what she knew to help them. Though performing so many roles only added more masks that buried her true self, she could never forget the joy she would always feel whenever she could just be appear as someone else and forget about her role as Archon if only temporarily.
Though apprehensive, she could still offer the troupe her expertise and perhaps she could discover if the person she was now felt performing was something she truly enjoyed or whether it was just an entertaining pastime for her archon self.
She looked over at Aether.
Maybe with him accompanying her, she didn't need to worry so much. Even in the worst case scenario, she knew he would support her.
Furina made a point of stroking her chin to get everyone's attention.
"Given the circumstances, I'm not going to stand idly by while your troupe continues to face these difficulties," Furina declared. "I've decided to see what I can do to assist you."
"Furina?" Aether turned to her. The others looked surprised by her announcement though Aether appeared more concerned.
Oh, perhaps she'd given him the wrong idea. He had been trying to steer things away from her getting involved after all.
"O-of course, since the matter of a replacement actress seems resolved, my participation in the show itself is no longer needed," she began. "However that doesn't mean that I can't share my insights given my history on stage. That is if I'd be welcome to."
Both Lauwick and Dulphy gasped in excitement.
"But of course, Lady Furina! You must know all kinds of things that could help us out." Dulphy said.
"Are you sure, Lady Furina?" Lauwick asked nervously, thinking her decision seemed almost too good to be true. "A-as I said, we're only a small troupe and we'd hardly be able to pay you."
"Please, just 'Furina' is fine and compensation is the last thing on my mind," she smiled. "If it's alright, I'd like to hear about your director and what she did for your troupe. I feel that I could learn something myself from her story."
"Paimon wants to join in too!" Paimon cheered. "No way we're gonna let your troupe go out on anything but a bang and with Furina in on it, it's bound to be a success!"
"Sure, I'm alright to give you all a hand," Aether nodded. "Acting's not really our specialty but we can be… uh, the consultant's assistants?"
With her hands placed on her hips, Furina angled her chin upwards looking satisfied. Maybe she was getting swept up in the moment but the prospect of working with Aether on a performance brightened her mood somewhat.
"Hmph, bold of you to assume I'd need one, let alone two assistants but your aid is most welcome. Now then, as we all seem to be in agreement, let us be off!"
Keeping a close eye on Furina, Aether wasn't sure what to make of her behaviour.
When they saw her with Lauwick at first, she hid it well but he knew she was upset and given what he was asking of her, it was understandable. He had been hoping to see what he could do to help Lauwick be on his way before making sure Furina was alright only for her to volunteer herself for the role of artistic consultant.
Was this her trying to test the waters to see how she felt about what she thought was what defined her for so long?
He recalled her saying she loved acting. It was just that now she was struggling to separate her performances on stage from the performance she had to continue for 500 years. Though he hadn't actually seen her on stage, Aether wanted to believe that, based on what everyone always said whenever she appeared in a role, Furina truly enjoyed it independent from her role as archon.
Still, it was her decision to get involved and he was happy to support her. She'd looked in good spirits when they went to check on the rehearsal location. The story, or at least what the troupe had so far of it, was to her liking and she most definitely wasn't against the admiration they had for her.
He was at least happy to see that. Furina had been much less withdrawn recently and with how she was initially convinced the people of Fontaine hated her for her deception, he imagined meeting people she had inspired was doing a world of good for her.
But there was a noticeable shift when they learned the one finishing the script was in Poisson.
Again, she hid it well, not wanting to let the troupe down but he could only imagine how she was truly feeling.
Once they reached Poisson, Furina had stuck close to him, not saying a word. Though Poisson was slowly getting back on its feet, Furina's inaction to the flood would linger in their minds for a long time.
Aether looked around as they passed some of the residents. While no one approached the group, there were plenty of scowls thrown in Furina's direction followed by mutterings he could only hear snippets of.
He really couldn't thank Navia enough for coming up with an excuse for them.
They left the troupe to see how Pauleau was getting on with the script so Furina could get away from the crowds for a little while. Navia's cover story wasn't perfect by her own admission as the fact that someone had dressed as Furina and came to Poisson would be enough to disrespect what had happened to some.
Sitting down by the Spina di Rosula's ship, it took Furina some time before she was able to speak again.
"You're probably wondering why I decided to help out when I said I didn't want to perform anymore, huh?" Furina looked down at her hands in her lap.
"A little," Paimon admitted. "Paimon thought you were just happy to help out since you wouldn't have to be part of the show."
Aether nodded. "And you told us before that even though you enjoyed performing in the past, you weren't sure how you felt about it now. I figured you wanted to see how you felt from the sidelines."
"That's a part of it I suppose," Furina said. "When Lauwick wanted me to perform, it brought me back to feeling like I wasn't needed-"
"You are needed." He turned to face her. "And I don't mean as the former archon or anything like that. There are people you're important to."
Her face flushed and Furina quickly looked elsewhere, wringing her hands to try to distract herself. "I-I know that and I have you all to thank for helping me."
She sighed before continuing. "I wanted to be helpful and it would've meant so much to him if I could perform but I still don't know if I can bring myself to. In the end, the thing I was most famous for is just something else people can't rely on me for anymore."
Furina clenched her fist over her chest.
"There've been so many times over the years where I've had to prioritise keeping my secret safe. It's only fitting then that we ended up here in Poisson." Her shoulders slumped. "I could've stayed back in the city or just waited outside but I… I thought I'd be ready to come back here."
"You're still healing, Furina," Aether placed his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to force yourself to do anything."
"I can't just turn away from what happened," Furina shook her head. "When you all worked together to have me stand trial, Miss Navia had her people challenge me on what I was doing about the prophecy. Even if some of it was just a part of your elaborate ruse to get me to come here, their concerns and their anger towards me didn't come from nowhere. With the prophecy looking like it was going to be fulfilled, of course they'd expect me to do something about it.
"If they knew I couldn't do anything, everyone would've eventually found out about me so I just had to carry on pretending I had a plan." She looked out over Poisson. "But that's no excuse for not doing anything here."
"Furina…" Aether began.
"I guess I thought coming here was a start in not running away from my responsibility." She tightened her grip on the ledge they were sitting on. "I doubt I deserve it but I hope that I can earn their forgiveness one day."
Aether watched as Furina sighed again. He doubted she'd take well to him saying she didn't know when the sea levels would rise again or that she didn't know Poisson would be next after the what happened in the Fortress of Meropide. She'd likely beaten herself up enough over how she should have done more, not just for Poisson but for any event she felt she could have affected over her time as Archon.
It was no surprise that she wanted to distance herself from her Archon persona. it was only recently that she could have opened up about any of it. For centuries, she'd had to act like divinity would, ignoring her own feelings even as everything slowly ate away at her.
Even during her trial, she had been willing to plunge her hand into what she thought was Primordial Seawater if it meant preventing them from learning the truth, knowing full well what it could have done to her.
He couldn't even begin to imagine what had been going through her mind at that moment or how difficult times must have gotten for her but he had nothing but the utmost respect for her indomitable will.
"Sorry," she gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Every time we see each other, I always end up bringing up all the stuff I've been through. You're probably sick of hearing about it all so I'll understand if you want me to stop."
He didn't need to think twice about what to do after hearing that. He wrapped his arm around Furina, drawing a light gasp from her as he pulled her closer so her head rested on his shoulder.
"Don't apologise for that. Besides, there was plenty of fun too, shopping and gliding and all that," he said. "You've had to put up with so much on your own and now you're finally free to let people in and be yourself."
Furina hummed in response, a pained smile on her face.
Aether tightened his hold on her slightly. "And just because it all worked out in the end, don't tell me all your suffering was worth it. Your happiness is just as important as anyone else's."
Furina didn't reply, though her small smile looked much less sad than before. Aether stayed as he was, content to sit in the silence that followed for a while. He watched the people of Poisson below continue about their day, eventually spotting Lauwick and Dulphy debating over buying some fish while they were here.
"For what it's worth, I'm happy right now." Furina closed her eyes, her posture relaxing. "I'd like to stay here a little longer if that's alright."
"Yeah, we can do that." While he knew she couldn't see it, Aether smiled. "We're still waiting on the script so we've got time."
"Ohh, Paimon can't come up with anything!" Paimon looked around frantically as Lauwick tended to Dulphy. "Everyone else is busy with their own parts and Paimon's gotta be on soon with the Vision."
Aether grit his teeth. It wasn't looking promising. Paimon was right: all the other members of the troupe were performing and it wasn't like he could fill in for Dulphy either. Without Dulphy there would be no finale but she was in no condition to perform. With all the work they had put in, it would be devastating to call off the performance now but they were left with little choice.
The only way the show could go on would be to have Furina perform but they couldn't ask that of her. He turned to Furina who appeared conflicted herself, having come to the same conclusion he had.
"Thank you for everything you've done for us, Furina, Traveller," Lauwick looked up to face the two, resigned to what had to be done. "Being able to work with Furina and getting this far was already a dream come true for us but we'll have to put an end to the show."
"I'm sorry. I've let everyone down." Dulphy hung her head.
Aether clenched his fist. There was nothing more he could do.
"No, it won't end like this," Furina declared. She looked back over at the stage, realising how little time they had left. "I know your lines so I can finish the show."
Lauwick and Dulphy appeared unsure given what Furina had been saying from the beginning but Furina was unyielding. It was perhaps the only chance they had to give their director the sendoff they thought she deserved and they gradually came around to Furina's offer to finish the show.
Not being part of the troupe, Aether felt he couldn't argue if the actors themselves were willing to go ahead with the change. As much as Furina's involvement would be the only way to save the show, Aether felt that she was dismissing her own feelings just so the troupe's efforts weren't going to waste. He couldn't just let her take on more of other's burdens herself
"Furina-"
"I know," she said. "Thanks for looking out for me but this isn't like before when all I could do was watch as things unfolded; this is something I have the power to help with. I know what I said but I want people to see Aurelie's story and like Neuvillette said, Clio's experience is similar to my own. If Dulphy can't perform, then it stands that I should be the next best choice."
Aether couldn't deny the logic. Furina was the only one who could have the show continue but it would be going against everything she had said recently about performing again. Looking at her now though, she showed no sign of nervousness and he somehow knew that no matter what he said, her mind was made up.
Even after gaining her freedom, she was selfless to a fault, he thought.
"Besides," Furina began again, looking at the floor with a shy smile on her face. "You'll be right here. If you're watching, then I'll know that there'll be someone who will see me out there as just me."
It was Aether's turn to look elsewhere and hope no one noticed his poor attempt at keeping a poker face.
Furina had likely noticed so he supposed he didn't have much of an argument left anymore.
"Hey, Paimon doesn't think anything's gonna stop her at this point," Paimon flew over, having got her prop ready. "If she's sure, then…"
"I guess you win this time," he shook his head and sighed before offering a warm smile.
Furina giggled. "It's about time I got one win after you've bested me enough times."
She turned to face the stage, taking a deep breath as she did.
"I'll be watching from here," Aether said as Furina prepared to step out.
"Break a leg!" Paimon cheered.
Paimon flew into position and Furina stepped onto the stage.
Aether clenched his fist, hoping he'd made the right choice. He kept telling himself that she would be fine. She was called Fontaine's brightest star for a reason. He didn't know what to expect when took to the stage but he believed in her. No matter what happened, he'd be there when the curtain fell.
From the moment she stepped into the spotlight and her song began, her presence commanded the stage and Aether felt a sense of awe wash over him as Furina's performance unfolded. As Neuvillette had predicted, the role was practically tailor made for her. With each note she sung and line she spoke, she poured her heart and soul into the role.
In only the brief time she had been on stage, it was abundantly clear to him why even the Opera Epiclese couldn't meet the demand just to see Furina perform. Even with her time out of the spotlight, it felt as if she had never left and Aether's gaze remained fixed on her, not wanting to miss a moment.
At the climax of the song, Aether felt his attention pulled towards the Vision descended from above. Was it just his imagination or did it look different from the prop they had on hand? Paying closer attention to it, he was also surprised at how steady Paimon was keeping it. He looked up to see his companion still holding on to both the wire and prop without having lowered it. Noticing him facing her, Paimon merely offered a shrug.
He snapped back to Furina, his heart swelling with pride and admiration as Furina's Vision descended before her.
"You earned it, Furina," he muttered to himself.
As per the story, the Vision remained unclaimed and it was when the lights dimmed that Furina slowly reached for the gem, only then realising what was lying in front of her. She simply looked at it in her hands, an unreadable expression on her face. Being expected for the curtain call, she quickly recomposed herself as the rest of the troupe joined her on stage.
Following the curtain call, Furina left the stage in Aether's direction, her Vision in hand. There was a smile on her face but she looked to be holding back a wider grin from spreading.
"How was it?" she asked.
"You were amazing," he replied.
Furina ran her hand through her hair, taking a strand and toying with it.
"Come on, that's not fair to the the rest of the troupe."
"Well they were great too obviously, you're being vague on purpose," Aether chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Really though, I couldn't take my eyes off of you." He then gestured down to the gem in her hand. "With the exception of that, naturally."
"Yeah," Furina stated simply. Her gaze trailed downwards and she held the Vision out in her palm.
They both stood in silence, focused on what Aether believed was Furina's hard earned and long overdue reward. Now that he got a good look at it, it was unlike any other Vision he had seen in Fontaine. He truly looked forward to seeing what Furina would be capable of with it.
Furina broke the silence between them, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"I don't think I can ever thank you enough. I never would have gotten this if not for you."
He placed a hand around hers, closing her fingers around the Vision. "Hey, this time it was all you. You're the one who helped spruce up the show, get them performing here and save it in the end. I might have helped before this but you're the one who earned it."
Furina shifted in place, her smile becoming shyer. She slowly raised her eyes to meet his own, eventually lifting her head when she took in the warmth of his expression.
"You really are amazing, Furina and I couldn't be prouder of you."
Her eyes glistening, Furina's immediate response was to throw her arms around him. She buried her head in his shoulder and tightened her hold.
"Thank you so much," she managed, her voice choked with tears. "I-I know I shouldn't be crying but I… I don't think I've ever been so happy."
Wrapping his arms around her, his hand rested on the back of her head, gently caressing her hair.
"You're welcome," he said. "I'm just glad to see you being yourself."
"And I'm glad that I can be myself," Furina muttered.
Her tears having stopped, Furina released her hold with Aether doing the same as he felt her arms shift. She looked at the Vision in her hand once more and looked over herself briefly before attaching it to the ribbon at her waist.
"Aether, Furina!" Paimon flew down to join them having helped out with gathering the props. She pointed at Furina's Vision. "That was a weird coincidence, huh. It was Paimon's time to shine and then it just appeared."
Furina gave a light chuckle. "Sorry, I suppose it took your part didn't it? I'm sure someone will make it up to you."
"Uhh, wha-?" Aether stuttered, feeling like his wallet was about to become much lighter.
"Well, Paimon supposes she can let it slide this time considering this is a really special occasion," Paimon held her arms behind her head. "It's not every day that someone gets a Vision after all and Paimon's really happy for Furina."
"Hehe, thanks," Furina smiled. "We should help out too. It wouldn't be right to leave cleanup to the others."
After tidying up with the rest of the troupe, they made their way back to the aquabus. On the way, Furina was approached by several audience members praising her for her performance and despite the troupe's best efforts, she was recognised by some who claimed her performance was unmistakably that of their former archon and hoped to see her on stage again. Thankfully, as they were all set on checking up on Dulphy, the masses hadn't kept them too long.
As the day drew to it's end and Paimon retired to the teapot, Furina stood in the doorway of her apartment with Aether.
"I think I've had enough excitement for today," Furina said. She motioned to her Vision. "There are a few things I have in mind that I'd like to do tomorrow with this."
"Oh? Sounds interesting," he chuckled. "Want me to join you?"
"No, no, these are some personal matters," she waved him off. "And I'd like to see for myself what power I can manifest."
"Fair enough then," Aether shrugged. "Just don't push yourself, alright? You're not going to be an expert at using it right away."
"Hmph, we'll see about that," she crossed her arms, looking smug.
"If you say so," Aether gave a hearty laugh as he turned to head off. "Later, Furina. Let's catch up soon."
Just as he was about to walk away, Furina reached out, her hand gently grasping his arm to halt his movement.
"Aether, wait," she murmured, her voice soft but resolute.
"Furina?" Aether turned to face her, a mixture of surprise and concern etched upon his features. He met her eyes finding none of the smug confidence she had exhibited moments before, instead finding an uncertainty he hadn't been expecting.
"I-I…" she began, yet the words never came. She continued to look into his eyes but couldn't bring herself to say anything further.
Frustrated, she broke eye contact and the grip on his arm loosened.
Aether took a step closer to ask what was on her mind, only to be caught off guard by Furina having summoned up a modicum of courage.
She lightly tugged on his arm, leaned in and placed a short peck on his cheek.
"G-good night," she whispered. Her face beet red, she all but hid behind her door with only one eye peeking out.
Aether brought his hand to his cheek, his expression stunned. A rush of warmth spread through him though he didn't know how to immediately respond. Any thought given to asking Furina for anything further quickly vanished given her reaction. He was pretty sure all she would respond with was unintelligible stammering.
If he was honest with himself, it took all his focus to prevent himself responding in such a manner.
"Good night," he replied simply. Furina appeared to nod and slowly closed the door.
Aether stood unmoving in front the door of her apartment a few seconds longer. He wasn't opposed to what she had done, it was merely the last thing he expected from her. It could have meant several things from simply wishing a good night, offering her heartfelt thanks or something more but he supposed with Furina unlikely to respond as she was, he'd give his own feelings on the matter some considerable thought.
He gave a heartfelt sigh and took out his Realm Dispatch to return to the teapot.