Furina When The Curtain Falls

Scene 20 | The Shadow Behind The Dusk's Light

The Spectator watched as the sea of stars began to moan in displeasure. Her eyes gazed downwards and she bit her lip. "Wretched things... everything is going out exactly the way I don't want things to go down to."

She gripped the handle too hard and wanted to slam the teacup hard. But she stopped and sighed, defeated. "Perhaps its because I am too soft that it became like this. How irritating."

The stars twinkled and she glowered. "I know, I know! I might be at fault here, but... but 'she' started it first! I can't just get out there and..." The water splashed and it hit her face. The Spectator flicked her finger and a handkerchief appeared and she wiped it off.

"Stop it, or I'll throw you into a black hole..." She grumbled more. "I hope things won't get as bad as it already is... fate has already diverted and it won't be long before things spirals out of control completely."

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"It's so that you can enjoy the performance we laid out for you, Furina."

The performance we laid out for you, Furina.

Furina.

Her first instinct was to take a step back and her finger grabbed the hilt of her sword in warning. The Traveler's gaze held caution at the sudden change of pace but was overpowered by the feeling to make her stay. Her white colored shoe took one step in alarm and--

"Don't even think of taking another step." The ex-archon warned, holding the desire to point the sword at her neck. She had to remain calm, she had to.

She wasn't in Sumeru where she was free to do whatever she wanted without fear of the people's gaze. In the land of knowledge and wisdom, she was a nobody in the population, people who won't bat an eye at her frivolous appearance and acts.

But she was in Fontaine. Her face was well known to the whole population. Marking her whole existence in the people's minds to the point that she won't be easily forgotten. She, in the past five centuries that passed, had made sure to engrave every single thing about her in Fontaine's wall so people will not doubt her identity as the real archon. She danced with madness' clutch, making sure to follow Focalors' strings so the nation would prosper for another day not knowing anything else to rely on but her own lies and acts.

And now that same thing she wanted to engrave to save everyone had became the very burden of her safety.

In the presence inside Fontaine's walls, she didn't feel safe no matter how many times she had convinced her own capabilities to protect herself. Even with the sword on her hip, even when she earned the title adventurer, and even from the survival skills she learned from Jeht, she still felt small. She did not have anything to protect herself but her own measly disguise and over caution everywhere she goes.

Yet those two things she heavily relied on like a lifeline has been useless when she was caught twice by people she was arduously pained to see. One that she may possibly forgive in the future and the other in front of her whom she don't think she wants to forgive.

"Furina--"

Furina growled in response, clenching hard onto the cold hilt. Was she really plan on saying her name in the middle of Fontaine!? She was merely glad that the Traveler brought her to a place where people did not go that often, or else she would have lost it. Stay calm. Stay calm.

"Freia."

The Traveler sighed. "Okay, Freia. Please listen to me--"

"And why should I do that? I will not be tricked by your lies again, Traveler." Fake mockery edged her voice, but she couldn't hide how every syllable shook. She was an actress for archon's sake! How could she have been so blind by their blatant worry with lies serving as the cherry on top. She had listened once to the Traveler, and what did she get in return? Her standing upon the Oratrice's-- no, to Neuvillete's judgement.