Chapter Text
He had only known them for a very short time, but Siffrin would do anything for Bonnie.
To be fair, Siffrin would do anything for any member of the little group he had stumbled his way into all those months ago, but it was impressive just how quickly he had warmed up to the kid. It had only been a few days since he had found them shuffling aimlessly forward through the thicket, tear stains crusted on sunken cheeks, but in that time Bonnie had wormed their way into their heart. Was it the way their big, lightless eyes shone in the sun that did it? Or was it the pure magic they crafted on the dinner that they (technically weren’t allowed to) cook? Jury was still out. But either way, Siffrin would do anything in his power to keep that smile on their little face.
However, that didn't change the fact that there were some things that Siffrin couldn't do.
Like answer their question.
"…Frin? Am I… not supposed to ask?"
Oh stars, he was taking too long! He turned to face Bonnie fully. The kid was sitting next to him, fiddling with the seam of their oversized t-shirt.
"It's a good question Bonbon. Very… meet-y!"
"NO!!" Bonnie shook their head so violently their sunhat threatened to fly off - but not fast enough to hide a small smile. SUCCESS!
"I'm serious! Were you all like, friends with Belle before this? And that's why you're helping her beat the King? Or was the meeting a koh-in-si-dence?"
"Coincidence." Siffrin corrected. Then he shrugged. "I guess you could call it that. I met everyone pretty recently. They needed help and I didn't have anything else going on."
"Boring." Ouch. "What about Odile and 'sabeau?"
Well that's easy! They…
Huh.
They knew that Isabeau had mentioned being a Defender at some point - apparently it made you very good at organising sparring matches - but was he still one now? Siffrin wasn't totally clear on what a Defender actually was, but he supposed it would make sense to send one to save the country. But then why just one? Why not send a bigger group? And Isa never talked about his career in the present tense…
And then there was Odile. He knew that she had joined after Isabeau but (obviously) before him, and that she was a researcher, and that was it. He didn't even know what she was researching: although that wasn't the fault of their terrible memory for once. What type of research motivated one to save a country anyway? Regicide-ology?
How much worse could someone get? A No Name who couldn't even tell you basic facts about their friends.
But Siffrin couldn't just say they didn't know. Admitting defeat in front of a preteen was unimaginable: losing the small slither of respect Bonnie had for them truly was a fate worse than death. Think, Siffrin, think!
"Why don't we ask them? They could tell you way better than I could."
…
For once, Siffrin actually remembered where someone was! Which wasn't that big of an achievement, considering how small their makeshift campsite was, but he'll count anything that doesn't make him look as stupid as they actually were in front of Bonnie as a win. Without dwelling on how desperate they were for a child's approval, thank you very much.
Isabeau was a three minute walk (and a one minute run) west from their shared tent, put to work by Odile collecting firewood. Siffrin had actually planned on talking to him next, if only to weasel away a couple of blocks for carving later, so he had kept his location at the back of their head.
Siffrin had tried to keep the pace slow - despite their insistence that they were all better, Bonnie was still recovering, after all - but their walk through the woods had quickly devolved into a full on race. Slowing down at the end not only let the kid win, but also gave him the opportunity to shake stray leaves and branches off their cloak.
He could spot the moment that Isabeau registered their presence, as his look of focus shifted into a grin so bright it practically sparkled.
"Sif!" He shouted, dropping a hefty log to the ground with a thud. 'And Bonnie's here too. What's up?"
Sif gestured towards the kid next to him. "Bonbon's got a question for you."
"Oh! Very mysterious. Lay it on me!"
Bonnie stepped forward. "Uh, how did you meet Belle? And why did you decide to help her fight the King?"
"That is a good question." Isabeau folded his arms with a thoughtful expression. "Long story short: I met her in Jouvente and decided to help her out when nobody else would."
"And the long story?"
"Well… you're gonna want to sit down for that."