Chapter Text

Chapter 1: The Little Diver

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The boy blinked, shivering quietly.

A claw snaps peevishly at him, then retreats back to its shell. A sea horse trills at him playfully, zooming round his arms and pulling him further. A blubberbeast can just be made out in the distance of the swirling colors-the beautiful, deep abyss.

“Sure is a piece of work, that crabhag!”
His companion scoffs petulantly beside him, grabbing his small wrist and paddling forward.
“Let's go visit the Romaritimes instead, they're far more jolly!”

“Pers, you only like the Romaritime bunch cause they're the only ones who'll listen to your cravings for fish,” the little diver teases shyly.

“You're one to talk, always ranting about the sea! Fish are exceptionally tasty, and you know it!”

“Shh-they can hear you!” He indicates the angel fish flowing around him, gently waving his arm over their fins.

“Don't worry, fellas, this bird only eats sardines! Your giant fins always get stuck in my tongue,” the chubby penguin declares scornfully, ever the quipster. “Now come on, shy star, I've got a ton of tea to spill!”

Smiling softly at his cheeky friend, the boy allows the bird to steer him to the clump of flowers.

The beauty of the sea was unmatched. It hummed melodically, thousands of flurries of light dancing above the duo. The vivid waves of blue swirling below a rainbow of color and muffling the gold of the sun, ever gentle on the eyes when underwater.

Beautiful wasn't quite the word..enchanting, it was. Once you delved deep enough, one could never quite get their head out of it. It was far more than a body of water-it felt safe-it felt like-like-

“Freminet.”

He gasped quickly, snapping his eyes wide open. Had he overslept? Oh, oh no, oh Archons no-

“Freminet, you're late."

The voice curled in a light tone of what would have been sweet, if not for the unmistakable, underlying threat-at least, for those who truly knew the director. She was almost a cruel version of his Maman-except-Maman could never be so cruel-

“You know what happens to children who disobey me.”

Of course it was a dream-he had smiled-he could never smile in his real life.

The child curled into a ball, already knowing one of the punishments to be used for him-the day he had foolishly forgotten his entire mission, he had found out; and how the poor thing wished he hadn't. He wouldn't dare look at the long, thin rope of hell. Perhaps it was a tentacle, belonging to a friendly octopus; yes, merely an octopus-they leave you alone if you leave them alone-they won't hurt you, they aren't cruel-

His friends struggled to reach him-they were sent crashing back within his mind with every crack; every crack scorching fire upon his flesh. His arms went over his head, and it was all he could do to not sob. Tears mean dishonor-you must not dishonor her, you useless thing-

‘Octopuses are silly mollusks with eight long tentacles. Sly creatures they are-known for their camouflaging abilities.’

If only he was an octopus-perhaps then he wouldn't hurt so. Perhaps then the horrible smiling face wouldn't hurt him so-

'An octopus won't hurt you if you leave him alone-'so I'll leave him alone. Oh god, I left him alone- oh god, I left him alone-why won't she leave me alone-

Make it stop-Oh God-Oh God-make it STOP-

PLEASE-

Please-

Please-

Maman-

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"Freminet!"
The boy blinks in fear-he'd forgotten something, something awful-something so horribly awful-

"We were by the flower beds, and you started spacing out again! What's got your head in the deep?” The heroic penguin looked at his shy companion with concern. “I was trying to tell you guys about the seahorses I saved today! Get your bottom up, shy star, I've got me a story to tell!”

As the small penguin pushed him up, Freminet looked around fuzzily. The Tidalga buzzed around him, the sea angels zipping around vibrantly, the clump of Romaritimes below his bruise-free feet. The sea-right, the sea. The little diver sighed in relief, yet an air of unease remained. He was supposed to remember something important-something real important-but what was it?

"Now then, as I was saying; the bloke caught me in the back of my wings, just about ready to blow off my fur! You know what I said to him? I said, ‘You leave those baby seahorses alone, you scoundrel!’ He got all flared up, and we began to duel!-”

The chubby hero flew around the flower beds, crashing into them in mock havoc of said skirmish. The cherub listened with interest, then pondered his forgotten duty. Merely a fluke, perhaps-maybe he simply forgot to pass by the coral reef he fancies; or maybe he forgot to greet the blubberbeasts; or maybe he desires to explore the sea again.

Like Pers, he thought. Like a penguin.

Like a free penguin.

The little diver smiles, feeling safe once more. The imp finishes his story, after which he immediately suggests the duo go exploring once more. The boy, of course, deems it a splendid idea. The companions swim about in content, feeling safe, free, and at ease.

Home..yes. Home was the right word. Maman must agree. She must return soon.

The sea was home.
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The boy lay motionless on the ground, his tears having fallen long ago. His eyes aimed dully at the floorboard, yet didn't seem to truly absorb anything. A greater look of detachment, of pain, of pure lost hope, was nowhere to be found-unless from the boy himself. His arms now lay uselessly, his body cracking with reopened scabs, bruises, and blood. Located near them, new burn marks presided, having been so forcefully placed.

His body was tethered to the world, forcing him away from freedom-his body a prisoner to the Hearth.

“Let us hope you remember next time, my darling,” The director cooed sweetly, gently stroking the filthy blonde head. “Remember, you belong to the Hearth-you belong to the Fatui-you belong to me. Remember, child, alright?” She looked down upon the boy, a small, encouraging smile on her face.

The empty eyes look up at her, never truly seeing her. His head nods.

The director inclines her head in satisfaction, retrieving her whip from the ground. If she sticks around more than needed, she'll waste time-she's already wasted enough time with this brat. With that, she proceeds to the next room, the boy no longer holding any importance for her-not until later.
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So was Freminet Snezhevich's life. He was a Hearth operative, a Fatuus, their young scapegoat for the dirty work. He had not a clue his misery had just begun.

His body may be a prisoner, but at least his mind wasn't. Not yet.

A bird within a cage. A cage he could never unlock. Not in this life. At least…at least he can dream.

A boy can only dream.

Chapter Text

To Dwell Among the Cogs

. . . “One more twist, dear; to the left.”

Freminet's small fingers reached up the mighty time-teller and pinched the silvery tip of the hand. Judging the functionality of the hand briefly, he gave it a quick flick to the left, as his friend had suggested.

As the boy worked, the world around him enlarged dramatically-or perhaps he simply shrunk to its size. The cogs chiming became song, the gears into lament, the nimble ticking of the hands now fleeting conversations about how dusty their residence had become. It was as though Freminet was slowly fitting himself into their world-like a nut screwing perfectly into place. Their stories were vast and mechanical, turning and churning in a way that only machinery could. Yet among these curious components, the boy found friends, true friends that would understand him, perhaps someday as much as he did them.

So he twisted, flicked, reset, and allowed his mind to move freely, assisting the mechanism in the places it so desperately needed updating on, and pretending he, too, was a component. In this way, he further felt he belonged, in the way only the ocean, his mother, and the machines could. In this way, he felt a little more like Freminet.

Besides, being an automaton meant the machine wouldn't need to thank him- and good for that too, seeing as it was so difficult to know why one would ever thank him. Best to simply avoid punishment and live unnoticed.

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“Look about you, now,” it seemed to quip. “Am I quite fixed?”

Once he just about finished his mindless drabbling, he turned over his reservations in his mind; the child had not a clue how long he had been chiming along with the cogs, and he had a pretty good idea what missing your quota for the day meant. In the end, Freminet quite liked to keep his bruise count under how many appendages he possessed; it would be more difficult to count, then.

He had unfortunately passed that deadline long ago, but if he kept the amount of new ones low they would heal and the boy could count easily once more.

Sighing quietly, Freminet withdrew himself from the mechanical world; with a blink, his friends vanished once more.

Mother was currently away from the Hearth, attending to some unknown matter with the big ones, as the younger children called them (Freminet assumed they were her colleagues). This arrangement always left some brief relief to the children, as the soon-to-be King was temporarily in charge. Technically, she was still a child herself, and thus his sister.

Not many children could say they personally knew her, although Freminet himself had seen her once in passing; she had appeared strikingly cold, yet-sad, in a way.

Perhaps the boy was simply overusing his imagination again.

The child gazed at the grandfather clock dejectedly, double checking his work by instinct. He was sure his meddling had been successful, but it was never a bad idea to be completely sure-if it wasn't perfect, Mother would not care. Most would rather be safe than sorry, and for once, Freminet preferred to go with the crowd.

As the boy turned these thoughts over in his mind tiredly, he was made aware of a sharp clicking outside. He could feel a sharp, prickling sensation creep up his shoulders-just unsettling enough to turn his head to the door right before it opened-and to be met with her.

The future King was a tall, cordial woman, her sharp features striking unsettlement in everyone she met; yet her most daunting component, her eyes-formal and authoritative one moment and piercing the next. They were enough to turn the children' s eyes away-and were also the feature that intrigued Freminet the most.

Her entire figure was a constant presence in perfect unison-all except her eyes. If one could bear to gaze past the terror-inducing surface, the boy knew something must be there-something deeply alone; not lonely, but still alone.

Unfortunately, Fremient was known for being the odd, dull child who couldn't force eye contact to save his life(not that it mattered much to him, anyhow). Still, he wasn't aware of his quality to perceive little things others couldn’t-things that seemed so very useless to most-until they were not.

The suppressed flood of vibrant emotions filled his mind, leaving him buffering for a moment until he presently remembered his respect. Yet for some reason, the boy couldn't seem to get any word out; perhaps it was fear, or exhaustion, or the mere fact that he hadn't spoken in a week, but he just couldn't.

Didn't help much that he initially believed her to be Mother, adding to his dull panic.

Hello, he managed to mouth.

The young woman studied him icily for a moment, then presently came to a decision.

“You have worked diligently, Freminet. I see no purpose in exhausting you in this state.”

He blinked softly, perplexed by quite a couple of things. Not only had she addressed him by his name, but.. she had praised him. His first praise in months.

Was she expecting more? Profound gratitude? Further diligence? Improvement? The boy grew ever wearier at the probable tirade of expectations that often came with these actions-at least, when performed by Mother.

“I advise you seek fresh air near the Court; you will find your mind clearer, then,” the woman declared. She considered the timid boy's nature for a moment. “That's an order.”

With that being said, the door clicked shut and her regal footsteps faded away. All that was left was the grandfather clock, a toolbox, and an utterly speechless boy clinging to a ladder.

What the heck? This was impossible-unbelievable-far too good to be true; that is, until it all came crashing down-
literally.

After a moment to process his fall from grace onto hard tile, Freminet lifted his head from the ground. New order, the child resolved dully. No leaning on big ladders.

Now to deal with Father's order;
Fresh air..in the Court.

Oh dear.

Chapter Text

To Rest Resplendently

‘..having none themselves, they adapt to what fish there could be. Blubberbeasts possess a natural inclination for play; if a person proves worthy, they are willing to approach them and eagerly ask for belly rubs.’
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The Court…he was heading to the Court.

Freminet couldn't believe his eyes-or his luck, for that matter. The Knave wasn't home, he had an opportunity to work on Pers, and the heir had granted him a break. She even gave him a ticket for the aquabus! How the heck had he gotten so lucky?

The boy hadn't been to the court in recent memory-he assumes he must have visited a couple times as an infant with Maman, but those memories were long past. He hardly remembered her at all, given how young he was. Her kind face, especially with his tiredness, was gradually slipping away.

Every night he lay in his rough bunk bed, the child would fold his filthy hands on his heart and look up at the moon with sparkling eyes. Then he would pray, just as Maman had taught him; pray to the Archon Focalors for help.

Rather than praying for better fortune or good health (as he vaguely remembered he and his mother doing), Freminet pleaded to find her again. He prayed to hug and to be hugged; he prayed to help knead the corpse dough for their cheap bread again; he prayed to feel love again-all the while looking up at the moon, dreaming about the life he missed, yet no longer had.

This form of prayer wasn't ideal, mind you, but the only opportunities for respite were within the sea and when going to sleep. Given that the latter was more common, he would simply have to make do. The child would never say this out loud for fear of being beaten to a pulp by Mother, if not by the more violent children first.

Whatever Mother says goes. If she orders you to sleep, you go to sleep. All the children knew the simple rule to stay alive. And for a quiet, submissive boy like Freminet, it wasn't too hard. He simply had to be so, else his Maman's safety ‘couldn't be guaranteed.’

Sure, it was naive, but Freminet was five years old-almost six, now. He was both a child of insurmountable innocence and eccentric wisdom-the type of wisdom no child should ever possess. He had overheard Mother conversing with the more esteemed children about himself, and his knack for lingering about the sea. He could sense his future missions would be gruesome, but in what way, he wasn't quite sure.

It wasn't that he enjoyed being used, but-if not a tool, then…what purpose did he serve?

The boy blinked, snapping back to reality. Right, the Court.

Once he got near the front of the line, Freminet eyed the aquabus with awe. Such a large, efficient machine-and from what he'd heard, it was still fairly new. About a decade it's been around, and Freminet had a few ideas for what could improve it. They were fantasies, really; literal child's play, he told himself.

Even so..

In any case, he could never act upon his wishes. No one would take a small, scrawny little kid like himself seriously.

He gulped quietly and prepared to greet the person who would let him in.

Just speak to them..I'm sure you can speak to big people. You spoke to Maman..You must try.

Freminet certainly wasn't expecting the much smaller creature that greeted him-a melusine.

“..aboard, thank you very much! Ah, hello, dear passenger! All by yourself, I see? Don't worry, I'll make sure you're safe and sound! Er-at least, I'll do my best!”

She smiled bashfully at the boy in an attempt to soothe his worries. Freminet, of course, was so shocked at finally seeing her that he was, once again, rendered mute. He seldom saw so many people at once who weren't orphans; heck, he hardly ever saw adults at all. The mere idea of finally meeting a melusine, the sweet, bubbly people in his fairytales, was exhilarating. If only he could greet her.

“The aquabus is perfectly safe, I can assure you!” The melusine started emphatically, smiling clumsily once more. Realizing the boy still wouldn't budge, she grew worried.

“Oh, oh dear, I frightened you, didn't I? I'm dreadfully sorry, little one!”

Despite his predicament, Freminet frantically shook his head. He didn't want the melusine to feel bad for something she hadn't done. Speak, you dummy!

“Oh, so I didn't frighten you?” He shook his head again. “Well, that's good, then! In any case, the bus is to leave now! Come along, little one!”

After he handed her his ticket, she ushered the child on board and shut the door. Freminet hopped up on one of the benches and sat nervously, desperately avoiding eye contact.

He was on an aquabus…fascinating!

Some people glanced at the small boy riding solo, pondering at the fate of his guardians. Luckily, they eventually let the matter rest. Nosy Fontanians didn't often trouble themselves with such trivial matters as a lonely child (much to his relief).

The melusine hopped up on her platform and smiled clumsily at the passengers.

“Welcome to the Clementine Line, dear passengers! My name is Aeval, and I'll be your tour guide today! This boat tour will take you to the grandiose Court of Fontaine, the most important city in our nation!”

A young woman raised her hand nervously. “Um, excuse me, what type of things does the Court have?”

“Oh, lots of things! I'm so glad you asked!” Aeval's face lit up and she skipped up, nearly falling off the platform as the aquabus began to move. Freminet held onto the sides of his seat and looked about in excitement. He'd never been in a boat before! The child could feel the vibration of the motor as the boat moved along the aquarail, along with thousands of other little sounds. So many features, yet such efficiency!

Aeval beamed at the passengers, “It's an incredibly lively part of our nation; In fact, some say the Court is the heart of Fontaine! It carries thousands of historical relics from the past, such as the Opera Epiclese! This beautiful building serves as an opera house and our main courthouse!”

The tourists listened intently, while the locals smiled respectfully at the newly appointed operator. Freminet, having not truly been to the Court as of yet, mimicked the tourists (while keeping track of how many clicks the aquabus made, of course).

“Another area of interest; the Palais Mermonia!” The melusine drilled on. “This is where all administrative affairs are held and also where our very own Archon, Lady Furina, often dwells! The Iudex's office is located there as well! If you wish to see the Archon, then you're in luck; she performs very often around here, especially in the Opera! You can go watch her or request an audience, but that takes a little longer! As for Monsieur Neuvillette…he's more of a quiet figure. The locals seldom see him outside of his office, so it isn't very likely you'll spot him in public! Still, he does much for Fontaine by means of the law! A few of them include…”

The melusine chirped on happily as the aquabus zoomed along the aquarail. It was a very stimulating scene; Aeval's bubbly voice, the sounds of the boat, the city, and the beautiful, beautiful sea. Freminet sighed quietly, steadying himself by gripping the seat tighter and looking down at the water below. He imagined himself within it, perhaps on another mission, diving in peaceful exhilaration…

The boy drifted away, keeping in mind the small facts about the Court and the mysteriously quiet Iudex. He must be lonely..

Lonely…

Like me.

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“...unless you don't mind, of course. And then there's all the work you'd miss. It's up to you, Iudex. Monsieur? Monsieur Neuvillette!”

The Iudex blinked in surprise. “Ah, yes, you were saying, Sedene?”

Sedene looked up from her clipboard and narrowed her eyes at the regal man, placing her paws on her hips. “Well, it simply isn't like you to space off, Monsieur! Are you feeling alright?!”

Neuvillette smiled softly in the way only melusines could make him. “No need to worry, my dear, I am perfectly alright. I was simply…pondering a few matters.”

Being a very busy man, the Iudex would be required to maintain a very sharp and focused state, rarely breaking concentration for the sake of keeping things flowing. Only when completely alone in his large office would he occasionally allow his mind to wander, to ponder and evaluate his life. On this occasion, however, he seemed to have allowed himself to slip up.

Keep that in mind and make sure to act accordingly next time, he noted mentally.

“Well, pondering or not, you simply cannot work in this state, Monsieur! A busy man such as yourself must be primarily focused at all times, especially at trials; just how do you plan to properly judge a case if you are not focused?!”

Unfortunately, the adamant melusine was left in plea, for the door received a knock and three exceedingly sharp raps afterward.

A muffled voice of a melusine rang out, “Terribly sorry for bothering you, Monsieur Neuvillette, but Lady Furina wishes to see you!”

“That she does? Well, then,” Sedene uttered, turning back to Neuvillette. “Iudex, do you consent?”

Another hour of endless bickering, he thought to himself.

“Ah-yes, of course.”

“Very well; you may enter!”

The door swung open, revealing a rather perplexed melusine and the beaming Hydro Archon.

“Thank you, Aeife,” Sedene nodded to the melusine who smiled quickly and skipped back out.

“Greetings, my dear Iudex!!” the woman sang. “Your Lady has arrived~!”

“Good evening, Lady Furina,” Neuvillette replied, sighing wearily. “How can I be of assistance to you?”

“Oh, where shall I begin?! I've got a little meeting I must attend, and then there's the audience with Madam DuPont, and then I need to take my walk around the Court! To-er-
ensure the well-being of my citizens!”

Sedene raised an eyebrow at her clipboard. “Perhaps my Lady is also interested in the charming magician who often parades in the Court?”

“Eh? You mean Cesar?! Of course not, Sedene! I am simply confirming the safety of my citizens; you insult me!”

Neuvillette focused on the water in his glass. The ripples were rather thorough and defined, yet lacked a certain quality that usually suggested optimal fluidity.

It appears the water has remained still for too long, he observed.

“...in any case, that's why I'm here! I simply cannot attend to these pressing matters in a timely manner if I must also complete the positively daunting pile of paperwork I have attained this morning! I simply must allow somebody else the grace of handling the Hydro Archon's work-and who better than my dearest Iudex?”

“I-I suppose it would be, Lady Furina,” said Iudex proclaimed somewhat perplexedly.

A delighted “Lovely!” escaped Furina's lips, followed by the loud smack of a fairly sizable pile of paperwork hitting Neuvillette's desk.
“You'll do great, trust me! You always do!”

Something in his face made the dramatic performer delay her parting, however. She furrowed her eyebrows at the Iudex; now that she had a good view of his eyes, she instantly recognized his weariness.

“Oh, Neuvi, you look exhausted! How silly of me, I hadn't noticed! This simply won't do-”
Adopting a face of unwavering determination(more of a pout, really), Furina shoved the giant pile of paperwork away from his reach.

“Lady Furina, I can assure you, I am perfectly capable of handling your documents as I do every day,” the Iudex insisted.

“Well, I'm not convinced! As your Archon and superior, Monsieur Neuvillette, I declare you must take an hour long break; outside of the Palais!”

“Finally, someone said it,” Sedene uttered, still scribbling rapidly.

“In any case,” she drilled on, “I need my work to be perfect; merely capable won't do! My dear Neuvi, don't you want the papers to be spotless? You cannot achieve perfection if you are not at your best!”

Neuvillette sighed quietly. “I assume I have no choice, regarding this matter?”

“You are correct!” Furina beamed happily, proceeding to pat the man's head. “How intelligent you are, my dear Iudex!”

The lady was met with a disgruntled frown and a distant giggle from Sedene, the latter of which immediately cleared her throat and ducked her head into her clipboard.

“Very amusing, my Lady,” Neuvillette scoffed softly, lifting her hand away from his head. “Pardon my ignorance, but I don't quite understand why you deem this necessary.”

“It is necessary because I am your superior, Neuvillette-what I say goes! If you are concerned about the paperwork, fret not! You may complete my work after your little break! Now, up you get; you've been cooped up in here doing paperwork for far too long!”

“I do wonder why the Iudex has such a heavy workload,” Sedene huffed indignantly.

“I wonder the same, Sedene,” the Lady remarked. “I wonder the same!”

With some effort, Furina pulled the slightly abashed Iudex up from his seat.

“Are you sure about this, Lady Furina? I still have a tight schedule, and you have left me with quite a load..”

“Don't you fret, Neuvi! My darling Iudex deserves a break! And once again, you will work better once your mind is refreshed! Now, now, you get going!”

And with that, the Iudex was ushered out the door along with Sedene. “I'll get to my meeting now! Sedene, you may return to your previous duties. As for you, my dear Iudex, you shall refresh your mind chambers! Er-I mean, the chamber that is your mind! Toodalo~!”

The door was shut and Furina skimpered off happily. Neuvillette slowly looked down at Sedene with what could be considered a pleading look. The Iudex was left in plea, however, for all Sedene did was shake her head in disbelief.

Go on, then, she seemed to say, pointing her pen towards the stairs and skipping off herself, leaving the Iudex standing in the hall alone, save for the passing guards every once in a while.

Neuvillette sighed quietly yet again, a habit he seemed to have developed long ago. It appeared he was forced to take a break. Goodness, how long had it been since he'd taken a break?

The Iudex walked out of the Palais calmly, yet feeling somewhat out of place as he did. It wasn't often he would casually stroll out in this manner, but he simply had to make do.

At the very least, he figured, I have been spared a decade of my life shaved off by Lady Furina's endless squabbling.

Still, he felt..distraught.

And the rain reflected it.

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Freminet gasped as a drop of water hit his face, briefly knocking him out of his stupor.

Rain, he concluded. It's raining.

The boy looked up at the sky. Unfortunately, he was still mute, but…he can always call out in his mind.

Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, he lamented mentally.

Don't cry.

Chapter Text

Through Sheer Coincidence

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“...Behold, dear passengers; the Court of Fontaine!”

A collective intake of breath emitted from the crowd. The locals casually smirked, the tourists gazed in awe, and Freminet's eyes grew wide. Even from a distance, he could already tell the Court was truly a sight to behold.

“Oh! Dear me, I'd forgotten!” Aeval gasped quickly. “While aboard the aquabus, please keep your head, hands, and other body parts, as well as your canes, swords, Kameras, and other personal items, inside the boat at all times!”

“A little late for that,” a man muttered.

“Apologies for the rain, everyone! If you're new to Fontaine, then I must let you know that it rains often around here! It typically subsides pretty quickly after some time, of course-I wouldn't mind it!” The melusine chirped on, looking around herself happily.

Amidst the cheerfully clumsy declarations of the operator and growing chatter of the passengers, the boy took in the ever-approaching view of the Court. Akin to his rarely permitted storybooks, if truly appeared majestic-far more so than the kingdom of children of which he lived in.

I wish you could see this, too, mon Pers, the child mused.

Soon enough, the aquabus slowed down and docked. They had arrived.

“Behold once more, dear passengers, the destination behind me!” Aeval proclaimed happily. “I will open the exit and you may leave the bus one by one!”

“Oh, thank the Archons! I haven't seen Clara in so long; I'm so excited!” a bright tourist beamed.

“Finally-thank you, Focalors,” a local bickered, standing up begrudgingly. “This always takes way too damn long.”

As the other passengers rose and gathered their things around him, Freminet remained firmly still. Simply being in close proximity to big people would always send a bolt of fear upon his soul; he could never meet their eyes, much less join a conversation with them.

They were simply too much like her.

And so the boy clung to his seat, watching the Fontanians and doing his best to stay out of sight.

“It was an honor to be your conductor for this boat trip, and may you all have a lovely time! Have fun!!” the melusine chanted as she held open the door, only to be met with a few timid waves or just downright glares from the locals.

That's..not right, Freminet puzzled. I quite liked it. She tried very hard…

“Oh dear,” Aeval murmured. “My first boat ride wasn't very good...I better tone down the yelling!”

Just about everyone had disembarked the aquabus by now; the boy figured he should, too. Now, common sense dictated he should dash out and avoid any and every possible conversation he encountered(the poor thing wouldn't get a word out, that's for sure). It was simply the easiest thing to do.

And yet…

The melusine…

“Oh! Dear me, Mister, I nearly forgot you were there!”

Freminet gasped and looked up, clenching his hands from instinct. Don't be stupid, she's been here the whole time-don't offend her, you fool.

Aeval approached him clumsily. “Er-the other passengers have left, and protocol states that you must as well! I do have some other boat trips to attend to, and I really need to practice..wouldn't like to repeat what just happened, now would I?” she questioned timidly, giggling in distress.

Freminet shook his head firmly, then repeated the action, but softer. He wasn't quite sure if she was going to hurt him or not.

An adult approaching you was never a good sign.

But she wasn't just an adult-she was a melusine. And Freminet didn't know what to expect from melusines(his storybooks don't count).

“But, but I can't help but be a little worried…”

The conductor looked over her shoulder, trying to make out some blonde woman or man, or sibling, or anyone that appeared to be accompanying the child-but she saw no one.

“Do..do you have someone to accompany you, Mister?” she whispered gently.

The boy furrowed his eyebrows softly as his mind churned in pandemonium.

He was an awful liar, that much was true. The mere attempt of deceivement would give him away immediately. The only adult he had ever truly loved, his Maman, he had never lied to her-It could have hurt her. The last thing he wants is to hurt her-

What if it hurt her as much as it did him? What would it feel like? Would it ache? Would it sting? Would it burn? It would burn-It would burn-It would burn like the whip-like her-DON'T LET HER BURN-

“Little one?!”

A bolt of agony shocked his body and made him jolt in surprise. A bolt born from a mere paw on his shoulder. Aeval squeaked in alarm and immediately let go, apologizing profusely.

The rain stuck against his far too large shirt, cooling his skin down from the previous burning; burning that, as it turns out, wasn't really there at the moment.

But it was there. It always was.

Freminet whimpered quietly and looked down at his knees in shame. He wasn't certain about the melusine's motives, and he typically despised such contact(for obvious reasons). Somehow, though, she didn't..seem dangerous. Her paws were warm, gentle, and incredibly soft. Her tone was pleasant, and her eyes..

..Her eyes were..

Kind.

That's the word; kind.

-and it hurt. Very much so.

The child nodded.

“Oh-that's good, then,” Aeval smiled softly. “Are they around? Oh! Dear me, they must have left! You better get going-one moment!”

He had lied..and she believed it..

Freminet stood nervously as the melusine skipped to the conductor's stool. He placed a hand gently on his wet hair, reminiscing fondly of the same effect being present after diving.

“Alright, here you are!” Aeval skipped back happily with a little blanket. “It isn't perfect, but this should cover you up for now! The rain isn't awful, but it could get worse, and I heard little humans get colds very easily!”

The boy eyed the blanket curiously as the clumsy melusine draped it over his head; small as it was, Freminet was ever smaller, so it dragged on the ground rather embarrassingly(not that he quite minded being so small, of course-it made hiding easier).

It was a plain thing, yellowed from time and dully stained with dirt, but he gazed at that gritty cloth in awe. The fibers on the surface weren't horribly scratchy and skin-crawling like the sorry excuses for blankets at the Hearth, it was far larger, it was even clean!

(Clean by his standards, at least).

It's amazing, he mouthed wordlessly. Thank you. He didn't expect her to understand, of course, so in came yet another pulse of shame.

What he hadn't expected was the melusine to smile bashfully at him and pat his shoulder. “It was nothing, ètoile timide!” she giggled in delight. “Oh, I do hope you don't mind me calling you that? It's a little phrase Monsieur Neuvillette taught me; it sounds very lovely on you!”

Freminet didn't mind-he didn't mind at all. In fact, that was exactly what Pers called him; his shy star. He wondered why it sounded the same as when he said it, though. He had been under the impression that Pers didn't speak French-so what gives?

Maybe you're just over-thinking…you always do. Besides, what mattered was how it felt-and it did feel lovely.

The child shook his head softly. He was a bit worried about his voice cracking from such prolonged absence and couldn't think of anything to say, anyway; rather, he looked at her ever so deeply, so gently-a look he gave no one but Pers.

It seemed silly, to expect someone to understand an entirely wordless exchange-but it was almost as though Freminet sensed she would understand. He knew she would.

Thank you very much.

As was guessed, Aeval gazed at him in slight surprise and returned a meaningful look-albeit clumsily. ‘How thoughtful you are,’ she seemed to say. “You're most welcome,” she finished softly.

They maintained eye contact for a little until the sound of an alarm. The conductor turned her head briskly, leaving Freminet gazing thoughtfully at the back of her head. No more eye contact-

Huh?!

He widened his eyes in shock and looked down by instinct. He could hardly believe this-he had(WILLINGLY) maintained a full thirty seconds of eye contact! Willingly!! It was impossible-he was extremely unsettled by it-it’s always been that way!

‘Perhaps your brain forgot?’ the fox questioned.

No, no, that can't be-it’s an instinct!

'Perhaps she reminds you of someone?’ the princess pondered.

Per..perhaps-

No, no, we mustn't keep this up, it-it’s too different-it doesn't feel right-

‘But did it feel bad?’ the little penguin crooned.

…He didn't have an answer.

“Dear Celestia,” Aeval chirped. “The timer's almost gone off; I need to get going-and so do you!”

She whipped her head back at him and was slightly disappointed that the child's gaze had torn away-she had quite enjoyed it. It wasn't often that the gaze of a human would seem so meaningful-especially not that of a child!

Freminet nodded, still looking at his dirty shoes. He didn't quite know what to do with his predicament, but he knew dwelling on it wouldn't do much.

The conductor adjusted the boy's blanket firmly and placed a paw on his head. “You be safe, now, little one,” she chirped, patting his head. He looked at her in awe. How kind she was.

So enamored by true kindness was the child that he didn't even notice how long he'd been gazing at her for.

Aeval smiled in delighted surprise; What a lovely attentive gaze this child had! Aeval beamed even brighter. If only everyone would gaze so deeply at me! She knew he would have gazed at her at some point, of course, possibly due to her sixth sense; but still. What an odd little boy!

“Go on with your gaurdian,” she squeaked quickly and proceeded to yelp in horror-the alarm was reaching pitches unknown to mankind. “Get home safe!” She waved emphatically and Freminet gave a small wave in kind. Before he knew it, the conductor had skipped frantically to her station and the aquabus pulled away.

He stood alone, now, directly defying his orders of heading over to his ‘guardian.’ What did guardian even mean?The rain was cold and sharp in stark contrast to the burning in his head; on second thought, that was probably all made up, too. Why does he always dramatize things?

The child whimpered soundlessly again, clutching the blanket as though it were a lifeline. He was still awe struck at the eye contact he had made with the melusine and how long it had lasted. Should he really be concerned, or was he just losing it?

'Cease your worries, little soldier!’ the Clockwork Guardsman declared.

‘You've dealt with worse-don't worry, kid, we've got your back,’ Mr. Fox grinned.

He sighed quietly, feeling drops land on his face. He was no longer squirming when they would hit his eyes or nose(or anything on his face, for that matter). In fact, the rain helped soothe the turmoil in his mind in spite of his usual discomfort. It felt deep in a way-just like when he was in the sea. He clung the blanket to him tighter and walked.

Freminet knew he wasn't a fantastic swimmer by any means(he quite was, especially for a five year old), but he was still fairly adequate.
And that adequacy was enough for him to explore, to dive, to find…in the end, the ocean was water, and so was the rain. This similarity was enough to calm him.

I guess things that feel good also hurt sometimes, the child concluded. He was always hurt, in some way or another-what's a little more pain gonna do? At least he would feel just a little bit more right.

Freminet looked about in awe-the Court was huge. Too huge. It was beautiful, of course, but it was so different; it was a little scary. People walked around him hurriedly, giggling or bickering about the rain and how often it showed up. A number of melusines skipped straight into the rain and rejoiced, declaring it beautiful that the Hydro Dragon was releasing his sadness. Others completely disregarded the rain and went on with their lives (mostly the locals-they were very used to this). It was so much.

It was too much.

Tripping over it every so often, he pressed the blanket tightly against his ears and quickened his walk, hyperfocusing on his breathing. One, two, three, breathe; one, two, three, release; one, two, three…

The sounds of the world dulled out a little, leaving a comforting muffled rain in his ears. The boy walked on the concrete, the ground steadily beginning to sink like the sea, the breeze strengthening, the rain soaking him…he hardly even noticed where he laid down(something beautifully smooth, that's for sure). A part of his mind was urging him to go back to the orphanage, but he was so tired...

He curled up into the large blanket, sighing in absolute comfort. The blanket was made of pure sea silk and he lay in a heavenly clump of Romaritimes as the waves rippled around him. Pers curled next to him, floating and snoring contentedly. A grand sea otter floated near him; it was clear he didn't mind, so the little diver swam to him and laid his head on his fluffy back. How lovely was the otter, how comfy and safe..

Releasing a final little sigh, the shy star closed his eyes.

.

.

.

.

The rain pooled upon the concrete, creating a number of miniscule bodies of water that children fancied greatly to jump in. Just now, in fact, a rebellious child bolted away from his bickering mother and launched himself into said body of water, a bold gleam in his eyes. In spite of their mother's shrieks to get back under the awning, a little girl giggled, held up her skirts, and proceeded to join her brother.

A fluttery wave of joy flowed through the children and the Iudex felt it. Joy, it was, according to humans-and how special it felt. As he was a fairly stoic being, most didn't quite expect him to be so intrigued by certain topics, and emotions were one of them. How he longed to study them ever so deeply..

Neuvillette continued his walk, merely glancing at the children and the shrieking madame. He mustn't interact with humans more than was necessary to maintain their peace of mind; in any case, he knew they would be wary of him-they always were.

The cane struck the ground elegantly wherever he would walk; it seemed effortless to most people, but the Iudex found it difficult to maneuver at times. He had to make sure to focus on where he wished to walk and find a space on the ground that was groove free, otherwise he wound up making too much noise. He didn't need it every day, but it was still a very calculated chore to do so.

It doesn't make much sense that I require such an adjustment, given my origins. Perhaps my power was more greatly dulled than I had initially expected.

The Iudex strolled on, walking straight into the rain. This received a number of funny looks by means of the bystanders as just about everyone was avoiding getting drenched; he hadn't much time to look at them, though, since they would immediately look away from his direction and usher their companions away.

Alas, It appears my complexion unsettles them, the regal man noted. It's best that way, isn't it? Besides, he didn't mind-at the moment, his thoughts were focused elsewhere.

Neuvillette was a tad bit perplexed as to where to walk to-in all honesty, he hadn't strolled around Fontaine freely for the past..what, four centuries?

Nearly five now, he remarked. And yet I still cannot seem to truly figure things out for myself.

After a fair amount of contemplation, the Iudex settled on an astute idea; take a number of calculated laps around the center of the city(or as one would call it, ‘walk around in circles’). He looped around the Court for about half an hour until the repetition of it all caught up to him; but now what was there to do?

A steadily growing force had been swirling in his mind-now it grew ever stronger.

‘I could have sworn Madame Hemsworth was ready!’ it crooned.

‘Oh, please; since when have you been…’

‘Maman, may I have two cents a popper?’

‘Remember, Annie, today is a very special day; you have your first…’

‘WAIT! PLEASE-DON'T LEAVE ME-!’

‘Time's up, sugar cube-where the hell is your husband?’

Neuvillette furrowed his brow and glanced at the Fountain of Lucine that was now fairly close to him. He allowed himself one small sigh before he strode over and stared at the fountain. He would need to calm the waters at once, else he risk the rapid emotions within to overflow. He briefly scanned the surrounding area for any wandering Fontanians(of course there were none, they wouldn't want to get wet), and the Iudex rapped his cane in the center.

.

.

.

Something wasn't right-he knew it wasn't.

The world was dark and cold and a strange pressure was present in the sea. He knew he must still be in the sea since he was still laying on the otter, but something felt..amiss. He could feel the waves churning violently in a way that only happens when there's some type of stampede. But he couldn't hear any creature approach..

The comforting view grew hazy and warped into something far darker and maliciously faint. There was some awful hum in the back of his mind, but it was dull, like an itch you could never scratch. Chaotic, it was, so much so that he couldn't remember-

Wait..what the heck?

Who was he?

He panicked. He knew who he was, he was..a he. He was a boy-a boy-and, and he likes-he lives in..

The Hearth-

Freminet, right? That was his name. Or…or was it?

The tumult of perplexing disorder whirled through the space, filling every crevice and crack with its disharmonious song; so purely engulfed was it that there wasn't a bubble left for a gasp of air. From out of the blue, a sudden disturbance in the form of vivid royal blue crashed through the sea of acrimony-all at once, time seemed to stop.

The child gasped noiselessly. The light was beautiful; haunting in a way that commanded respect, but still beautiful. All of a sudden, it veered straight towards him and crashed; the boy couldn't bear himself to speak out of fear, but he did notice a powerful glow separate from the royal blue swirl all around the water, completely filling it. Most notably, though, some type of splay glowed in the very center of the scene-it was beautiful and horrifying, and he would have liked to continue staring at it, if not for the-

Oh Archons-

He looked up in terror at the royal light with huge eyes, then braced himself-

Except..

There was only silence…

…silence.

Blessed silence.

A comforting, cool presence damn near cradled him, gently swirling him away from the havoc. It was comforting, absolutely, and it made him distraught. Comfort only exists in the sea, with Maman, and his dreams-

Oh right-he loves the sea.

He knew it could be dangerous..

But he loves the sea!

And yet..it hurt.

But the sea would never deceive him-such a sanctuary of peace and safety would never deceive anyone.

The presence whirled beautifully around him, up, down, side to side-it almost made him smile, it was so lovely.

For some reason, though, he started losing the sight of the royal glow and everything became hazy.

But why?..

Oh..

He was tired.

But..

He can't lose it..

It's so beautiful..

To his luck, it curled and cradled him once more, a powerful yet gentle hum flowing softly through his ears. In fact, he found the flowing ribbons of blue made for a marvelously comfy bed.

The boy yawned softly and his eyes began to flutter as the ribbons flowed around him, gently whirling through his hair.

So frigid..

Yet so very warm.

Wrapping his arms around the glowing ribbons of azure, the child curled up and embraced them as he floated delicately back to the land of his dreams.

.

.

.

.

.

And may you remain peaceful, the Iudex finished, moving his cane away from the fountain. It had been a fairly normal encounter when dealing with overflows, but he still preferred to be more prepared so as to avoid them entirely; he simply wasn't sufficiently on his guard today. One key factor remained, however;

The human.

Neuvillette was accustomed to dealing with a surplus of emotions that radiated from the fountain and those of which he could naturally sense from life forms; what he wasn't used to was sharing the fountain's emotional center with another person-especially not a human. Humans typically didn't even have such a strong natural sensitivity to the element of hydro, so that left the Iudex rather perplexed. Was this person really human, he wondered, or were they simply a special case?

He had already maneuvered them away from the tumult but could still sense them somewhere close by; unfortunately, the Iudex had not a clue as to their whereabouts. He tried looking at his surroundings and couldn't spot anything(but then again, he was staring through a huge film of water). Was he losing it?

He sighed tiredly.

It wouldn't do any good to continue to dwell on the human, Neuvillette figured. They were safe, and that's all that matters; but he would be lying if he denied being unsettled by the whole ordeal-dare I say afraid. How on earth did a vision-less human gain access to the fountain?

Perhaps I really am losing my sanity.

He figured it had been long enough, and honestly, he just wanted to rest. Just for a moment. Keeping the human soul in his grasp safely cradled, he withdrew himself from the realm of havoc.

The water swirled and splashed about as he left the fountain; as expected, he lost his grasp on the human. Neuvillette was sure of their safety, but he could still sense someone around with the same spirit as the intruder. Even now that he wasn't looking through a giant border of water, he couldn't manage to see much(and his poor eyesight wasn't helping).

The rain poured haphazardly as the Iudex turned these thoughts over in his mind in distress. He would typically mull things over while standing in the rain, but today he was rather weary; perhaps he should take a seat.

Without paying much mind to his surroundings, Neuvillette approached the marble railings of the fountain and took a seat, resting his cane against them. The stone was smooth and cool, continuously damp from the pouring rain. It felt relieving to finally bask in his emotions, even if they were messier than he'd have liked to admit; the mere ability to analyze and feel akin to a human fascinated the Iudex-much more than he'd liked to admit.

He closed his eyes, contemplating these melodies of messy emotion and unlabeled passion as deeply as he could; as always, he felt like staring up at a beautiful world from the very bottom of the sea, reaching out to grasp it, but remaining trapped beneath the waves.

The waves, he crooned, the waves; so very powerful, yet so very mysterious.

He knew of them-heck, he could feel the emotions swirl heavily within them whenever he would pass by. They were even fiercer than the fountain's, constantly boiling over with burning passion, grief, anger, overwhelming sorrow, pain; it was near damn impossible for the Iudex himself to sort out the positive emotion because of how much agony Teyvat was in(just imagine a lesser being attempting to do so?)

I fear it worsens with every coming tide-the prophecy hangs above us, adding ever greater fear and hardship to humanity. And yet..

I feel a greater pull not from within the world. Something..beyond Fontaine. Beyond the land. Beyond Teyvat; I sense this unmistakable, indescribable feeling of presence-not inherently hostile, but incredibly dangerous-from beyond our very world-

..Traitors.

How, what, where they were, however..

Neuvillette had not a clue.

A burning hatred swirled dully in his heart, crashing its disharmonious tumult against his spirit, daring to burst through, daring to wreak havoc-

Until a gentle little wave rose, delicately crashing onto his heart. The wave was small-ever so small, as opposed to the colossal tsunami of fury, and cold, but its song was light, innocent, and gentle-ever so gentle. A sense of intelligence and understanding emitted from it, empathy, even-and the Iudex was stunned.

The little wave continued to swirl gently, in a marvelously confident stride, as though its emotions were entirely sure on what could calm the waters. It swirled ever closer, and the Iudex watched in awe. Closer, closer, closer-he could almost feel the wave’s next crash-

And he did-or rather, he felt it curl up on his side.

Curled up?

Neuvillette blinked out of his stupor and took in the world briefly. He had been contemplating...until the little wave-

He looked down in surprise, only to find a small boy curled up beside him, his head resting on the Iudex's lap. His pale gold hair was dirty, tangled, and matted. The back of it was cut short, but the sides stuck out awkwardly as though he hadn't been able to trim them properly. Amusingly enough, these disproportionately long sides were akin to the ears of a rabbit.

His shirt was so excessively long that it just about swallowed over half his frame, much to Neuvillette's concern. The strap shoes he wore were scuffed and the white socks soaking wet; his light eyelashes were long and the half of his face that wasn't masked by his hair was sprinkled with faint freckles.

All the while the Iudex observed him, the child did not stir; he appeared to be in sheer and absolute peace. In spite of this, he knew he had to wake him-after all, it was pouring; Sovereigns above, why would anyone wish to rest amidst the rain?(He couldn't imagine any human doing so, anyway)

Neuvillette remained rather uncomfortable at the prospect of a child using himself as a pillow and didn't quite know what to do first. He decided to create a shield-at least to keep the rain out; then came the hard part.

Oh dear.

“I-hm,” he muttered. Goodness, was this awkward. “Excuse me, child-I believe you are using my leg as your headrest,” he stated patiently. After a moment, however, the boy remained leisurely still, leaving the Iudex at a loss. Would he need to tap him? A random child? What if his parents were around? What would they possibly think about a grown man tapping their son?

Heck, he usually never touched people at all-it simply never came up(unless you were Lady Furina, of whom was desperately begging for a tight embrace every time he passed her). With this in mind, Neuvillette felt hesitation stir in his heart; what if he startled the child? That wouldn't do-he didn't like startling people, even though he inevitably did.

With much unease, Neuvillette pat the boy's shoulder. “I do not recommend you stay out in the rain like this,” he cautioned in a low voice. “Please wake, now; I do not quite know how to handle this situation."

Surely, that must be enough?

As it turned out, the young boy was just as stubborn as the heavy rocks deep within the sea. There was a clear need for further action, but any more rigorous shaking and the child might be frightened, and the Iudex quite preferred to avoid that.

Neuvillette knew he couldn't wake him; he was entirely weary of people fearing him. They despise me so, humans, he recalled sadly. It is best I do not approach them too often. The best course of action I could take seems to be to simply leave. Slowly preparing to stand, Neuvillette grabbed his cane and propped himself up.

He was entirely unprepared for the small hands to pull him back down.

What in tarnations?

Neuvillette looked down, bewildered, and realized the pale young child had wrapped his arms around him, not unlike how one would cling to a stuffed bear. His small face had furrowed in distress until Neuvillette decided to descend back to his seat. Once he had, the boy's complexion relaxed, yet he remained clung to him; it was almost as though he didn't trust that the Iudex would stay otherwise.

Goodness gracious, he panicked. This is highly inappropriate-I am not to be in such close proximity with a child! He tried standing once more, but that only prompted further tugging and a small whimper from the boy; a strange feeling washed over him at the latter-a familiar yet strangely unlabeled emotion he had felt on occasion-just what was it?

Whatever it was, whatever passion, it made him reluctant to leave the boy's side. After all, what if he's truly alone? What if he has lost his way? What if he's injured? Sick? Hungry? Afraid? Cold? In addition to all of this, there was a peculiar pull the Iudex felt from him; something was ever so familiar about this boy, but yet again, the Iudex was left without an answer.

He looked down at the little face, studying it wearily. The eyelashes fluttered occasionally, yet his complexion was one of true ease. His tiny hands curled gently around him and his narrow shoulders rose and fell smoothly-he was truly relaxed. It was heartfelt, to be so content, and his emotions reflected it; how dreamy and wondrous they were.

I remember now, he realized. This is akin to the emotion I feel among the melusines-but what is it, I wonder?

He couldn't leave a child alone like this-and he was afraid of waking him up because who knew how that would go. All he could do was stay. Tentatively, Neuvillette rested his cane against the railings once more and remained still.

I truly shouldn't be doing this-

The boy remained peaceful.

But let us contemplate together, for the time being.

And with that, the Iudex closed his eyes, settled down, and relaxed. It was nice to mull things over for once. The emotions still crashed chaotically, but the calming wave remained, gently swirling around him. He wondered where the wave came from-if only he had more practice with identifying souls outside of the waters.

Perhaps it isn't a soul at all and you're simply going insane.

Then Furina would have been right for once, Neuvillette joked, smiling softly. He looked down, then, at the boy, to see if he had awoken. Luckily, he hadn't.

In fact, the child all but reflected his small smile.