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Furina de Fontaine—"If you must call me by a title, Director Furina will do—are you quite sure I shouldn't be calling you 'Your Highness'?"—is nice. But when Ralsei mentions the prophecy, they suddenly go still and stare at him.
"A prophecy?" they ask, voice hushed.
When Ralsei finishes telling her the story so far, she looks... a little sad, a little familiar. Ralsei knows that expression; it takes him a moment to recognize it from the mirror.
"... Prophecies are really quite troublesome, aren't they."
Ralsei sighs. "Don't I know it." They hesitate. "Have you... dealt with one before?"
"I have... Perhaps I could offer you some words of advice?"
"That would appreciated."
"... Prophecies are unavoidable, that's true. But you may find they have a little more leeway in their interpretation than you might expect."
"That's what I'm hoping. And... I have faith in Kris and Susie. They're really amazing."
Furina still looks a little sad. Ralsei bites back an automatic apology as she nods. "It's good to have people you can trust."
"... Yeah."
"... but, I understand why you don't—can't to tell them much." A wry little smile.
"... yeah."
"I suppose... don't forget that one day it'll all be over and done with. All prophecies end, eventually. Then you'll be free."
Free. It's such a strange word. Ralsei can't hold it for very long in their mind; it's like a little bird they're trying to cradle in their hands, squirming out and flapping away before they can even call out to it. Too afraid to hold it tighter lest they hurt it.
Furina is smiling, now. "Do think about it, will you?"
"... I will. Thank you." He's almost afraid to ask, but—"How did you deal with your prophecy?"
"Oh, it's a long and... somewhat sad story. But it does have a happy ending."
"I—I don't mind. I like happy endings."
"Alright." Furina clasps their hands together. "Then allow me to tell you the story of a little Oceanid..."