Whither Should the Water Flow?

Whither Should the Water Flow? is the second part of 
==Steps==
# Go to Poisson and look for Pauleau
# Accompany Furina as she unwinds
# Continue accompanying Furina as she unwinds
# Talk to Furina
# Go back and find Pauleau
==Dialogue==
;(Approach the marked location)
: Lauwick: If I remember correctly, this is where he's staying.
: Pauleau: Who is it?
: Lauwick: It's me. Is the script ready?
: Pauleau: ...You came all the way here for that?
: Lauwick: Ugh, alright, forget that for now. Just come on out, we've got some great news.
: Pauleau: Hmph, nice try... Look, just gimme some time, okay? I'm just wrapping up this last part of the script. I'll be out once I'm done.
: Lauwick: Okay then. Looking forward to your masterpiece.
: Furina: So... as expected, he's missed the deadline.
: Dulphy: The ending is one of the most important parts of the show...
: Dulphy: Even once he's done, it isn't final until we've all had the chance to read through and make sure we agree on it.
: Navia: Someone told me they'd just seen you in Poisson. I assumed it was a case of mistaken identity, but sure enough, here you are... and Furina, too.
: Furina: Ah... I was wondering if we might run into her...
: Navia: So, you're here for Pauleau? Looks like he could be a while, so feel free to take a stroll around town in the meantime. I've made all the arrangements already.
: Lauwick: Oh, it's okay, we can just wait h—
:;(Dulphy walks behind Lauwick and walks away with him)
: Dulphy: Thank you for being so considerate, Miss Navia! That sounds wonderful. We'll take that stroll!
: Dulphy: Get over here, you! How oblivious are you!?
: Furina: How are things in Poisson now? Any better?
: Navia: Things are on the mend, but it's a slow process. Some people may never recover from the trauma they experienced.
: Furina: I'm... sorry to hear that. I wish there was something I could do...
: Navia: Please... Must our conversations take such a depressing turn every time we meet?
: Navia: We all have painful memories, but we don't have to let them cloud everything we do.
: Navia: And if you're trying to make a new start, perhaps it's best if you don't bring up the past all the time.
: Furina: Thank you for your words of comfort. You make a very good point.
: Furina: But for now, at least... I think I should stay with the way I'm feeling for a while longer.
: Navia: It's okay. These things take time. Moving on from a painful experience is easier said than done.
: Navia: Which brings me to why I'm here... I thought you should probably know that not everyone here is ready to forgive and forget after the Hydro Archon's inaction in the face of catastrophe.
: Navia: To avoid upsetting the peace, I told the townspeople that everyone here is a member of the theater troupe... and that you are just an actress playing the role of Furina.
: Navia: It's not a perfect solution, but hopefully it means you won't have to lie low while you're here.
: Paimon: That's so thoughtful of you, Navia!
: Navia: Well, what do you expect? I am the courageous and considerate president of Spina di Rosula, after all, like my father before me.
: Navia: Anyway, that was all. Look after her, now.
: Got it, Navia.
: Thank you.
: Furina: Off we go then... Let's take a look up there.
: Furina: I don't have any friends that I can be frank and honest with, so maybe she's right. You're the closest thing to friends that I have.
----
;(Approach the marked location)
: Furina: I'm so grateful that Miss Navia was so understanding. To be perfectly honest, I didn't know if I was ready to meet her.
: Furina: It's always easiest to just run away from your problems. But that never fixes anything. You can't get around the obstacles without facing them.
: Paimon: So that's why you were nervous when they brought up Poisson...
: Furina: Yeah. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of coming back here.
: Furina: Still, I felt it was something I had to do. As I was saying before, I want to see for myself the things that I never could in the past.
: Furina: I'd be overjoyed if the people here could find it in their hearts to forgive me. But they're more likely to unleash a tirade of vitriol against me, which of course I completely understand and accept.
:;(Nearby citizens of Poisson glare at Furina disapprovingly)
: I'm sure some people didn't buy Navia's lie.
: Furina: Yeah... I can tell people are watching me.
: Furina: I'm sure some people here see the idea of someone coming to Poisson dressed as the Hydro Archon as extremely disrespectful.
: Furina: I used to be terrified of the gaze of other people, especially when they had suspicion or resentment in their eyes.
: Furina: ...*sigh* I guess I wasn't quite ready for this after all.
: Paimon: Paimon's surprised you're making yourself go through all this.
: Maybe you've taken on a bit too much in one go?
:: Furina: I can't let myself see only the things I want to see. How would that make me any different from before?
: Me too. It's not like you.
:: Furina: What do you mean by that? You expected me to just keep running and hiding from my responsibility forever?
: Paimon: Look... There seems to be a crowd gathering over there.
: They're not staying quiet, either.
: Furina: Probably time we made a move.
: Furina: How about we check out Spina di Rosula's ship? We should have a view of the whole of Poisson from there.
;(Talk to Dulphy or Lauwick on the middle level of Poisson near Kosel, optional)
: Lauwick: Ah, there you are. We were just buying some fish. There's a clearance sale right now, and the prices are much better than in the city.
: Dulphy: Who said anything about buying them? You're really gonna carry a huge fish around all day while we're out visiting Pauleau and Vilmant?
: Dulphy: Ah... You're right. We don't have anywhere to put it...
----
;(Approach the marked spot on the ship)
: Furina: I'm sorry, you probably just wanted a relaxing stroll, and here I am dumping all this heavy stuff on you.
: Paimon: We don't mind! It's actually refreshing to see a different side of you.
: Furina: Great. Well, I appreciate your company, so please don't disappear just yet.
: Furina: I don't know whether you can tell, but... the years of suffering and loneliness aren't the only reason I have a hard time facing up to who I used to be.
: Furina: As I stand here by the ship, I can't get the images of the rising water out of my mind...
: Furina: One after another, people were taken by the water... All those treasured lives and memories, washed out of existence in an instant.
: Furina: They thought their god would protect them. They had absolute faith that when disaster struck, a divine power would save them from harm.
: Furina: And all the while, I played my part to perfection to convince them that was true...
: Furina: But then the flood waters finally came. And the "Hydro Archon" did nothing.
: Paimon: You shouldn't look at it like that. You were only doing your duty.
: Don't be so harsh on yourself.
: Furina: I've had to go through so many moments like that for the sake of protecting the truth. As time went on, it got harder and harder to bear, and I became more lonely and isolated.
: Furina: Eventually, I realized I had nothing left except the truth. I became terrified of completely failing in my task, and was haunted by the thought of being left all alone, weeping on my throne.
: Furina: Fortunately, we were able to avoid the worst-case scenario thanks to the help of heroic individuals such as yourselves.
: Furina: Everyone rose to their responsibilities. And I finally regained my freedom...
: Furina: But on some level, freedom also means no longer being needed. I have no further use to people.
: Paimon: Huh. Paimon would've never imagined you'd see it that way.
: Think of your freedom as your reward.
: Furina: Reward?
: Because now, you can finally speak your heart.
: You don't have to be anguished and alone anymore.
: Furina: ...I guess so.
: Furina: Back then, I didn't even dare to dream about having someone to confide in.
: Furina: I was scared of someone recognizing me for who I truly was, and exposing the secret I swore to protect.
: Furina: "Believe in the Furina you see on stage. She is the one you can trust."
: Furina: I had to keep all my feelings, all my curiosity about life to myself. No-one could be allowed to know...
: Furina: That's what I really meant when I said I'm no good at maintaining relationships.
: Paimon: So that's where you were coming from... Paimon totally thought you were just a bit of a diva at heart.
: Furina: Could you please get off my case!? I don't know what's gotten into you today. I'm making an effort here, you could at least try to do the same.
: What Paimon meant to say was, she doesn't like to see you so down.
: Do you feel better, having gotten all this off your chest?
: Furina: I do. I once had nothing but the truth, and now, I'm finally free to live my own life again. And even though I have no idea where I'm going right now...
: Furina: At least the choice is in my hands.
: Furina: Alright, it's about time to head back. Pauleau should have finished the ending by now.
: Paimon: Sure. Okay, let's head back and check it out.
----
;(Approach Dulphy and Lauwick)
: Dulphy: Didn't you say you needed to watch what you eat? You're supposed to be cutting down on fried foods, not wolfing down copious quantities of fish and chips, y'know?
: Lauwick: Ah, c'mon, it's not every day we get to dine at Spina di Rosula's expense... Can you believe how generous she is? I'm not about to pass on free food...
: Lauwick: Anyway, my character doesn't need to be slim and good-looking. That's your job.
: Dulphy: Are you kidding me right now? It's not your character's health I'm worried about! It's yours!
: Dulphy: I've spent my whole life battling the effects of ill health, and it kills me to watch you willingly ruin yours by filling yourself up with junk all the time.
: Paimon: Oh no, looks like they're arguing again.
: Paimon: We're back! Could you maybe put your differences aside for a moment?
: Lauwick: Ah, you're back. We've been enjoying Spina di Rosula's VIP treatment in your stead, hehe.
: Lauwick: Pauleau's nearly done. We shouldn't have to wait too much longer.
: Paimon: Great. So, you were discussing your characters, right? We heard she's playing the oceanid who turns into a human girl — what about you?
: Lauwick: Me? I'm an oceanid, too.
: Dulphy: He was originally supposed to take the form of a crane, but he... ahem, outgrew that role. Well, the costume, at least. So now he's playing the boar instead.
: Paimon: Pff... Sorry, sorry...
: Furina: The boar's not a bad character, actually. He's the one who raises the little oceanid, yes?
: Lauwick: That's right. He has some pretty memorable lines, too, like when he imparts some solemn words of wisdom to the little oceanid:
: Lauwick: "If you become human, you can reveal your secret to no one. You will face suffering and loneliness... Is this truly what you want?"
: Paimon: Wait, that sounds kinda familiar...
:;(Paimon and the Traveler turn to look at Furina)
: Dulphy: It's the most important line in the whole script. I think it's a symbolic statement about our director's life and legacy.
: Dulphy: She kept quiet about all the trials and tribulations she faced in running our troupe, allowing us to devote ourselves fully to performing.
: Dulphy: It was only after she was gone that we realized how tough her job really was.
: Furina: You mentioned earlier that the troupe was like your "home"...
: Dulphy: Yeah. I was born with an incurable illness, and once my family found out it couldn't be treated, they decided they didn't want me anymore.
: Dulphy: I spent some years taking whatever work I could find and trying to manage my illness with various medicines. But whenever I had a bad flare-up, I'd be lying in an alleyway for days at a time.
: Dulphy: It was like that until the director found me one day. She told me I had a great voice, and asked if I was interested in studying singing from her. I said yes.
: Dulphy: She took me under her wing. Taught me to both sing and act, helped me find Mora for my meds, took care of me when my condition decided to flare up... I know it was all a huge burden on her.
: Paimon: She sounds like a really incredible person.
: Lauwick: She really was. She gave everything she had to her troupe and the people in it. All of us were so proud to call her our director.
: Lauwick: I was a lost child, too, when she found me. As the child of a murderer, my parents weren't around when I was little, so I got sent to an orphanage.
: Lauwick: The other kids were always picking fights with me... They'd say things like, "C'mon, you must be pretty tough if you're the son of a murderer!" It was just to taunt me, though. I was an easy target, and they knew it.
: Lauwick: One day, I got beaten up so bad that I just couldn't take it anymore, so I ran away. I'd lost all faith in humanity by that point. Thought the whole world was out to get me.
: Furina: Hm, let me guess... Fortunately, the next person you ran into was the director.
: Lauwick: Yeah. For the first time in my life, I was somewhere I felt safe, and I promised myself I'd stay here until the day the group parted ways.
: Pauleau: The day you hoped would never come... *sigh* How times change.
: Lauwick: Oh, you're finally done? Get your butt over here, there's someone I need to introduce you to. This is our new artistic consultant, Miss Furina.
: Pauleau: ...Furina? THE Furina? Oh my god! How did you manage to wrangle that!?
: Furina: Please, the honor is all mine. I was profoundly moved to hear about your troupe and your wonderful director. I just wanted to do something to help.
: Paimon: Same here!
: Pauleau: Even so, this is just... wow... I'm sorry. I'll try to calm down. Now, where was I...
: Pauleau: Ah yes, the script, of course! Let me give you a rundown of how the story unfolds in my version of the script.
: Pauleau: I'm sure you're already familiar with the beginning of the story: A little Oceanid decides she wants to become a human, against the wishes of her family.
:
Whither Should the Water Flow Quest Still 1.png
: Pauleau: She finds love and friendship in the bustling city. But then, disaster strikes...
:
Whither Should the Water Flow Quest Still 2.png
: Pauleau: The people start to notice that all the fresh water in the surrounding area is slowly disappearing. The soil is becoming arid, plants and flowers are withering, and the people begin to panic.
:
Whither Should the Water Flow Quest Still 3.png
: Pauleau: The little Oceanid, Clio, and her lover decide to do something about it, and investigate the truth of the matter together.
: Pauleau: In the end, they discover that all the waste and pollution created by humans over the years has caused the fresh water to flee the land, as if driven by a consciousness of its own.
: Dulphy: Consciousness? You mean... the water is sentient?
: Furina: Water as a conscious entity... There's actually quite a few stories that explore this theme.
: Pauleau: Since the little Oceanid is a water spirit, she immediately understands how the water is feeling. She then tells her lover about her true identity, as well as the truth behind the crisis.
:
Whither Should the Water Flow Quest Still 4.png
: Pauleau: Her lover accepts her for who she is, and works with her to find a way to bring the water back. However, unbeknownst to them, there were some people eavesdropping when she revealed her secret...
:
Whither Should the Water Flow Quest Still 5.png
: Pauleau: The little Oceanid is accused of being directly responsible for driving the water away, and faces the greatest dilemma of her life...
: Furina: And then...?
: Pauleau: In the end, she makes the brave decision to sacrifice herself to save her lover and the rest of humanity...
: Paimon: Huh? But didn't they all treat Clio like a villain? Why would she want to save them after that?
: Pauleau: Well, she mainly wanted to save her lover, plus everyone who'd stood up for her.
: Furina: Through her love for her human partner, she was able to find an even greater love — one that extended to all of humanity. Surely the biggest strength of Clio's character.
: Dulphy: There's actually something else that bothers me...
: Dulphy: You know the protagonist is supposed to represent the director, right? And she never had the chance to become a hero in our world.
: Dulphy: If we're serious about dedicating this show to her memory, we should make the ending as true-to-life as possible.
: Dulphy: What about if... the little Oceanid is hounded to death by people who hate her, her lover makes sure her secret never gets out, and humanity continues down the path to extinction?
: Furina: ...That sounds like too cruel of an ending to me. And perhaps a little irresponsible to present to the audience.
: Pauleau: That ending would be a perfect mirror to Director Aurelie's death. Both arbitrary and meaningless.
: Pauleau: On the day when she went missing, Director Aurelie had instructed us all — somewhat out the blue — to leave the Court of Fontaine and wait for her outside the city.
: Pauleau: We waited and waited at the rendezvous point, but she never came. By the time we returned to the city, she'd disappeared without a trace.
: Pauleau: We looked for her, the Gardemeks looked for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Increasingly, all the signs seemed to point to her being the latest victim in the serial disappearances case.
: Dulphy: The Director was the kindest soul in the world... Yet she was senslessly sacrificed for the sake of a so-called experiment, by someone who had nothing to do with her at all...
: Furina: Hmm... But doesn't the way she suddenly told you to leave the city suggest that maybe she had some sense of what was about to happen? It almost seems as if she was moving you to safety.
: Pauleau: I've been trying to follow up on that ever since, but all my efforts so far have turned up nothing... Vilmant might know something, but he won't open up to me.
: Furina: Vilmant? The one who's playing the role of the villain?
: Lauwick: Yeah. He's been overwhelmed by grief — I think the director's death hit him hardest of all.
: Pauleau: Grief? Hmph, guilt, more like. Also, I... have a hard time imagining that anyone took it harder than me.
: Pauleau: Because... Well, speaking of the play being true-to-life, I... I was deeply, madly in love with Aurelie.
: Dulphy: What? You... You kept that one quiet...
: Pauleau: It's time to be upfront with you all. No more keeping secrets from each other, we'll never be able to agree on the ending if we can't be honest about how we feel.
: Pauleau: I did tell her how I felt once, but she turned me down pretty much straight away.
: Pauleau: She said that we were all like brothers and sisters to her, and she'd never considered us as potential romantic partners.
: Pauleau: Not that it came as a shock or anything — it was what I was expecting to hear. So I told her I'd always be there for the troupe, and I'd always be there for her.
: Pauleau: I said, maybe one day in the future, when everyone's settled in to their own lives and on the up and up, and managing the troupe no longer required her constant attention...
: Pauleau: Well, maybe then she could... reconsider what she really wanted in her life.
: Pauleau: ...And now, that day will never come.
: Lauwick: Oh, Pauleau...
: Pauleau: So if I'm the one writing this ending, then I'm gonna make sure it does right by Aurelie. I won't let anyone get in the way of that.
: Dulphy: *sigh* In that case, you have to straighten things out with Vilmant once and for all. Face to face.
: Dulphy: We've all had our differences of opinion over the ending, but those two have never seen eye to eye on anything. One of them has to compromise if we're ever going to reach a final decision.
: Paimon: Well, if that's where we're at, looks like it's time to go visit Vilmant.
: Furina: Are you ready to face the truth?
: Pauleau: Honestly? I'm slightly terrified. But for the sake of our final performance, I'll do whatever it takes...
: Pauleau: Funny you should ask, though... You really do get what I'm going through right now...
: Furina: I certainly do.
: Furina: Come on, everyone. Allons-y.
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