Chapter Text
“Furina, I’m-”
Neuvillette is talking to her. She knows she should listen, she knows she should. Pay attention to your Iudex. It could be about Fontaine. It could be important. You need to know- except she doesn’t. She doesn’t need to know.
She’s not the hydro archon. She never was.
You’re always going to be the hydro archon. The years drag on and on and no one can know your secret. You have to trust that Mirror-me will handle it. You have to hang in there. Or everyone will die. Keep going, Furina.
If it’s something about Fontaine, Neuvilette could handle it himself, and he would do a better job at it then if Furina were to do so. Furina is- an incompetent archon -not needed anymore anyway.
Focalors were gone, and had closed the curtain on Furina in the process.
She had spent five hundred years playing her part to perfection. Her greatest achievement, a role she knew better than anyone, something she should be proud of. So why does everything feel so wrong?
Where did all the applause go? Why do they all look at her with such… disdain ?
Why did no one even try to believe her?
Her part is over and they toss her aside. They stare at her like she’s a fraud. She- she was just playing a part. She was just following a script. If she hadn’t then everyone would have died! This is how it has to go! You have to follow the script.
A hand shakes her shoulder lightly, jolting her back to reality- this isn’t reality. They can’t know in reality . She blinks up at Neuvilette’s face as he stares down at her. The tears she had been crying earlier probably had stained her face, and she is sure it only added to the bags under her eyes and the blank look in her stare.
You should clean up. You need to look perfect until the show is over.
Her-no, not hers anymore-the Iudex lets out a sigh, “...Furina, please listen to me… I know you did not hear what I said before-” deny, deny, deny, she was listening, she’s always listening, she swears, “I wish to give you my apologies. I did not think any of this would go this far.”
Yet it did.
Things went too far. Furina got judged. Furina is guilty. The prophecy came to pass. And no one, not one person , listened to her.
She wants to yell at him. To tell him not to touch her. That he had ruined everything. That he had… he had… betrayed her. They all had betrayed her.
She wants to scream.
Furina can’t seem to care.
The curtains haven’t closed.
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: There’s nothing to forgive! I am an archon! The greatest of all! (scoff) The fact that you assume that I would take offense to something as trivial as this is an insult to my pride.
Oh. There is something akin to disappointment in Neuvilette’s eyes.
It is justified, she supposes. This is all her fault. She slipped up, she let him realize that she had a secret, and he pried. It was only logical that he would pry. He is the Iudex; it is his job to find the evidence and to judge accordingly.
It’s Furina’s fault.
The Hydro Archon had fallen, and with her, the people as well. She should have followed the script.
Furina is tired.
She wants to fight him. She wants to prove that she’s not as useless as he made her to be. She wants to prove him wrong. She’s important to Fontaine! She led them for years! And they love her! They… they left her for dead.
No. They pushed her into the slaughter.
It’s all her fault. She caused this all. The prophecy wouldn’t have happened so soon, so tragically, if she had just played the part better.
She is a terrible actress.
“.....I’m sorry…” Furina whispers. It is all she manages to say before she slams the feelings away. He doesn’t need to know how she feels. He doesn’t want to know anyway. She is just a bother. A burden. It is all her fault.
Play the part, Furina.
Neuvillete’s eyebrows knit together, “...Pardon?”
Come now. You know the script. He’s giving you a chance to go back to your lines. This is your cue.
She doesn’t want to follow the script. She wants to be angry. She wants to be allowed to feel. She doesn’t want to shove it all behind the mask of a fake god again.
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: Did I stutter? I’m sorry that you think you need to apologize for me. I am the archon of this nation, there is no need to apologize when it is my task that I failed in the first place. Fear not, I will do better! (Confident smile) We must focus on the future now! Fate has been diverted and I must once again lead this nation to greatness!
But it’s not her nation. Not anymore.
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: Things may be a bit different now, but I swore I would keep hope alive for all until the very end. The curtain has not yet closed, and I am not one to go against my promises!
She promised that to a liar. A betrayer. The Traveler never wanted to help. They only wanted answers. How could Furina have ever thought the Traveler really wanted to know because they were worried for her? Even in the first trial with Lyney the Traveler fought her, looked at her with hatred. This was no different. They only wanted to-
Fingers snap in front of her face and she jumps back, her breath hitching. Neuvilette pulls away.
Five hundred years, and Furina is sure that by now she can read all the expressions that cross her closest companion’s- traitor’s - face. But this one… she’s never quite seen this one on him.
His eyes are soft-pity? Disappointment? Care?-his mouth is pulled into a tight frown-was that good? Bad?- and his eyebrows are furrowed-confusion? Anger? Concern?
“Furina, are you… alright?” His voice is gentle, concerned, like he is worried he is poking at a bear. Is he afraid of her?
Ha, that was a thought fit for a comedy. What did he have to fear? She had no power. No social standing. Nothing.
Because of him.
Nodding more out of reflexes than anything, Furina watches his face for one more moment before looking back at the floor. The carpet is red.
You have to be perfect.
Has it always been red?
You have to be immaculate.
She supposes so, though it feels a bit wrong.
You have to be loved.
She was the hydro archon-
You are the hydro archon!
-shouldn’t the carpet be blue?
You are a god !
Oh well, she supposes the red contrasts with the brown wood well.
You command respect.
It is quite a nice color scheme now that she thinks about it.
You need to be seen.
Her outfit stands out nicely against the red as well.
You had to be perfect.
Furina is tired.
…She doesn’t want to do this anymore. Did she ever want to? She thinks she did… that is why she agreed, wasn’t it?
The carpet is red. As red as the blood that has been spilt in her country.
When did she become less of the protagonist and more of the audience in her own story? Does she even know what character she is?
She almost died that night. When she was attacked by a stranger.
Why did the stranger spare her when she should have just died?
She should be dead twice over.
If she had been killed that night, would the prophecy still have happened? Would all those people still be dead?
Revert back to your old role. It is the easiest. It is you. You need to keep going. The finale hasn’t come yet.
Yet there was the trial. It was extraordinary, spectacular, show-stopping. It made history. It was everything that Mirror-me had promised it would be.
That wasn’t the real finale.
Furina’s the villain in history. A liar. A deceit.
“Furina? You seem… out of things.”
“I’m…” - pull the mask back up, you’re letting it slip, he’s seeing through your lies. He’ll find out, he’s going to find out, and he’s going to hate you.- “tired.”
He already found out. He already hates her. Why else would he betray her like this?
No one can find out! No one can know! You must play the part! You must learn the role like it is who you truly are! Everyone will die if you fail this!
Everyone is already dead.
Furina already failed.
“Alright,” Neuvillette watches her carefully, then slowly nods, “Alright, yes. That makes sense…”
She wants to push him away. To hurt him like he hurt her.
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: Of course it makes sense! I said it, after all! You need to trust my judgment more, Monsieur Neuvillette! You may not understand that absolute genius behind my actions, most do not, but I swear that I have it all under control. Chin up, listen to me more, people may think you do not believe I am the true archon at all if you do not!
He didn’t believe her.
“...Five hundred years. I… can not imagine what you had to go through during that time…… this was not your fault, Furina. This was my fault-” -yes. It was.- “and I simply wish to inform you that if you ever want to speak about what occurred, I am here for you. I will always be here.”
Scream. Fight. You can’t trust him. He betrayed you.
His body language is open, relaxed. He is telling the truth, or he is a very good actor. But he had never been an actor in the past. Unless he was acting the whole time…?
Furina doesn't know the real her, how could she know the real him?
She played him this whole time. Perhaps he was just playing her back.
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: Thank you for your concern, dear Iudex! But there is nothing to be concerned about! Five hundred years is nothing for someone like me! I will live far longer than that!
“...I need rest…” is all she manages to say.
“Of course. I will assist in any preparations needed to insure you are comfortable while you recuperate,” Neuvillette answers without missing a beat.
He’s playing her.
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: There is no need. I will handle it myself. You should focus further on making sure my country is taken care of. The people need help, of course! No need to bother yourself with me!
Furina only nods.
She moves away as soon as she can. As soon as Neuvillette’s eyes leave her for just a moment, she is slipping away and packing her things.
Why is he watching her so closely? Is he making sure that she would not do something stupid? That she would not become the downfall of he-of the nation?
It is far too late for that.
Yet Neuvillette keeps his eyes on her until one of the guards informs him of some problem that the Traveler needs his help for. He rushes away.
Furina should not be hurt by this. The disaster is something Neuvillette has to focus on. Yet, she finds herself saddened by his leaving. She doesn’t understand why. Maybe it is because he rushed away without a thought because it was the Traveler who was calling.
…Why is Furina sad? She wanted him to go so that she could leave without having to speak to him in the first place.
She knows what he would say anyway.
NEUVILLETTE, THE TRAITOR: My apologies, Furina. I know what I did was wrong, yet it was something that had to be done. Our archon is not allowed secrets, and it turns out we were correct. It truly was a secret of a lifetime. No wonder you were so incompetent as an archon. You were never meant to be one.
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: (Scoffs) You don’t wound me with your shallow and petty words. I am more of an archon than anyone else in this country. I have played the role perfectly for years, and I will continue for years to come! I do not make slip ups or mistakes. I am perfect, and have led this country to greatness.
NEUVILLETTE, THE TRAITOR: You have led us, yes, but not to greatness. All you did was lead us all to our deaths, to the prophecy, to watch us suffer and die. For what? So that you could finally watch the finale to this story? So that you could see why the curtain closes?
FURINA, THE HYDRO ARCHON: The curtain is not closed! The curtain will not close until the final note has been sung. No one is singing right now, Neuvillette. Must that mean the end has already happened? Perhaps it simply means they are waiting for their cue to prepare a spectacular finale!
NEUVILLETTE, THE TRAITOR: Do not judge this situation wrongly. We both know the truth. You have failed and the curtain has closed. Your role has finished, Furina. You have no use in this country, nor any other. For if you are not a god-
For if Furina is not a god, she is nothing.
She was never a good god anyway…
Furina moves to the city. Alone.
She rents out a small apartment with the rest of her on hand mora, throwing her bags into a corner of one room and flopping down onto the empty mattress that is her new bed.
The ceiling is cracked.
What is she to do?
Play the role. Go out, act perfectly. You are Furina, the Hydro Archon! The people need to see you! They need to know they have something to trust in!
Furina is tired.
She failed. She ruined their trust in her. It is all her fault. Now all she can do is fight. She should be sad. She should be angry. Everyone turned against her! Everyone! Her people, the traveler, her… her friends….
Strange. The prophecy is gone, the water has receded, yet she really did end up alone.
…The prophecy is gone.
Has the curtain really closed?
The ceiling is cracked, and Furina can see different shapes in the lines.
Furina doesn’t have to act anymore. She could be free. She could be… herself.
She picks out a penguin… a dog… a tree….
Where is the path backstage? Where is the path away from the lights, away from the staring, away from all of… everything.
She traces the shapes with her eyes, focusing on how the cracks thicken and thin.
She wants to take off the mask. She wants to scream and shout that she’s finally free, that she’s finally Furina.
The ceiling won’t listen anyway.
She wants to play the role of herself.
No one will listen.
…But it is far too late. There is only Furina, the Hydro Archon.
She has to keep going.
The curtain hasn’t closed.