#sedene

My pieces for the Neuvifuri wedding event (only the preparation day but I won't do more :') )

Neuvillette: "I can't right now. I still have things to do."

Sedene: "Okay, let me put this another way. Either you take a break, or I go get Lady Furina!MC. What's it going be?"

Neuvillette: "A break sounds wonderful."

Title:Love, In Theory

(Furina x gn!reader)

Note:the reader is a professional and a famous lawyer in the court of Fontaine. They also bear a vision. All of this happened before the archon quest

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Grand Proposal Problem

The Court of Fontaine had become a revolving door of romantic humiliation.

That morning, a Liyuen shipping magnate had presented Furina with a literal boat carved from solid noctilucous jade ("To sail the seas of love together!"). At noon, a Mondstadt knight attempted to serenade her with a lyre (badly). Now, as the sun dipped below the aquabus lines, a Snezhnayan diplomat was sweating through his fur collar while listing his "extensive holdings" in excruciating detail.

"—and of course, my "maison de campagne russe" has heated floors—"

Furina swirled her goblet of sparkling water, watching the bubbles rise and pop with exaggerated fascination. "How... quaint." She set the cup down with a decisive clink. "But I'm afraid Fontaine's Archon requires a partner who can at least pronounce 'maison' correctly. Next!"

From his vantage point behind a marble column, Neuvillette marked another tally in his ledger. Rejection #23 this month. The pattern never varied:

1. The Old Guard: Aristocrats who thought wealth could substitute for personality

2. The Young Lions: Hotheaded heirs who imagined themselves taming a goddess

3. The Foreign Opportunists: Diplomats treating courtship like a trade negotiation

A Melusine tugged at his sleeve. "Chief Justice? The lawyer has arrived."

Neuvillette's lips thinned. "Send them in."

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

A Rivalry For the Ages

You remembered the first time you'd faced Furina in court.

It had been a simple property dispute—until she swept in, Hydro constructs swirling around her throne-like witness stand. "The defendant," she'd declared, pointing an accusing glove at your client, "is clearly as guilty as a crab in a pearl shop!"

You'd dismantled her argument in six minutes flat.

The second time, she'd brought charts.

By the fifth trial, the newspapers had coined it: "The Hydro Archon vs. Fontaine's Razor: A Clash of Wit and Will."

Now, standing in Neuvillette's office, you stared at the contract like it might bite you. "Let me summarize," you said slowly. "You want me to pretend to romance the woman who last week threatened to revoke my law license because I 'breathed too loudly' during her soliloquy?"

Neuvillette steepled his fingers. "Precisely because of that history. No one would suspect artifice."

The doors burst open. Furina stood framed in the doorway, her Hydro aura crackling. "Explain immediately why this—" She jabbed a gloved finger at you. "—insufferable gavel-spinner is here!"

You smirked. "Miss me, Your Majesty?"

Her eye twitched.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Terms of Engagement

The negotiations lasted three excruciating hours.

Furina insisted on clauses like:

- "No unsolicited eye contact"

- "Absolute must to compliment me when we're in public"

- "If we must hold hands, wear gloves. Two pairs."

You countered with:

- "Hazard pay for every suitor-induced migraine"

- "Right to veto any pastel-colored outfits"

- "Final approval on all pet names"

Neuvillette mediated with the patience of a man who regularly sentenced sea monsters to community service.

"You'll attend the Melusine Founders' Gala tomorrow," he declared, stamping the contract. "Sedene will handle your... coordinated arrival."

The mentioned Melusine perked up from her notetaking. "I've already prepared complementary hydromimetic bouquets!"

Furina looked physically pained.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

Performative Affection (With Spectators)

The gala was a masterclass in psychological warfare.

You arrived precisely five minutes late—enough to make Furina fume, not enough to be truly rude. Your outfit (deep blues instead of her preferred pastels) clashed deliberately with her frilly gown.

"Darling," you drawled, offering your arm.

"Counselor," she gritted out, gripping your elbow like she wanted to snap the bone.

The Melusines adored it.

"Look how they bicker and banter!" Mamere sighed dreamily. "Just like in my romance novels!"

The night devolved into:

- Furina "accidentally" stepping on your foot during the waltz

- You "forgetting" to fetch her preferred canapés (three shrimp, no dill)

- A Snezhnayan diplomat catching you mid-argument about fontaine law code subsection 47-B and mistaking it for foreplay

Neuvillette observed from the punch bowl, silently calculating how much longer he could allow this charade to continue.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

Cracks in the Facade

The cracks appeared like fissures in glacial ice:

1. The Midnight Pastry Heist

You found her in the Palais kitchens at 3 AM, wrist-deep in a mille-feuille. Powdered sugar dusted her nose.

"Section 12 of the Kitchen Code," you intoned. "Unauthorized consumption of—"

A cream-filled pastry hit you square in the chest.

2. The Defense

When Duke Montblanc sneered about your "commoner stench," Furina's Hydro constructs materialized before you could blink.

"Apologize," she sang, twirling her parasol, "or discover how well your toupee floats."

3. The Staring

During trials, you'd catch her watching—not with her usual competitive glare, but with something almost... soft. The moment your eyes met, she'd snap her fan open with a crack.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Duel

Marquis Beaumont was all smarm and no substance when he slapped you with his glove. "A real partner would defend Her Majesty's honor!",he says as if he wasn't the one who just insulted her.

You rolled up your sleeves. "Five minutes. I have a meeting with the Melusine Bar Association."

The fight was brutal:

- His Electro-infused rapier versus your (vision element)-enhanced parries

- The moment he dared aim a stray bolt at Furina's skirts

- Your Vision flaring not to strike, but to shield—erupting a geyser that drenched the entire courtyard

The crowd lost their minds. Furina's hands flew to her mouth.

Later, in a secluded alcove, she grabbed your wrist. "That was... adequate."

You flexed your tingling fingers. "Don't get used to it."

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Unraveling

The contract became impossible after:

1. The Jealousy

That Fontaine socialite who kept "accidentally" brushing Furina's hand? You may have "tripped" and spilled an entire carafe of Fonta on her décolletage.

2. The Late Nights

Shared silences in your office stretched longer. She'd critique your penmanship; you'd mock her posture. The space between you on the sofa grew smaller each time.

3. The Almost

Post-ball, wine-drunk and giddy, Furina leaned in to fix your crooked tie. Your breath hitched. Her pupils dilated. Then—

"Ahem." Neuvillette materialized like a specter. "The contract is fulfilled. Suitors have ceased."

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Breaking Point

The goodbye was painfully formal. Furina offered a stiff nod; you bowed precisely 15 degrees.

Until—

SLAM

Your office door flew open at dawn. Furina stood heaving, hair half-escaped its ribbons. "Why," she demanded, "did you never look at me like you meant it?"

The legal brief you'd been holding fluttered to the floor. "Because I was terrified you'd see that I did."

Silence. Then—

"Idiot," she breathed, and kissed you.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

In Practice

The curtain rose on Fontaine's grandest opera house. Furina, resplendent in her spotlight, extended a hand toward the audience.

"Mon amour," she called, voice dripping with theatrical sweetness, "won't you join me?"

From the crowd, you sighed—but stood. The audience gasped as you ascended the stage.

"This wasn't in the contract," you muttered as she pulled you center stage.

Furina's grin was all wicked triumph. "Consider it... 'judicial discretion'."

The curtain fell on a very real kiss.

Somewhere in the wings, Neuvillette sipped his water. A Melusine tugged his sleeve. "Does this mean we plan a wedding now?"

For Neuvithesley Week 2024, day 6: sea/authority.

i made new aranara pins and melusine charms ✨

(they're available in my store now if you're interested 🥺)

also ‼️please read below for important shop/boothing updates✨