#fonatine

"What of the monsters that frolic in the sea? What of the death and destruction they bring?"

Freminet's eyes shot open, his body weightless in the waters' gentle current. The sea has always murmured fairytales to Freminet. Tales of dragons and mermaids. Stories carried by the current from every corner of the Teyvat. Sometimes they tend to lull him to sleep much like his late mother's lullaby. 

Although lately -as if the sea truly knows every secret Freminet harbors within his cold heart- the fairytales have shifted focus. The ocean no longer sings of brave knights who vanquish dragons or mermaids who fend their homes of evil. Instead, it whispers tales of true love. Anecdotes of princes and princesses who reunite, who fall in love, who live and die in each other's arms. Each story has Freminet's mind racing back to you. 

People never ask about the sun's rays under the rolling tides of the sea. 

Never ask about the reefs that cradle one's body akin to a protective crib.

Instead, they ask about treasure, about pearls, and crystals. About the diamonds and rubies from sunken treasures. They ask how the ocean can make them rich, how they can steal what she's laid claim to.

But can't treasure also be found on land? It's a question Freminet can't help but ponder. Can't treasure be found between Fontaine's bustling crowd, during the early morning rush or the afternoon spectacles? Can't it be hidden between produce stalls and restaurant lounges? 

He knows it can be. For he sees it every day.

What is a treasure, if not a rare item unclaimed?

What is a treasure if not beauty that lies hidden on both land and sea?

What is a treasure of not a girl, a lover, an ally? 

What is a treasure if not the hydro wielder he sees every day from his bedroom window? 

But you don't see it the same, now do you?

Despite his reserved and timid nature, Freminet has unfortunately built up quite a reputation for himself. 'The Master Diver Of Fontaine' they call him. A name he holds absolutely no regard for. Yet it does very little to ward off all manner of people from pestering him for his expertise. Adventures, tourists, treasure seekers, all who wish to unravel the depths of the sea come to him. And he turns down every single one. Or rather he gets Lyney and Lynette to do it for him. 

But you're different, you're special in his eyes. Your warm smile melts the accumulated frost from around his heart. It had taken many months before Freminet had approached you. Blushing and stumbling as he rubbed the back of his neck. Awkward in every sense of the word. You had merely laughed and reached out to grasp his hand with yours. Frost leaked from his digits, melding with the water that always danced at the tip of your fingers. Hydro and Cyro mix chaining you together. Freminet had all but dragged you back home to get Lyney to unfreeze the two of you.

Amusing, how much a disastrous first meeting had left you wanting to see more of him. Funny how every night before he closes his eyes he feels your hand molded within his. 

"Please, I swear it's not that bad" He's at it again, begging, pleading. Imploring you to come see his world. The world beneath Fonatine, his secret fairytale world where you can be the princess and he can be your prince. But you refuse again and again. "Freminet I've already told you no. Please stop asking it's getting irritating." He's tried to reason with you, although his stuttering and shyness aren't persuading in the least. He's all but practically dragged you to the shore.

That's why, one day when Freminet resurfaces he's shocked to see you sitting by the shore. Shoes discarded to the side as you sit just out of reach of the tide. The water's cold today, almost saddened, and the waves tumble over themselves apathetically. Freminet stares at you, at your beauty. How you all but radiate so close to his hidden paradise. He watches as you gaze upon the waters. He dares not to ask what you see. What you ponder on doing. 

"I see you." You say, in a cheerful voice that matches not your face. For a heartbeat, Freminet wonders if he's the cause of your cheerfulness, if seeing him makes you as happy as you do to him. He steps onto the shore. The water droplets cling to him like stardust, as if begging him to return to the serenity of the ocean. He sits next to you on the beach, head spinning from being underwater for all so long. When he looks at you all he sees is sunken treasure. Another marvel to add beauty to his blue world. He's all so desperate to keep you away from others who'll steal your beauty for every wrong reason. To him you are perfect. He fights the urge to trace sea-stars on your arms, to relish in your warmth. 

You lay your head on his shoulder, feeling him stiffen under your weight. "I hate the ocean Freminet. And the sea, and the lakes and the rivers. All of it I hate all of it.". He's quiet for a minute, mind racing to try and find an answer. "But..what about your vision? It's hydro isn't it." You pause, anger dancing across your face "I HATE it" you spite, "That useless vision is the cruelest joke the Archons ever decided to play on me. I've tried to get rid of it, even tossed it into the ocean from whence it came. But somehow, it always finds its back to me." Anger laces your voice, bitter and forlorn. It makes Freminet jolt, also fearing when people raise their voices.

The moon takes over the sun. As the two of you refuse to leave your seats. You paint him sea monsters and fanged beasts with your words. Tell him how they breach the surface for pleasure and for pain. You spin together double-headed leviathans breaching the surface to prey on unsuspecting Violetgold Angler Gulls. Tell him about how once, back when you'd been young and naive you had let some older kids trick you into going to the deep end of the water. You tell him what it's like to draw, what it's like to feel weightless in endless darkness. Freminet doesn't comment, although it all sounds rather enjoyable to him. He wonders if his perception of the depths has become warped. 

It's only when you decide to leave that Freminet gets an idea. Wicked maybe, but he's always been a selfish boy. Harboring greed within his heart as a secondary shield. He grabs your wrist and in a moment of unblaces, plunges you both into the very waters you fear. 

They're a scream, silent as it's washed under the raring tide. Freminet feels the terror and betrayal radiating off your form. You may hate him now. But that's okay, he'll show you the beauties of his world. A haven you can both escape to. Away from greedy people who wish you nothing but harm. Maybe it's because everyone he's loved has left him, maybe it's because losing you feels worse than death, maybe it's because he's finally found someone to fill the void in his heart. But he won't let you go. Not now not ever. 

You feel like a doll. Helplessly submerged in vastness. Freminet's body clings to yours like a second skin. Stiffly pinning your arms to your side. Your lungs are on fire and you swear you see an array of giants moving in the dark corners. You want to scream, to fight. But you can't your impolized by fear. This is it you think, as something strange swims past you. This is where you will die. 

There's something large swimming up to you. Something murky and dark whose sharp teeth shimmer in the stray rays of moonlight that have made their way down here. You see a dorsal fin, almost as sharp as the teeth. There's something else behind you, larger, with sharp scales that into your back. You feel its teeth sliding against your back as the first predator closes in. There's a noise, grotesque in nature, before you lose all sense in your left arm. You scream into the void, and move vigorously in Freminet's grasp, desperately trying to convey your fear. But he doesn't move. In all likeliness, he's mostly dead you think. The monsters got to him too. You shut your eyes tightly awaiting your demise...

There's a soft glow that lulls you into opening your eyes. Your body feels cold and wet. As your heart hammers at your ribcage, desperate to escape and flee. You feel something soft on your lips, something equally cold. Your eyes trace the glow of Freminet's face as he traps you in an extensive kiss. It's calming, despite the unspeakable thing he just did, you're just happy he's alive. That you're alive. "I love..." he mutters when he finally breaks the kiss. You look at him dazed, high on your fear, on your relief. The world spins stuck between fantasy and reality. Your fingers trace the sides of his cheek as he nuzzles into your touch.