#sdb fics

[siennaditbot]

Somehow these always fly straight into the abyss but I'm reposting these in case they finally show up in the tags lol

Some of my fav Genshin guys reacting to Reader (you) being scared after spending the day watching true crime wooooo

Masterlist

Kinda like fanfic stuff but teeny tiny

[siennaditbot]

Sethos x Reader: Sun & Moon

Hehe, look at me actually finishing it lol. Been ages since I've written x Reader stuff but I hope yall like it. Sethos needs more love <3

Female reader but I hope yall can still enjoy it lol :>

Getting to know each other, helping each other, soft pining, subtle affection

Masterlist

Sethos was a people person. He could talk to everyone and make them forget that they hadn't just met him, seamlessly integrating into any group he wished.

He had a good facial memory, so he could strike up a familiar conversation with most of the citizens.

But there was someone in Sumeru City that he had never properly caught for a chat. A humble cleaner girl, who seemed to hate him for some reason.

Whenever he tried to start a casual conversation with her, she focused on anything but him, her body language telling him she did not want to talk. Her replies were curt and he had to try hard to keep the conversation from dying.

He was pushy, yeah, but he knew not to push his luck. She was practically holding a weapon she could smack him with, after all. An everyman’s polearm - a broom.

So, he stopped approaching her. They just coexisted, him passing by her sweeping the streets sometimes, offering a polite wave as he jogged past her.

Then, on one rainy day, Sethos was caught enjoying the shower between his errands. He stood in the middle of the empty street, eyes closed and face lifted skyward as if to hug the rainfall.

But the rain suddenly stopped.

He opened his eyes in surprise and briefly met hers, before she handed her umbrella to him and dashed off. He was left there, staring at her disappearing form and the splatters of water as she ran.

He was confused, but shrugged the absurd encounter off with an amused smile.

“Heh, guess she doesn't hate me, after all. Interesting.”

Sethos loved being in the city. It was full of fascinating people, especially within the Akademiya. He loved learning about them, their stories, ideas and passions.

And now the curt sweeper girl had caught his interest.

He still politely greeted her when he passed by, and her responses were curt as ever, usually simply nodding and letting him pass. But now he read her behavior as shy and awkward instead of hateful.

His polite smile became a bit more genuine when he understood.

He kept noticing her in other places after that, too. She was often found sitting in random spots, holding a notebook she was very focused on, not paying attention to anyone who wondered what her deal was.

Sethos was one of them. He curiously eyed her every time he saw her, but she never lifted her face from her notebook.

One day she was sitting on a box behind Lambad’s Tavern, hand going wild as she worked on the notebook in her lap. Sethos noticed her, and decided to approach her for once.

She jumped when his voice cut through her concentration, having broken into her bubble.

“Soo. What’cha working on there?”

She immediately shut the notebook and looked away, clutching it to her chest.

“Heh, you were really into it. Sorry for spooking you.”

She didn't reply, no idea what to say, so she literally waved it off. He got the message, leaning against the railing next to her.

“You're a funny one, you know. I can never expect where you'll be sitting with that secret tome of yours. I’ve heard people call you a local cryptid because of it.”

That made her snort, and she immediately threw a hand up to cover her mouth.

His smile widened, proud of drawing a new reaction out of her.

“It's true, though. I've seen you on several branches of the Divine Tree, on a roof or two, and I swear I caught you behind a bush once. What's up with that?”

She scratched her cheek shyly, not expecting anyone to pay attention to her.

“...Inspiration”, she finally managed.

“Inspiration, eh? What's so inspiring about sitting behind a bush?”

She chuckled lightly in response.

“I just like switching spots. Different angles.”

"Riight, right, that makes sense. What do you need that inspiration for, then? Writing, drawing, homework?”

She turned the cover of the notebook towards him. It had ‘sketchbook’ written on it in fancy letters.

“Ohhh, an artist, I see. That's cool. You got the whole ‘vibe’ down too, now that I think about it.”

She drew the sketchbook back to herself again, shrugging with a small, amused hum.

“Quiet and mysterious. Who knows what's going on inside those covers”, he explained with a playful grin.

She was still curt, but her small smile gave him confirmation that she definitely didn't hate him.

“I’ll let you continue, then. Can't stop an artist when inspiration hits, after all.”

After seeing her nod and timidly wave at him, he stood back up with a satisfied smile. He waved in response and walked off, arms stretched behind his head as he went to continue on with his day.

From there on, he stopped to bother her for a moment or two whenever and wherever he caught her. She didn't seem willing to talk about art or her secret sketchbook, so he kept the conversation alive, talking about whatever. She was still curt and shy, but her snorts and amused huffs became a more common occurrence as days passed.

One day, after he was done telling one of his stories, she seemed particularly thoughtful.

“What's up? Remind you of something? Oh, oh, did I give you inspiration?” he grinned excitedly, pointing at her.

She took a moment to formulate her reply.

“..How do you always have something to talk about?”

He didn't expect that. She didn't seem annoyed, though..

“Heh, I’ve just seen and heard many interesting things. I like sharing mine, and learning more from the people I meet.”

“That simple?”

He shrugged casually.

“I’m a people person. I like talking and listening.”

Her face formed a strained smile as she looked away.

“My brain always goes blank when there's people around. It's like there's not a single thought in there.”

That seemed to confirm his assumption of her treatment of him before. She was just shy. Or socially anxious.

“Ah. More of an introvert, then?”

“...No, I want to be around people. I just… short circuit. Not very interesting company.”

“I think you're plenty interesting”, he stated matter-of-factly, “you've got me curious.”

That surprised her, and she turned to look in the general direction of his face, but still not meeting his eyes.

“You’re curious? About me?”

“Sure am. There's the sitting in random spots thing, your mystery book, how you're so focused you don't react to people gawking and talking about you right next to you…”

He counted with his fingers, amused but genuine.

“There's obviously a lot going on in there. I’m curious about what sorts of ideas you have. Art isn't exactly the biggest thing around the city, after all.”

She had to take a moment to take in his words.

“It's nothing special, really. Just stories, imaginary situations and encounters.”

“A bit of fantasy added to the ordinary, eh? That's fun. Care to give me an example?”

A bit nosy, maybe, but he was interested.

She looked away for a moment, not sure if she should or whether she even could produce an example for him. He seemed genuinely curious though, so she tried, and inspiration hit when she gazed down at the docks.

“Um, like, a long-awaited reunion happening down there. A tearful embrace…”

She suddenly felt very embarrassed.

“..That's dumb, isn't it? I can-”

“No, no, no, don't worry. I can see it. A bit of a romantic, aren't you?”

She blushed a little, but shrugged with a noncommittal chuckle.

“Comes with the whole art thing, I think.”

“Heh, makes sense. I like it.”

A moment of silence. It was comfortable to him, but she felt the need to fill it.

“U-um, thanks, for, you know, always talking to me.”

He wasn't expecting that, either, and hummed in question, grinning curiously.

“...I like talking to people. It's just..difficult”, she continued, wanting her thanks to reach him properly.

“Well, I’m always down for a chat. I'll keep stopping by to bother you, then?”

“You aren't bothering me. But yeah. I'd like that. Maybe I’ll learn some tips and tricks from the master of social skills”, she joked with a soft smile.

“Sounds like a plan.”

And so they continued their occasional chats. He often ended up stopping people to talk with them, anyway, but it was nice to have confirmation that he actually wasn't bothering her.

His company gradually helped her relax and learn to imitate some of his social techniques, like asking questions and using more open body language.

Eye contact was still an issue for her, though. And to Sethos’ surprise, it bugged him a little.

He was straightforward and social, so eye contact came naturally to him. Not everyone he talked with looked back into his, so he knew it wasn't easy for everyone. And, to be fair, his eyes were kind of intense, which was a blessing and a curse sometimes.

Yet, somehow, he couldn't shake the thought of wanting to meet her eyes. She was always looking somewhere else when they talked. Usually her sketchbook.

He had only met her eyes once, by accident that time she handed him her umbrella. They were bright and curious, almost striking in the muddiness of the downpour.

He remembered them clearly.

Still, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable, so he did his best so she could relax when they chatted. He wouldn't push her, make her feel like she had to do it.

So, instead, he focused on learning more about her and her ideas and visions, and loved telling her his stories since they seemed to inspire her to some extent.

He learned to pick up on the change in her expression when she moved from listening to him to formulating an idea.

It was cute.

He thought positively about people, appreciated their qualities, both inside and out, but it wasn't often that he considered a person cute.

That thought lingered in his mind, too.

He didn't think it affected how he interacted with her, but he unconsciously became a bit more friendly, almost flirty at times. He often grinned when they talked, initiated playful physical contact - like poking or gently kicking her - and couldn't help but give her tons of honest compliments, especially on her art.

Her reactions made her even more cute to him. She blushed at times, yes, but she was playful in return, smacking him with her pencil or broom or rolling her eyes with that amused smile of hers. And she gladly showed him her work now.

One time after their brief chat when she was working, he was left with a single thought in his mind:

“Heh, shucks. I like her.”

It wasn't a world changing revelation, just made him connect the dots and realize how much his way of interacting with her had changed.

…And he was pretty sure she liked him too.

He kept interacting with her like usual, honestly just enjoying what they had. A comfortable friendship with banter, intrigue and plenty of laughter.

But it would be a lie to say that he wasn't also gauging more on what she could be feeling.

He picked his best stories, told them with a bit more flair, and gave her more casual compliments.

And, well, if their knees happened to touch when they were talking, or his playful pokes lingered on her skin a moment too long to be read as platonic, he didn't make a big deal out of it.

One day Sethos caught her sketching on a sturdy branch of the Divine Tree, easily accessible but not immediately visible to the townsfolk.

He chuckled and approached her, nimbly making his way to her in the tree.

“You're an enigma, you know that?” he grinned as he sat down next to her.

“It’s simple, really. The view is great from here. So many people to see, so much inspiration to gather.”

He looked down. The citizens were enjoying their evening activities; entering and exiting the tavern, boats docking, adventurers returning to get their rewards for their daily commissions.

It was interesting. He preferred to be mingling down there with them, but stepping back and watching the hustle and bustle from a different angle made him appreciate it in a new way.

He might not have lived in the city for long, but watching all those people do their thing made him realize how lucky he was to be around so many people nowadays. He grew up in the desert, with only the people of the temple as his company, after all.

He was gazing down with a gentle and slightly solemn expression, happy to be where he was now. He had friends, connections, and now… her, too.

He turned to look at her, about to share his appreciation for the view too, but to his surprise, he met her eyes. She had been watching him, curious about how quiet he went and what he was thinking of.

Her eyes held a hint of worry, but enough affection to make him stumble with his words. This time it was Sethos who broke eye contact, turning to look back down.

“Y-yeah. I get it. All those people have their own lives and stories to tell.”

“Exactly!” she chuckled and pointed the end of her pencil at him. “A gold mine of inspiration and ideas.”

They both loved getting ideas from people, huh? Their ways were different, sure, but maybe they were pretty similar, after all.

Stories, curiosity, ideas and inspiration. They worked well together.

That train of thought suddenly made him feel the need to communicate his feelings to her. Like his soul was calling out, wanting to connect with this girl whose company he had been enjoying more and more.

“You know, you remind me of the Moon sometimes”, he started, fittingly artistic for what he was about to do.

“Sounds fun and poetic. Care to elaborate?”

“You're always present, I just gotta know where to look. Mysterious, but mesmerizing.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

She smiled, but didn't seem to catch the full meaning of his words, so he continued.

“What I’m trying to say is, I like you. You draw my attention in a way no one else does.”

Well that definitely caught her attention.

“You do?”

Their eyes met again, and he nodded, not ashamed or embarrassed, but ever so slightly nervous.

She cleared her throat to answer him.

“...I always thought you were like the Sun. You're warm, fun, and easily draw people to you.”

She wasn't as calm as he was, but hoped her indirect poetic message reached him too.

“Does that mean what I think it does?” he couldn't help but ask, a hopeful grin on his face.

She moved her gaze down and nodded.

“I-I like you too. I feel like I can relax around you.”

Both sat in silence, soft and giddy grins on their faces, taking in the big words hanging in the air.

They turned to look back down at the citizens buzzing around the streets, the shy mood eventually becoming comfortable again, and moved on into imagining what kinds of adventures the people below them had experienced today.

Their fingers soon found each other and intertwined slightly as they sat together.

[siennaditbot]

Sethos x Reader: Mailed Flower

A story built with letters and flowers 🌻✨

Word count ~ 5700, oops xD

Pen pals, sending doodles and gifts, eventual meeting, pining

Masterlist

Greetings! I'm y/n, a florist from Chenyu Vale. I'm writing to inquire about the Akademiya and its courses about biology, specifically botany. I'm interested in enrolling in some classes, but it's a big move, so I wish to know more before committing to the idea.

I'll attach my personal details under this so someone can send me a response. Thank you in advance.

The letter was sent with excitement and hope. It passed through several hands, until it ended up in the hands of someone who lives and breathes botany.

~

Hello. We're happy to hear people from other nations are interested in studying in Sumeru. The Akademiya has all sorts of options for those who wish to learn. The entrance exams are a challenge, however, so we recommend preparing for it well.

Attached to this letter are a select few documents I often use in my teachings. I hope they're of use to you. Do send another letter if you wish to proceed.

~

She eagerly read through the attached documents. The questions weren't very hard, but some of the text took a couple reads.

So, she got comfortable in her study, grabbed some books, and made sure she understood everything.

When she did, she sent a ‘thank you’ letter, politely asking for more documents.

~

“Heyy, Tighnari, the folks directed another letter to you.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Why don't they deal with this stuff themselves?”

“Master Naphis is often busy, so these more down-to-earth matters are occasionally delegated to me. It can be a bit of a nuisance, but sometimes I'm positively surprised.”

Tighnari accepted the letter from his friend, who ended up as a mail carrier again.

“Oh, it's the same person.”

“Someone with a grudge? No, wait, is it a secret admirer~?”

“Just someone interested in enrolling. I sent some documents over last time, and she's already asking for more.”

“A bunch of nerds, all of you, hehe.”

Tighnari just deadpanned at him, and started gathering more documents to send.

~

By her third letter both Tighnari and the assigned-again mail carrier Sethos recognized her envelope and handwriting. Sethos stopped in front of Tighnari's house and did his usual playful knock.

The response was a barely audible ‘come in’. Sethos stepped in, finding Tighnari bedridden.

“Whoa, are you okay?”

“..Yes, just a bit queasy.”

“Well, that's good, I guess. What happened?”

“Ugh, heatstroke. Collei and I went to get some samples…”

“Glad she was with you, then.”

He waved the letter in his hand.

“Anyway, the same person wrote again. You still haven't scared her off, huh?”

“I haven't sent anything particularly difficult yet. Besides, she seems to find the documents interesting.”

Sethos was about to hand the envelope to Tighnari, but he gestured towards his desk instead.

“I'm in no condition to read or write right now. Mind being my secretary for a minute?”

“What's the hurry? Couldn't it wait until you're feeling better?”

“She's on a roll, hungry and excited to learn. I don't want to make her wait. Besides, I already have some documents ready from my previous lecture.”

“I can't deal with you sometimes”, Sethos huffed, but walked to his desk to sit down to read the letter out loud.

“‘Thank you again, master Tighnari. Your letters and documents have been a great help. I've already gained a completely different kind of appreciation for the flowers I see every day. It's like they're sparkling now that I know more about them.’ Pft, she drew some nice sparkly flowers here.”

“She does little doodles every time. Continue.”

Sethos grinned, cleared his throat dramatically, and continued reading.

“‘We seem to be following a lesson plan, so please send over whatever documents you find most fitting. Kind regards, y/n.’”

“See? She enjoys learning.”

“Heh, apparently.”

“The documents are in the top drawer. I've pinned them together.”

Sethos dug around, and once he confirmed they're the right ones, he folded them into a new envelope.

“I don't usually write back much. Just, I don't know, tell her that it's nice to teach someone who's so enthusiastic, even if remotely.”

“You got it, boss.”

Sethos grinned, and began to write.

Hiya, your usual mail carrier here! Tighnari is currently bedridden - just heatstroke, he'll live - so I'm his secretary for a bit. He wants me to write that “it's fun to teach someone who's so enthusiastic, even if remotely”. We'll try to keep an eye on him, so you just focus on your studies and flower shop, ok?

He tried not to grin mischievously as he drew some sparkly little flowers too, and slid the letter into the envelope.

“You rest now, I'll go drop this off. Okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

And so he did, and went to run to the city, fast on his feet like always.

~

She was surprised to see the little doodles in the usually official-looking letter she got, and it made her smile that someone had noticed and maybe even liked her own doodles.

She did the work as always, went through everything properly, and stopped to do more research if something stumped her.

Eventually she wrote back, putting down her thoughts on the documents and her occasional question. She continued her little drawings, and this time doodled some on the envelope itself, as a little nod to the mail carrier secretary person.

~

Sethos immediately recognized the envelope again when it was handed to him. Seeing the doodles on the cover made him smile in surprise, and he soon ran to Tighnari, as had become a habit by now.

“Knock knock, your long-distance student wrote again.”

“I’m here, come in.”

Sethos stepped in, finding Tighnari at his desk.

“Hiya. What'cha working on?”

“Some assignments for Collei. She has an exam soon, so we're hard at work.”

“Got time to write to our florist friend?”

“To be honest, not right now. Could I ask you to write for me again?”

“Eh, maybe this one time”, Sethos grinned, not really minding the request.

He settled down on Tighnari's bed with paper and a pen, and read her letter first. He asked Tighnari the questions she had written down, and recorded the answers to the best of his ability.

Heyy, I'm playing secretary again! Tighnari didn't really give me anything to write, though, so I'm winging it, heh. He's busy with some assignments for another student of his, so you have to deal with my chicken scratch. Oh, I'm Sethos, by the way. Not actually a mailman, or a secretary, I just do a lot of errands. Anyway, good luck with your studies!

P.S. Your doodles are fun.

He added some sparkly flowers again, and even a cute little rishboland tiger doodle.

He gathered the appropriate documents with Tighnari’s help, and sealed the envelope.

“Your smug expression is making me doubt your professionalism”, Tighnari said, squinting his eyes.

“What? Me? I'm as professional as a non-professional can get”, Sethos just laughed in response.

“I'm doubtful, but you wrote last time too and she replied, so you can't be too bad.”

“See? I've got it, teach.”

~

To no one's surprise, Tighnari wrote the letters from then on.

But, to y/n’s surprise, Sethos started doodling on the envelopes instead. When Tighnari sealed them, he took them back to the city, and did a few tiny doodles on their back before sending them forward.

Then, one day, Sethos was handed two letters instead of one. The usual proper letter for Tighnari, and one that was addressed to him. He chuckled softly and sat down to read it.

Seems like master Tighnari caught you meddling with his professional letters, eh? Haven't heard from you since the tiger doodle.

“Heh, her tiger looks way better than mine.”

We're practically friends by now, and if I'm going to move to Sumeru to enroll properly, it'd be nice to actually know some people beforehand. So. Hi, officially. Sethos, a silly errand runner guy? I'm y/n, florist, Chenyu Vale, Yilong Wharf. Here's a doodle of me.

“Wow, she's good.”

No pressure to reply if you don't want to, you just felt like a friendly person so I decided to be brave and try. As a friendly little offering, I put in some locally made tea and a drawing I did of some fluff-fleece goats we have around here.

Your friend(?), y/n

Sethos smiled softly as he read the letter and studied her drawings. He's definitely going to write back.

He immediately got to work when he got home that evening.

Hello! Heh, yeah, we're friends. I do have an actual job, too, but I just like to run a lot of errands. It's fun. And I get to meet tons of people, as you can see.

I'm friends with Tighnari and his previously mentioned other student as well. Her name is Collei, she's young but very hardworking. Our usual group also has Cyno, the General Mahamatra (a judge/cop I guess?) who seems intimidating but is actually really funny.

I'm from the desert, but I live in the city now. I do like hiking, though, and often end up finding lost or troubled adventurers everywhere. Sumeru is never boring, heh.

I'm not as good at drawing as you, but here's a scribble that's supposed to look like me, hehe.

Your friend(!), Sethos

~

Sethos’ letter was received with a surprised grin. She wasn't sure if he'd write back, after all.

Hi! I visit Fontaine a lot, and get a good view of both the rainforest and desert from up there. The trees are scarily big and the desert is so vast I'd definitely get lost there. There's plenty of pyramids and temples from what I can tell, and I'm super curious about the blue bubbly tree towering over everything! It's really pretty.

I wouldn't call my exploration of Chenyu Vale hiking, but I do walk around a lot. It helps me relax and appreciate the beauty of nature and all that. I also walk to pick up my flowers from several locals who grow them.

I included charms made of clearwater jade for each of you. There's a jewellery merchant in my neighbourhood who makes them. I would like to learn more about what you and your friends like, though, so whenever I'm inspired to send little gifts, they aren't something none of you care about, hehe.

Anyway, until next time!

She did related doodles all over, like the shapes of the biggest temples and the bubbly tree she loves. She then sealed everything and sent it on its way.

~

Hiya! Yeah, the desert is big, and there are temples and ruins everywhere. Lots of people want to go digging for treasures around there, which is why I keep running into half dead adventurers trying not to get buried in sand. I'm still not sure whether it's funny or sad.

The big bubbly tree you're talking about is called “Harvisptokhm”. The area around it is pretty, I do recommend visiting the Vourukasha Oasis sometime if you get the chance. It has its roots (hehe) deep in Teyvat’s history, but that's way too much for a fun little letter like this. The ruins in the desert are also proof of times long gone. It's fascinating.

But, back to the here and now. Tighnari is all about plants, as you know. Collei is often busy, but I think she likes sewing? Cyno… consider this my warning; he's obsessed with Genius Invocation TCG. Do with that info as you will.

They all liked the charms you sent, by the way. Collei and Tighnari prepared some bookmarks for you as thanks. The pressed flowers are a Sumeru rose and a kalpalata lotus. Cyno… sent some starter cards.

As for me… I put in a mourning flower I picked a while back. They grow around the previously mentioned oasis! I'm not too familiar with plants, but these ones are funny to me.

~

Hii!

My studies are going well, even if it's just to prepare for actual classes. Maybe someday soon I'll actually be able to become a real student there, hehe. The questions occasionally stump me, but it's nothing too difficult, so I'm still excited.

I'm planning on visiting Fontaine again soon. I often go to get some Fontainian flowers in my shop, they're so different from all other plants. Some even look like they're made of water!

…hehe, sorry, I'll switch off from nerd mode. So. Do you have other hobbies aside from hiking? I like to go out to watch performances at the local teahouse. We have a Wushou Dance Troupe here, they're fun! I can't really play any music myself, but I do enjoy singing on my walks sometimes, hehe.

The flowers you guys sent were amazing, by the way. Absolutely made my week. And tell Cyno that I'm learning how to play his beloved card game. Emphasis on “learning”...

Anyway, have a nice day! :)

~

Hello hello!

Every time you sound more and more like our local nerds, hehe. You'll fit right in.

Hobbies? I like cooking, it's especially fun when I gotta be creative on my hikes. Sometimes it ends up amazing, other times… barely passable.

We have a theater here for performances as well. One of our friends is a dancer there, we go watch her shows sometimes. She even performed during our Archon’s birthday celebration! You’ll have to visit the theater too sometime.

I do like to entertain myself with a lyre on quiet camping nights, too. The clear starry sky above, campfire crackling, meat grilling and some soft tunes… Ah, there aren't many things better than that.

~

She noticed the stupid, brief tinge of jealousy at the mention of the dancer friend, but immediately stifled it. She barely knows the guy, getting jealous is just insane.

She slapped her cheeks and sat down to respond.

Stars, food, music and a campfire? That does sound perfect. Especially in the desert, I'm assuming. Unobstructed view of the stars, the warm fire when the night starts to get cold…. You're almost making me jealous, hehe.

That was closer to the truth than she'd like, but she left it in anyway. It's not like he’d suspect another meaning for it.

That reminds me of my childhood, actually. Me and my family climbed up to one of the mountains nearby, and we had snacks and tea while seeing the sights in every direction. My parents are enjoying their retirement now and travel as much as they can, and my siblings have their own jobs so I rarely see them either.

Well, that's what growing up does to a person, I'd assume. Not to sound like an old person though, I'm in my mid twenties, I swear, hehe.

~

Family hiking trips? That sounds nice. Now I'm jealous. Hmm, no, desert camp nights are still better, hehe.

My grandfather often took me camping, hunting and exploring. He taught me everything I know, even combat. I'm a force to be reckoned with, you know!

Do you ever need to fight? Chenyu Vale must have its own share of monsters and predators, after all. Sumeru has tigers and fungi, and the occasional treasure hoarder or hilichurl. I do occasionally use my trusty polearm, but I think I prefer my bow. Electro bolts are preeetty nifty in defending oneself, hehe.

He hoped the playful boasting distracted her from the lack of mentioning other family members.

~

As I do walk alone a lot, I have had to learn basic self defence skills. Dendro isn't that useful in combat by itself, but a few swipes of my claymore usually do the trick. I can be a destructive force too if I wish, I'm not just flowers and sparkles either!

(Here's a doodle of my beloved blade.)

Your grandpa sounds nice. My parents taught me a lot, but they were more interested in herbs than flowers, so I've had to do tons of studying growing up. I never knew my grandparents, I think they lived closer to Liyue Harbor.

Oh, I'm finally going to visit Fontaine tomorrow! Another plant run, but I'm gonna go see the magic show I've been hearing a lot about.

Master Tighnari's also been sending tougher assignments, but I guess that means that the exam is getting closer. Wish me luck!

~

Dendro, eh? You'll really be right at home in Sumeru, then. Both Tighnari and Collei also have dendro visions. Me and Cyno wield electro ones. Easy aggravate teams!

I bet your parents’ teachings were useful despite everything. Collei is studying medicinal herbs too, I think. She wants to help others. You'd get along well, I know it.

“She was honest about sad things too, so maybe it's okay for me too. Just a little.”

I can't remember my actual family, I was raised by my adoptive grandfather. I'm not complaining, though, he was wise and kind. And patient - apparently I was a wild kid, heh. I still get comments about being difficult to control to this day.

I've also heard about the magic show, I think. The twins, right? Fontainian tourists often recommend them to locals here. I hope that it was fun!

But yeah, Tighnari mentioned that the entrance exams are approaching, I think he'll talk more about the logistics in his next letter. Good luck!

~

The Fontaine visit was great as always, and the magic show was amazing. I even got a signed card from Lyney - Lynette isn't very big on fan meetups, hehe.

Wild kid, eh? So was I. Climbed trees and kept spooking the goats and people's pets. Oops. I've calmed down, though. Calm as the breeze~

That's me trying to calm myself down by the way. Entrance exams next week, it turns out. I've been cramming to the best of my ability, but running a shop at the same time is tough. But I'm tough too, so I'm managing!

So, apparently I'll be coming to Sumeru next week. There will probably be plenty of others coming for the exams too, but keep an eye out, maybe we'll meet face to face.

Here I come, nation of wisdom!!

~

Sethos was both excited and nervous for her. This exam could mean big changes for her, after all.

Well, he was also excited and slightly nervous to meet her. He has plenty of friends and great social skills, sure, but it's a new thing for him to only know someone via sending letters. They're friends, though, so he's mostly excited.

He did his best to stomp down the nervousness, because it was making him act weird. He couldn't help looking around all day, trying to figure out who matched the doodle she had sent ages ago.

He was just excited to meet his new friend, that's all.

He wasn't wondering at all whether she'd really be just as fun, nice and spunky as she seemed.

Turning around to look at another group walking past him, he forcefully turned his soft smile into his usual friendly grin, and exchanged polite greetings with them.

~

Eventually, when the test was finally over and she could relax, she started walking around town to look for her friends. It didn't take long for her to be stopped by a young guy with big canine ears and a tail.

“Hi there. You're one of those who came in for entrance exams today, right?”

“Y-yes, I am.”

“My friends and I are looking for a particular student, and you seem to match the description I got. Would you happen to be y/n?”

She was stunned, and grinned excitedly.

“Yes! That's me!”

“Good, I thought so. Come on, let's go find the others. I'm Tighnari, by the way.”

“Master Tighnari? It's so nice to meet you! Thanks for all your help, I've learned so much!”

“It's nothing big, really. But I'm glad you're enjoying learning more about botany.”

They continued their nerdy but friendly chatting as they walked around the city. They ran into Collei, who was speaking to - and apparently trying to escape from - a twin tailed lady. Tighnari exchanged a few polite words with her, and when she finally left, he introduced y/n to Collei.

“I-I've been wanting to meet you! We're practically classmates, after all”, Collei smiled softly.

“Heh, yeah. Me too. I've heard so much about you guys, it's great to finally have faces for the names!”

She couldn't help looking around for the other two people she knew. Well, maybe she was a little more excited to meet one than the other, but still. She was grinning.

“I have an idea where Cyno might be at this time of day”, Tighnari sighed, and led the way to what seemed to be a cozy café.

On their way down the ramps, however, they heard someone running down to catch up with them.

“Tighnari, wait! Have you seen-”

The steps slowed down and soon stopped. The group turned around.

“Seems you have”, Sethos grinned widely, eyes immediately finding y/n’s as he approached the trio. He turned to her. “Would you happen to be my nerdy florist pen pal?”

“You certainly look like the one drawing I was provided of my pen pal. Messy hair and all”, she replied, immediately smitten with his beautiful green eyes.

“And you look exactly like your cute little doodle.”

She laughed softly and held out her hand, still looking into his eyes. He really liked her smile already, and happily shook her hand. It was soft compared to his slightly calloused one.

“Nice to finally meet you, Sethos. I'm y/n.”

He did his best to hide how his smile threatened to widen.

“Welcome to Sumeru city. We've been waiting for you.”

The other two pairs of eyes watched them with amused smiles.

“One more to go, then. If we have any luck, he won't make us play Genius Invocation when we find him”, Tighnari sighed.

They weren't lucky, but at least they had cafè goods to ease the pain.

~

When the first reds and oranges of the sunset started to paint the sky, it was time for y/n to start heading back home for the night.

“It's been amazing to meet you guys, but I have to go”, she smiled sadly.

“We can definitely fit in one more game”, Cyno tried to protest. She had been the weakest denier, so she ended up playing several games with him. It was certainly a way to relax and make friends, at least.

“I really should go, I want to walk while it's still somewhat light out. Sorry, Cyno. I promise to play more next time.”

She then turned to Tighnari.

“When will I know the results of the exam?”

“Within two weeks, I'd say.”

“You know your stuff, you'll definitely get in!” Sethos nudged her, and Collei echoed his words as well.

“Yeah, you got it!”

“Hehe, I sure hope so. Sumeru is amazing, I can already imagine living here.”

She then gathered her things and got up.

“I'll see and hear from you guys again, no matter the results, okay?”

“Of course. We're friends now”, Tighnari replied, and the others nodded.

“Bye for now, then. I'll miss your faces!” she laughed, made eye contact with Sethos specifically, and finally headed out with friendly waves from both parties.

When she was gone, everyone turned to Sethos. He just crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back in his seat.

“Told you she was nice.”

“She was”, Tighnari nodded.

A moment of silence.

“You can walk with her to Vayuda Harbor, you know. We won't make a big deal about it”, Tighnari sighed and leaned forward to rest his chin on his hand. “I'm pretty sure she wanted you to, anyway.”

Sethos looked at his friends, and couldn't help the heat rising on his cheeks when he saw the hint of smugness on Cyno's usually expressionless face.

“It’s only polite to walk your new friend to the harbor”, Collei added, trying to make the situation less awkward.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm going”, Sethos finally agreed, exhaling heavily to cover his eagerness to run after her. He excused himself swiftly, and dashed after her once he was outside.

~

She sighed sadly as she hoisted her bag on better and headed towards the back gate of the city. She was going to miss her new friends. Well, she already did.

When she heard the quickly approaching steps behind her, she couldn't help but turn around with hopeful eyes. Sethos easily caught up with her, immediately more awkward than he thought he'd be.

“I.. thought I should walk you to the harbor. The path isn't very clear and all that”, he tried to explain himself.

“Aw, thanks. It's been a while since I've walked with someone, so it was difficult to ask, hehe.”

Sethos pocketed his hands, and led the way, his smile now undoubtedly wider than usual.

“So. How'd you like the gang?”

“You had described them perfectly. Can't wait to meet them again.”

“Just them?” Sethos found himself saying.

“Eh, I could tolerate seeing your face again too, I guess”, she grinned back.

“Yours is very tolerable too, I suppose.”

He was surprised by his own words. Was he flirting??

Slightly flushed, he cleared his throat and directed the conversation elsewhere.

“Did you run into any trouble on your way here from the harbor?”

“There were a lot of others walking, too, so not really. I did notice a group of cute little mushroom guys at a distance, but nothing happened.”

“That's good, then. But you could have defended yourself, of course.”

“Of course.”

She materialised her claymore in her hands and dramatically held it towards him.

“Very dangerous indeed”, he chuckled, and held the tip of the blade to look at it up close. “It's very nice. Where did you get it?”

“My parents brought it for me from the Windblume festival in Mondstadt a few years ago.”

“That’s sweet.”

He took out his beloved bow, and held it towards her.

“I got this from my grandfather. I'm not sure whether he made it, found it or bought it, but I still treasure it.”

She ran her fingers along the bow, studying the design.

“It's really cool. Can I try shooting?”

“Sure, now I wanna see that”, he shrugged playfully and handed her the bow and an arrow.

With little effort, she drew back the string, and aimed at a log nearby. She was strong, but not good at aiming, so the arrow flew into the ground nearby instead.

Still, Sethos was impressed.

“A little practice with aiming and you'll become an archer yet!” he grinned and walked out to pick up the arrow. He also took the chance to force himself to look away from her for a moment.

She was nice, fun, smart AND strong?

He'll be in trouble at this rate.

“Would you like to try my claymore?” she chuckled and held the blade out to him. He shrugged and took it, testing its weight in his grip.

“It's a quality blade for sure.”

He did a few swings, certain that it could cause serious damage.

“I prefer moving swiftly, which is difficult with a heavy weapon, but you'll definitely be able to protect yourself with this.”

“Hehe, yup. I'm not super fast anyway, so I'll make up with strength. I carry a lot of flower boxes for long distances, you know.”

She playfully brought her arms up to flex them for a moment, but relaxed once Sethos handed her claymore back to her.

“You're a very interesting person, you know”, Sethos grinned.

“Right back at you, buddy. You seem like a people person, but still somehow mysterious. I dunno.”

“Guess we gotta continue getting along to uncover each other’s secrets, huh?”

“Eh, doesn't sound too bad”, she chuckled.

They walked in silence for a moment, both looking around with content smiles. When she knelt down to look at some flowers, he couldn't help but admire her. Her eyes sparkled, her smile was warm as ever, and he wanted to run his fingers through her soft, shiny hair, maybe even style and braid it…

“This one is really pretty. A Padisarah… right?”

He jumped when she spoke up, immediately looking anywhere but at her.

“Y-yeah, I think so.”

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he forced himself to look at the flower and answer properly.

“It is. It can be used to make Padisarah Pudding, heh.”

Her expression brightened even more. Archons, he was in trouble.

“I gotta try that next time then!”

She looked at the flower for a while longer, and eventually stood back up.

“Had to nerd out for a moment. I'm back now.”

“I'm used to being around plant nerds at this point, you know. No need to apologize.”

She chuckled softly in response.

“Heh, thanks. I'll try my best not to drown you in botany jargon, anyway.”

“I am beyond grateful”, he joked, but wouldn't mind seeing and hearing more of her nerdiness. It was cute.

Some time later Sethos stopped walking, noticing something moving somewhere close by. She stopped too, confused and immediately on edge.

“What is it?” she whispered.

He carefully looked around them, eventually determining where the sounds came from. He immediately relaxed.

“Just a rishboland tiger. It's keeping watch, but doesn't seem ready to pounce.”

She followed his gaze and found the tiger. Sethos gestured for her to continue walking so they'd leave the beast be.

“They're cuter than I thought they'd be. Also somehow they look like you.”

“That sounds like a compliment, so thank you, but how, exactly?”

“I dunno. The eyes, maybe? Something in the vibes or colors? I have no idea, actually.”

“Well, I'll take that, anyway”, he chuckled softly, slightly flushed at her odd yet kind words.

“Are they dangerous?”

“They’re very territorial so they do sometimes jump down from their hiding spots to ambush people, but they aren't that bad if you're quick enough or know how to defend yourself.”

“Wow. Gotta keep my eyes open when walking, then.”

“That's always good.”

Eventually they started approaching the harbor. It had taken a good while, but it was still too soon.

She turned to look at him.

“Thanks for walking with me, Sethos. You didn't have to do that.”

“It's nothing, really. And, well, I wanted to, anyway.”

His face gained color for the hundredth time that day, but so did hers.

“You're so sweet. I'm glad we met, hehe.”

“..Yeah. Me too. You're great company.”

“Aw, thanks. You're making me blush”, she practically giggled.

He unconsciously brought his hand up to scratch his face.

“Right back at you…”

A moment of awkward, but happy silence.

“Ah, the boat looks like it's gonna leave soon.”

“True, you should hurry.”

She didn't move at all.

“I'm gonna miss you guys.”

“We'll miss you too, but you're definitely getting accepted into the Akademiya. We'll be seeing you again very soon, I know it!”

“Heh, you're the best.”

She tentatively held her hands out, asking for a hug. He happily complied to her request, not able to ignore the way the contact made his chest tighten, even if the hug was very brief.

“Now go, or you'll miss your boat. We'll be here, waiting for you.”

“Yeah. I’ll see you soon, Sethos.”

“...Yeah. See you soon.”

They waved goodbye, and went their separate ways for now.

~

Some time and a few letters later, the exam results came out.

She was accepted.

It didn't take her long to delegate her shop to a worthy successor, pack her things, and move over to the dorms in the city.

Her new friend group was already waiting in the harbor to help carry her things. The move went smoothly, thanks to them.

Sethos’ enjoyment of running errands was obvious now that she saw him in action. She was just doing her own things, but kept running into him everywhere, and always stopped to exchange a few words.

Everyone could see how much they enjoyed chatting. Tighnari, Cyno and Collei had front row seats, but kept their teasing to a minimum. Usually.

With time the group grew closer, and the two especially so. Now that they weren't limited by distance, they hung out a lot, and casual physical contact became a normal thing for them. A bit gross, sometimes even sickeningly so, yet still somehow cute. Hair ruffles, nudges, pokes…

Sethos’ wish to style her hair also came true, and it was just as soft as he had imagined. She was very happy with the result, too, so he could definitely do it again. As soon and as often as possible, really.

~

One day - to no one's surprise, really - he stopped her for a chat, and handed her a familiar looking envelope.

“We don't need letters anymore, do we?” she grinned, but accepted it nevertheless. “Want me to open it now or later?”

“...Now, preferably.”

She nodded, and excitedly opened the envelope. The only thing inside was a pressed rainbow rose bookmark.

“Aww, thank you, Sethos, I love it! Where'd you even get this? They only grow in Fontaine”, she gasped, marveling at the colorful flower.

“I had to pull a few strings, heh. But it had to be this one.”

She carefully studied the bookmark. It was truly beautiful, and she'd definitely treasure it. She was grinning happily, until she looked back at him.

He was looking at her, more nervous than she'd ever seen him. His eyes flicked back down to the bookmark, and then up at her.

Then it clicked.

“Have you, possibly, maybe, been looking into flower languages or something?” she asked shyly, almost whispering.

“Yes”, he replied simply.

“..Is this what I think it is?”

“..Yes.”

“..Are you sure?”

“..Rainbow roses represent passion and.. romantic encounters, so… Yes.”

She turned the bookmark in her hands, shy but impossibly happy. She then took a book from her bag, carefully placed the bookmark inside it, put it back, and reached for his hands.

“That was such a sweet yet cheesy move.”

“I've been working on this for a good while, you know. But it was worth it.”

A tender and blissful moment of silence.

“Heh. I never knew falling in love could be so easy”, she smiled, blindingly bright.

He brought their joined hands up and tentatively planted a gentle kiss on her knuckles. He couldn't stop the stupid grin and soft flush rising on his face.

“Me neither. Yet here we are.”

“Here we are, indeed.”

[siennaditbot]

Sethos x Reader: The Sound of Silence

Heehe I've never cooked this fast (and hard?) lol. Hope you enjoy!!

Words: 4163!

Childhood best friends, shenanigans at the temple, comforting each other, subtle and comfortable affection

Very canon compliant!

Masterlist

Three pairs of tiny feet splashed in the shallow water of the oasis, a chorus of giggles bursting out with every swing and stomp. The kids were having the time of their lives, until they were called inside again.

“Agh, seriously? We're going to run out of clean and dry clothes at this rate..” the lady in charge sighed, ushering the kids into their rooms to change.

It was time for some quiet studying, and after that, the usual evening meal.

Days at the Temple of Silence were simple and structured, but nice and cozy enough to be happy.

Y/n, Cyno and Sethos had grown up together within the walls of the temple. None of them really remembered their real families, and maybe it was better off that way. A kid didn't need to know if their parents had died or sold their child, after all.

Regardless of their backgrounds, they had found a home. They were fed, educated, trained, and got plenty of free time to play with each other, too.

What more could a little kid need?

Definitely not a test of whether a fragment of a god likes them or not.

But that is exactly what the children of the temple had to go through.

~

“It looks scary, I don't want to-!”

“Y/n, there's nothing to be afraid of. If he doesn't pick you, you'll be fine. If he does, it's a marvelous thing and a great honor.”

The little girl was gently but firmly pushed towards the pulsating fragment, already reacting to the presence of people.

“I don't-!”

“Y/n, go! Now!”

She didn't have a choice. Small fists clenched and tears in her eyes, she walked towards the fragment. It sparked and pulsed in place, as if studying her.

Then it let out a violent hiss, and she stumbled on her behind, scrambling away as soon as she got on her feet.

“Good job, y/n”, the adults briefly smiled, petting her hair, “you can go now. He didn't pick you.”

She ran off, still crying, barely noticing how another kid was called in for his turn.

She ran through the temple halls to her favourite spot, a tiny nook in the weapon storage wing. It was a secret hideout for her and her best friends, and they had planned to meet there that morning.

Sethos was already waiting there. He immediately turned to his crying friend.

“Y/n, are you okay? Where were you?”

He dragged her down to sit with him, looking into her eyes and wiping a tear off her cheek.

“They took me to-to see the pieces. It didn't hurt, it was just scary.”

She kept sniffling, but soon calmed down thanks to him and his warm palm on her cheek.

“What happened?”

“...There was a little orb. One of the pieces of Lord Hermanubis. I-I had to walk to it, see if he'd pick me too.”

She still trembled a little, so he held her tiny hand with his.

“Did he?”

“...No. The piece hissed at me, and I ran off.”

“Okay.”

That was all he could reply. He didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing, after all.

Sethos himself had gone through the same thing, apparently, but with a very different outcome. He had no recollection of the events, only a vague memory of being really sick for a while. He had been told she'd cried at his bedside for days, especially when he hadn't recognised her or Cyno.

He had become one of the vessels for Hermanubis’ power. That’s what the adults said. He had no idea what it even meant.

Whatever happened had just made him sick and hurt his friends.

And now she'd been through the same test, too, just without losing her memory.

He tightened his hold of her little hand. She remembered him. That was good, at least.

But now the problem was Cyno's absence.

“Did you see Cyno?”

“I don't think so”, she said, wiping her eyes with her arms, “I ran so fast I barely saw anything.”

“..Let's go look for him. I've got a bad feeling about this.”

They snuck out and walked through the halls hand in hand, peeking behind corners and checking their usual hide-and-seek spots. But they didn't find him.

Until he walked towards them from the scary corner of the temple she had just moments ago ran from.

“Cyno!!” they both exclaimed and ran to him, hugging him.

He stood there, unmoving.

“Are you okay??”

“Did you see the pieces??”

They practically shouted at him once they had given him a bit of space. Cyno just stared.

“I don't know. I'm tired. My head hurts.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Let's go get you some help-’

“Who are you two again?”

Their eyes flew open, pupils shrinking in shock.

“It’s us! Your best friends, Sethos and y/n!” Sethos tried to grin, but it looked more like a grimace.

“Yeah! And we were planning our snack heist for today, remember?”

“...I don't know. I don't remember.”

He suddenly fell on his knees, clutching his head and clenching his teeth in pain.

“He needs help”, they shouted, making eye contact.

“You stay with him, I'll go get someone”, Sethos decided, “I'm faster.”

She nodded, and he immediately dashed away to find someone, anyone.

But while Sethos was gone, Cyrus appeared. He ran out from the scary room with a panicked expression, and it worsened when he saw the situation.

He approached the two kids, trembling.

“Sir Cyrus! Come help Cyno!” she immediately called out.

Cyrus knelt down, picked the confused boy up to hold him gently against his chest, and looked down at her.

“Y/n, be good, okay?”

“What does that-”

“Please be good. And take care of Sethos for me”, he pleaded.

“Wh-”

“Goodbye, y/n.”

Cyrus carefully held Cyno as he ran off towards the exit.

“Where are you going?! Bring Cyno back! Sir Cyrus!!”

She was left there, screaming and crying, as one of her best friends had once again forgotten her - and this time taken away to who knows where.

She slumped on the ground, curling into herself, and cried herself dry and sore.

When Sethos eventually returned with an adult, she didn't have any tears left, so she just held onto him, afraid of him being taken away as well.

When he found out, he cried too.

~

Their group obviously felt empty without Cyno, and they didn't know what to do about it.

One day y/n and Sethos were sitting outside by the oasis, not in the mood to play, but just sitting there to absentmindedly watch the fish.

“Did you ask your grandfather about Sir Cyrus and why he left and took Cyno?”

“I did, but he said it was complicated. He was mad about it, too, so I didn't wanna make it worse.”

“I'm also mad! How could he just take Cyno?! And after he lost his memories, too!”

She pouted, and Sethos tried to support her by leaning against her shoulder.

“The adults must know what they're doing. Grandfather says that they're close, and that it's going to be great.”

That didn't seem to lift her mood, so he tried again.

“I'm sure we'll see him again one day.”

He was angry as well, especially since he hadn't even been there to witness the situation. Cyno had just been ripped away from their lives all of a sudden, and it still didn't feel real.

But Sethos himself had also apparently been blessed by Hermanubis, so he didn't exactly have the choice to leave or fight against the adults, either.

“I'm glad I still have you, though”, she smiled sadly, resting her little head against his. “But yeah. We'll find him one day. I'm sure.”

~

As days, weeks, months and years passed, the memory of Cyno became more and more hazy. It never went away, of course, it just stopped hurting as much.

Sethos and y/n were still kids, but they'd gotten busier as time passed. More education, more training, more tasks. They had to learn more about the temple and what it stood for - especially Sethos, since he was the heir and the remaining vessel.

Y/n had her own share of tasks too, of course. She wasn't as informed about all the lore of the temple, but did her best with the more physical labor as she grew. She wasn't as quick and nimble as Sethos, sure, but was as much of a little rascal as he was. She ran through the temple delivering things from one member to another, learnt combat from some of the older folk and also Sethos who was taught by Bamoun himself, and became a handy little scavenger to pass time while Sethos was busy.

She heavily contributed to the number of times they could eat fish, and she was proud of that.

Sethos was trained in all forms of combat - polearm, sword, claymore and bow. He preferred the polearm, though, since his grandfather did as well. She, on the other hand, was on her way to become a skilled swordswoman. As she practiced, she even started fishing with her blades instead of a fishing pole.

Despite all the training and studying, the two stayed close through all the years.

~

“Knock knock. I’m really feeling like having scorpion today. Wanna take a break and come with?” she leaned in his room with a grin, skillfully spinning one of her dual blades in her hand.

Sethos grinned back just as smugly, closing his books.

“Heh, sure. Someone's gotta watch how you dish the spices, after all.”

“Rude, but true”, she chuckled, sheathing the weapon and stepping out the way. Sethos stretched his arms and back, earning a good few pops, and walked to her.

“You know, it's like you have a sixth sense for when I'm starting to get hungry.”

“We've been close for years, Seth. You should stop being surprised by my awesomeness.”

He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“Sure, sure, maybe one day. But scorpion, eh?”

“Yup. They're making potato boats and other stuff I don't really care for today, so I thought we could go for a little hunt and get our own food. Sound good?”

“Definitely. Not as much of an adventure as it used to be, but fun nevertheless. Lead the way, hunter.”

“Just try to keep up.”

“You know I'm still faster than you.”

“Oh shut up and come on or they'll stop us again.”

They swiftly exited the temple and made their way along the cliff sides, until a lone scorpion caught their eye.

“The usual plan?” she grinned, taking her blades out.

He materialised his polearm and nodded.

“Yup. Get ready.”

She nodded and brandished the weapons, and he dashed forward, spear in hand. He jumped over the scorpion with an overly dramatic flip, dug the tip of the blade into the sand underneath it, and launched the creature towards her. She caught it midair with her swords, and slammed it down on the ground to finish it off.

“I think that might have been our best time”, she chuckled, giving him a high five.

“Eh, you could've been a bit faster.”

“Says the one who had to show off his agility and do a stupid flip.”

“Hehe, you're just jealous.”

She rolled her eyes and shooed him away.

“Go get firewood already, you doofus.”

He laughed softly, ruffled her hair, and started gathering dry sticks and branches nearby while she began preparing the scorpion meat.

It didn't take long for them to have a crackling campfire with a good amount of fresh meat grilling over it. They were sitting together in front of it, enjoying the warmth of the fire as the cooling evening air started nipping at them.

Both had soft smiles on their faces.

“Running away in secret has always been fun, but it's especially so when I've had my nose in a book all week”, he eventually chuckled, “so thanks.”

“I'm glad you're benefiting from me being a picky eater, hehe.”

He playfully elbowed her.

“I meant it, you know. I know I was doing important stuff, but I feel like I was built to be active and spend time outside instead.”

“That does sound more like you than being a nerd in a dusty study.”

“Heh, exactly. So, we're enforcing each other's bad habits by being here.”

“Isn't that what friends are for?” she bumped into his shoulder with hers, grinning playfully. He elbowed her again.

“Apparently, but don't push your luck.”

The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time the meat was done. Just like usual, Sethos did his magic with the spices, and they leaned back to look at the stars while enjoying the warm fire, good food, and even better company.

“This never gets old.”

“You sound like an old man, Seth.”

“Am I wrong though?”

“...No, you're not.”

“Thought so.”

Once Sethos was done with his food, he fished out his lyre from his bag, and started gently picking at its strings, playing a relaxing rhythm. She lounged next to him at a friendly distance, but even a fool would know that the look in her eyes was far from a friendly one. His wasn't much different - though maybe even softer than hers.

But neither brought attention to it. Maybe they didn't know, or maybe they just wanted to give it time.

They were perfectly content nevertheless.

~

“Sethos, Djer, y/n, training day. Let's go.”

Bamoun's word was law, and so they left. She was excited, anyway. She liked their regular combat camps, for both sides of the experience - combat AND camping.

The group gathered everything they needed for the trip before heading out to their usual training area.

“Ready to get beat up?” she playfully poked him.

“You should be. I may have been training my archery lately, but my polearm is still deadly, you know”, he grinned back.

“That little stick? It looks like it'll snap in half any second now.”

“So you'd better pray you're not the one it ends up snapping on.”

“If you get that close, it's already too late for you.”

“Now you're just starting to sound jealous.”

“Me? Of what?”

“If you hadn't been such a picky child, maybe you'd have the skills to wield several weapons now too~”, he smirked with a mischievous lilt in his tone.

“Psh, I'm plenty capable with just my blades, and you know that.”

“You say that, but when you feel like eating fowl, can you snatch a bird midair?”

“...Will you ever stop boasting about that? You already got your grandfather's pride and even a gift, what more could you possibly want?” she whined dramatically, a playful glint in her eyes.

“Your undivided admiration, of course.”

“Never.”

“Aw, shucks.”

Little did he know, he already had that.

Eventually they reached their training grounds, and got to work. Sethos set up a few targets for him to shoot at, while Bamoun directed Djer and y/n in a practice duel. Polearm versus twin blades was fairly evenly matched, even if one had an advantage with the weapon’s reach.

Bamoun was a good teacher, since he offered to teach everyone to wield several weapons if they were willing to learn. So, after some time and a brief break, he directed Djer for some archery training as well, and Sethos and y/n could duel, polearm versus blades, as always.

This time, however, something went wrong. That being a shot Djer missed.

The arrow flew into a passing herd of sumpter beasts - animals that aren't exactly known for running away when spooked.

The group was soon surrounded by wild beasts.

Bamoun wasn't exactly in the best shape after all the years and battles he'd gone through, so it was up to the three youngsters to deal with the herd. The beasts were strong and thick skinned, so the fight went on well into the night, the toughest of them fighting back until the crack of dawn.

The four humans were pushed back by the beasts, and as the fight continued, they'd covered a good amount of ground.

And some bad ground, too. The heavy beasts started sinking into the apparent quicksand with loud and panicked cries, and the four humans had to think quickly to avoid the same fate.

In little more than an instant Sethos had fished out rope and tools, and helped the group up to higher and more solid ground. Some of the sumpter beasts tried to follow them, but he shot them down. The rest fled the scene.

They had barely managed to find their bearings when the wind started howling angrily, and its speed soon picked up to a dangerous level.

“Quick, we don't have cover or the strength to run!” Sethos called out, and ushered the group closer.

“What can we do?” y/n asked, trying to keep her voice calm and level.

“Just hold on.”

Sethos made eye contact with her briefly, and tied the rope around her waist with careful but hasty moves, and did the same to the other two and himself.

“Stay low and hold on to anything you can!”

He managed, any other words drowned out by the howl of the harsh desert storm.

Her knuckles were white and fingers covered in cuts from holding on to branches and rocks for who knows how long.

So were his. He was tired, but he had to stay strong and hold on. For their sake.

Eventually the winds died down, and everyone slumped on the sandy rocks, completely spent. Sethos made sure everyone was there and okay.

Djer was a fellow temple member so Sethos obviously cared for him too, but he'd be lying if he said that he treated Djer with care and tenderness similar to what y/n and Bamoun got. The other two were more important to him, after all.

Everyone was quiet and tired on the way back. Djer supported Bamoun and y/n Sethos as they walked. She whispered supportive and thankful words the whole trek back, only broken by a little surprise.

Sethos' leg had brushed against hers, and both felt something odd in his pocket.

He had received a vision. Neither of them had the strength to check which element he was blessed with, but it was an important development regardless.

She was so proud of him.

~

More time passed, and with time came change.

Bamoun was getting worse by the day, which meant that Sethos was getting busier and busier to fill his grandfather’s shoes.

The Temple of Silence was starting to become too silent for her, as she saw Sethos less and less every week. There were other members, sure, but none of them could ever replace him.

Speaking of the other members… after all the years they'd been gone, rumors about Cyrus and Cyno suddenly began to travel around, and it didn't take long for everyone to find out why.

One day Cyrus just appeared in the temple, seemingly out of his own will. The lack of surprise on Sethos’ face showed that it was anything but unplanned, though.

After Cyrus followed Cyno, who had also brought his friends; Tighnari - a descendant of the Valuka Shuna - and the Traveler with his flying little companion, Paimon.

Cyno didn't remember Sethos or her of course, but Cyrus did shoot her a sad smile, recognising the girl even after all the years.

Things escalated, Bamoun fell into a coma, and soon there would be a Rite of Duels. She was so confused, but believed in Sethos.

She approached Sethos, who emerged from his grandfather’s room.

“Are you okay?”

Her voice was soft and quiet, but it still surprised him.

“A-ah, yeah. He's been sick for a long time, but seeing it get worse still hurts.”

“Of course it does.”

She gently sat him down on the stairs.

“Are you going to fight Cyno?”

“Yes.”

“Are you ready to give him your Ba fragment if he wins?”

“...Yes.”

He sighed, obviously tired from everything that had happened. He stood tall around the others, but was able to relax only with her.

“You're doing good. No matter what happens, I trust you, and I'll be here for you.”

Sethos let the words sink in, and leaned his head on her shoulder. She found his hand, and ran her thumb over the back of it, hoping to calm him even a little.

He closed his eyes, and for a moment, he was not the heir or the vessel.

He was just Sethos.

~

The rite of duels was intense, neither side was willing to back down. Tighnari and Aether were already tough opponents, but her nails scraped the stony railing as she watched Cyno and Sethos clash time and time again.

The fight was about something deeper than just Ba fragments; Sethos’ view of the world, the temple, his power, and even himself were all changing.

But he seemed to come to a conclusion, since when Cyno hit Sethos’ polearm from his hands and made him yield, Sethos smiled in response.

He gave up the power personally granted to him by Lord Hermanubis. But he was fine.

The temple was fine too, since Cyno let Sethos become the one in charge instead of taking over himself, despite what the rules had said.

The only thing that wasn't fine was Bamoun, whose death was expected, but still painful for everyone.

As she had promised, she was always by his side, especially in his hour of sorrow.

~

But things changed.

Now that Sethos was the leader, he was busy. Even busier than before.

And now that the Temple was communicating with the Akademiya again, Sethos was out and about a lot.

He even moved to Sumeru City.

The temple was and had always been her home. But it was silent without him.

She continued doing her responsibilities - hunting, gathering and helping the others with physical labor - but nothing felt the same.

The temple was full of changes and fresh air, but had never felt so stuffy and silent.

She missed him.

Sethos, of course, didn't forget his home or his duties. He had a lot to do, but always brought some rainforest specialties back with him. Fruit, leaves, flowers and feathers, whatever he could find, and everyone loved them.

He brought her something, too.

“Y/n, there you are!”

He threw his arm around her shoulder with an affectionate grin.

“I missed your grumpy face! What's up?”

“The usual, really. Getting food and carrying things”, she replied in a neutral tone, happy to see him, but sad about how things had turned out.

Sethos, after all these years, could pick up on her tone of voice, of course.

“..Y/n, are you okay?”

He turned her to face him, and brushed a few strands of hair away from her cheek.

“And don't you lie to me or I'll put you in timeout”, he chuckled, bringing a small smile to her lips, too.

“...I just.. miss you. The others are here, of course, but… it's not the same without you”, she eventually admitted, voice barely audible.

Sethos noticed how vulnerable she felt, and gently turned her face away from him, beginning to comb his fingers through her hair to help her calm down a little.

“I'm glad you're getting to see the rainforest and make new friends, I am! But… I feel like you.. you left me behind.”

He carefully thought of his next words, absentmindedly twisting the strands of hair into pretty braids, matching his.

“...I'm sorry for being out so much. I haven't had much time to think with everything going on, but I can definitely say that I have missed you too.”

She didn't know what to say, so she just nodded slightly, accepting the apology she knew was genuine.

He chuckled softly in response, and kept messing with her hair, now actually styling it.

“I mean it. Cyno, Tighnari, Collei, even Hat Guy… they're all interesting and fun, of course...”

He gently wove a Padisarah flower into her hair, secured it in place, and turned her face towards him again.

“But you're the most important person to me, don't ever doubt that, y/n.”

She smiled softly at his words, and placed her hand on his, still resting on her cheek.

“You're mine, too.”

A meaningful pause later he placed a tender kiss on the top of her head, and laced his fingers with hers after helping her up.

“You know.. I’d really like to go for a walk in the city today. What do you say?”

“Well, if you insist.”

And so, for the first time ever, she stepped foot into the rainforest and the city streets.

And, for the first time in a while, the world was far from silent again.

The outside air was fresh.

She could get used to it.

[siennaditbot]

The eternal pain of being a writer...... I've been re-reading a fic I was somewhat proud of, but now that I have some distance and less feelings about it? Eh. It has its moments, but my amateur stuff shines through so much that it leaves an uncomfortable aftertaste. Hmh. I already rewrote the fic once, maybe I could do a second one. Idk.

Ranting here cuz I don't wanna whine and annoy friends in chats lol. Yelling into the void

[siennaditbot]

Idk if I'll get motivated enough to finish this but here's somewhat of an outline synopsis thing for another KP So the Drama rewrite but this time inverted :>

• Both mutter over how sappy the school is getting cuz of the prom. Kim's dropping hints and Ron's just jealous no one is paying attention to him (open your eyes dude!!)

• When Bonnie tries to bully her about going with Ron, Kim tells her it's better to go to prom with someone who actually cares than an on-off partner

• Kim's casually shopping with Ron when she notices a new ad for cuddle buddies. She gets excited (since there's no picture) but tries to hide it. Ron tells her it's ok to like the things she Iikes. She can't wait for them to come out!

• Wade calls about Killigan who's trying to get the Centurion project again. Kim and Ron go to him and manage to stop him, but someone (Eric?) swoops in, winks at them, and disappears after stealing it. Killigan is mad at them. "And ye call yerselves heroes?!" Wade tries to dig where it went and who took it, but to no avail.

• Kim's really trying to hint about going to prom with Ron, maybe not even hinting and blatantly talking about going, but he doesn't think much of it. Or seems like he doesn't at least. Not like they haven't gone before, even to date-like places like the wedding. "It might be a bit awk-weird but why wouldn't we go? We've gone to dances together before." (He's in denial, too scared to think of actually going with her. Thinks he shouldn't have hope of anything more. Also change is scary.)

• When Kim stops him to properly ask him about going (the mood is perfect for confessing at a quiet corner or smth) but then Piper appears and trips, dropping her stuff around. She has some nerdy stuff that grabs Ron's attention, and the three continue walking and two of them continue talking. Kim's immediately annoyed.

• They talk about her later. Ron's smug about Kim's jealousy over "his friend Piper", enjoying the attention

• Later Kim and Ron run into Piper at Bueno Nacho as well, and the two get into it again. Kim's very suspicious due to her jealousy, so she starts asking her questions, acting innocent. Her mom is a teacher, her dad has a radio show (but she never listens to it cuz he's embarrassing), she loves video games and comics and does some freelance coding/design to get money?

• Ron's impressed and Kim's even more annoyed. She later asks Wade to do a bg check on her, insisting she's not jealous. Wade doesn't believe her cuz of that, but agrees to do it anyway. Drakken asked Big Daddy for info on fake identity making people and they made her a small profile. She's from Europe? British?? (Piper cuz of Billie Piper lol, maybe Billie's her second name? Or even first but she goes by Piper?)

• Nothing suspicious at first glance so Wade just tells Kim she's overreacting again. She still keeps her eyes open and goes along with their nerdy plans for a while, trying to keep up and not lose him

• Some time later Piper meets them at school and obviously starts flirting with him. Again, he's enjoying the attention, but trying to explain to Kim that they're just friends. Piper counterfires and confesses then and there.

• Ron looks between the girls (who are glaring at each other) and runs away, yelling that he'll think about it. Cue epic monologue with Rufus.

• He's been over the unwritten rules, and he says that Piper seems like someone he could actually be himself with - down to earth, nerdy and chill. He did try to act cooler than he was at first (a habit with girls, it's gotten better but still), but she told him he's fine just as he is. Maybe he should go for it so he could get back to normal with Kim? He says that he does have feelings for her but it's just made things more awkward lately. He's doing this to get over Kim and back into the safety of the friend zone. Change is scary and he doesn't want to take the first step.

• And so Ron and Piper start dating. It's barely different from how they were (casual gaming and chilling and eating) but now there's more physical contact. Piper's all over him and it's making Kim sad instead of angry.

• To make things worse for her, the new Cuddle Buddies were revealed (she forgot due to Ron stuff), and 1. They're super ugly and 2. Merch of them will be sold at Club Banana. Kim dashes over to see necklaces, bracelets and rings with designs of these ugly creatures, and the store is getting filled with tweens, hipsters who love ugly stuff, and enthusiastic collectors who want every Cuddle Buddy thing ever. She's pushed out of the store. "This feels familiar", or smth.

• She's sulking with Monique at BN. Ron and Piper are there too, and the girls are giving them the side eye. They don't notice.

• Kim wonders if she should have taken the first step after all. Monique tells her she could have, but Ron taking it would've meant he's more ready for it. She reminds him of the moodulator stuff, which embarrasses and frustrates Kim. She wouldn't be as over the top when she's herself! Kim says that she's scared too. She's already been rejected once, after all, and everything's been a bit more awkward since then. There's tension. There's clearly something there.

• Then Kim starts ranting about the plushies and the merch and Monique's just as mad. She has to deal with the barrage of annoying customers every day after all.

• Meanwhile Piper's either feeding Ron or doing some stupid food stunts with him. Surprisingly, he's not that into it after a while. "Kim would try to stop me", but he immediately shakes the thought off and gets more into it and closer to her. He was supposed to get over her. Rufus is doing his thing and enjoying their new pal, but looks at Kim a bit sadly.

• At school Kim's giving space to Ron and his apparent new gf, so she hangs more with Monique. They do get called on a weird mission together as usual. Shego's been spotted at a local supermarket trying to grab every teen magazine there is. They stop her, but Drakken drops in and they escape. They work fine as usual, but Kim's a bit more snappy and distant? Ron's trying not to gravitate towards her, since he misses her a lot. He ends up teasing her and boasting?

• Another similar occurrence to the BN one happens when Ron and Piper are gaming and he laughs to himself about how Kim sucks at video games. He has to reprimand himself again. He's feeling guilty about missing their usual chill night. Meanwhile Kim's just at home, studying, reading or watching tv or smth. Lonely "Ron-night"?

• Later at school Wade calls Kim and tells her not to call Ron yet. He thinks Piper is sus after all. Kim tries to wave it off and let the two have fun, blaming everything on her jealousy, but Wade insists. He could not find her parents anywhere, no records on them. No radio show. Her record is miniscule as well. He hasn't dealt with fake identities that much but can recognise one. She's sus.

• Kim's conflicted. Happy that maybe things can still be fixed, sad that things have gotten this far. Should they look into it? Should they tell Ron? She asks Wade what they should do. He will do more digging for now.

• Prom night is approaching, and Kim's stressing out. She's sad she's gonna end up going dateless, sure, but she wonders how she should tell Ron something's off with his date without it sounding too jealous. She confronts him before he leaves in his dumb blue suit.

• He's a bit taken aback, yeah, and smugly comments that she seems jelly, but Wade beeps in, confirming Kim's suspicions. "Ok, cool. Now what?" They start throwing around ideas to figure out who or what she is and what's going on.

• Wade also brings up the Centurion project. It hasn't resurfaced since they first lost it, and Piper didn't seem to wear anything like it. When they think about what Drakken's doing, Kim points out the magazine stuff. Ron notes that he has no idea where she lives. Wade says that he's been tracking her (Ron raises an eyebrow at Kim at that), and that she disappears at the mall every day. They decide to follow her the next day. Kim's wondering why Ron's so fine with it all.

• They try to act normal at school, Ron's still dealing with Piper to the best of his acting ability, and after school they say their byes (she gives Ron a kiss on the cheek) and act like they're leaving only to hide and follow Piper. She goes to the mall, straight into Club Banana. Kim follows her in, but loses her in the crowd.

• "What if she just loves to shop or works there?' "She doesn't come out unless you ask her to or she has to go to school." "Oh."

• Wade says that while they were following her, he's been digging into CB stuff, and found out that Shego has somehow become the CEO/president or whatever. He finds a clip of the obviously mind controlled previous boss who's signing some papers in front of a snickering Shego. They get ready to meet the new boss. Kim gets out her yet to be tested battle suit.

• They're wondering about the evil plan, but that clears up as they drive past several children and some adults wearing Centurion-like battle armor. They're still unsure about what Piper's role is in this. Wade tells them that there must be some sort of a command signal since the armored people don't seem to be able to control themselves.

• They head over to the CB HQ, and are met with Shego, Drakken, some new goons and people wearing the armor. Kim recognizes one of the goons as the one who winked at them before. "Oh, you like this one? 901, get the girl!"

• Epic fight stuffs, Ron accidentally makes the armored people shoot the new goons, revealing that they're syntho-drones. Ew.

• Kim's asking for the usual villain monologue, and Drakken starts going. They just wanted to ruin everything she cares about, but she was too jealous and nosy and ruined everything too soon. He points at Eric, saying that they had one prepared for her, too. Both Kim and Ron are disgusted. Ron: "Piper's a syntho-drone??! Ew!!!" Kim: "I knew there was something off about her from the beginning!" Shego: "Just admit that you were jealous and how lucky it was that you ended up being right." Ron kinda looks at Kim hopefully, but she just shrugs somewhat casually, adrenaline covering her nerves. Not like Shego needs to know.

• More fighting, even Piper appears, and she and Eric start throwing punches at Kim and Ron. They manage to stop them, causing them to fall in top of each other. They look at each other in surprise, get up, move to hold hands, and leave. "That's why I was worried about the AI with these things, D." "Oh shut up." While that's going on Wade tells Ron to dig through Kim's backpack and he fishes out a USB killer, tosses it to Kim, and they run into what seems like the main office. She jams the stick in and the whole system goes down, which seemed to work on the armored people as well, based on Drakken's cursing. "I knew we should have gone with 901 instead!"

• Shego and Drakken are soon arrested, and Kim and Ron drive back quietly, until Kim asks why he wasn't devastated by Piper's "backstabbing". She would have been if she was in his shoes. "I did have fun with her, don't get me wrong, but... (leans forehead on her back?) it all made me constantly think of you instead. Heh, would have been real scummy of me if she wasn't a syntho thing." Kim's baffled, and when Ron doesn't elaborate, she determinedly drives back home. She tells him to go get ready for prom.

• They get there, awkwardly hold hands and are pushed onto the dance floor, and they continue their chat. "I was super jealous btw." "I noticed. Actually made me kinda happy, sorry." "Pffft. I'm sorry too. I was too scared to take the first step." "So was I, I never actually really took it." "Well, close enough." They do a silly dance move like a spin and/or a dip, and look at each other, giggling. Kim then gets more serious. "What would you have done if she was real?" Ron: "I could ask you the same, you were so green eyed they almost started to change colors." She just rolls her obviously natural green eyes affectionately as Ron places a hand on her cheek, leans in and they finally kiss.

[siennaditbot]

Here's my suggestion for a scene we didn't see in Kim Possible: So the Drama <3

A tiny fluffy fic thing :>

~

"You know, Ron, we'd better hurry", Kim smiled at her best friend coyly. She was feeling a lot of feelings and wanted to get going already. It only confused him.

"Hurry where?"

"You'll see." She took his hand and the two hurried to Ron's scooter they had left nearby.

The day had been a rollercoaster of emotions, and, to be honest, that wasn't going to change any time soon. Big Drakken plan with huge robots, the whole Bueno Nacho sitch, Eric's role in everything, and Ron finally coming to terms with his feelings - even telling Kim about it in an uplifting but roundabout way.

Now that things were finally starting to calm down a little, both got the chance to organize their thoughts. Kim didn't tell Ron where they were heading, so both had their thoughts going a mile a minute.

Ron was getting more and more nervous as minutes and miles passed.

Where was she taking him? Should he be polite and put his hands on her shoulders this time or is the usual hip-waist hold okay? What was her reaction to his confession again? Did she get it even though he was interrupted and pretty indirect? What's going to happen if she did get it?

That made him tighten his hold on her a little. Be it rejection or becoming a couple, he would honor her decision, but would obviously prefer the latter. Then he.... could kiss her again. Properly this time. He looked up at her, even though she couldn't look back at the moment. She's so important to him, he doesn't want to mess this up.

In front of him, Kim's mind was getting clearer and clearer as she drove.

So, Eric was a syntho-drone and part of a surprisingly cunning Drakken plan. Explains why he appeared at such a perfect time and why he was so perfect in general. Truly the perfect distraction.

If it wasn't for Ron..... He got her out of the prom princess mindset and back into business. He brought her out of her slump. He made sure she knew that she wasn't unlovable. He.... told her he liked her.

That wasn't a new thought to her. She has suspected he might have had feelings for her for quite some time actually - he was always more open to that whole concept than she was. She... has had feelings for him for a while now as well, but she was in major denial for many reasons, most important one being the fear of ruining their friendship. The whole moodulator business also made her afraid of rejection - he had broken up with her, after all, even though he had kissed her back.

Eric appearing and fitting into the whole "food chain" business was the perfect solution to Bonnie's dumb stuff, her own fears and the obvious recent "there's something there" kind of awkwardness she's had with Ron. She could've taken the first step, but she was afraid. Eric was the easy path.

But now? Ron had taken the plunge and shared his feelings first. He took the risk, just to help her get her mojo back. She really needed to thank him for that.

What was going to happen now?

Whatever it will be, she knows they can deal with it. For now, she just wants to get back to prom with him this time, apologize, and thank him for everything. She hasn't been... the nicest best friend since she met Eric. He had taken up all the space in her head. She barely paid any attention to Ron, even as a friend! No wonder he called her words pretty when she said nothing would change what they're all about. A lot already had.

~

It took a while, but the two finally arrived at the wreckage of a house that was the Possible residence at the moment. The tweebs and Kim's parents among a few neighbours were trying their best to clean up enough for the Possibles to still be able to sleep at home that night. Broken walls were nothing new to them, after all.

"Ah, right. Completely forgot about this mess."

Kim rolled her eyes with a smile and got up, removing her helmet. Ron did the same.

"Oh, oh, I bet your battle suit is gonna help with this! It does give you super strength, right?"

"It enhances my abilities a bit, sure, and could be of use here, but fixing the place isn't why we were in such a hurry."

He was even more confused as they walked up to meet Kim's parents.

"I know you save the world frequently but I'm always so relieved when you both come home alright", Ann said and looked at her daughter with motherly pride. She then looked up and around. James immediately understood what his wife was thinking.

"Did Eric still decide to stay at the prom while you two went to do your thing?"

He wasn't very happy about the idea. Not that her daughter needed protection, she was plenty capable, but what kind of a boyfriend doesn't help when the stakes are this high?

"Uhh.. So, he was a syntho-drone with the sole purpose of distracting me", Kim shrugged nonchalantly. "So not the drama. We're in a hurry though, dad, so I'll give you two the deets later, ok?"

She gave both her parents a quick peck on the cheek and eagerly dragged Ron towards the house.

"Okay, I'm going to get ready for round two, you go get into that blue suit of yours. Meet me in 10?"

He nodded, still baffled but starting to understand where she was going with this.

Both hurried to get changed, one almost giddy, the other in disbelief.

~

Ron got up the stairs to his room and dug out his dad's old suit he had stuffed to the very back of his closet. Out of sight, out of mind, after all. Rufus jumped to sit on the dresser while Ron got changed.

"Am... am I really about to go to prom with Kim now?"

Rufus nodded with a just-as-baffled 'uh-huh'.

"And not as friends??"

Another nod from Rufus.

"Not the way I thought today would end, but who am I to argue", he smiled, pulling his fancy pants on.

He walked up to the mirror and reached out for his little pal.

"Still can't do the bowtie though."

Rufus hopped onto his hand and started tying the bowtie again, just like he had done only a few hours ago.

"Guess I was right about the 'something there' part, huh."

He looked at the disbelief in his reflection, also taking the chance to make sure his face was as ok as it can be after everything they went through.

"I'm glad I finally got that mushy stuff out there, though. Wasn't as humiliating as I thought, either. Not sure if I'm happy about the interruption", he looked at Rufus with a raised eyebrow, "but it seems I said enough at least."

Rufus shrugged and finished tying the bowtie. The two did a tiny high-five, and headed back out.

~

Meanwhile, Kim was trying hard to tame her battle-frazzled hair. She was in her sparkly dress already, deciding to go with it even though it got ruined. The frayed edge gave it extra character? It also punches another hole into the perfect expectations the concept of prom apparently has.

The whole Eric thing was already draining out of her system. It really wasn't that deep, huh. Was she that shallow? Did she just want attention and a pretty boy to make Bonnie eat her words?

Whatever it was, she's glad it crashed and burned. The whole thing had had her in a daze. Now she was in her right mind, though filled with nerves and adrenaline, and her buried feelings for Ron were starting to resurface - hard.

She barely managed to get her necklace on before darting out the door. She was eager to see his face when he saw her again. He had seen her in the dress already, yes, but this time the dress meant she was going with him.

She didn't see him inside the house, so she peeked out and saw him in his expectation-breaking blue suit, talking to her parents. He was smiling softly. His face brightened instantly when he noticed Kim from behind James' shoulder.

"I hope you're not grilling him again, dad."

"This is much less of a grilling than what he got for the Middleton Days outing. Right, Ronald?"

"Yeah. No black holes mentioned."

"He was about to put a 'no boys policy' into place, but me and Ron managed to talk him out of that", Ann added with a gentle laugh.

"One time you almost died out of embarrassment - literally may I add - , one time you were under that blasted device's control and got broken up with", he shot a quick look at Ron, causing him to grin awkwardly, "and the most recent one turned out to be a syntho-goo filled drone. That's not a good track record, Kimmy-cub", James said seriously, counting the cases with his fingers.

"He really might have done it if not for Ron", Ann smiled and looked at Ron with both softness and motherly protectiveness in her eyes. "He's an exception, as long as he's not about to take you out to break up with you again."

"Not gonna happen, Mrs. Dr. P. Promise", he placed one hand on his heart and raised the other up.

"Good. Then you're almost free to go. Dear?"

James fished his camera out of his pocket and handed it to his wife. She gestured for the kids to get closer together to pose for a photo.

Both Kim and Ron blushed slightly, awkward with this new tone in their relationship. Ron contemplated putting his arm around her "boyfriend style", but shyly decided to place his hand on her shoulder blade instead. She took a tiny step closer to him. Both looked at the camera with small and shy but content smiles on their faces.

"Okay, super cute. That's going on the wall. Have a nice night, you two."

"No black hole threats but you'd better treat her right, Ronald. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Dr. P."

"Good."

"C'mon, we don't wanna miss the whole thing after all this, do we?" Kim took his arm and guided him towards the scooter.

"Definitely not", Ron grinned, still reeling from the idea that this was actually happening.

He tossed her helmet to her like always, and the two hopped on the bike. What was new, however, was Kim wrapping her arms around him and leaning against his back. He was frozen for a moment, but soon started the motor with a soft grin.

~

Things got more nerve-wracking and real when they got closer to the school. They couldn't just waltz in without anyone noticing, right?

After a bit of nerve gathering and contemplation, Ron took her hand.

"People are going to talk about it anyway. Why not make a proper entrance?" he smiled, trying to lighten the nervous mood.

"Yeah. Rip the bandaid off or whatever", she grinned in response.

The two looked at each other, both absolutely sure about doing this, and opened the gym door.

~

I'm happy with this. Posted on AO3 as well. A cute lil thing <33

[siennaditbot]

Shameless self promo, some scenes from my So the Drama rewrite!

Yes, this first one is Shego in disguise. Yes, she hates it.