#and all we know about neuvillette is that he is over 400

[saccharinerose]

Furina 🤝 Sigewinne

being called daughters to men younger than them just bc these men use the tall male model

[cutie-writes]

Genshin Characters as the Weird Shit that Happens at my Work

(I work at a roller rink/ family entertainment)

Got their head stuck in a claw machine because they were out of money but absolutely needed that prize: klee, bennett, ITTO, kirara

On the jungle gym despite being a grown ass man literally on a business call: childe, heizou, wriothesley, venti

Complained about the structure of the building as though I created the shit: KAVEH, dori , ninguang

Asked for a refund when they never paid for anything: zhongli, fischl, furina

Had to be escorted off the rink after collapsing drunk on their ass: beidou, kaveh, VENTI

Loudly complained about his life with the bartender to a point that he hid in the back until they were gone: KAAAVEH, venti, kaeya

brought a knife in and had the audacity to act shocked that the police arrived: CHILDE, rosaria, xiao

Bragged about their VIOLENT charges across the entire state that somehow went unnoticed yet was a manager for several months????: childe, eula, wanderer

Had a break down over the rubber duck machine: furina, razor, diona

Let out the most god awful fart and blamed it on the kid next to him: HEIZOU, venti, ITTO

Dressed up as Jesus and went out on the roller rink: barbara, venti, nilou

Somehow managed to stuff the mini trash cans into the toilets?: xingqiu, klee

Accidentally broke the door off a locker: raiden shogun, itto, bennett

Gave the nicest smile before obliterating the party room: xiangling, zhongli, kaeya, YAE MIKO, ayato, ayaka

Wanted to know when the “rat guy” is coming: qiqi, albedo, lyney & lynette, xiao

Bitched about their mom when she was right behind them: wanderer

STOLE $400 WORTH OF POKÉMON CARDS????: cyno

Skated with a fucking lizard on his shoulder: tighnari, wriosthesley, baizhu, razor

Got in trouble with another mom for laughing when her kid ate shit: yae miko, hu tao, deyha, heizou *The Mom: jean, nahida, candace

Took a nap behind the front counter: LAYLA, lisa, kokomi, sayu

Decided this was a great place to read: xingqiu, kazuha, alhaitham, neuvillette, yanfei

*Pissed that it was too loud to read: Alhaitham (forgot his headphones) xingqiu, yanfei

Went on a sugar high that can only be described as traumatic: chongyun, furina, klee, raiden shogun, shenhe

Took a nap upstairs despite the fact we were literally robbed an hour ago: lisa, sayu, layla, albedo, wriothesley, yelan

Randomly on the roof after closing and noticed our dumpster was on fire?: XIAO, nahida, diluc, rosaria, freminet

Sang the entire high school musical discography while we cleaned the restrooms: BARBARA, amber, yoimiya, noelle, xingyan

Joked about a customer meeting god up close and personal if he slips on the rink: hu tao, rosaria

Asked for spare change while the fire alarm went off and we were evacuating: albedo, mona, alhaitham

*The one who pulled the fire alarm: wanderer, childe, klee

Took one hit of a vape and just about croaked: baizhu, mona, yunjin

Cracked their head open and tried to skate the next day: itto, childe, dehya

Gave all the employees sparkly stickers: yao yao, kokomi, nilou, nahida

[moon932]

I feel like Vautrin as a character gets passed by a lot in the fandom, which is a shame because he is such an interesting part of Neuvillette's past in Fontaine. And in my (very humble) opinion, I feel like out of all the characters he probably had the biggest impact on Neuvillete.

(more thoughts under the cut)

First thing that stands out to me with him is that he's the only other human character that is mentioned to have been close to Neuvillette. And most likely the first human, outside of Furina (which she both does and doesn't count? idk it weird), he would've met and grown close to when he came to Fontaine ~400 years ago. And this is interesting to me because we know how this story ends and I wonder if he is partially the reason, or maybe he just reinforced the idea, that Neuvillette abstains from forming close relationships?

Think about it, Neuvillette and Vautrin worked closely for years. Hoyo likes to be vague with their timelines so idk how long they would have been working together, but it must've been substantial for Neuvillette (who is an immortal being, so time probably feels different to him) to remember and reminisce about. We're both shown and told that they both had great respect for each other. Also one of the biggest things that stick out to me with the trial part of the story quest, is the noticable emotions in Neuvillette's voice as he juries over the trial. Which yes we know that trials make him emotional which usually manifests in the rain, but this is the first and only time (I think? pls correct me if I'm wrong on this) that it's noticeable in his voice.

The last big thing I think about isn’t the trial itself necessarily, but the way Neuvillette talks about it in the fortress with Wriothesley. I think this is more specific for the english dub bc Ray Chase, instead of saying “And I believed he had every right to feel that way.” he changes it into present tense: “I believe he had every right to feel that way.” Ok this one may be a bit of a stretch because they essentially mean and get across the same thing, but it’s so interesting that it’s changed to present tense. And honestly? I think it works better with the present tense. Because Neuvillette doesn’t condemn Vautrin for the emotions he felt, (which wild theory but maybe he was channeling his emotions towards those he killed and not necessarily towards Neuvillette? so out there ik) if anything Neuvillette seems more then ok to readily accept them and the fact that they are (supposedly) directed at him.

Some other minor stuff that always makes my brain start to whir is that while the parallel were drawn between Vautrin and Carole / Traveller and Paimon in the quest, I do think it’s more fitting to say Wriothesley and Sigewinne are a more accurate parallel. Is this a slight critique on main character privilege? Yes.

If you’re wondering why I’m fixated on this it’s because Neuvillette is a character, that while his interpersonal relationships are sparse, they’re usually a lot more complex and often deeper under the surface. Neuvillette and the melusines are some dynamics that I wished Hoyo explored more often because I would love to know how to the melusines view Neuvillette more in depth. (If Sigewinne’s voice lines or character stories touch on this please let me know! I’d love to read them.) I have barely even touched on Neuvillette and Furina because their relationship is such a complex mix of trust and fear and pain and love. Not to mention Neuvillette and Wriothesley “The words unspoken are the flower.” Okay sir, keep your secrets I see how it is.

Do I think that Neuvillette always had the idea that the Chief Justice must remain impartial in any circumstances running through his head when he first took position in Fontaine? Yes, but I do think that the trial with Vautrin may have exacerbated this thought and made it more of a lifestyle type thing. Or maybe Neuvillette believes all his relationships from then on may be set in a perpetual cycle of grief and loss because surely nothing will out live the sovereign of water, the original god of life itself?

[daybreakrising]

Furina had ever been a figure of awe to his eyes. As a child, he had watched her perform upon the same stage as his parents, heard her name uttered with a kind of reverence within his home. How many times had his mother voiced her desire to one day see him sharing a stage with the extraordinary Furina? It had been a lofty goal, one both his parents had pushed him endlessly to achieve.

In a way, he did achieve that goal - though certainly not in the way his parents could ever have imagined. The stage he shared with their archon was not that of the theatre, but one of justice, instead. He had stood in the box to deliver prosecution, had sat in the audience to watch criminals caught by his hands - or by the hands of his colleagues - receive their sentences. And all the while, Furina sat upon high, watching everything from her throne.

This is the closest he has ever been to Fontaine's biggest celebrity. Up close, she is no different to any other - yet he still feels a sense of awe within her presence. It is not her talent upon the stage, nor her (former) role presiding over Fontaine that sparks this awe, but... her strength. He knows only the little that Neuvillette has told him of the events that happened prior to his return - events that initiated his return - but emotion is something that cannot be hidden from him, not now. He felt great pain within the dragon's heart as he spoke of Furina's sacrifice, even if he did not elaborate on what that sacrifice was.

Thus, he surmised that the archon had suffered. That she can remain such a seemingly bright personality even now speaks volumes of her inner strength, and what is more deserving of awe than that?

The hand upon his arm surprises him. He is unused to being touched - truth be told, he is still readjusting to having a physical form, but even prior to his 400-year long swim, such physical contact was a rare occurrence. But, surprising as it is, he does not pull away, nor does he tense beneath her touch like he might have done under a total stranger's.

"Monsieur Neuvillette has only told me what is necessary, I believe." And he has not asked for further detail, either. "I know that it was only recently that you... retired."

He suspects there is more to it than a simple retirement, of course. He has heard the line delivered to the people of Fontaine regarding the prophecy that their Archon thwarted, but he was not once the youngest captain of the special security and surveillance patrol for nothing, and the best lies often contain enough grains of truth. Were her godly powers given up, or were they taken? And does it have something to do with how Neuvillette now exudes power in a way he never used to?

"It is not surprising that you are finding things... difficult." He nods, understanding. "If it is not too bold of me to say, I think you and I are somewhat alike in this respect, Miss Furina. When you have experienced life in a certain way for so many years, then it isn't going to be a quick and easy adjustment. You can hardly be blamed for feeling a little lost."

He lifts a hand and - somewhat awkwardly, as if he's unsure of the gesture he's about to make - gently pats the hand still upon his arm. "I know we have not been too well acquainted, Miss Furina, but I have heard that sometimes it is easier to talk to someone unfamiliar to you. There is less concern for judgement, I think, than if you were to consult with someone who knows you well. If that is something you think might help... I am more than willing to be a listening ear."

       Something she was learning — slowly, and with a great deal of trepidation and hesitance — was the value of companionship. Whether it was the visits to her apartment from Clorinde and Navia, where they talked over tea and cake or went for a walk around the Court, or simply the presence of her beloved Salon Solitaire by her side, there was a certain solace to be found in the company of others. Not only did it distract her thoughts when they most needed distracting, but there was a purpose to be found in that connection — a purpose that Furina had been searching for ever since her retirement, and would likely continue seeking for the rest of her mortal life. For so long she had sat on high and judged others, and now she could finally live among them, and share in their hopes and their wishes and their fears.

       So when her late night walk had led her to sharing a bench with Vautrin — a ghost of the past if ever there was one — she did not object as he sat beside her and talked.

       Furina recalled the first time she had stumbled into his path after his reappearance, someone who would not have drawn the eye of any ordinary Fontainian, but stirred something deep and familiar within her own memory. She had presided over many, many trials during her centuries of service and could not hope to remember them all, but Vautrin's had stood out not just for the retributive justice behind his crime, but for the effect it had on Fontaine's Iudex. Impartial though he may have been in the courtroom, Furina had sensed his regret and sadness and grief in the months and years afterwards — even if he scarcely chose to speak of it out loud. Few things had ever moved the Chief Justice so much as the trial where he had been forced to condemn a personal friend to the Fortress of Meropide.

       And so she had recognised Vautrin at once. Given all she knew now of his situation, his brush with the Primordial Sea and the way he had eventually come to know a human form once more, it really came as no surprise that he should be wandering these streets as a lost soul, much like her. But when he spoke of experiencing hundreds of years worth of memories, feeling emotions that were not his own, it tugged at something deep within her chest. A different sort of suffering, and yet as profound as her own.

       She had suffocated over years of playing a part, of watching ordinary humans grow and live and die while she stood still, cursed to forever remain the actress until the play had concluded. Each generation had come to her with their dreams and fears and joys and she had carried them all, helplessly hurtling towards a tragedy that she was not certain her performance could avoid. In the face of Vautrin's torments, she wanted to offer words of comfort, to apologise even ( when will she learn that all of Fontaine was no longer her burden to bear alone? ), but she said nothing. Instead, she carefully reached out with a hand on his arm, the true extent of the understanding in her gaze something he would likely never know.

       “ No, no, it's alright. ” Her smile was sad, and her voice hesitant. “ I'm not sure how much Neuvillette has told you... ” Though in truth, she knew the Iudex would have likely deemed it not his place to confide in her secrets, even if he had confided in his own. Even if, maybe, more than anyone, she wanted Vautrin to know. She wanted him to know that she hadn't given up her celestial powers in order to stop the prophecy, or whatever the official line on her trial and the resulting flood was. She wanted him to know that she was just like him, that she had always been just like him, masquerading her true self for centuries. But did she have the courage to tell him so? She cleared her throat. “ But you know that I am no longer Fontaine's Archon, and adjusting to... retirement is harder than I could have imagined. ”

       Come on, Furina. You can do this. Just tell him.