Charlotte
'Come on, Charlotte, you can catch up to her!' Charlotte thought as she ran on the road to Poisson in the dead of night, chasing the Hydro Archon who rode on an elephant of all things with Clorinde.
She had already seen several Champion Duelists rush past her.
'This is what I get for not keeping in shape!'
Their figures had long since disappeared into the distance, but the huge footprints left behind by the elephant gave her a clear track to follow.
Charlotte prided herself on her work, she really did. But there were times when even she found herself at a loss at the sheer absurdity of the things she found.
She had already made the most-bought paper on the Steambird this week, again, just from her interview with the man who took down three Rogue Duelists on his own.
It didn't seem like he knew the sheer impact his actions had, as before his intervention, Rogue Duelists felt as if they were above the law.
So when she finished her paper on him, she made sure to give Ren Roman the praise he deserved.
That was all she honestly expected to come from him. After all, he was here on vacation, and it wasn't like he was going to purposely get involved with more Rogue Duelists.
…But then he went ahead and became Lady Furina's personal assistant and threw the whole of Fontaine into disarray.
Murmurs crossed the street about Ren's true identity. Had he always been Lady Furina's assistant, only now coming out into the open? Did he trick Charlotte into thinking that he only accidentally crossed paths with Rogue Duelists?
Even the Chief Justice Neuvillette himself didn't know who Ren Roman was until now.
This had grown beyond anything Charlotte had expected, and she was more than ready to milk every piece of information she could out of the assistant…
'If only I could find him!' Ever since he became the Hydro Archon's assistant, she could barely pinpoint where he was before he ran off somewhere.
She couldn't even bring him out using her contacts as an excuse! He was just all over the place!
He was no doubt involved in this situation as well, and she wasn't going to miss out.
"Finally," She panted, wiping some sweat off her forehead. "I made it to Poisson. Now I just need to—"
"Hands where I can see them!"
"Eep!"
Charlotte froze in place when three suited individuals approached her, one of whom was holding a sword in their hand and pointing it at her.
"Wait! I'm not here to cause trouble! I'm a journalist from the Steambird!" She frantically shouted, pulling out her Steambird card and showing it to them.
"Steambird? Why would there be—"
"Charlotte?" A familiar voice cut through the others.
"Navia!"
The President of the Spina made her way towards her, thankfully prompting the other people to stand down.
"What are you doing here? It's dangerous right now!" Navia scolded her, and Charlotte couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh.
"You know how I am. I saw Lady Furina run into Fontaine riding an elephant and leave with Clorinde. How could I NOT rush after them?"
"I—! You—! Ugh…" Navia struggled to form words, but eventually settled into an amused sigh. "I guess that's what makes you the Steambird's best, huh?"
"You know it." Then, in true Charlotte fashion, she brought out a little notepad from her Vision storage, looking eagerly at Navia. "So, care to fill me in?"
"Unfortunately, this may not be the best time." The woman pointed to the shoreline. "Right now, Lady Furina and others are dismantling the Rogue Duelists' main base of operations. I'm here in case any tried to escape… Which some unfortunately did."
"I see… So Lady Furina personally sought out the Spina's help for this operation?"
"Well…"
"Boss!" Their conversation was cut short when one of Navia's men rushed toward them. "Lady Furina and the Champion Duelists have returned!"
Without saying another word, both Charlotte and Navia made their way to the shoreline just in time to see a large bubble slowly float out of the depths, landing gently on the ground before popping to reveal—
"We have emerged victorious!" Lady Furina shouted with a bow, showing off the mountain of fainted Rogue Duelists behind her, held in place by the Champion Duelists.
And right by her side was her assistant, sending the Archon a small smile.
SNAP.
'This picture was so worth the trek!' She thought, happily holding her Kamera.
"Charlotte?" Furina shouted, rubbing her eyes from the sudden Kamera flash. "I should have expected you to be here… You are a terrifying journalist."
"Thank you, Lady Furina." Charlotte rubbed the back of her head. "Hearing praise from the Hydro Archon herself is always a welcome ego boost—"
"Sure, if you find praise from a powerless Archon meaningful!" A voice shouted from the pile of rogues, as one of them slowly got up to her feet. A single woman glared at everyone around her, but her face had a spiteful grin pointed at the Hydro Archon.
"Shut up!" One of the Duelists tried to push her down, but she was persistent.
"Think about it! Did it ever strike you as odd that we never see Furina use her powers? Why does she need to call backup to deal with some mortals? Well, news flash, it's because she lost her powers!" She was shoved back down, but her words left an impact on those around her, who did find Furina's actions odd.
They turned to look at their Archon, ready for her to dismiss such claims, but were surprised to see her completely silent, staring at the rogue with empty eyes.
"What's the matter, mighty Hydro Archon?" Her mocking voice echoed through the silent night. "Scared everyone will see how powerless you really are?!"
'What is she talking about?' Charlotte thought, but she couldn't help but feel how tense the situation had become.
She knew better than to believe the words of a rogue, but seeing Furina's reaction made her actually consider her words.
'Could it be true? Could Lady Furina have lost her powers?'
…
Not even a second later, Hydro exploded from Furina's feet, covering the ground in a thin layer of water.
Tendrils made of water wrapped around the rogue and dragged her in front of the Archon, forcing her to her knees.
"What?! B-But you—!"
"Quiet." Furina's tone was calm, but it carried a weight that pressed down on everyone watching. Even Charlotte found herself unable to breathe.
"You cannot fathom how much lenience I have shown you so far." She grabbed the rogue's chin, tilting it upwards to make her stare into her eyes. "I find no issue with my people questioning my legitimacy. That is their right. But you are not my people. You have sullied the Champion Duelist name, and caused me quite the headache."
The tendrils around the rogue tightened, making her shout out in surprise, but Furina kept her hold firm, not letting her move her head away.
Some of the Spina members had taken a few steps back. Even the Champion Duelists looked perturbed at their Archon's sudden change.
No one had ever seen Furina this enraged.
And none of them wanted to get caught in the crossfire.
"Know this, rogue." Furina leaned closer to her ear, but her words were somehow still loud enough to be heard from a distance. "Had I personally intervened, I would have liquefied your bodies into nothing but a puddle."
She leaned back, letting go of the rogue who was now trembling in fear, unable to even form a sentence.
"But alas, I am the God of Justice, and I too must play by the rules I have set." She sighed, going quiet for a moment. "Well? Anything else you want to say? Or would you like me to provide a more direct demonstration of my powers?"
"N-NO! I'm sorry, Lady Furina! Please forgive me!" The tendrils around the rogue lost their form and fell to the ground as normal water, and the rogue immediately put her head on the ground, bowing before the Hydro Archon.
…
…
"Well, that's great!" Furina clapped joyfully. "Sorry about that, everyone! I lost my cool for a second, haha!"
Like flipping a switch, gone was the oppressive atmosphere that surrounded Furina, and she was back to her usual carefree self.
The same couldn't be said for those around her. Like Charlotte herself, they were trembling slightly at their Archon's rare display of power.
Heck, even Clorinde looked surprised!
Out of instinct, Charlotte had taken a picture—without the flash—of Furina's outburst. But she had to consider whether or not she actually wanted to use it.
'W-Would Lady Furina get mad if I did?'
But before she could fall into a spiral, a large elephant suddenly emerged from the ground, surprising everyone as they prepared to engage, only for Furina and Ren to hop on its back.
"Apologies, everyone, but I have other matters to attend to. So I must leave you all to handle the cleanup by yourselves. Is that alright?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Of course, Lady Furina! N-No problem at all!"
After a chorus of nervous affirmations, Furina gave a nod and was prepared to leave, but stopped at the last second.
"Oh, and Navia?"
The woman in question jolted at being called. "Y-Yes?"
"Thank you for your help. I'll be sure to give the Spina the credit it deserves."
Navia took a minute to process her words before simply nodding.
And with that, they headed off, the elephant quickly disappearing into the distance. But before they completely went out of sight, Charlotte caught the glint of something reflecting the moonlight on Furina's ankle.
Seeing them head off like that, and after seeing everything that happened here, Charlotte made her decision.
'Screw my self-preservation. I'm putting everything in the paper!'
/ — /
Furina
Furina didn't think twice about sneaking into her own room in the Palais Mermonia. After everything that happened tonight, she really just wanted everything to be over.
She and Ren made their way through the window before closing it with a click.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved. The only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Then her legs gave out.
"Whoa!" Ren caught her by the arm before she hit the floor. "Are you alright?"
"Am I alright?!" She pulled free and started pacing around the room, her hands buried in her hair. "I can't believe that skank tried to out me in front of the Spina! In front of the Champion Duelists!"
"I mean… I think it went pretty well—"
"Clorinde was right there!" She dragged her hands down her face with a loud groan. "And Charlotte was there! With her KAMERA!"
Oh, she could already see tomorrow's Steambird. Her face on the front page, filled with rumours that would no doubt make people question her—!
"Lady Furina." Ren tried to calm her down to no avail.
"Ugh, I should have let you crush that rogue while we had the chance!"
"My Lady, you need to breathe."
"I told you not to call me that—HURK."
Her stomach lurched, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. Ren saw the look and stepped out of the way as she bolted for the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time.
"BLEEERRGHHH!"
Everything she had eaten that day came back up. She stayed hunched over the bowl, retching until there was nothing left.
'Ugghhh.'
Honestly, this was the most stressed she had ever felt in her five hundred years of life.
Behind her, she heard footsteps approaching closer.
Lifting her head, she saw Ren holding out a glass of water to her. She took it and drank it all in one go.
…
"Thanks…"
"No problem," He said, giving her an awkward pat on the back. "I'll give you some time to yourself. Take your time."
While it was embarrassing to have someone see her like this, she had already bawled her eyes out in front of him, so it wasn't that much of an issue.
"Alright."
/ — /
After a while, Furina finally composed herself and walked out of the bathroom to see Ren sitting quietly behind her desk.
He noticed her walking and stood to approach her. "Feel better?"
"Yeah." She coughed. It had been some time since she had last lost her composure like that, in front of so many people, no less.
"Thank you for what you did back there," She finally said. "When that water burst out from under my feet, I nearly jumped out of my skin."
It was a good thing that she noticed who the Hydro came from quickly. After that, five hundred years on a stage did the rest, though she might have gone slightly overboard.
"If you hadn't done that…"
He smiled. "Don't mention it. I'm your assistant, after all. I need to be quick on my feet."
"However!" She jabbed a finger at him. "Did you have to be so brutal about it?!"
"Huh?"
"You squeezed that woman so hard she cried out! And whatever that pressure was, even Navia's men were backing away from me! I looked like a total brute!"
"She had it coming."
"That is not the point!"
"Besides…" A grin crept onto his face. "I don't remember telling you to say you'd liquefy her into a puddle. That was all you, My Lady."
Furina froze, immediately hiding her face away from him.
"I… That was… It just slipped out!"
"Uh huh, and you looked like you were having the time of your life."
She was about to argue but stopped herself.
In all her years playing the Hydro Archon, she had never liked making people fearful. Partly because she couldn't even back her own words with power, but also because it just left a bad taste in her mouth.
But that woman had mocked her, questioned her in front of everyone.
Had she been in top condition, she would have deflected the accusations without a second thought. But after everything that happened, she was too exhausted to think of anything, and she froze up.
She really thought all her effort would go to waste then and there.
'I really need to calm down sometimes… But still…'
In the end, that same woman had ended the night with her head on the ground, begging her for forgiveness.
Furina was never one to laugh at others' suffering, but this time…
A smile tugged at Furina's lips before she could stop it.
"…Maybe a little."
"Knew it."
"Not a word of this to anyone, assistant."
"My lips are sealed."
She huffed and sat on her bed, crossing her legs, and something cold brushed against her skin.
'Hm?'
She looked down.
A golden band sat snugly around her ankle. It was amber-gold with two thin black lines running along its length and a small wheel worked into each end.
"Assistant." She lifted her foot and pointed at it. "What is this?"
"Oh, right. That." He scratched his cheek. "I slipped it on through your shadow while everyone was busy staring at the rogue."
"I see… So this is what made my presence so terrifying."
"It's called a Shadow Band," he explained. "In technical terms, it's called a Cursed Tool, but just think of it as an artifact."
"You put something cursed on me?" She raised a brow.
"It's just the name!" Ren huffed, crossing his arms. "The Shadow Bands boost the strength, speed, and stamina of whoever's wearing them. I have my couriers wear them back in Liyue. But this one is a little different."
"Different, you say?"
"I put a lot more Cursed Energy in this one. I actually planned to make special bands for myself, in case I needed them in a pinch. This one is tweaked slightly to mix with the Cursed Energy flowing through my body instead of just boosting power. I figured I'd push my own CE through it to make you look scary, but it must've mixed with whatever's flowing through you instead." He hummed, giving her a curious look. "So that means all that pressure actually came from you."
"Did it now…" Furina looked at the band around her ankle, a confusing feeling bubbling in her stomach.
She reached down and slid the band off her ankle, turning it over in her hands. It was a little heavier than it looked, but most interesting was how cold it felt.
Not just that, she could feel something flowing in it.
"It feels… oddly natural. Like it's a part of me somehow."
"Huh. That's definitely new…" Ren frowned. "Might have something to do with that negative energy I feel from you."
"I really don't know what negative energy you are talking about… But I may have to look deeper into it now." If she really did have some hidden power she could tap into, it would definitely help her out.
"You really don't know anything?"
She shook her head.
"Alright, that's enough!" She handed the band back to him. "No more theorising, no more questions, nada! I've had enough stress for one night, and we have more than earned our rest!"
Ren chuckled and let the band sink into his shadow.
"Fair enough." He glanced at the window, looking up at the full moon. "I guess I should head back to my hotel."
He pushed the window open and stepped up onto the sill, then looked back at her over his shoulder.
"Night, My Lady."
"Drop it!" She huffed, but couldn't stop a chuckle from slipping out.
He grinned and dropped out of sight.
…
…
Furina stayed where she was, staring at the open window.
Now that everything had calmed down, she had time to gather her thoughts.
The entire night had been hectic. She had nearly spilled her secret in front of her assistant, coming up with a half-truth for a lie that was almost exposed in front of a crowd.
But that wasn't what stuck with her the most.
Tonight, for the first time in five hundred years… She could finally tell someone her worries, fears, and everything she had locked away.
Sure, it might not have been the entire truth, but the emotions were legitimate. To think there would come a day when she could do something like that…
She knew the burden she carried would only grow heavier over the centuries.
But for tonight, it became slightly lighter.
'Why did you make me keep him close, other me?' She still had no idea what her other self had planned. But whatever it was, at least it allowed her to get some weight off her chest.
Furina walked to the window. Below her, the lights of Fontaine glittered in the dark, its people asleep and none the wiser.
With the Rogue Duelists mostly captured, all she needed to do was take care of any moles in the Gardes.
But that could wait for tomorrow.
Right now… One last time, she smiled down at the city.
"Thank you, Ren."