Je T'aime

Chapter 6: Bloom (Part 1)

"You can't escape without saying 10 nice things to the other person."

The Domain stated.

"What in the world?! Where are the monsters? The challenge? The traps? What kind of Domain are you supposed to be?" Furina whined. While in reality, her mind was thinking, 'Thank you so much for being a nice Domain. I'm so lucky to have stumbled upon you. I did not want to be humiliated today.'

"I don't see anything dangerous anywhere. Best do what it says. We don't want to be stuck here forever now, do we?" Aether asked. He coughed twice to clear his throat... and then was lost in thought. 

'How did we even get here?' Furina thought.

Flashbacks

They're great for context!

As much as Furina would've loved to spend more time in the Archipelago..., their clothes were located elsewhere. And it would be... quite embarrassing to ask him to wash her clothes for her. It would've been better if Tubby were to do it. She was the resident butler and she was a she. It's not that she doesn't trust Aether...

It's just a sensitive matter...

Which he thankfully understands. 

It was a good thing he had a spare bathroom. The only issue was that the shampoo and soap were... of poorer quality. She sucked it up. No use complaining. It's not like she can go back to Fontaine... and it would be rude of her to demand that he goes there to get her bathing products...

That is even if he manages to get to her room in the first place. Which reminds her... She did see a familiar silhouette pass by her window. When she drew the curtains, she didn't see anything resembling a man. She shrugged it off. Maybe it was a bird. 

Or maybe it was...

'What kind of reason would he have to get up to the highest floor of the Palais Mermonia? I must've been imagining things since I was distraught from losing to him in trial,' Furina shook off the memory. 

Maybe she was homesick. Already? It's only been a few days. 

She took off her swimsuit. Let the bathtub be filled with water and sank into it. Since dinner's not going to be there for another half hour, she's just going to relax for a bit...

 "Whoa!" Paimon shouted. A loud thud could be heard coming from the hallway. "Ow."

"You okay, Paimon?" Furina asked, slightly startled. 

"Yeah," Paimon winced in pain. "Just finished defrosting the chicken! Anyway, how was your beach date?" 

"B-beach date?" Furina sank further in the bathtub. Her voice muffled by the water. "It was nothing of the sort! We simply had fun. That's all."

"Uh-huh. But do you really want some advice? Because at this rate, he'll move on to Natlan and you'll have less time to spend with him," The fairy sat on a table right beside the bathroom door. She let her legs sway to and fro while searching in her pockets. 

Furina hated time limits. 

Fontaine being sunken under the sea and she'll be left all alone is something that will happen unless she does something. And now, Aether would move on to Natlan unless she does something. At least with the prophecy, she's had... 500 years? 

Aether's leaving in a year. And for a being like her, who's lived for far too long...

That kind of time feels way too short.