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tearskillstardust · 3 months

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🐚 GOLDEN INSIGNIA... neuvillette

— summary; it is never wise to find yourself at the shores during evenings, but when little neuvillette does, what happens to leave him pondering?

— third person pov. fem! reader. reader implied to be the mermaid.

neuvillette had always been most beautiful, even as a child.

such was his beauty and innocence that women would look at him and giggle gently, speaking to his mother in a hushed, secretive yet a mischievous voice nonetheless—

'what did you eat during your pregnancy to have such a beautiful son? beware, should our guilty minds ever bear the thought of stealing him away!'

all while little neuvillette remained in pure bliss as he explored the world, scenery upon scenery revealing to him like a rose bud blooming open. he was just as curious in those younger years, always flittering as he found another scenery or trinket to marvel at.

perhaps his most vivid memory remains from centuries ago, when he could still enjoy the innocence of childhood, and could bear to truly smile without the slightest display of any form of restraint.

the sea had been most welcoming, loud and bright in its frolicking beauty as it attempted to touch the sky. the sky was still a bright shade of yellow, though even then he knew what a pretence it was. a few hours in—and it would fall again, yellow to red to black, until no shade was left and it turned yellow again.

seashells lined the shore, their surfaces beaming like faux pearls as neuvillette followed them. otters always sunbathed at these times, for they knew no human would be sufficiently relaxed to venture to these parts of the beach. they never minded children—nobody did, especially one so calm and ethereal as him.

it was then that he, lost in the pearly beauty of a shell, raised his head to behold the most striking sight he had ever seen. a sight that would never repeat, not in his life that stretched centuries—a young mermaid.

she was half within the sea and half on the sand, softly tugging at her long midnight shaded hair, picking out clams and shells that seemed as stars against her hair as she tossed them aside with a huff. while neuvillette would have loved to object the ease with which she deemed all those pretty shells useless, the gleam of her silver scales and bright eyes was one that left him staring.

the jewels adorning her body gleamed brightly under the dying sun's soft sunlight, compelling him further to move closer to the girl. she seemed lost in her own world, without any care as she moved out to take an otter in her lap.

it was rude to stare—and perhaps the only rude thing the child had ever done in his life, or would grow up to do, but such was his trance that it did not break until she turned, eyes widening like a deer caught under headlights.

they maintained eye contact.

none flinched as the otter scurried away.

she gestured him to come closer.

neuvillette moved with great difficulty—steps feeling heavy against the sand, perhaps the ocean was pulling him away from what could be deemed as the ocean's innocent treasure. he was no pirate though—one look and he would be gone, poof into the air!

at least, he thought so.

the beautiful mermaid turned towards him fully, and catching the doe-like look of her features, he relieved himself from worry. she was naïve, at least this much he knew. stopping a safe distance before the beautiful girl, he gazed down at her before bowing softly, like a gentleman.

'pleased to make your acquaintance, lady.'

she looked at him up and down, before curiously placing her thin tipped finger against her rosy lips.

'i'm no lady, though.'

he nodded, as though it was common sense. 'i can see that. you're a mermaid.'

she giggled, as though a joke had been cracked. 'no silly! i'm a girl, i mean!'

he maintained his serenity before nodding gently, though it came off more as being uninterested to the young nymph, making her even more interested.

'you seem quite young yourself. are you a boy? a human boy?'

he tilted his head slightly, 'why? boys of other races come to meet you too?'

her eyes widened, as though he had uttered a secret that must not have been shared before she pressed her index finger tightly against her lips, telling him to maintain silence.

she gestured him to bring his ear, as he reluctantly did so, still distrusting of the mysterious girl.

'don't mention boys in front of the ocean! my father can hear it, and he doesn't like it when i talk to human boys!'

'you talk to other human boys?' he wasn't sure where that came from.

'can i not?'

he shrugged, 'it's not safe.'

she smiled. 'that's why i do it.'

for a moment, both remained silent. the boy regarded the mermaid, the mermaid regarded the boy.

he finally sat next to her, picking up a precious shell that caught his eye. white from the outside with a rainbow like tint to its surface, there seemed to be an insignia of sorts on its inside portion, golden in shade. the insides darkened further from white to grey to black until it all came together to swirl at its tip, symmetrically folding.

'pretty.' he said, admiring the symmetrical shell.

the mermaid smiled, in her similar playful manner, always appearing as though she knew a secret that you don't. neuvillette was immune to such acts of seduction, lest should he fall prey to their tendencies. however, this one seemed... too manipulatable for her own good.

she spoke softly, 'you're very pretty, too.'

'so are you,' he said, before rising, deciding the encounter was more than enough time pass. 'i'll get going now—'

'you're going?' she asked, voice surprisingly desperate.

he nodded in confusion, 'any problems?'

she regarded him for a moment, before sighing and looking towards the sand with a sad look. 'i don't have anyone to speak to down there... you're the only human boy who's as young as i am.'

'it's not safe for humans and mermaids to interact. besides, you're better off protecting yourself from selfish eyes.' he said, slowly backing away with the shell in his hand.

'you're going to take that shell too?' she asked, gaze suddenly displaying a wild possessiveness.

the sun had hidden now, the ocean turning pitch black, the shade of the sky. where the mermaid sat, it glowed with a strange sparkle, reminiscent of the stars that were reflected in the ocean's infinite waters. her own eyes seemed to glow with an eerie light.

'no, you can keep it if you'd like—'

'no.' she was quick to say, as she slowly inched towards the ocean water once again, leaving behind a trail of dust. she broke eye contact with him—never even turning once before her midnight hair pooled just above her waist and her irises hid behind the pale of her lids.

she suddenly twisted her neck, facing him with an expression suggestive only of complete autocracy, suddenly shifting from a mermaid to a queen ordering her subject, voice deep and rich with melody as she spoke—

'do not separate it from yourself even once.'

and while young neuvillette had never been good at following orders, a queen was better off when listened to compared to when she was not. pocketing the shell and staring at the ripple of the water's surface as she disappeared as swiftly as she came, he turned away too.

and as he climbed the rocks lining the sea beach to return to the city, he wondered to himself—how likely was it for a natural golden insignia to form on a shell?

even now he wonders, as he looks over at the ocean, churning loudly with the essence of salt and melancholy. he ensures the shell is hidden from the common eye within the deeper layers of his coats, but the one who ought to see, sees it nonetheless.

#genshin #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin imagines #genshin headcanons #neuvillette genshin #neuvillette x reader #neuvillette x you #neuvillette #neuvilette #neuvilette genshin #neuvillete x reader #genshin fluff #mermaid!au #mermaid!reader

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fictionwomenlover · 6 months

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Never again. (Happy Ending)

"...And whatever are you carrying on your arms, Lady Arlecchino?" A familiar voice, deep and graceful, spoke up from behind. The harbinger came to a stop and turned to face the "voice"—that being Neuvillette, the 'glowing blue tall man' that annoyed her with passion. She turned around slowly. She remained silent, turning to face him entirely while holding her dead lover in her arms. Her eyes and nose were bloodshot red. When Arlecchino was asked the question, her eyelids twitched, as though Neuvillette was about to accuse her of murder. She merely sniffed and shrugged without saying anything. The man observed The Knave's face, his eyes widening with shock. He then moved closer to examine the corpse she was holding, muttering to himself, "Y/N…" He turned to face the poor woman who had sobbed earlier and tried to console her, which caused the fierce, resilient woman to cry once more. The man proposed moving the body under cover after what appeared to be a few minutes. For the sake of the poor, heartbroken harbinger, he then reasoned that it would be a good idea to bring the woman into the courtroom to see if he could at least…revive Y/N. "That's the only place that seems safe to rest her body," Neuvillette said as they both carried the body into the courtroom. Arlecchino just listened.

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"Lady Arlecchino, please listen to me," The wise man said, "I can see why you believe she may be dead, but after looking at her heart rate and medical history, I can tell that although she was stabbed, her injury was not too severe, and she could still be saved. She appears to be dead, though, as she is currently unconscious. To enable me to carry out my ritual on her, I believe you will have to wait outside in the hallways. Perhaps then, I could still be able to save your fiancée."

The woman with white hair simply stood there in shock, digesting the fact that her significant other was still alive. 'I've seen it all, I know she drowned on the bloody sidewalk, and she wasn't breathing,' she thought to herself. 'There's no way this ca-'

"Lady Arlecchino? please, take a step outside." the tall man instructed, finally getting her attention. Arlecchino nodded in silence, taking a step outside and closing the door behind her. The harbinger had been waiting impatiently for twenty minutes outside of the courtroom, tapping her heels while crossing her arms, muttering to herself and complaining to herself that she was tired of the long ritual. However, a thought suddenly occurred to her. The memories of her argument with Y/N, the hurtful things she said to her, the lies she told her, the times where Arlecchino said that she cheated on Y/N and was just using her—how is she supposed to speak for herself? She believed that breaking up would lessen Y/N's stress, so how was she supposed to tell her lover that she only said those things to make sure Y/N wouldn't give her any more chances? This time, how is she supposed to meet her lover's gaze directly? Should she offer Y/N a lengthy apology? A brief apology? Arlecchino walked across the hallways, failing to see Neuvillette now that he was outside the courtroom. "Ahem, I believe I specifically told The Greatest Almighty Knave to wait outside of the door without any fuss?" Whipping her head back, the woman with white hair dashed towards the man who was waiting outside the door. She looked desperately at Neuvillette and asked, her heart rate rising with every second, "How… how is Y/N?" Without saying anything, the tall man gave her a slight smile and moved aside, letting Arlecchino into the space. With hope and joy shining in her eyes, she hurried into the courtroom only to discover her partner still lying on the floor with a pillow beneath her head.

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"Wh…what?" Y/N whispered. After receiving treatment from Neuvillette for her injury, she awoke to see the harbinger running towards her laying figure on the floor. The harbinger was kneeling next to her, taking her hand, and kissing her palm in an attempt to make amends. She was crying, smiling, and muttering something incoherently. Y/N is completely confused. "Arlecchino, wh...why are you acting the way you are right now?"

Arlecchino's eyes continued to well up with tears, but she kept her head down. "I apologize, my love..." She sobbed, "I never meant any of those words I said back then. Listen, I keep hurting you. I was never able to grant your wishes for quality time, continuous companionship, or the ability to speak with you because I'm always so busy. You always appear hurt. You would always be a little irritated with me, and it hurts me so much to see you that way. Giving hints seemed sufficient to me, but I felt that saying those words would have been preferable since I believed it would have been better to end things." Y/N's gaze widens.

"I may be hurt, but I understood your reasoning for being apart from me. This wasn't necessary for you to do. I love you so much that I could wait for you no matter how much it hurted me. All I have to do is wait until you have time." Y/N gazed at her beloved lover, thinking of an idea that could at least cheer up her beloved. "I'm going to give us another chance. Let's strengthen our bond and gain a better understanding of one another. Would that be okay with you? Maybe then," she says to the tall woman, whose lips are quivering from crying, "none of us will get hurt."

After hearing Y/N's suggestion, the white-haired woman simply stared at her partner. She whispered, "Yes.. for sure love," resting her forehead on Y/N's and shedding a few tears as she acknowledged how blessed she is to have Y/N as a lover. Being too patient with the harbinger's reckless self made her feel as though she had never deserved her lover in the first place.

They hugged and cuddled on the floor, kissing each other's faces. They were crying together and whispering "I love you." Y/N softly spoke after what appeared to be a silent moment as they held each other in their arms. "Arlecchino? one more thing." Waiting for Y/N to speak, the harbinger only gave her a brief look. "Make me a promise: don't give up on us. Above all, don't lie. Don't leave me alone just because you think you've done something wrong."

"I swear with all my heart that I will never do those things ever again," the woman whispered, grinning as she put her hand on Y/N's cheek. "Never again." Relieved to be on good terms again, they cuddled and slept on the ground, sharing a single pillow. Behind the door, watching the two reconcile, the wise man stood close to the door, unseen by the lovers, grinning to himself. "It seems like my job is done, I shall take my leave then." He said to himself as he walked out of the courtroom and closed the door.

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AUTHORS NOTE :

Dawg I got too sleepy so idk if my grammar or any of my sentences makes sense😭😭 but since i'm feeling so nice today, HERE'S YOUR HAPPY ENDING !! <3

To those waiting for the sad ending, please wait !! I'm still trying to make it as gut wrenching as possible TT

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odyssean-flower · 5 months

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The Winding Path of Fate Chapter 8 - Summer: Honeymoon Prelude

Masterpost

Pairing: Neuvillette x Female Reader Summary: Furina shows up and bothers Neuvillette about his marriage Warnings: None except for the fact that this story is 50% written based on vibes Note: I update this story on AO3 first so please subscribe to the fic there if you’d like to read it faster Note 2: If you want to be on the taglist for this fic, please make a reply to this post, send a message or send a private ask

Have a pic of Neuvillette hanging out at Dvalin's place

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“My dear Iudex, you’ve been making yourself awfully scarce lately, haven’t you?”

The doors of Neuvillette’s office doors flew open along with that voice, belonging to the last person he wanted to see right now. Of course, she chose the perfect moment to make her entrance—during his tea break, when he couldn’t use the excuse of work to force her to leave.

“Lady Furina,” he inclined his head. He had an inkling as to what this conversation was going to be about, and he had prepared himself for it. “I do not quite understand what you mean.”

“You leave the opera house as soon as possible whenever we’re both present at a trial, and your schedule is mysteriously arranged so that you’re out of the office whenever I’m free. How very odd, wouldn’t you agree? It’s almost as if you’re avoiding me, but why ever would you do that?”

Furina put her hand on her hips, a knowing smile on her face. Ah, she wishes to draw this out, Neuvillette thought, then refilled his cup and took a sip of water.

“As you know, Furina, summer is the season when crime rates skyrocket, which means a higher workload. For both of us,” Neuvillette said. “You are, of course, welcome to schedule an appointment with Sedene in the main lobby, if you wish to chat with me. We’ll do our best to accommodate you into our schedule.”

Furina raised an eyebrow. “Are you being serious right now? I’m your superior, and you answer to me, so why do I have to make an appointment to speak to you? And besides, the crime rate has always increased during the summer for the past five hundred years and probably beyond that, and yet I never had any trouble finding you for a chat...until this year. I do wonder what changed.”

“What may be the case for previous years may not be the same for the present. Now, if you will excuse me, my break is almost over.”

Furina glared at him. “You’re really going to drag this out, are you?”

Neuvillette closed his eyes and took another sip of water. “I’m afraid I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Oh, really? Playing dumb is not a good look on you, my dear Chief Justice,” Furina said, then began to walk around the office leisurely. She stopped in front of a framed painting near Neuvillette’s desk. “My, my, what’s this? A new painting in your office? When was the last time you added a new decoration to your office, fifty years ago? Although, I must say, it certainly clashes with the rest of the décor in here, with how gloomy the subject is, and the amateurish technique. Shall I suggest some excellent artists for you to commission?”

“There will be no need for that,” Neuvillette stood up and walked over to Furina, semi-blocking the painting from her view. A simple glimpse of the misty hues and the memories they evoked calmed him slightly. “You have no authority over what I choose to put in my office.”

“Oh?” Furina smirked up at him triumphantly, as though she had landed a point in a game. “So this painting is important to you, eh? Or perhaps...the artist themselves?”

Neuvillette remained silent and turned back towards his desk. He knew Furina for far too long to understand that in situations like these, ignoring her was the best way to handle her.

As he sat back down in his chair, he heard indignant footsteps follow him.

“Quit it, Neuvillette!” Furina slammed her hands down onto his desk and bent down, glaring at him. “I know you’re married!”

“Yes,” Neuvillette said. “I am. In accordance with your wishes, or should I say, orders for me.”

“Is that all you’re going to say to me?”

“What do you mean? I do not see what more there is to say regarding this topic.”

Furina stared at him incredulously, her mouth agape. “You do not see? You, the Iudex of Fontaine, do not see what more there is to say to your Archon , the one who kindly advised you to try experiencing the joys of matrimony, about your marriage ?”

“I did inform you.”

“In a single-sentence letter!” Furina slammed her hands against his desk again, causing him to wince slightly. “One of the most anticipated events in Fontaine’s history, and not even a single notice in the Steambird’s marriage announcement sections! Was there even a wedding, or did you just sign your names in the registry book?”

“The marriage was valid in the eyes of the law.”

“So you didn’t even hold a ceremony?” Furina exclaimed. “I cannot believe this, Neuvillette. The marriage of a man of your rank and status should have been a grand celebration all throughout Fontaine! There should have been a whole month of performances at the opera! Street festivals every day! A beautiful, eight-hour-long ceremony with me officiating!”

“That sounds immensely disruptive to the public order, not to mention a logistics nightmare.”

“So? At least it would be an enjoyable and memorable experience for all the citizens of Fontaine. I bet your idea of a fun celebration would be to stare at the sea for a whole day and making everyone drink your precious water, or something boring like that.”

Neuvillette said nothing. Furina, for all her faults, understood him all too well.

“As a public figure, Neuvillette, you should remember that everything you do affects them, and that they are all watching you. That doesn’t only go for judgments and the like, but also your personal matters. Don’t you think that you owe the people a small share in your newfound happiness?”

Neuvillette’s brow furrowed slightly. Though he admittedly found Furina’s logic puzzling most of the time, he did somewhat see her point, and she did have more experience than him with understanding the thinking of the people...

Furina, sensing him waver, clapped her hands together. “It’s still not too late to make this the event of the year. No, the century! I can contact the Steambird to put up a full page announcement, and we need to get started on wedding planning right away--”

“I am afraid that I must decline,” Neuvillette said, standing up and staring down at Furina. “That was a moving speech you gave, Furina, but you seemed to have forgotten one thing. You were the one who continuously insisted that I get married, but you have stipulated nothing else. A marriage is a private matter between the individuals involved, and they, and only they, have the right to decide how their marriage will be. My wife and I have mutually decided that there will be no ceremony, and we are both perfectly content with that decision.”

“ Both of you?” Furina raised an eyebrow. “How very interesting. Did both of you decide to keep this marriage so private as well?”

“Yes, we have. It was in our best interests.”

“I'm assuming there was no honeymoon as well, also mutually agreed upon by you both? Please tell me you at least took her out on a date!”

Date. Neuvillette startled at that word. He wasn’t sure why. “I have not.”

“And she is perfectly happy with this? You’ve asked her?”

“I fail to see how any of this is relevant to you. As I have told you many times, this is a personal matter between me and my wife.”

Furina shook her head with a mixture of exasperation and pity. “My dear Iudex...it appears that you have completely missed the point of why I made the suggestion for you to marry. And your choice of a bride...I don’t know how you did it, but you seemed to have perfectly matched with someone as dull as you are. Either that, or she is so completely terrified of you that she is merely going along with whatever you tell her.”

“Do not talk about her in that way. You know nothing about her,” Neuvillette gritted out, then stood and glared down at Furina once more, even as he felt seeds of doubt planted in his heart. His wife generally went along with whatever he said. He had always assumed that it was because they had similar temperaments, but could he be mistaken? This was far from the first time that he had mistaken assumptions about humans.

But Furina wasn’t intimidated in the slightest by that stern gaze, which was usually enough to strike fear into the hearts of anyone unfortunate to be on their receiving end. In fact, she let out a loud peal of laughter.

“Oh, this is just perfect!” the Hydro Archon laughed, perching herself on Neuvillette’s desk. “I’ve never seen you react like that for a human before! Your bride must truly be someone extraordinary. I must meet her!”

“No, you will not,” Neuvillette said firmly. “You wished for me to marry, and I have. My wife and I have no need for your meddling in our private lives.”

Though the marriage was a sham, though the strange new feelings that arose within him lately confused him, one singular conviction burned brightly within his heart: to protect the peace of his wife—his friend—no matter what.

As you walked out of the eleavator of the Palais Mermonia to the first floor, you saw groups of people here and there, talking animatedly about something. They were throwing frequent glances at the doors to Neuvillette’s office.

Did something happen? You wondered with not a little bit of worry. You had just left the license office on the seventh floor after asking about your position on the waiting list (you had barely progressed, but you felt a strange sense of relief upon learning that). Originally, you had planned on visiting the office every week to ask about it—you've learned from your short time dealing with the bureaucracy of the Palais that things tended to speed up considerably when you made yourself known frequently.

But recently, you found yourself less...vigilant when it came to such things. It was so easy to relax when you weren’t constantly worrying about your budget and studying rigorously, or when you were living with someone who genuinely seemed to enjoy your company, who looked you straight in the eye instead of past you at someone better.

A knot of tension that you had been carrying around for a long time loosened just a little. You only ever felt this feeling when you were reading about Remuria.

It had become much more difficult to suppress that voice in your head telling you to relax, asking you, “Don't you want more?”

For someone like you, who needed to concentrate wholeheartedly on your own future, having an idle mind was a dangerous thing.

“Sedene, is there something going on with Monsieur Neuvillette?” you asked the Melusine at the front desk, who was nervously looking at the shut doors of the office. She jumped at your voice.

“Oh, Madame!” she exclaimed in a whisper. Was it just your imagination, or did she look even more nervous. “I would highly recommend you to not visit Monsieur Neuvillette right now.”

I wasn’t going to, you thought, but didn’t say it aloud. Visiting him at work seemed to cross an invisible line. “Why not?”

Before Sedene could answer, the doors flew open, and the Hydro Archon herself marched out, looking incensed.

“Don’t you forget, Neuvillette, that I will get my way in the end,” she turned back and declared, then tossed her hair and strode right past you, presumably to her apartments. She didn’t spare a single glance at you.

Whoa. This is the first time I’ve seen Lady Furina up close. She had that same immortal, untouchable aura that Neuvillette also had. Just what you’d expect from a god.

Once she left the main floor, people began to discuss the events that had just occurred loudly and in earnest. You, however, weren’t paying any attention to them. You were looking at Neuvillette’s office, where you could see the man himself standing at his desk, staring down at it. Occasionally, he glanced at something on the wall. You couldn’t see his expression from here, but you didn’t feel you needed to. He was upset.

You looked back at Sedene almost reflexively. “Go,” she nodded encouragingly. You looked around briefly. No one was looking in your direction.

You took in a deep breath to shake off your nerves, even though this was just a simple check-in on your husband? Friend? Neither of those words felt right.

Don’t overthink this. Just keep things natural, you told yourself, then walked inside the office, closing the doors behind you.

You couldn’t help but look around at the office as you approached the desk. It was a lot more spacious than you imagined and had an air of elegance that matched its owner.

Neuvillette didn’t seem to have noticed your entrance. He was still staring at his desk. You could see the deep furrow between his brows, and the frown on his lips. What did he and Lady Furina argue about for him to be brooding over it so much?

Now that you were here, you had no idea what to say. But you couldn’t just leave now. At that moment, you spotted his silver cup, nearly empty. There was a glass pitcher on a side table. You slowly walked over to it and picked it up, then refilled his cup. He looked up at your movements., and his eyes widened when his eyes landed on your face.

“Here, Monsieur Neuvillette,” you offered the water to him. “I think you might need it.”

His hand slowly stretched out to take the cup from you, but his eyes never left your face. “Madame, what are you doing here?”

“W-Well, I, um...” you fidgeted. “I was just visiting the license office, and then, I saw that there was a c-commotion going on here, and then Lady Furina came out, and you looked very...” Your voice trailed off when you saw his expression change. The troubled look on his face was wiped away like a slate being cleaned, and his usual look returned.

“You should not have come here. It is better if you do not visit me at the Palais.”

“Oh...okay,” a wave of disappointment rose up inside your chest. It was understandable, really. Your relationship with Neuvillette needed to be kept as low-key and secretive as possible, and you shouldn’t interrupt him at work—it would only distract him (were you a distraction? Did you qualify as one?). Besides, visiting his workplace was such a...wifely thing to do. “I’m sorry. I was just worried about how you were doing, but I can just ask you at home. I’ll take my leave now, sir. Goodbye.”

“No, please wait, Madame,” Neuvillette came around to your side of the desk as you slowly backed away. “I apologize for my earlier brusqueness. I was not myself. Please, feel free to stay here.”

“I shouldn’t...” you said. It was clear that Neuvillette was trying his best to maintain his polite demeanour. “I would only distract you from your important work.”

“I could use a distraction right now,” Neuvillette said. Wow, that fight with Lady Furina must have been bad, you thought. “And I would very much like to talk to you. That is, if you would like to. I do not wish to force you. ”

Something in his voice made you stop backing away. It almost sounded like a plea.

You sat down on the blue couch next to his desk, and Neuvillette likewise sat down in his chair.

For a few minutes, neither of you spoke. You stared at the wall across from you, at the gramophone in the corner, at the window behind him. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Neuvillette staring at the papers on his desk, occasionally taking a sip of water.

Should I ask what happened, or should I wait for him to talk about it, you puzzled over the dilemma. Neuvillette wasn’t the type to talk about himself, so it would probably be better if you brought it up, but on the other hand, what if the argument with Furina was about something confidential, like trials or governance, something not meant for you to know?

Surprisingly, it was Neuvillette who spoke first.

“Madame, earlier you said that you were visiting the license office. How did it go?”

“Huh?” you blinked in confusion. That was unexpected. “Oh, um, well, I suppose. I haven’t progressed much on the waiting list at all.”

“Ah, I see. How unfortunate to hear. But don’t lose heart, I have no doubt that you will get your license in due time.”

Neuvillette’s expression didn’t change much as he said those words. You weren’t sure what you were expecting.

“Yes, I know. I hope so too.”

Another silence. You decided to use this opportunity to ask him about his argument with Furina. “So--”

“The sunflower seeds you’ve planted seem to be growing well. They seem to be growing taller every time I see them.”

“...They are, although it would take more than a month before they can bloom.”

It had been a few weeks since your parents sent you the sunflower seeds. You decided to plant them by the front door as well as in the garden, near the porch door. Despite Neuvillette’s mysterious promise to “do something about the rain,” you had been prepared to go outside to water the seedlings frequently, but sure enough, there had been a full two weeks of rain. Not the long and violent rainstorms of the earlier rainy season, but briefer, gentler showers that were suitable for young, fragile sprouts. These rains seemed to belong in spring rather than summer.

When you had remarked upon the timeliness and aptness of the rains to Neuvillette, he had said something vague like, “Perhaps someone out there heard your request,” but was amusingly disgruntled when you suggested that the “someone” was most likely Furina, who being the God of Hydro was the most logical answer. “I have my doubts about that,” was all he said.

You weren’t a fool. You knew that Neuvillette probably used his powers to make it rain. Of course, that was just an assumption, since he disappointingly never used his powers in front of you. For all you knew, he could only breathe fire or something. But still, it was fun to tease him a little by thanking Furina out loud whenever it rained.

“They would be a sight to behold when the time comes,” Neuvillette said. “I am very much looking forward to it.”

You nodded. “We should take pictures and invite the Melusines.”

Now was your chance to ask him. “But putting that aside, what—”

“Speaking of the Melusines, I’ve heard from them that they have been enjoying your drawing lessons very much.”

You stared at him. He was definitely doing this on purpose. “I’m glad to hear that, it was enjoyable for me as well,” you said at last when Neuvillette showed no sign of relenting.

“Were there any difficulties?”

“It was tough at first,” you admitted. “Since Melusines don’t have fingers, so it was difficult for me to teach them how to grip a pencil properly. And the way they see color is different from humans, too, which leads to a lot of fascinating results when it comes to coloring. But other than that, they are all very good students.”

Neuvillette nodded, smiling a little, as he always did when the topic of Melusines came up. “It must be good for you as well, to gain teaching experience.”

It was indeed. You used to help as a teaching assistant at the schoolhouse in your hometown, but ever since you moved to the Court of Fontaine, you had mainly focused on book studying and hardly gained any practical experience.

“Enough about me,” you said firmly. Neuvillette didn’t seem to have any intention of speaking about the argument at all, and it bothered you deeply. "I want to ask about—”

“How do you think of taking our honeymoon?” Neuvillette said at the same time.

“Huh?” You stood up and walked over to him. Were your ears working correctly just now? “I don’t believe I heard you right. Did you just say ‘honeymoon.’?”

“Yes,” Neuvillette said, then took another sip of water. “Or, um, it could be a date, if you would prefer to think of it that way.”

Once again, you stared at him with incredulity. He was avoiding your gaze.

“What brought this on?” you asked, but the answer came to you at once. “Did Lady Furina have something to do with it?”

Neuvillette said nothing. He was really going to drag this out, wasn’t he, you thought. Feeling a stab of annoyance, you moved over to the side of the desk and bent down so that you were looking him directly in the eye.

“Monsieur, let me repeat my question once again. Is your argument with Lady Furina behind this proposal?”

“Yes,” he breathed, staring back into your eyes. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but you pressed on.

“Did the argument have to do with our marriage?”

“...Yes,” he said, and then cleared his throat. You waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t.

“Alright, then,” you said at last. “I will go on this honeymoon or date or whatever with you.”

“You will?” Neuvillette looked genuinely surprised. “I do not want you to feel pressured. You are under no obligation to accept. I...do not want you to agree because you are afraid of me.”

Now you felt concerned. “Do I seem afraid of you, sir?”

There was a discomforting pause before he answered, “I do not know. I am not good at discerning these sorts of things.”

“Then, allow me to make it clear,” you said and straightened up. “I am not doing this out of fear or intimidation of you. I’m agreeing out of my own desire to find out just what exactly is troubling you. This is the same for anything you ask of me.”

Neuvillette stared at your face. Something he saw there must have convinced him, for you felt an invisible tension disappear from him. “I’m very pleased to hear that.”

The two of you smiled at each other for a moment, then looked away.

“So, when are we going on this honeymoon?” you asked to distract from the delicate atmosphere that had appeared. “I should start preparing right away.”

“Tomorrow,” Neuvillette replied, like it was natural to simply go on vacations the very next day. “It will only be for a day, I’m afraid.”

“Tomorrow?” you exclaimed. “So soon?”

“Why not tomorrow? In my experience, it is always better to take action right away.”

“But...but, what about your duties. The crime rates?”

“I am going to arrange for my subordinates to handle a part of my work. There are no trials tomorrow, and I have faith that the Palais can do without me for one day. You don’t have any plans tomorrow as well, Madame?”

You shook your head. “Then...have you already decided where we’re going to go?”

“I have. It’s somewhere I have wanted to take you to for some time.”

You felt your cheeks turn red despite yourself. “I-I see. Then I’m sure it must be somewhere amazing.”

In addition to your worry and concern about Neuvillette, there was now a thin thread of excitement. You had never really travelled before. And now the Chief Justice himself was personally taking you somewhere.

You wandered around the office, your dormant imagination going wild. Since it was Neuvillette, it must be a place with lots of water. Maybe he was taking you to the beach? Did you need to buy swimwear? Would Neuvillette bring swimwear? You briefly attempted to imagine him swimming before immediately pushing that thought out of your mind. It felt indecent.

“Wait...” you stopped in front of a very familiar painting. It was jarring against the brightly lit room and even the gilt frame surrounding it. How had you not noticed it before? “You hung my painting in your office?”

“Ah, yes,” Neuvillette walked over to you. “I found that this was the most suitable place for it.”

He then noticed your distressed expression, and his face fell. “...Do you not want me to hang it here?”

“Oh, no, no, not at all,” you shook your head. “It’s my gift to you, so you should do whatever you like with it, it’s just that...”

“Yes?” Neuvillette prompted you.

“It’s just that...it looks so out of place here. If I had known you were going to put it here, I would have painted something better.”

“There is no need for that,” Neuvillette said. “I enjoy looking at it. It brings me calm, particularly on bright, stressful days like these. I feel as though I am looking out a window into the rain.”

“Oh!” Your voice cracked, and you felt lightheaded. You hadn't considered it anything special, you just wanted to show your gratitude to him and hoped he found it pleasing. You assumed that he put it in his study or something, but you never expected for him to put it here, where doubtless so many important people visited. And yet it was hung up proudly, like the work of a master.

I enjoy looking at it. It brings me calm.

You felt extremely embarrassed—but also an overpowering joy that you hadn’t experienced in a long, long time.

“I-I see,” you stuttered out. What was going on? A moment ago, you felt utterly calm, and now you were acting like a nervous schoolgirl. You slowly backed away. “A-As the a-artist, I-I'm, um, very happy to hear that.”

Neuvillette frowned. “Are you alright, Madame?”

You could only imagine the expression on your face right now. “Y-Yes, sir. I’m perfectly fine. I should really take my leave now and leave you to your duties. I’ll, um, see you at home!”

You turned your back to a dumbfounded Neuvillette and opened the doors, then peeked outside. The Gestionnaires were all bent over their typewriters. You slipped outside.

You did your best to maintain your composure as you walked out of the Palais, and descended in the elevator, before inexplicably breaking into a run, all the way back home.

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@just-simping-over-genshin, @xalphafox, @jqnehr, @favficdump, @thetwinkims, @cielclassy, @the-mxs-of-many, @mxyarylla, @lynettezz

#genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #neuvillette x reader #neuvillette x female reader #the winding path of fate #my works

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myjustice · 4 months

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was this part of the plan ? did you know about this ?

' haha, heavens no. why would i ever want to subject myself to such a fate after receiving that which i longed for the most? ' she had to laugh, she found humor where perhaps there was none. however she was all divinity ... or what was left of that divinity. her lack of foresight in that regard. the actions taken by the divine made only sense to the one themselves & nobody else. ' i must say though i'm quite impressed with you, neuvillette. ' she smiled at him from within the mirror he saw her in. ' the fact that you still sense some part of me in her ... you show promise as the up & rising sovereign of water. ' she tilted her head to one side. ' however must you beckon me forth in your private quarters in such a fashion? my, my, how inappropriate of you. ' she teased him, chuckling as she moved from this specific mirror she was in into another within his chambers.

' though my ideals have no stains that hardly meant the plan i conjured those many a years ago was perfect. ' she spoke to him though in the back of her head she wondered where furina was. her divinity was not sensing her within the palais mermonia. ' however good enough it was to have my ultimate goal met. the fact that i'm speaking to you at all at this very moment is a testament to the fact that my plan was not the most perfect. ' she expected this part of her to be completely gone ... & though most of her most certainly was, specks of dust of her remained enough to where she could manifest in this manner. ' if you yourself was so certain of me still being out there, then surely that must mean furina senses me as well ... that's actually quite unfortunate. ' she would much prefer that furina lived on her life without the past looming over her like a shadow, which seemed to be the case. aside from the plan, the reason she took her memories away were a display of mercy as well to herself, selfishly so.

' just like i lacked foresight on me still being around in some sense. ' she shrugged her shoulders at him. ' the fact that she's suffering as she is right now was also due to my lack of foresight. i underestimated & overestimated furina's strength of will. however i believe the suffering of one is a small price to pay compared to the suffering of many. ' she reasoned. ' would you not agree with that ... leviathan? you did forgive them after all, so you must agree to some degree. ' he ended up doing what was planned, unknown to him yes, but it happened ... thankfully. after so much trial & error. ' so tell me, if all of that makes so much sense, why the long face? ' she placed her hands 'pon her hips, studying him carefully. ' you & everybody else in that trial were so determined, so desperate to get her to bend to your will when she has bended to the masses many a years ago. why is there, dare i say, sorrow in your voice now? ' it was fascinating to the divinity, this shift in the masses, in him even more so. ' does it hurt to see her in such a state, leviathan? ' she should not laugh, that would be most inappropriate ... but she felt the tickle to do so within her throat.

meme. / @eausovereign

#eausovereign #&. chapter ( her ideals had no stains / praise her magnificence & purity. )#i had an epiphany

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mmriesoftvat · 6 months

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He's not been to Snezhnaya in this new life, and after regaining his memories of his former one, the desire to return to that frozen country has dropped significantly. What's drawn Raven to the frigid place then? News from the court of Fontaine - namely, whispers of how a Harbinger has returned to his homeland, bearing wounds from a great battle.

Slipping into the little house isn't particularly difficult. The puppet's always been fairly good at skulking about, and most homes aren't exactly rigged with sophisticated security measures. With the help of his anemo powers, Raven slips into an unlocked window with ease, his feet barely making a sound as he lowers himself down to the floorboards. The wide brim of his kasa casts quite the shadow over Ajax's slumbering form as the artificial man looms over him. He knows that it's foolish to have come - even though he's been forgotten, traveling to the Tsarista's domain still comes with risks. He desires to remain anonymous, after all. Unseen. Unknown.

At least until he's ready to drive a knife through whatever Dottore has in the place of his heart. Despite knowing all that, however, something had drawn Raven here, to the 11th's bedside - something that lingers from his old self, the one thing that he wishes had not returned, because the longing that remains is a distraction and nothing more. After all, it's not as if Ajax will remember him.

And all things considered, that's for the best. Raven brings nothing but pain to those who associate with him. Even so, here he is, because of that nagging ache that wouldn't leave him be otherwise. He'd needed to see for himself - to make sure that this idiot really was alive and recovering from his latest brush with death. Moron. How has he survived this long? An annoyed huff leaves his lips as the question echoes in his head, a hand reaching down to tug the blankets further up upon the younger's body. It doesn't matter, he supposes, so long as Ajax is alive - and as he catches the sound of footsteps approaching the bedroom, Raven soundlessly takes his leave, with nothing left behind to indicate that someone had been in there moments before.

Nothing but the fluttering of curtains in chilly, Snezhnayan breeze as the window is left open.

He still has nightmares of the fight.

It's such a weird thing for Childe to be frightened of, too. He loves the thrill of the fight, nothing brings him greater satisfaction than gauging an opponent's strength. The whale had been an EPIC opponent, but the sheer length of the fight had taken its toll on the harbinger. He'd come out of that ordeal with heavy injuries and exhaustion, and recovering is a slower process than he would've liked.

But Childe also fears. His dreams are dark, consisting of being eaten by the whale, of Skirk not coming to save him, or even of the Traveler and Neuvillette turning their backs on him. The fear of being abandoned by those he likes and trusts is cause for the greatest fear, above most else. Childe is still human, after all. He can admit to himself that some things rattle him, and this recent fight had certainly shaken him up for awhile.

It's a good thing he's left Fontaine, really. Childe doesn't know how he'd feel were he forced to recover in a foreign land, surrounded by people who would certainly judge him. Especially Arlecchino -- SHE would certainly make the recovery a much harder ordeal than he wants to deal with. The further away from her he is right now, the happier he'll be.

Of course, Childe knows that eventually they'll have to meet up and converse, that they'll have things to say to each other. He also heard through the grapevine that she is now in possession of his vision. It's a question of whether or not she'll actually GIVE it to him. Childe still doesn't trust her as far as he can throw her, he's banking on having to try and fight her for it back. Still, this is a thought for some other day. Everything business can wait until later, right now he wants to focus on sleep and recovery, both are vastly needed.

So he's only half asleep right now. Enough that his dreams are far from comforting, and it leaves him restless in bed. There are only a handful of moments where the harbinger is still, and it's in those peaceful moments where he's certain he feels a presence in his room.

Childe blinks his eyes open and rolls onto his back, scanning his room for any sign of someone. There's no one THERE, but his window is open, letting in the snowy chill of the outside. With a shiver, Childe gets up to close the window. There's a sense of loss that envelops him though, like he's missing someone.

Some sense of familiarity comes back to him. Someone he's certain he loved and cared for, but there's no face or name to put with this sense of loss. He can concentrate enough, but all Childe can sense is someone with a scowl on their face and a sarcastic jab always at the ready. Childe is SURE he knew someone like that, but every time he tries to think, his head starts pounding. It's definitely not helping his current state, and Childe doesn't want to dwell on it.

But still, he'd been so sure that someone had just been in his room, near his bed. He SWEARS he could feel a hand near his blanket, shifting something around. The sensation had been so VIVID and real, it had woken him up!

There's a sense of grief as he pulls the window closed. It doesn't stop him from staring out at the sky, scanning the landscape for any sign that something is different. There's nothing out of the ordinary, but Childe swears that everything is different. There is someone out there for him, and he's going to do everything he can to try and find them.

If there's one thing Childe doesn't like, it's being kept in the dark. He's certain that someone, or SOMETHING is keeping him in the dark now, and he's going to stop at nothing to get answers.

And only then, will he find this stranger in his dreams. Because whoever they are, Childe thinks he might love them.

#( ANSWERED. )#ironbloodcd #; raven #( SELF | CHILDE. )#( IC. )#god i love these two so much #i sob over them so hard #CHILDE WILL FIND HIS BOYFRIEND AGAIN #long post

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