A Date with Mona

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Orion walked through Mondstadt, he saw a familiar group assembled around the fountain of the city. Mona, Fischl, Bennett, and Emily all looked at him with bright faces. Orion merely nodded and lifted a hand. "Orion!" Bennett shouted with a wide grin. "Man, it's so good to see you back in one piece!"

Orion approached-smiling effortlessly-his gaze breaking to Emilie. "Em, you look like you're doing well." His tone was warm, suggesting he was asking about so much more than physical well-being.

Emilie knew in an instant, her face softening. "It took me some time to get over what happened," she said quietly, though her voice was steady. "I even thought about giving up adventuring altogether. But. I knew the cost, and I decided to keep going-to honor my friends' memory."

Orion's smile broadened, and for a moment, appreciation was dancing in his bright yellow eyes. "You've got spirit. I can respect that. However." The edge in his voice dissolved, his regret finally setting in. "I wish I could have done more to save them."

"Don't be," Emilie said, shaking her head decidedly. Before the moment could get too serious, Fischl stepped forward, striking her signature dramatic pose.

"Ah, Orion, 'tis been too long since we last crossed paths under the watchful gaze of the stars! Why do you not accompany us on this day of jubilant reunion?" Fischl's voice carried that familiar theatrical flair, and beside her, Oz nodded sagely.

"My Fraulein means to say, she is in favor of your illustrious company," Oz added with his signature articulateness.

Orions lifted an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh. so you're asking me on a date?"

Fischl's face went bright red as her hands fluttered in protest. "Th-That is not what I meant, thou knave!" she managed to stammer, crossing her arms and turning away in a huff.

The humor overtook Mona as she burst into laughter, stepping closer to Orion until her head was nestled right into his ear. "If Fischl had been part of our team that day, she'd still be traumatized, and this character would cease to exist."

Orion chuckled and then turned to respond, but now Mona's tone was serious. "Actually, I need your help with something," she said, her expression grave. Her voice was more hushed now, almost cautious.

The playful glint left Orion's eyes, and he took to studying Mona's face, his forehead furrowing just the tiniest bit. After a moment, he prompted, "What is it?"

Mona stammered; for once, her self-assuredness faltered just a fraction. Her gaze sidled off before she spoke-her voice just an edge softer than usual. "I. have this commission, and I need your help with it.

Orion sighed rubbing the back of his neck-the fatigue in his eyes was evident. "I just got back from a very tiresome job, Mona."

"I have already heard about your deeds, but…", she started, however, she was cut off as Fischl stepped forward with theatrics preceding her.

"Hey! I was the one who was supposed to ask him," Fischl declared, indignant. "T'was I, Fischl, Prinzessin der Verurteilum, who sought his aid first!"

Orion, now fully confused, blinked while looking back and forth between Mona and Fischl. "Wait.what?" His gaze then turned to Emily in hopes she could clear up some of the mess.

Emilie merely shook her head, a teasing smile on her lips. "You're really dense sometimes, Orion."

It finally clicked a second too late. His exhausted face contorted into an understanding, irritated expression. 'Oh, I see… Gods, I'm getting involved with a lot of women lately,' he thought, heaving a silent sigh.

As he scratched his head, a wry smile played on his lips. "Guess there's no rest for me, huh?"

Orion crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to sidestep the inevitable. "You're pretty strong, Mona. I think you can handle yourself quite well out there, especially with your astrology and.." He tailed off, searching for an escape from being dragged into yet another job.

Mona, however, wasn't having it. "But." she started her voice softer than usual, her face fluttering around a suppressed expression.

Orion looked at her and caught the disappointed face before he let out a sigh. There really wasn't an easy way out of this. The words slipped out in a blunt, no-filter manner instead: "Do you just want to spend time with me? Is that it?"

The silence that followed could almost be felt. Fischl, who'd had her mouth open to say something, widened her eyes in shock. Her face went beet red in a struggle for words at how really frustrated it was that Orion had said it first. But not before Mona. Her eyes went wide with wonder, and in one of those out-of-the-pouch moments, she blurted out, "Yes!"

Immediately realizing what she had said, Mona quickly backtracked; the redder her face became, the quicker she tried to correct herself. "I mean-no! Well, yes, but it's not like that! I-I mean your company is needed. You're strong and all that, and… you know!" Her voice wavered in trying to maintain the composure.

Orion grinned , his body hunched a little towards Mona. "Alright then," he said, his tone dripping with playful mischief. "It's a date."

Mona's face instantly went bright red. "W-what? A d-date?!" she stuttered, her hands rising protectively as if to deflect the very suggestion. "That's not what I meant!"

Orion chuckled. He enjoyed the reaction. "Sure, sure. A date. on the job, right?"

Mona looked ruffled, stumbling over her words. "It's not a date! It's just. it's just—"

"Work?" Orion supplied, his grin spreading wide.

"Exactly! Just work!" she exclaimed, trying to salvage some dignity, her face redder than the evening sun.

As the teasing between these two continued, Fischl fidgeted uncomfortably no doubt feeling like an outcast, having stood a little ways off. She crossed her arms, and though her face strained for a dignified tone, her eyes showed a spark of agitation. "Ahem, Orion," she said with all the loftiness in the world, "surely, as the rightful sovereign of the Immernachtreich, it would be prudent for you to-"

"ahem" Bennett tuned out everything after that, waving energetically as he stood beside Em. "Orion! i heard you finished an S rank commission, totally safe and sound!"

Em nodded in agreement, her smile warm. "Yeah, it is nice to see you around. We heard something about what happened with that seal at Stormterror's Lair. Is a relief to know you're still intact."

Orions nodded to them both, smirking. "I was meaning to check on you guys ever since that day."

Em grinned knowingly too. "Yeah, take care, Orion—and enjoy your. 'date' on the job," she teased, clearly picking up the earlier banter.

Orion shrugged, his smirk widening as he glanced back at the still-blushing Mona. "I'll try to."

Mona groaned in embarrassment, but could not help the small smile that was pulling at her lips. "You're...." she muttered.

Fischl, still appearing to feel somewhat left out of things, tossed her chin high and proclaimed, "This propitious adventure shall be the prologue to unseen glory-one that the stars shall sing of for ages to come!" But her tone seemed tinged with envy as she watched them go.

With a final nod and wave of goodbyes given to Bennett and Em, Orion turned his attention back to Mona. "Alright then, let's get to work." He started off in a stroll as he did Orion glanced over his shoulder at Fischl, a playful smirk on his face. "Maybe next time, Fischl, Farewell Oz."

"Ah, Master Orion," Oz began in his haughty tone, his feathers glimmering in the brilliant light of Mondstadt. "Though my Fraulein may not have had the chance to say it directly, it is clear that your presence is most welcome. May your journey be without peril, and may the stars forever guide your path."

Orion chuckled at the bird's formal farewell. "Thanks, Oz. Always a pleasure to hear from the 'royal messenger.'" He nodded at the raven, the smirk still stuck on his face. "Take care of Fischl while I'm gone, alright?"

Oz puffed out his chest, his voice proud. "But of course, good sir. I am ever at the service of my Fraulein, as well as those who walk in her esteemed company.

Fischl's face coloured as she muttered, "Oz!!, Next time, I shall be the one to request your aid Orion, not her!"

Orion waved over his shoulder as he and Mona continued down the street, leaving the rest behind.

***

Evening colored the sky over Windrise orange and purple; the sun began its ascent down. Orion and Mona sat next to their small campfire, the soft rustling of wind danced with the leaves of the ancient tree towering above them. Orion looked at that tree, but his eyes were somewhere else, yet with a pensive expression.

Mona sat beside him and had noticed his silence. She watched him a little longer, curiosity getting the best of her. "Is this your first time seeing it?" she asked, breaking the quiet.

Orion blinked and tore his eyes from the tree, looking at her with a soft smile. "Of course not," he said, the tone casual. "But. it's just familiar somehow."

Mona cocked her head, her gaze falling on the tree then back to Orion. "There's a legend about this place, you know," she said, her body edging in as if to build up the story. "They say it was here that Venessa, Mondstadt's great hero, ascended to godhood beneath this tree.

Orion lifted an eyebrow, his smile broadening a tad. "Yeah, I know that story," he said, nodding. "But I didn't know it happened here. Interesting."

Mona blinked, her scrunched-up face a picture of annoyance. "You already knew?" she huffed, crossing her arms. "I was about to tell you the whole legend, you know!"

Orion did catch the irritation in her voice, the smile fading into a sheepish look. "I only heard it recently," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, sorry. You can tell me your version if you want. I'm sure you know more details than I do."

She looked aside, her cheeks faintly pink, and she muttered, "Well, no need now. Like it is none of interest for me to tell it either."

Orion slumped back, extending his arms over his head atop the grass as merriment glinted in a dancing rhythm within his eyes. "Oh really?" he sighed melodramatically. "Here I am, exhausted from all the chaos I have been through, and yet I still made time to sit under this tree with you. And now you say it is no big deal?" His tone was dripping with sarcasm, sweetly so.

Mona's eyes actually widened, and for a nanosecond, she showed a bit of guilt. "I—wait, I didn't mean it like that!" she fumbled at him sideways, before looking at him. "I'm so sorry, Orion. I wasn't trying to.."

Orion let out a laugh and shook his head. "Relax Lady Magistus. I'm just messing with you."

Her face colored further as she realized he had been having fun at her expense all along. "What? You.!" Mona's voice trailed off in embarrassment as her hands covered her reddening face.

Orion's laughter only grew. "My, my, you're so easy to mess with, im not even trying." He was grinning widely, it seemed from ear to ear, watching her squirm in her place.

Mona peered through her fingers, her voice softer now. "Well, I'm not that experienced when it comes to this sort of thing. "

Orion's teasing expression softened a little as curiosity took over. "This sort of thing? What do you mean? "

The blush deepened even more as she hesitated. "You know. this whole. date thing."

Orion blinked, surprised for a moment before a mischievous grin crept across his face. "Oh, so you do consider it a date."

"No!" Mona snapped, her voice high and flustered. "I mean, I'm still on a commission!" She crossed her arms, huffily defensive, trying to salvage her dignity.

"Uh-huh," Orion said, raising an eyebrow. "Then why are we sitting under this tree, relaxing?

Mona continued to glare at him, her face crimson. "Because it's near my next target!" she fumed. "I'm tracking a Ruin Grader. It was sighted not too long ago in the vicinity of Falcon Coast, and I required. backup." She regained a bit of her composure and cleared her throat. "The stars can't do everything on their own, you know."

Orion chuckled, shaking his head. "Right. of course, the stars." He leaned back against the tree, still grinning. "You just needed my company to take down a Ruin Grader, huh?"

Mona shot him another glare but couldn't hide the small, embarrassed smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Yes, well, you're handy in battle, so… don't get any ideas. Let's go"