Chapter Text
The week preceding Homecoming is a hectic and chaotic one for Sluasi and her sisters in Merusea Village, far more so than usual.
Each day tended to flow slowly beneath the surface of Elynas. Sluasi herself is a gem artisan, so she takes her time selecting, shaping, and polishing stones for each piece she crafts. Many of the other Melusines who stayed in the village were the same; culinary artists like Lutine, fashion designers like Flo, potioneers like Carabosse, and gardeners like Cosanzeana, all slowly and meticulously perfected their final products. The only real deviations from their general loose, time-free daily lives were the events connected to days within the human calendar, like particular holidays or Monsieur Neuvillette’s birthday. Homecoming, of course, was the single largest commitment they all interrupted their usual routines for.
When it comes to arranging places to stay, Melusines returning home generally had a place to stay, whether that be with one or a few of their sisters or in their own house, so housing was really never a concern. The village naturally became very packed when everybody was home for Homecoming, but arranging for a few rare guests or sisters without a set home was never too difficult with a little communication and moving around some furniture.
It was a little different with arranging for Monsieur Neuvillette, though. Sure, he had visited and stayed in the village sometimes, but this was Homecoming! This was the one time of the year all of the Melusines gathered together as one big family to celebrate their bond, all of their shared highs and lows, and all that they were thankful for.
And to the Melusines, Monsieur Neuvillette has always been an important member of their family.
So, naturally, Sluasi and all of the Melusines in the village were pulling out all of the stops to make this the best Homecoming ever! Making their Monsieur Neuvillette feel comfortable, safe, and completely at home for his stay in Elynas was the utmost priority.
Since that first letter they received a few weeks ago, Serene has had some communication with Monsieur Neuvillette, asking about any arrangements he’d like in particular. While he didn’t ask for much, Serene had shared that all he had asked for specifically was if he could stay by a large pool with deep, warm water. After some exploring, they selected a lovely one right outside the heart of the village. A team of them cleaned up and decorated the insides of the pool as the others continued preparations for the approaching Homecoming festivities.
Sluasi took preparing for Homecoming very seriously, and so did the rest of her sisters. It was a combined effort for all of them, with everyone showing off their own individual talents and specialties. Puca would bring home some of her best crystals and stones, which Sluasi would then craft into special decor and adornments, from the sparkling garlands on the walls of the caves to the bracelets and necklaces all of them would exchange with each other. The way all of the crystals she hand-cut and polished would sparkle in the low lighting of the village never ceased to make Sluasi’s heart swell with pride.
Today, she was taking some of these garlands she made over to Leuca, who was working on the various fabric decor they would also be putting up. They always liked working together and coordinating their decorations, since both of their crafts would look even better if they complement one another. While her winding strands of jewels were long and sort of heavy, Leuca thankfully lived fairly close to Sluasi; it was only a short walk she had to make with all of them in her arms.
When Sluasi arrives at Leuca’s doorstep, it’s wide open, and Leuca perks up from where she’s sitting cross-legged further inside, braiding together a colorful rope. “Oh, good to see you, Sluasi!” she greets with a big smile. “You’re just in time; Flo’s here, too!”
Flo leans forward to where Sluasi can see her from around the corner. She’s embroidering big, looping shapes into a large sheet of fabric. “Hello, Flo! I didn’t realize you were also coming over today,” Sluasi notes, taking a few more steps inside before kneeling to gently place her garlands on the floor.
Flo was usually holed up in her own house during the pre-Homecoming preparations. Her specialty was more detail-work, after all, and she liked to fully concentrate as she was working. Since their work had some overlap, Leuca was usually the one going over to visit Flo’s place; Sluasi remembered this since she’d joined her on the visit every once in a while.
At Sluasi’s implied question, Flo tilts her head with a smile. “I wanted to get a head start on embroidering some of Leuca’s banners,” she explains. “It’s gotta look perfect for Monsieur Neuvillette, after all!”
Leuca scoots over from where she was seated, dragging her rope with her. Her eyes brighten when Sluasi starts pulling the end of one garland out of the pile. “Ooh, that’s the one for the wall behind Xana’s, right? I feel like I have just the thing to match…” She hops up to her feet, skipping over to a room further in her house. After a few loud clangs, she emerges holding a long piece of fabric tied into bubble-like puffs. “What do you think?”
Sluasi and Leuca run through the rest of their currently finished decorations just like that, considering how well they match and whether they’d suit where they’d like to hang them up. Flo chimes in from the corner sometimes, but is otherwise fully focused on the embroidery in her hands- which was good, since Sluasi would hate it if her sister were to accidentally hurt herself with the needle.
After discussing the other decor they were currently working on, Sluasi gathers the garlands back up into her arms, hoisting them up. “I’ll head back home, then,” she announced. “See you two later!”
Leuca and Flo call out their own goodbyes, and Sluasi sets out back home.
On the way, though, she almost stumbles into another Melusine, also carrying a large pile of stuff. “Ottnit?” Sluasi calls over her garlands. “I didn’t realize you were home! It’s been so long since you’ve been back!”
Ottnit puts down her pile of things, rolling her shoulders to stretch them out. “Hi, Sluasi, good to see you!” she says with a tired but wide smile. “I’m not here to stay, though; just to deliver these books to Cosanzeana.”
When Ottnit gestures to the stack of books she just set down, Sluasi leans in to get a better look. Their spines are wide, and Sluasi reads the titles aloud as she scans over them. “‘Reptilian Biology’… ‘Vishaps in the Wild’… ‘Elemental Vishaps and Their Social Behaviors’…” She glances back up at Ottnit. “Where are all of these from?”
“Sigewinne sent them,” Ottnit replies. “She and Cosanzeana have been sharing research stuff with each other, so I’ve been delivering them.”
Sluasi glances back down at the books. It really looked like Ottnit had her arms full with them… “Do you want some help carrying these?” she offered. “If you wait just one second, I’ll drop these garlands off at home and come back to help you deliver them!”
Ottnit’s usual cheery demeanor brightens even further. “Oh, really? That would be so sweet of you! Thank you so much!”
With that, Sluasi trots off, drops her belongings off, and returns back to Ottnit’s side, picking up the top half of the stack of books. As they walk, they catch up with each other; between Ottnit’s work in the Marechaussee Phantom and Sluasi’s latest projects, there’s lots to discuss. When they finally arrive at Cosanzeana’s door, Ottnit was just in the middle of telling a long story about a ridiculous case she had been assigned to a few months ago.
“No, really!?”
“Yes! And then, after dressing that pig in his own clothing and covering it in Romaritime flower perfume, he-”
Just when Ottnit reached out towards the door, it opened on its own, revealing Cosanzeana peeking out from insidewith a vaguely annoyed expression. “Why are you two shouting so loudly right outside of my house?” she sighs.
“Oh, hi, Cosanzeana!” Ottnit greets happily. “We brought you another delivery from Sigewinne!”
Cosanzeana’s eyes brighten when they land on the books in their arms. “Great, thank you, you two. Could you bring them inside? I’ll show you where to put them.” She opens the door wider and beckons them inside with a wave.
Sluasi’s never actually been inside Cosanzeana’s house, for all of the years since the founding of Merusea Village; when they’ve spent time together, it’s mostly been outside in her garden. Because of this, Sluasi had mostly forgotten about Cosanzeana’s secondary duty as one of the Melusines’ record-keepers, which she had taken on early in the village’s founding.
Compared to the outside of Cosanzeana’s house and her usual daily life as a gardener, the inside of her house is filled with books, documents, etched stone slabs, and all sorts of trinkets and items. In one corner, there’s a circle cleared up on the ground, where there’s a ring of all sorts of papers and texts stacked and lined up next to each other. It’s within this formation that Cosanzeana guides Sluasi and Ottnit to put the books down.
“What is all of this?” Sluasi asks. “Are you researching something?”
Cosanzeana settles back in, sitting cross-legged between all of the paper. “Well, you know how Monsieur Neuvillette has taken Duke Wriothesley as his mate?” The other two Melusines quickly nod, and so she continues. “And since he’s never taken a mate before, none of us have looked back at our research on vishaps and dragons for hundreds of years.”
After a pause to process, Ottnit claps her hands together in understanding. “So you and Sigewinne are looking back through them all?” she asks.
“Yep,” Cosanzeana nods. “Since we haven’t needed that much of this information until now, it’ll help us a lot if we can refresh everyone on what we know about dragon courtship. Then we’ll be able to help Monsieur Neuvillette more if he needs it!”
“That makes sense,” Sluasi comments. “That has to be a lot of work, though, especially right when Homecoming’s coming up.”
Cosanzeana sighs. “You’re telling me! I still need to send some berries over to Lutine’s; she’s working on a new dessert soup for Monsieur Neuvillette’s tastes…”
Sluasi perks up at that. “Oh! Well, I was planning on visiting Lutine for lunch today! I can take some to her right now, if that’d help,” she offers.
Cosanzeana smiles warmly up at her. “That would help a lot, thank you. You know where all of the fruits and the edible flowers are in the garden, right?”
After getting a basket and some extra guidance from her sister, Sluasi steps out of Cosanzeana’s house into her garden. As she plucks the flowers that smell the richest and have the most flavorful colors, she finds herself reflecting on Cosanzeana’s project.
Even beyond wanting everything to be perfect for Monsieur Neuvillette’s stay in Merusea Village, there’s a lot more work that comes with the news about his courting the Duke, isn’t there? She’s been so distracted with preparations that she hadn’t really thought about it. Things like romantic outings, children, weddings…
Sluasi’s hand freezes around a stem. Oh, Elynas, she had completely forgotten about the Fontainian tradition of exchanging wedding rings! Did they already have them? Blessed waters, have they already held a wedding?
Well, Sluasi’s pride as a Melusine has her confident that Monsieur Neuvillette wouldn’t have gotten married without herself and all of her sisters present, and her pride as a gem artisan tells her that she would be able to make the best rings for their union. She’ll make some samples for Monsieur Neuvillette to look through when he arrives for Homecoming!
Oh, there’s so much to do, she needs to rush home! She needs to rush home, and ask Puca for her best crystals and Xana for her best metals, and…
~
This is the best day ever.
And maybe Kiara has a lot of days she’s claimed were the best, but this is definitely the best one she can remember.
She was a little late in receiving the news about Monsieur Neuvillette and how he’s coming home with them for Homecoming, but wow, was she excited about that! That, and learning that he’s in a relationship with the Duke? Kiara didn’t really understand romance that much, but from what she knew from watching the humans of the Court interact, she knew that meant the Duke was someone very special to Monsieur Neuvillette and a new member of his family– how sweet! What happy news for Kiara and all of her sisters!
So, yes. She’s been super excited to celebrate Homecoming with Monsieur Neuvillette this year, and now, today was the day! The day they all travel home to Merusea Village!
She’d packed several days early and had hardly been able to sleep last night, too excited for the holiday to begin. When she woke up, she had bolted straight out of bed to get ready. After a quick breakfast, she scrambled out of her flat and down the steps to the streets of the Court.
Except one problem Kiara faced with living in a multi-story complex; she just didn’t have the patience to walk down every single step. She leaped down the last flight, which usually goes pretty well, but this time she landed oddly, tumbling over her duffel bag as it landed on the tiles that lined the street.
One of her neighbors, an older retired human named Solange, had just been watering the flowers outside of her window. She gasped and tottered over to where Kiara lay splayed on her back, her cane clicking against the ground. “Oh, Kiara, dear! Are you alright?” she exclaimed.
Kiara quickly stood back up on her feet, brushing off dust from her clothes. “I’m alright, Madame Solange!” she reassured with a big smile. “Thank you for checking on me!”
Madame Solange lay a hand over her chest. “Thank the Archons,” she sighed. “Kiara, dear, please do be more careful! My old heart can’t take watching you jump down those stairs every morning.”
“What?” Kiara squeaked, alarmed. “Are you alright? Do I need to help you to a doctor, Madame?”
Madame Solange let out a big, hearty laugh. “Oh, no, love, I’m fine! That’s just a phrase that means I worry about you.” She reached over to pat Kiara between her rhinophores, which the Melusine accepted happily. “You’re just so sweet; I couldn’t bear to see you get hurt!”
Kiara thought about that for a moment. That makes sense; her sisters get angry or scared when she does silly things that could get her hurt, too. And a lot of the Melusines would gather together to scold Monsieur Neuvillette when he doesn’t take care of himself enough.
“I’m sorry for worrying you, Madame Solange,” Kiara says to her neighbor. “I’ll try not to jump down the stairs anymore!”
“Okay, good,” Madame Solange responds with a satisfied nod. “If only my grandchildren were as good listeners as you are… Ah, nevermind that.” She waves off that last comment before gesturing to Kiara’s luggage, still laying on the ground. “Don’t you have a pilgrimage to make today, dearest?”
Kiara gasps. “Oh, that’s right! I want to get a good seat for the ride to Homecoming!” The Melusine hoists the strap of her duffel bag over her shoulder, then waves her goodbye to her neighbor. “I’ll see you when I get back, Madame! Stay well!”
“You too, dear. Have fun,” Madame Solange calls as Kiara skips off.
Kiara’s complex is towards the heart of the Court, which is convenient for her work as an officer of the Marechaussee Phantom but not quite as much when she’s heading to the docks. The winding roads and the many people she runs into and stops to chat with takes up a lot of time. She crosses paths with a few of her sisters as she walks– first Menthe, then Siora, then Talochard, and so on– and they head together toward where the Waverider waits to pick all of them up.
When Kiara hops aboard, she’s surprised to find it still surprisingly empty; she’s usually the last one to arrive, but today, there are still so many seats open! After some thinking, she hops over to the side with a good view of both the water and the center of the deck, setting her duffel bag down in a seat.
Right as she’s about to sit down herself, a familiar, smooth voice calls out behind her. “Oh, hello, Kiara,” she hears. “Are you doing well today?”
Kiara whips her head around. “Monsieur Neuvillette!” she exclaims, leaping toward the man himself. “It’s so good to see you!”
Monsieur Neuvillette catches the Melusine when she tackles him in a hug. He chuckles warmly, gently patting Kiara’s back as she squeezes him. “It’s good to see you, as well. It has been a while since I’ve seen you, hasn’t it?” Kiara peels back a little bit from him to nod vigorously, and he smiles down at her with a small, gentle smile. “I’m happy to see you in such high spirits.”
“Monsieur Neuvillette!” Siora calls, running over from where she just put down her own belongings. She, too, grabs the Hydro Dragon in a tight embrace. “I want a hug, too!”
“Monsieur! Monsieur, me too!”
“Ooh, hi, Monsieur!”
“Hey! Let me in, too!”
“Monsieur Neuvillette! I missed you!”
Many more Melusines run over as they step aboard the Waverider, joining the growing group hug forming around Monsieur Neuvillette. Soon, the Hydro Dragon ends up seated on the deck, stretching his arms upward to gently pat the Melusines he can reach on the head.
“Hey, all of you!” Sedene eventually calls over all of their chatter. She’s standing by the boarding bridge, her arms crossed. “Let Monsieur Neuvillette go; we still have to take attendance! I can’t tell who’s here or not when you’re all piled up on him!”
The Melusine hug pile lets out a unanimous whine, but they each do eventually let go of Monsieur Neuvillette, some with one last squeeze or a happy greeting before they part. Since Kiara was towards the center when the group formed, she had the pleasure to take Monsieur Neuvillette’s hand and help him to his feet.
“Monsieur, do you have a seat yet?” Kiara asks him as she hoists him up.
Monsieur Neuvillette shakes his head. “Not quite yet; I only just got aboard.”
“Then come sit next to me!” Kiara suggests excitedly, taking their still connected hands to pull Monsieur Neuvillette with her over to her seat. “It’s a great spot, I promise! Perfect for talking with everyone and looking out into the water!”
“I will take your recommendation,” Monsieur Neuvillette says with a gentle smile as he follows her. “Thank you, Kiara.”
After Kiara moves her luggage off of the seat, the two of them sit down. The Melusines continue to flow aboard the Waverider, and excited greetings and hugs are being exchanged all around. Smaller Waveriders from the Liffey region and Lumidouce Harbor pull into spaces next to them by the dock, and some Melusines hop off and join them on the main ship. Soon the entire deck is filled with cheery, happy Melusines, many skipping over to greet Monsieur Neuvillette themselves before finding their own space to put their luggage.
As Sedene calls over the happy chatter of their many sisters, beginning to go through the attendance list of all Melusines living outside of Merusea Village, Kiara sees Monsieur Neuvillette’s mouth turn down in a slight frown. “There must be a better way to do this,” he murmurs down to Kiara. “Wouldn’t it be better if there were separate ships from each general region? Then attendance would go much more smoothly.”
Kiara tilts her head up at him, confused, before realizing what Monsieur Neuvillette is thinking. “Monsieur, this isn’t just so we can all go home together,” she whispers. “This ride is part of the celebrations, too!”
Before she can continue explaining, Sedene shouts to everyone that every Melusine is accounted for. As cheers ring through the sisters, the Waverider begins pulling away from the dock and out into the great waters of Fontaine.
As they pull further away, the hustle and bustle of the Court slowly begins to fade. Soon, the ship is surrounded only by the sounds of the water- the rhythmic push and pull of the waves against the Waverider, the calls of seabirds overhead, and the soft echoes of blubberbeast song beneath the surface.
Then, there’s the start to the best part of the ride to Homecoming. The whole deck falls silent as the first notes of oceansong reach their rhinophores; the melody of the ocean, something only beings of the water can hear.
Kiara watches as Monsieur Neuvillette tilts his head toward the surface of the water, his gentle smile growing wider; has it been so long since he’s allowed himself to come out here and listen?
Some of the Melusines around them begin pulling out instruments- hand drums, tambourines, conch horns, harps- and with the cue of an entrance rhythm, they all begin to sing.
It’s an ancient song, one without lyrics, as these syllables were used long before humans arrived on Teyvat’s soil. Wide, open vowels carry the song across the waves and beneath the surface, harmonizing with the water itself and the pure Hydro energy that flows through all of Fontaine. Monsieur Neuvillette seems surprised when he notices his own mouth moving alongside theirs, his gloved fingers reaching up to touch his lips, but Kiara catches it, pulling his arm down in between her own two hands.
“Come on, Monsieur!” Kiara calls out above the melody, jumping from her seat to pull him towards the center of the deck. “Let’s dance!”
All around them, Melusines are rising to their feet and beginning to dance. The center of the deck becomes a dance floor, Melusines weaving in between and swaying against each other.
Monsieur Neuvillette’s eyes widen as Rhemia does a tight, fast spin right by them, her momentum only stopped when Trow catches her in her arms a few steps away, both of them dissolving into giggles. “I’m not certain I can-”
“Nonsense!” Sedile calls from his right. “Everybody can dance!”
Chourei takes one of his elbows, gently pulling him into a rock side to side. “The water is inside of you, too!” she laughs, like it’s obvious.
And maybe it is obvious, because that’s probably when Monsieur Neuvillette noticed it, too. The way their footfalls and each clap of their hands aligns with the song of Fontaine’s waters, the same way its melody comes naturally to all of them. They are all beings of Hydro, after all, perfectly in tune with the energy that flows through all of the water of Teyvat.
“Dance with us!”
“Let’s dance, Monsieur!”
And as both of his hands are taken and the Melusines around him begin spinning in a circle, he does.
~
It’s the first day of Homecoming, and preparations in the village are going wonderfully.
Which was honestly a bit of a surprise to Serene, as much as she hates to doubt her sisters. With all of the extra planning and logistics that came with welcoming a special guest like Monsieur Neuvillette, she admittedly expected them to be scrambling until the last second before all of their sisters arrived.
When she brought this up to Cosanzeana as she helped her place extravagant flower arrangements all around the cavern, the florist smiled back at her proudly. “No challenge is too hard for us Melusines, after all,” she laughs. “All of our sisters are very capable!”
And Serene, even with her bias given all of her pride and love for her sisters, thinks that there’s much truth to that statement. It’s together that the Melusines have overcome so many challenges. That’s the reason they hold Homecoming, after all- to celebrate their sisterhood and the love that makes their bond so strong.
In this case, their challenge was preparing a more formal arrival feast than normal. Since they still wanted to keep the Family Meeting on the last day as a Melusine-only event, given all of the discussion focused on Monsieur Neuvillette that it would be better to have while he wasn’t present, Serene suggested making this opening feast a Grand Family Meeting of sorts. That way, Monsieur Neuvillette would be able to speak to all of them and tell them the news he had to share.
Because Serene knew that Monsieur Neuvillette also had some sort of news for all of them. He mentioned in the letters that they exchanged that he wanted to be the one to tell them all, so this would be the perfect opportunity to speak to all of them at once!
(Serene didn’t know how to tell Monsieur Neuvillette that they all already knew that he had taken Duke Wriothesley as his mate. But even if it wouldn’t be a surprise, everyone was looking forward to celebrating with him, anyways, so it’s surely fine!)
But yes. Because they wanted to make this feast more organized than usual, there was more that needed to be arranged than usual, from more tables to place various dishes on to more space for everyone to arrange themselves picnic-style on the cavern floor. And so far, things are going swimmingly; all of the decor is set, and the dishes are ready to be served. All that’s left is for their sisters to arrive from the Court.
And as if on cue, right as she mumbles this to herself, her rhinophores catch a cheerful song harmonizing with the water around Merusea Village. She glances around the cavern; everyone else has stopped their preparations as well, looking upward to the surface.
With a splash, a Melusine dives down from the surface into Merusea Village. It’s hard to see exactly who as they swim down the waterfall at the entrance, eventually splashing down at the pool at its base. One by one, more and more Melusines splash in from the surface, and Serene, alongside the other residents of the village, rush over to the poolside to welcome them home.
As the Melusines leap from the water, they join hands with their sisters, pulling them into hugs and spinning steps as the song and dance celebrating Homecoming continues.
When Monsieur Neuvillette arrives, it’s with his hands held by Chourei and Kiara, his eyes wide in surprise as he slides down the side of the waterfall. His expression makes Serene giggle- the way the Melusines dive from the side of the Waverider to enter the village usually catches their guests off-guard, and Monsieur Neuvillette was clearly no exception. Despite his clear surprise, however, his control over Hydro led to him still looking elegant as he descended, almost as though the water carried him down and placed him on his feet at the bottom, allowing him to walk across its surface towards the village. Chourei and Kiara let go of his hands about midway down, letting out joyous shrieks as they splashed down into the pool.
“Welcome, Monsieur Neuvillette!” Serene greeted as Monsieur Neuvillette’s boots hit the land. “Happy Homecoming!”
“Happy Homecoming, Serene,” Monsieur Neuvillette greeted warmly.
Just then, Xana dashes over to Monsieur Neuvillette, taking his hand. “Welcome home, Monsieur Neuvillette!” she chirps. “Let’s dance!”
And before Serene can say anything else, Monsieur Neuvillette is circled by even more of her sisters, and he joins them in their singing and dancing. Serene is no exception; she too joins in on the opening song as she continues greeting the Melusines returning home.
It’s only after all of the Melusines have arrived and grown hungry from all of the dancing that the feast begins, after all. Once one Melusine gets hungry and wanders over to the tables where the spread of dishes lays, others will slowly follow, until eventually all of them continue their celebrations seated on the picnic blankets on the ground with food in hand.
Monsieur Neuvillette is, of course, a major star of the gathering. Even as Melusines break off to go fill their own bowls of food, many of them also dash over to the Hydro Sovereign, excitedly greeting and sharing their recent lives with him. Amidst all of their conversations, which Monsieur Neuvillette is visibly more than happy to share with all of them, Serene is relieved to see Lutine pulling the man over to the food to show off the dishes she specially prepared for his arrival. Once he too has his own meal, Serene beckons him toward the center of the formation that the Melusines are forming on the ground.
When Monsieur Neuvillette takes his seat, Sigewinne skips over to where they are, her own bowl in hand. “Monsieur Neuvillette!” she greets happily. “It’s so good to see you! Happy Homecoming!”
“Happy Homecoming to you, as well, Sigewinne,” Monsieur Neuvillette responds with a smile. “How have you been?”
Sigewinne giggles as she sits down next to him. “The Fortress has been running as smoothly as it always is! Things have hardly changed since you visited a few months ago.” She then pauses to wiggle her eyebrows up at him. “Well, maybe the Duke has been a little down since you haven’t visited in a while…”
Monsieur Neuvillette furrows his brows. “...Has it been that long already?” he asks. “I thought I had visited you more recently than that…”
Sigewinne’s teasing grin turns down into a pout. “Monsieur! Do you mean to tell me that you’ve been working nonstop since then?”
“Well, I have not needed as much rest since my Hydro authority was returned to me, like I discussed with you last time we saw each other…”
Sigewinne glares up at him for a few more moments before dropping it, closing her eyes with a deep sigh. “Purest of waters… Well, at least you’re taking a vacation now…”
As Serene waits for all of the Melusines to take a seat for the feast, she takes the opportunity to catch up with Sigewinne; while Monsieur Neuvillette and the head nurse of the Fortress of Meropide have work-related connections where they can see each other, it’s really only when Sigewinne comes home to Merusea Village that Serene and she can see each other. It’s a little hypocritical of Sigewinne, Serene thinks to herself, considering this sister of hers is probably just as much of a workaholic as the Hydro Dragon is.
Once their conversation lulled, Serene glanced around the larger gathering again. Seeing that everybody was settled in, Serene rose to her feet. “Hi, sisters!” she shouted to everyone in the village. “Happy Homecoming!”
“Happy Homecoming, Serene!” some Melusines shout back.
“As you all know, we have a very special guest here with us today!” Serene continues, turning her gaze back to where Monsieur Neuvillette is seated and taking his hand to pull him to his feet. “Please give Monsieur Neuvillette another warm welcome!”
As Monsieur Neuvillette stands, the cavern erupts into cheers.
The Hydro Sovereign stands peacefully until the celebrations calm down, returning hugs to the few Melusines that run over to embrace him. Serene feels no need to interrupt; his happiness is tangible, a warm sweetness in the Hydro energy that ripples in the energy-rich air of the village.
When the cavern quiets, Monsieur Neuvillette gently clears his throat into his gloved hand. “Thank you, everyone,” he greets. “I would like to formally express my gratitude to all of you for welcoming me into your home for the holidays. Your kindness and hospitality…”
Monsieur Neuvillette continues with his formal introduction for a while, to the point that Serene starts wondering if she should jump up and reassure him that there’s no need for him to be so professional; fortunately, he wraps up just as she started exchanging glances with a similarly wide-eyed Sigewinne.
“…That being said, I came to request your support,” Monsieur Neuvillette begins. Serene can feel a united hitch of breath in anticipation through her sisters. “Several months ago, I reclaimed my Hydro Authority, and with it, I have been able to fully become the Hydro Dragon Sovereign of Teyvat, including what was once denied to me by Celestia.”
“One such thing was my form- with the Hydro Authority stolen away by the heavens, the Hydro Dragon Sovereign could only be reborn next in a humanoid form. And as they no longer wield this power over me, I am now able to reclaim, too, my identity as a dragon.”
The Melusines all throughout the cavern cheer in celebration. Monsieur Neuvillette’s somewhat stern expression from his formal presentation melts into a small yet warm smile. “Would you like to see my true form?” He asks into the room. “One reason I requested to join these celebrations is to do so; to share with you all this news and what I look like in it, but also because my form’s size is rather… limiting, when it comes to where I may take it.”
“I was just about to ask!” Sigewinne exclaims, leaping up to grab Monsieur Neuvillette’s arm. “Please, show us, show us!”
Similar shouts resonate through the cavern, and Monsieur Neuvillette nods, laying his cane to the side. He lowers his head, closing his eyes as his eyebrows knit in concentration. The long rhinophores that rest atop his silvery white hair begin to glow, casting a blue light over the center of the huddle.
While Monsieur Neuvillette’s physical form remains still, the elemental energy around him begins to vibrate, shaking as the Sovereign imbues it with his will. In Serene’s eyes, she can see the energy grabbing and pulling at Monsieur Neuvillette’s body, distorting- rearranging- fusing-
And with a burst of Hydro, the Hydro Dragon Sovereign is before them.
The whole of Merusea Village cheers in excitement, crowding around Monsieur Neuvillette’s new form. Fortunately, Serene was in the perfect position during his transformation and now has the best spot to admire what he looks like as a dragon. His neck is long and tall, to the point that he’s curling his head downward so as to not bump his head and rhinophores on the comparatively low ceiling of the cave. He’s now covered in beautiful, shimmering scales- mainly in a rich sea blue, except for the underside of his chin and down his neck, which starts off a stark silvery-white until it fades into a lighter shade of blue at his chest into his belly.
Out of the huddle forming around Monsieur Neuvillette, Granna launches herself up in the air, landing at the base of the dragon’s neck.
“Hey!” Serene scolds up at her. “That’s not very polite, Granna! Get off of him!”
Monsieur Neuvillette lets out a chuffing noise, the huff of air ruffling through Serene’s hair. It’s alright, he rumbles, sending out his words through the Hydro in the air. This form is quite strong. Feel free to play on me, so long as everyone stays safe.
With the dragon’s permission, it was like a dam was broken. Many more Melusines began climbing on top of his large form, scaling his neck (“Wow, Monsieur! I can’t reach all around your neck!”) and sliding down his long tail (“Ooh, me next, me next!”). While Serene isn’t interested in playing like that, she takes the opportunity to walk around and continue learning more about what Monsieur Neuvillette’s true form looks like.
Under his neck, Monsieur Neuvillette’s body is shaped like a hill- ovular overall, with his back peaking at a gentle curve at the center of his back. Even there, his body is much taller than one Melusine, or even two- it’s probably around two humans tall, Serene would estimate. Pressed against his sides are wide fins, thin and curved to fit perfectly into his sides. He also has four short legs, two up front and two in the back, which he has tucked underneath him as he watches the Melusines play.
From above his back legs extends his long tail, which starts off much thicker than his neck before winding and tapering off into a point. Running down the center of it is a thin, ribbon-like white fin, rippling in the air. Monsieur Neuvillette has the end of his tail curled upward, playfully swishing it occasionally to the delight of the Melusines climbing up it.
Serene sighs as her sisters continue climbing all over the Sovereign. Goodness, where did all of their energy come from? They’re all hundreds of years old! “Monsieur?” she calls up.
Monsieur Neuvillette lowers his head down next to Serene’s own. His round black eyes meet hers. What is it, Serene?
“Are you really alright with all of them roughhousing on you like this?” Serene asks softly. “If you’re not comfortable, I can call them off, and they’d all understand…”
Monsieur Neuvillette chuffs again, with what sounds like fondness and amusement in his breath. Do not worry, dear, he reassures. It pleases me that I can give your sisters so much joy like this.
And Serene supposes she understands. No matter how difficult a challenge, no matter how ridiculous something she must do is, it brings Serene an indescribable amount of pride and joy when it is her making her sisters happy.
“... Alright, Monsieur,” Serene replies, sitting back down on her picnic blanket. “Just… Let me know when you get too tired, alright?”
Alright. Thank you, Serene.
And the two of them sit and watch as the Melusines continue to play.
~
While it was certainly at his own invitation, Neuvillette didn’t expect the Melusines to want to play for as long as they did.
By the time everybody settled down once again, Neuvillette was worn out, his tail curled around his body and his head resting on top, all of his body parts feeling limp and boneless. Sigewinne had climbed up his body to check on him when he first flopped his head down onto his back, and now she is sitting cross-legged next to his head, gently patting reassuringly between his rhinophores.
Neuvillette was so tired, in fact, that he had nearly forgotten the other things he needed to tell the Melusines. That is, until Sigewinne’s paw caught on a loose scale, and she squeaked in alarm as she accidentally pulled it off of him.
“Oh! Oh, goodness! I’m so sorry, Monsieur, I didn’t mean to-”
It’s alright, Sigewinne, Neuvillette quickly reassures. That is only a loose scale. In fact, it feels better now that it is off of me.
Serene, who was still seated beside his front legs, perks up in interest. “Wait, is that what you needed our help with?”
Serene’s question seems to catch the rest of the village’s interest, as well. The conversational chatter that had fallen over the village falls silent as everyone turns toward Neuvillette in the center.
Indeed, Neuvillette confirms, before raising his head to speak to the whole village. Yes, it seems that the return of my dragon form also came with the biological functions and instincts of a dragon. I’ve entered a molting season, where I have new scales growing underneath the old ones, and the old ones must be scraped off. Before I realized this, I only felt an itching discomfort under the skin of my human form.
Murmurs of sympathy and pity ripple through the crowd. Sigewinne gives his back a few more pats.
The discomfort eased when I realized what my instincts were asking me to do- to find a safe and warm pool to shed my scales in. So I really came to ask of two favors- for Merusea Village’s protection and assistance in my molt, as well as future aid as I continue working through… Unfamiliar instincts.
“Of course, Monsieur!” Ottnit cries from the crowd. “We would all be overjoyed to help you!”
“Yes, swimming with Monsieur sounds so much fun!”
“Oh, hush, Puca, that’s not very thoughtful when Monsieur Neuvillette is going through a challenging time-”
“The Marechaussee Phantom will happily assist and cover for you when you return back to work, Monsieur!” a voice Neuvillette recognizes as Enghiene’s calls from behind him.
“You could’ve confided in me sooner, Monsieur!” an annoyed-sounding Sedene shouts. A bunch of the Melusines start giggling in response around her.
“Mmm, I can see how that would be really challenging to navigate on your own, Monsieur,” Sigewinne says from her spot upon Neuvillette’s back. “Especially with your courtship with your chosen mate! From what I’ve read, I can only imagine how strange dealing with those new instincts must be-”
Neuvillette blinks slowly as Sigewinne’s words process through his mind. He then swivels his head around, locking eyes with her. What did you just say?
Sigewinne tilts his head up at him. “What do you mean? Did I say something odd?”
An uncomfortable feeling starts crawling up Neuvillette’s throat. What you just said- about courtship-
Sigewinne furrows her brow up at him. “Yes, your courtship with the Duke! Which, I understand you’re a very private person, but we only recently found out-”
Whyever, Neuvillette interrupts, would you think I’m courting Duke Wriothesley?
Sigewinne’s expression begins to shift from indignation into nervousness. “W- well, you placed your elemental signature on him, Monsieur. That sort of claim is usually reserved for mates…”
Neuvillette feels his heart drop.
I did not intend to do so.
Sigewinne stares up at Neuvillette, panic growing more and more in her eyes as she registers what his words mean. Neuvillette imagines she can see the same feeling reflected in his own, as Neuvillette himself realizes that all of the Melusines thought he was courting the Duke because of some accidental claim he had placed on the man without even realizing, one that all of the Melusines can see. As all of those strange interactions he’s had with Melusines over the past month start clicking into place- the random words of congratulation, and bringing up the Duke in completely unrelated conversations.
I am not currently courting Duke Wriothesley, nor do I intend to.
The entire cavern falls dead silent.