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This…was not planned.
A group of mercenaries crowd around her, intimidating with the sharp glints in their eyes and the weapons in their hands. She stumbles backward, chest tight with fear, mouth drier than the hot, beating desert sun.
She had just wanted to…get a peace of mind. Sure, maybe going to the Sumeru desert impulsively was not the best idea. However after… everything, she wanted to go to a place where she wouldn’t have been recognised, a place where she did not have to pretend because hopefully, no one would know who she is.
Furina didn’t want to hide away in her room, she needed something new so she figured maybe going to the desert wouldn’t be too bad of an idea.
She stumbles backward, falling into the sea of sand.
Looks like she was wrong. This was in fact a bad idea.
A blade is pointed at her and she waves her hand in panic.
“I beg of you!” She shouts. “Please, please let me go!”
“Oh, we will,” A mercenary says, smirk at his lips. “But those are some pretty fancy clothes, aren’t they? I wonder how much mora you have on you?”
Furina pales. In her rush, she grabbed a handful and shoved it into her purse. She’s not too concerned about the money and more about how much they’ll take. If they take it all, how will she be able to get a ticket back to Fontaine?
She takes her purse out of her pocket and before she even has the chance to try to hide some mora, the mercenaries snatch her purse out of her hands. They open it and grin with greed as they observe the mora in there.
“Please…please don’t take all of it-” She tries to say but she’s cut off by a mercenary slapping her hard across the face.
Pain aches in her cheek and she feels tears well up in her eyes as one mercanery grabs her hand in a bruising grip.
“This is a lot of mora. She’s probably a noblewoman. I wonder how much money we would get if we hold her for ransom,” A mercenary suggest.
Her eyes go impossibly wide. No, no!
“No, please, don’t-“ Tears well up in her eyes.
“Shut up!”
She sees a fist coming straight for her face and closes her eye, bracing for impact.
How did things go this badly so quickly?
The punch never arrives.
She hears screams and her eyes flicker open.
She sees a man who’s short hair bright and as purple as lightning. His clothes are a softer blue and the style reminds her of Inazuma. He also has a…ridiculously huge hat.
Whoever he is, he must be strong considering the mercenaries are running off after their lost battle with him.
And maybe kind, too? Considering he helped her…oh, what is he doing with her purse?
“Um…” She says, noticing him fiddling with it.
He closes the purse and hands it to her. Furina sighs, relieved.
“Thank goodness! I thought you were going to…” Furina pauses, realising just how rude accusing the man who saved her of theft is. “My apologies. That did not come out right.”
The man in question just scoffs.
“Whatever. I don’t care.”
Um…he doesn’t seem the nicest but that’s okay. Furina has worked with lots of people.
“Thank you for saving me,” She says, instead.
“Why didn’t you defend yourself?”
Now that catches her off guard.
Furina freezes. Oh no. He thinks she’s strong enough to fight? Does that mean he recognised her as the Hydro Archon? No, no. Furina feels a cold sweat.
“I, uh…” Her mouth feels drier than the sand in her shoes.
“It’s pathetic,” He rolls his eyes. “Those worms didn’t stand a single second against me.”
Oh. Well, it’s not as if she appreciates being insulted but this is still better than the former.
“I…” She huffs. “I’m usually used to not having to fight.”
“Weakling,” He murmurs. “Whatever.”
He starts walking off and Furina instantly runs after him, kicking sand up in the air as she does.
“Why are you following me?” He snaps, fixing a glare on her.
“Can you take me to the Sumeru City?”
“And why would I do that?”
“I can…pay you! More than everything in this entire purse.”
“‘Mora doesn’t mean much to me,” He says and starts walking off again.
“Wait!” Furina calls after him. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you need? I can help. What are you even in the desert for?”
“I’m here to investigate some ruins and then head back to the city. Something that is none of your business and you should leave me alone about it-“
“I can help,” She says.
“I don’t want to-“
“I want to, though. Besides, you’re going to the city and so am I. May as well go together!” She says.
The man sighs, frustrated and pulls on the end of his hat.
“Nahida’s always saying I should try to be more friendly,” He says, mutters to himself and then looks back up to Furina. “Fine. You can come with me.”
“Oh, thank you-“
“But do not talk.”
He’s already set walking off again, but at a slow pace so that she can match his speed.
“What’s your name, even?” She asks him.
“What did I just say?”
“Come on, if I’m just travelling with some stranger I want to know your name at least! I’ll even introduce myself. I’m Furina.”
“Call me whatever you want.”
“I’m being serious-“
“And I am too. I have gone through many names throughout the years,” He says and a sort of sad look passes his face. Before Furina can even begin to dwell on it, it flickers away in an instant and he continues, “Now, I am just a wanderer.”
“Then…” She taps a finger at her chin. “I guess I’ll call you hat guy!”
The wanderer or hat guy grumbles somethings under his breath and Furina lets out a soft giggle. She’s only joking and will call him wanderer but his frustration is still very entertaining.
“I’m tempted to just call you a pest now. You’re irritating,” He huffs.
“That’s not very nice of you,” She says in an exaggerated tone.
“Do I look like a nice person to you?” He says, snarl at his lips.
“I mean…you did save and help me when you could’ve just ditched me.”
“I’m trying to be better. But that doesn’t mean I have to be polite and be a nice little bitch to everyone,” He says.
Furina gasps in a mock tone.
“Language. Back in the opera house, language of that severity would surely be a fine!” She exclaims and then pauses realising what she said.
“Opera house?” He quirks a brow.
“I…uh…You know how us Fontainians are always so fond of watching shows!” She says, voice shaky.
“You’re a bad liar,” The Wanderer shakes his head. “Whatever. I honestly couldn’t care less.”
The Wanderer keeps storming forward and Furina fiddles with her gloves, feeling awkward from this now stiff atmosphere. At least he won’t interrogate her about…the thing.
“What are these ruins you’re here to investigate?”
“My…” He pauses for a second. “I guess you could call her my mentor. She told me to come.”
“Oh. Is she called…” Furina takes a few seconds to remember. “Nahida? I heard you murmuring about it.”
“I guess,” He shrugs.
“What’s she like?”
The wanderer pauses for a second, before he continues walking.
“She’s kind,” He doesn’t elaborate, but his face does soften.
“Well, it’s nice you have someone looking out for you.”
His lips turn up, slightly but the smile disappears as quickly as it came.
“I suppose it is,” He agrees. “What about you?”
“Me? What?”
“Those clothes don’t look cheap. Why didn’t you employ some bodyguard or whatever?”
“Well, actually…” She fiddles with the cuffs of her jacket. “No one knows I’m here. A…a lot happened recently. I wanted to leave Fontaine for a short while because being there…there were too many painful memories. I wanted a break.”
To her surprise, the wanderer doesn’t make any snide comments or mock her. He doesn’t say anything, actually. He gives her a simple look of understanding and they continue their exploration of the desert.
During their trek through the desert, Furina and the wanderer end up kind of, sort of, getting along if you could call it that. Though Furina does most of the talking and the wanderer’s responses mostly consist of insults or dry remarks. Regardless, she learns more about him and it’s actually kind of enjoyable, his sarcasm getting a laugh or two out of her every now and then.
It doesn’t stay that way for long. During their search for the abandoned ruins, they find themselves trapped inside a violent sandstorm, winds whipping at their face and sand slapping against their skin. Dry sand irritates her skin and the dust blinds her vision.
“Wanderer! Where are you?!” She screams through the hot, dry storm and hopes to all the archons that he can hear her voice. “Wanderer! Where-“
Her shouting is cut off by dust slipping into her throat and she coughs, trying desperately to get it out. Her eyes, mouth and nose feeling full of dirt, dust and sand, her senses attacked and assaulted and she doesn’t where the wanderer is and maybe she should have never even come to Sumeru-
Furina’s train of thoughts comes crashing when she feels fingers interwine with her own. In the midst of this chaos, it lets her relax just slightly. Is that the wanderer? It must be. The hand is soft and gentle around her own trembling fingers and keeps her grounded from the brutal wind blowing mercilessly at her. She feels the other person walking and follows it. Something like trust swims in her gut.
It feels like an eternity passes but shelter is found and Furina feels her shoulders relax inside a random ruin i the desert.
As she brushes the sand out of her eyes, she finds she was correct, seeing eyes which shine a violent purple.
“Thank you, wanderer-“ She steps out to him but he walks away, shaking his head.
“Don’t look at me,” He hisses, his tone making her stop in place.
He dips his head, pulling his hat off to cover his face.
“Are you hurt? From…from the storm?”
She attempts to reach a hand out but he just walks backwards.
“I said to stop !” His snaps, his voice violent like lightning and she freezes.
An awkward silence takes place for a few beats and the wanderer steps backwards. His hands are over his hat and Furina notices two things; one, there are cracks in his skin and two, that they’re shaking like crazy.
“Wanderer…there’s cracks. In your skin,” She says.
He’s silent for a moment and Furina realises this very much is something he’s uncomfortable with and doesn’t want other people to talk about.
“I can…help you cover them up. If you’d like,” She offers.
“What?”
“I have some make up in my little pouch. I can cover it up for you.”
“You…will?” He says, surprise tinting his tone
“If you’d like.”
It takes a minute but the wanderer gathers enough courage and puts his hat to the side. He shows his face to her; cracks mark his skin and she sees the chipped paint. Furina assumes it must be the sandstorm that ruined his painted skin then. Good thing she herself didn’t wear too much makeup today.
Furina brings out her makeup brush and thankfully their complexions are similar enough for it to not look too jarring. The wanderer sits against the wall and Furina sits next to him, cross legged.
“Do you mind if I hold your face? It’ll make it easier.”
“…just be quick about it,” He mumbles.
“Okay, wanderer,” She says, smiling at him to try to assure him.
Furina begins her work, fingers holding his chin in place and her other hand gripping the brush, painting over the cracks in his skin. Time passes, slowly and peacefully as Furina covers up the cracks. The entire time, she makes sure to be gentle.
“It isn’t the best work,” She says as she puts her makeup brush away back into her pouch. “I’m more used to doing it for myself.”
“…thank you,” He grumbles and she shoots him a small smile. “I thought that this mission would be quick and considering it is the desert, I assumed I wouldn’t have had to bump into anyone so I did it in a rush. I should’ve thought it through more.”
“It’s okay,” She squeezes his shoulder, gently. Noticing his flinch, she quickly rips her hand away from him. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have-“
“Doesn’t matter. I understand what you meant,” He says.
“Do you…want to talk about them?” She asks.
The wanderer looks surprised at her question, but then looks at his fingers and lying them out on his lap.
“I am a puppet. I was made to serve a purpose, to pretend to be someone,” The words make Furina freeze. “But because I wasn’t good enough, because I was too human my own mother. She discarded me and when I fell I was left with these cracks.”
His voice breaks apart and the wanderer brings his knees in and presses his face against them.
“I’m so sorry-“
“Shut up! You don’t understand anything! I Don’t want to hear it. I don’t need your fucking pity. She left me! She left me and I was all alone!”
The wanderer shouts those last words and it sounds like he’s on the verge of tears, the pain in his voice evident.
“Wanderer…” She says, looking at him.
“Don’t look at me like that,” He glares and then turns away. “I already said I don’t want your fucking pity.”
He snaps the words but Furina notices the way his voice breaks at the end of it. She doesn’t give up. She hears the pain in his voice, remembers the way his fingers shook and thinks carefully about her next words
“I…I don’t know your full situation but I sort of understand. I went through a lot of pain. For such a long time. And I couldn’t tell anyone and I had to pretend to be okay. Because of that…I was alone. It hurt so much. I understand loneliness. It’s so hard. But you don’t have to be alone anymore.”
“People always leave me.”
“You have that mentor of yours, Nahida right?” She suggests and he pauses for a moment before nodding. “Is there anyone else?”
“There’s…” He thinks for a few moments and glances back at her. “There is.”
“Could i be added to that list?” Furina says. “I mean, I’m not trying to like… it’s just would be nice to have someone to find comfort in. And I’m sure you would like that too.” Especially someone like you who doesn’t know her past as the hydro archon.
She reaches out to hold his hand. The wanderer gives her a sharp glare and she gives him a lopsided smile. He looks at her and she sees his eyes searching for any judgement, any lies; the lack of trust so clear it could be blinding. She wonders how a mother could be so cruel, dumping her child without a care in the world.
The wanderer sighs after a few moments and he holds her hands. They had already held hands before but that was more out of a sort of necessity back when he saved her in the sandstorm. Now though…the feeling of his hand is soft and soothing and sends a rush of warmth through Furina.
The wanderer gives her a long, hard stare and says nothing. A long, long time passes of just silence of them sitting next to each other and she can hear the sandstorm still thundering outside. She closes her eyes and realises just how exhausted she must’ve been, feeling sleep invade her being. She blinks, trying to stay awake but as the land of dreams begins to claim her, Furina could swear she saw a soft smile beginning to grace the wanderer’s lips.
…
Furina wakes up to the wanderer shaking her.
“Finally, you’re awake,” He huffs and stands up.
“Was I asleep for long?”
“The sandstorm ended a few hours ago.”
“Oh, sorry. What about the ruins you wanted to find? Did you go out or something to look for them?”
“Doesn’t matter. There wasn’t anything too important I need to investigate right now. It just would’ve been more convenient.”
The wanderer takes a glance at her and then steps outside of the ruins. He then walks back inside.
“Hurry up already. We’re heading to Sumeru city.”
“Ah, okay.”
Furina stands up and joins the wanderer. And the two begin their journey back to the city.
“Yesterday…” The wanderer says. “Thank you for those words.”
“It’s no problem,” Furina says and then tries her luck. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Friends-“ He begins and laughs, as if it’s an absurd concept. “Friends. Okay, then.”
A smile graces for Furina’s lips and it could just be a trick of the desert light or the dizziness the heat is giving her, but Furina could swear she sees a smile flicker at the wanderer’s lips.
This stay at Sumeru City might be a bit longer than she thought it would be.