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The Temple of Silence has evolved fairly well since Sethos had taken up the role as the leader. Not only was there a change in actions, there was also a change in the general energy of the place. It was less tense, more free-like. Sethos is a boy that wears his heart on his sleeve in places he’s comfortable in. Sometimes that’s a blessing, other times that’s a curse. It’s a blessing when the temple feels more lively due to this, and it’s a curse when Sethos isn’t feeling great. At the moment, it was a curse. Whenever Sethos was spotted walking through the halls of the temple, it felt somewhat similar as when Bamoun had just passed. People murmured beneath their breaths, each wondering what possibly could have happened that caused the usually cheerful and energetic man to feel like this.
The door to Sethos’ private chambers slid open without a warning (it was hard to give one with doors made out of bricks). “Sethos,” one of the elders, Betresa, walked towards the man that was sitting in front of his extremely low desk, his butt planted on a thin pillow on the ground and legs folded criss-cross beneath the desk. “How… are you faring?” The woman asked, kind of uncertain on how to approach the younger.
“If you have more paperwork for me to look over, just leave it over there. I’ll read through it later.” Sethos said, fully ignoring the question and keeping his nose dug deep into the paperwork he was already looking through. His hand waved weakly at a side table in the left corner of the room.
Betresa sighed. “I do not have paperwork.” She walked until she was standing right next to the leader, glancing at the now fully visible desk with a frown. Papers were strewn across the entire platform, and she couldn’t tell what was what. She and the other elders have tried to make Sethos more organised, but to no avail. But if this was how his mind worked… All that Betresa could make out of the desk was a letter addressed to the Temple of Silence, envelope opened already and the letter halfway put back into it. “I asked you about your wellbeing.” She watched as Sethos stopped writing on a piece of paper, and then blinked in surprise as the younger slammed his head on the table with an agonising groan. He sounded as if he didn’t know whether he was crying or complaining. Sighing, Betresa supposed that she should offer a lending ear. “...Do you wish to talk about it?”
Sethos looked up at the elder, a saddened frown plastered on his face, lips in a pout. Despite always having and showing respect for the elders of the Temple, he still had a part in his heart that disliked them for trying to correct him on things that never really needed correction throughout his life. They’d always tried to make him proper and prim, but that just was not how he rolls. They’d always lectured him, but now that he was leader, they quit doing it, but Sethos could tell that they were still mentally judging the actions he did that they did not approve of. But despite it all, they were some of the few people in the Temple he knew he could trust, and they were the only people he could seek comfort in now that his grandfather is gone. “...You don’t mind?”
“Otherwise I wouldn’t have offered.”
Sethos looked back down, scratching behind his ear in slight embarrassment as he began to speak. “You know the.. the guy… I’ve been seeing?” Now that he had to talk about it, it felt a little silly and awkward.
“Yes,” Betresa responded all professionally, firm and flat. “The Inazuman clothed boy with the hat.”
“Yeah, him.” Sethos confirmed. “I just.. I miss him. A lot.” he sighed, his cheeks growing flustered.
Suddenly, the grief-like feeling that Sethos has been giving makes sense. Betresa noted to herself that of course it’d be something like this. She too sighed once again. “I’m certain that I don’t have to inform you that you can just go to Sumeru city if you wish to see him. It’s not like me or Charmian can hold you up, since you refuse to listen to us.”
“I know…” Sethos huffed, looking down at the letter on his desk. “But he’s not there. He abruptly left for Nod-Krai a few days ago.” he tapped on the letter, implying that the news was given through him by mail.
“I see,” Betresa was quick to respond. She folded her hands behind her back. “Perhaps you could write him a letter back?”
Sethos shook his head. “I don’t know where he’s staying… Neither do I know for how long he’ll be there. I… we didn’t even get to say a proper goodbye.” he slumped, looking like a kicked puppy.
Betresa looked down at her leader. For only the second time since she’s known Sethos, does she feel remorse for him. Though, romance is not her expertise, and she didn’t know how she could possibly cheer this boy up. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose. “Very well. If that is all, busy yourself with paperwork, and join us for dinner tonight.” She cut their conversation short, receiving a hum and a weak nod before she turned and left Sethos on his own. As soon as she left his private quarters, she made a beeline to look for Charmian. Luckily, he wasn’t hard to find, scanning through the bookcase full of scrolls.
The other elder turned his head to her when he heard the recognisable footsteps. “And? Did you uncover what’s wrong with that boy this time?” he asked.
The signature sigh left the woman’s lips. “He’s missing his lover.”
Charmian groaned. “Oh, that boy! Is he seriously that caught up in something as trivial as that? He’s the leader of our-”
“Oh, shush, you!” Betresa cut his nagging off. “He’s grieving over his betrothed’s absence, have some more respect! I know you haven’t experienced something like that in at least a decade, but that does not mean you cannot cut the boy some slack.”
“betrothed?!” Charmian squeaked out.
Betresa rolled her eyes. “Not yet, but it very well may lead up to it, considering how enamoured Sethos is with him,” She then crossed her arms. “That matter aside; it appears that they won’t reunite for a while, and Sethos will remain grieving for some time if we do not intervene.”
Charmian looked conflicted, but ended up giving in. “...What do you have in mind?”
“Find a way to contact Mr. Cyno and see if he has a way to contact that traveler friend he and Sethos appear to have. Perhaps they can help us further. I will see if I can find a recipe to prepare that Inazuman dish Sethos mentioned his lover made him before.”
⤷ ゛💙 ⏳🌀💜 ˎˊ˗
Wanderer sipped from his mug, watching everyone around him move animatedly. He was sitting in a corner of the Flagship, waiting for information to be shared with him about how to handle the situation they were currently going through in Nod-Krai. He tilted his head to consume the drink in his mug and emptied it, and when he lowered it again, he almost spit out his drink upon the traveler standing right at his table. He managed to look nonchalant, though.
“Well hi there, Hat Guy!” Paimon greeted him, a smile on her face that he didn’t quite trust.
“What?” He asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as he rested his arms on the table.
The traveler shoved a sealed envelope under his nose. “We received a letter for you. Seems like someone in Sumeru misses you.” They teased with a smug look on their face.
Wanderer frowned, looking at the Sumeran- no, at the seal of the Temple of Silence on the envelope. Oh… “How did he know to contact you?”
The traveler shrugged their shoulders, and Paimon responded for them. “Cyno contacted us, saying some elders from the Temple of Silence needed to know your whereabouts for Sethos’ sake! Did you really think you could escape him?”
Wanderer sighed, grabbing the envelope and turning it in his hand. There was nothing written on the back nor the front, the envelope being as secretive as the Temple itself. Obviously, going to Nod-Krai wasn’t to escape his boyfriend. He would never. “...Thank you for giving it to me.” he murmured, leaning back in his seat. He glanced at the two as if saying go away so I can read.
The traveler smiled at him. “Make sure to write back to him.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Wanderer grumbled, but when the two had left, he opened the envelope and started reading the letter, and fondness settled in his core. He was not aware of the faint smile appearing on his face as he read every word on the paper, especially at the words ‘I miss you’ and ‘I love you!’.