Noelle wakes up to a day like any other. She performs her duties just as usual with the addition of Cookie. Until she runs into a familiar face, and his companion who just so happened to have her birthday today.


AN: No beta we die like hilichurls. Happy Birthday Paimon


◤Good morning, Maestra Noelle.◢

Noelle, now clad in her usual outfit, greeted Cookie as the maid stepped out of the bathroom. "Good morning, Cookie."

◤I was planning to act as an alarm clock for Maestra, but it seems it was not needed. Maestra wakes up earlier than Cookie boots◢ The green light on top of the robot flickered as if it was disappointed.

It had been a while since Cookie had become a new addition to the Knights of Favonius. And everyone had little difficulty bringing her into the family as a whole.

She'd overheard a conversation a couple of the knights had about how their alarm clocks had often failed to wake them up at certain times. When Cookie had asked Noelle about the subject, Noelle tried her best to explain.

And now, it leads to Cookie attempting to be an alarm clock for Noelle every morning. Not that Cookie actually caught Noelle still asleep.

Noelle chuckled. "I hold pride in being an early riser. You'll have quite some difficulty if you want to wake up earlier than me."

◤One day, Maestra Noelle. One day,◢

"I'll look forward to that day then." She smiled. She held the door open as Cookie rolled out of her charging station. They both walked out the door as Cookie locked the door for the both of them.

Right, Cookie could spout elongated metallic sticks for limbs to further help with cleaning. Apparently, she had been inspired by Noelle and wanted to further help out rather than just stick to cleaning the floor. And thus, Cookie could now clean with a brush up to half of Noelle's height.

Noelle almost cried in joy.

"Hey there, Noelle! Cookie!" a familiar voice walked up to them.

Noelle bowed as she kept walking. "Good morning, Mister Swan."

◤Maestro Swan, greetings.◢

Another voice called out. Feminine this time. "Oh, hey there you two, and Swan is with you?"

"Good morning, Mister Joyce."

◤Maestro Joyce, hello there.◢

Swan waved. "Hey there, Joyce."

"My oh my, is it just me, or are the halls just a bit noisy today." Another voice teased before she yawned. "Good morning, everybody."

"Good morning, Miss Hertha."

◤You appear to still be quite exhausted, Miss Hertha. Perhaps you would like me to suggest some techniques for better sleep?◢

Hertha chuckled as she walked with them. "That's sweet, Cookie. But no thanks. I'm just like this every morning."

Cookie would have another comment if not for yet another voice had made themselves present.

"Sorry, Cookie. But I don't think any help given to her would help with her sleep. She'll stay up late reading her novels and then complain about waking up early the next day."

"Good Morning, Mister Bruce."

◤Pleasant morning, Maestro Bruce◢

"Good day to you too, to everyone," Bruce waved to everyone with Noelle, except Hertha who covered her face and sighed. "We all going to the cafeteria?"

"That's correct." Noelle nodded.

"Sweet! I'll come with you then."

Hertha groaned. "Of course, you'd be here. If it isn't food or drinking you're always-"

"Now now, let's not start this early in the morning." Bruce tried to pacify Hertha.

"Hey, you shot first," Hertha told him before she addressed Cookie. "Hey, Cookie, be careful around this guy. If you ever see food in front of him, remember to take it away-"

"I don't care who shot first. I'm ending it right now, or else not one of you is getting any breakfast."

The two froze immediately. They didn't need to turn around to see who the stern voice belonged.

Hertha shakily smiled. "H-Hello, Mister Huffman. Good morning."

"Y-Yes, good morning." Bruce followed.

Their greetings did nothing to lessen the intensity of Huffman's gaze. "It's early in the morning. If you two can't be civil for an hour until breakfast ends I swear to Barbatos I will walk up to Master Jean and ask for you two to have separate shifts. Copy?"

Both of them sighed. "Yes sir."

"Good," he nodded. "And what's this I hear about you telling Cookie something, Hertha?" his tone made the coordinator sweat. "I remember telling you that Cookie is like a child and she'll follow whatever is told of her. It wouldn't be good for her to be around bad influences now, would it?"

"I-I-"

"Right, Hertha?"

Hertha looked left, and right, then suddenly she made a run for it.

Huffman sighed. "She can't keep getting away with this. Cookie?"

◤Yes, Maestro Huffman?◢

"Catch her."

Green lights suddenly turned red. ◤Acknowledged. Commencing hunt.◢ Her metallic limb now visible, she sped up to follow after the woman.

Noelle smiled. Every day would be different, but the mornings they all spent with each other were something Noelle treasured and looked forward to when she woke up. And then after breakfast, she would be helping around town just like any other day.

"Ahhh! Cookie! Stop following me!"

◤Request denied. Target within sight◢

"My nightmares are coming true! I'm being kidnapped by a sentient robot from the future!"

Noelle chuckled. Just an ordinary day indeed.


◤The hallway to the Grandmaster's Office is always tidy, I've noticed.◢

Noelle nodded. "That's because Master Jean often cleans these halls herself," she smiled. "Add that to the list of her never-ending workload, she's the busiest person I know!"

◤Indeed. We should endeavor to lessen Maestra Jean's workload with our own efforts.◢

"Precisely, Cookie! I knew you would understand."

Cookie seemed to be delighted. She beeped green and spun. ◤Nothing but the best for my Masters.◢

The pair still cleaned the hallway and searched for any kind of dirt that Jean might've missed. As they neared the Acting Grandmaster's office, Noelle heard voices coming from it that weren't Jean's.

"Nevertheless, Mondstadt welcomes you back. I'm sure some people would like to see you."

"Noted. But today, I'm sure we'd rather enjoy the day."

"Of course. Today is a special day, after all."

"Yep! Paimon is so tired of walking."

"You float."

"Tsk, tsk, such an insensitive traveler I have. It's the premise! Walk or float, the same thing!"

Noelle's eyes widened. 'Could it be?'

◤Warning. Increased heart rate detected. Maestra Noelle, is everything alright?◢ Cookie flashed orange.

If that was who she thought it was, everything was more than alright.

"Anyway, we'll get going now. Thanks, Master Jean."

"Bye-bye!"

"Take care you too. Anything happens you can come to me directly."

Noelle saw the door open in front of her. Slowly, blonde locks filled her vision, with a very familiar floating figure above his shoulders.

The person turned towards her.

"Oh, Noelle! Good morning, do you need something from Master Jean?"

"H-Hello! Good morning!"

◤Warning. Increased heart rate detected. Maestra Noelle?◢

Noelle shook her head. "It's nothing. Good morning," she repeated. This time accompanied with a bow.

"Hiya! Noelle," a floating white figure greeted her. "Paimon was wondering when we'd run into you! Turns out, we didn't need to wonder for long!"

"Huh? You were only looking for Noelle so you wouldn't have to do any heavy lifting-"

"Ahh- ap, nada, nothing. Zip it. I said null."

Noelle and Aether chuckled.

Noelle thought it was nice to see neither of them had changed.

"Oooh, what's this?" Paimon floated around the small, circular foreign object next to Noelle,

◤I am Cookie the Roomba. The Favonius Cleaning Companion.◢

"Ooooh," Paimon grew stars in her eyes. "This is so cool! How does it work-"

◤She◢

"Eh?"

◤Maestra Noelle is a girl. Therefore, so is Cookie.◢

Paimon looked back at Noelle who had a wide smile on her face. The maid nodded vehemently.

Aether and Paimon sweatdropped. Truly bizarre things were everywhere.

"Nice to meet you, Cookie. I'm Aether." He nudged Paimon to dissipate the awkward air.

"A-Ah yeah! I'm Paimon! I travel with Aether!"

◤Acknowledge. Processing…◢ Its light flashed yellow.

Paimon was about to ask Noelle where they got something like Cookie, before the robot spoke once more.

◤Processing… Would you two happen to be the Honorary Knight and his sidekick?◢

Aether and Paimon's eyes widened. For different reasons.

"You've heard of me?"

"Sidekick?! Who's a sidekick?"

Ignoring the latter, Cookie beeped green. ◤Affirmative. Maestra Noelle tells me many stories before I proceed into charging mode. Most of them being your adventures,◢ Cookie said. ◤Completed. Maestra Honorary Knight Aether, and sidekick Paimon. Updating database.◢

"Why am I a sidekick-!"

Noelle immediately clamped a hand down on Paimon's mouth. She sheepishly smiled. "We probably shouldn't continue this conversation here. Perhaps a better time when both of us are free?"

Aether paid no mind to Paimon who was struggling to get free from Noelle's grip. Though Aether knew Noelle's strength. Paimon wasn't getting out of her hold unless Noelle allowed her to.

"Sure. Come to think of it, we should catch up," Aether smiled. "When are you free?"

"Let's see… I'm-"

"You can go, Noelle."

A new voice introduced itself. It was the Acting Grandmaster herself who stepped out of the door with a troubled smile on her face.

"M-Master Jean! I apologize for disturbing you." Noelle immediately bowed her head.

Jean chuckled. "Don't worry about it. As long as you know what you did wrong, you'll take care not to do it again, I'm sure."

Noelle blushed. "Understood! Thank you! I will go back to my duties now-"

"You should go with the traveler, Noelle. You do enough around here, you deserve a break now and again. Go, catch up with the traveler."

I-But- My duties-"

"Can be fulfilled by Cookie. You two already do such a good job of cleaning that even the plants reflect their surroundings," Jean insisted. "Right, Cookie?"

Cookie spun and glowed green. ◤Affirmative. Cookie will make Maestra proud.◢

"I- Understood." Noelle reluctantly nodded.

Aether sweatdropped. Jean and Noelle were the only people he knew who would become sad at the thought of a day off.

Maybe Ganyu was on that list too, now that he thought of it.

As Noelle's guard was done at the sudden praise from her Idol, Paimon managed to get herself free from Noelle's grasp.

"You should take some of your own advice, Jean. Telling Noelle to take a day off and yet you-"

"What was that?"

Sharp eyes pierced through Paimon. She broke a cold sweat. "I…-uh…"

◤Danger. Pressure rising. Winds detected at 10- 15- 24 miles per hour and increasing, Evacuation recommended.◢ Cookie warned as she beeped red.

Amidst the increasing danger, Paimon looked to both Aether and Noelle, but both looked away from her for different reasons.

Noelle didn't want to go against the acting grandmaster. But Aether just wanted to see his floating companion squirm for a bit.

Paimon bonked herself in the head with one fist and smiled with her tongue out.

"Ehe."


"And then a commission led me back here, and here we are."

Noelle's eyes were wide with admiration. She clapped. "That's truly amazing. As expected of the honorary knight!"

Aether, Paimon, and Noelle were walking down Mondstadt as Noelle listened to the words of the traveler. Where he had been, what he had been up to, they were all so amazing.

Aether chuckled. "It sounds amazing now. But back then it was so difficult."

"I can never understand, but I do agree that fighting an Archon would be a tough task." Noelle nodded.

"Yeah. An archon who can actively seal off my powers over elements, that would've gone south quickly if I had made one mistake."

"Knowing your faults is one step to self-improvement. The next step is knowing what to do with that knowledge." Noelle spoke, almost recited.

Aether chuckled. "Is that a part of your Knights Handbook too?"

The maid shook her head. "No. It's something Master Jean once told me before," she then acquired an inquisitive gaze. "By the way, if you don't mind, would you care to share how it feels to use different elements? I've never met someone who could use them without a vision, let alone more than one element."

"Huh, never really thought of that… let's see…" Aether gathered his thoughts. "For me, it's like the element is within my body itself. When I use anemo, I become more acrobatic. Geo, I become somewhat heavier in the sense that my sense of gravity is stronger, and I can't jump higher, but I do strike hard. Then for electro… it's somewhat similar to anemo in the sense that I can feel my body become more energized? If that's even a thing. I'm faster, and my body has this tingle everywhere. Needed a bit of getting used to the first time." he chuckled.

"Interesting…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Is it different for you?"

"Hard to say, I've never thought about it either. But if I were to describe it, it wouldn't be like how you did."

"Really now?"

"I'm positive. Having my vision doesn't really make me feel any different than when I didn't have one," she admitted. Glancing at her vision. "Not like I use it all the time. All I can do with it is used for combat. I'm simply a maid."

Aether dryly chuckled. Right, just a maid. "Enough about me, how about you? What have you been up to recently?"

Noelle beamed. She told her about what she's been doing recently. All her tasks thus far, the ones to take note of at least.

The two had various reactions. Mostly positive.

"That's amazing, Noelle! I wish I was there with you when you were fishing." Aether praised.

Noelle blushed. "It was nothing. Teacher helped a lot. I wouldn't have succeeded if not for him."

Paimon beamed. "Not to mention you have a sorta-kinda-apprentice now! Ellin!"

Aether nodded. "Yeah. With luck, maybe she won't ask us to hit five dummies in a row now."

Noelle only sweatdropped. "She's not that bad. She's a very nice person"

"If you say so," Paimon shrugged. "So, Cookie is the robot we say earlier?"

Noelle nodded. "Yes. She's coming along nicely. I can't help but be proud."

"I think it's great that they gave you responsibility for what is in essence a child," Aether smiled. "I think it speaks volumes about how responsible you are, and how they see you."

Noelle grew red. "A-Aw, It's nothing much," she shook her head. "She listens well to orders, and cleans very efficiently alongside me."

"She's so cool too!" Paimon's eyes were wide. "You said she's a prototype from Fontainne?"

"Yep."

"Wow," she sighed. "You guys are really lucky. I want a robot that cleans after me too." she pouted.

"It's like you have your own Paimon, Noelle." Aether and Noelle shared a chuckle.

Paimon groaned. "Hey! That's no way to treat the birthday girl!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I'll treat you to some roast later okay? I'll cook it myself." Aether consoled her.

"Huh? It's Paimon's birthday?" Noelle inquired. Was that what Jean meant by saying today was a special day?

Paimon nodded cheerfully. "Yep! Today is Paimon's birthday! Aether is gonna treat me a boatload of food!"

"Yes, yes." Aether nodded along absently.

"A boatload as big as Captain Beidou's!"

"Now hold on a second there."

Noelle pursed her lips as Aether and Paimon argued in the background. A meal for a celebration? Abundant the food may be, Noelle believed it was still lacking for the birthday of the Honorary Knight's companion.

No, this simply wouldn't do. Her pride would not allow it.

"Uhm, if I may."

Both of them paused their bickering and turned to Noelle. The said maid had a smile on her face, and her hands were clasped behind her back.

"I have a suggestion."


◤"I will reiterate! We shall commence our tasks efficiently and swiftly! We do not have much time until lunch, but I believe our numbers are enough!"◢

Noelle's voice reverbed throughout the cafeteria on top of Cookie, who was amplifying her voice. And yes, Cookie could do that. No one knew until she asked.

◤"Now, let me repeat for the last time,"◢ she cleared her throat.

Noelle's suggestion was to hold a small, impromptu celebration in the Favonius Cafeteria. Aether and Paimon were doubtful that they'd get permission, but Noelle managed it. Paimon was happy, glowing even. She initially only wanted to eat double her size, but now she could do that with other people!

Of course, to do so with just the three of them would be impossible, regardless of what Noelle claimed she could do on her own. At their insistence, Noelle abandoned her idea of doing everything by herself and gathered the knights that had free time and were willing to help.

◤ "Team A! That's Mister Swan, Miss Belinda, Miss Hertha, and Mister Joyce. You're in charge of everything regarding decorations. I leave Mister Huffman in charge of that, is that alright, Mister Huffman?"◢

He sniffled- wait what? Was he crying? "Yes, Noelle." They grow up so fast.

◤ "Then, Team B! That's the traveler, Mister Bruce, Mister Otto — Thank you for taking the time to come here from your post at the Cathedral," / Noelle received a smile and a wave. ◤ "And then me. We're on cooking duty alongside the Favonius chefs! The chefs have already given the recipes to be served, and we'll only need to help them out." ◢

Aether was impressed. She managed to convince the staff to help out too.

◤ Cookie will be cleaning up after everyone, but please make sure to dispose of your trash properly. ◢

Noelle nodded. ◤ "Thanks again everyone for coming to help on such short notice," ◢ she hopped off of Cookie and clapped her hands twice, and she smiled.

"Let's get to work."

-x-

"You're a pretty good cook, Traveler." Bruce said as he expertly chopped vegetables.

"Right back at you, Bruce," Aether stirred a pot. "No offense but I didn't know you could cook."

Bruce sheepishly smiled. "Well, I got some experience. Not a lot, but it helps," he glanced behind him. "Nothing compared to Otto though."

Aether looked behind him where Otto and Noelle were cooking. "Really now?"

The pair were almost a blur. Noelle was prepping ingredients left and right. Though he could tell that it was nothing chaotic. Otto was keeping up with Noelle- wait, that was wrong.

A closer glance told Aether that it was in fact the other way around. Noelle was keeping up with Otto as the knight moved like lightning in the kitchen. Noelle just managed to give him the ingredients he needed at the exact moment he needed them.

"Amazing, huh?" Bruce sprinkled a pinch of salt into his pan. "Word is, Otto used to be a cook before he was picked up by Master Varka."

Aether raised an eyebrow. "He quit being a cook to become a Knight?"

"Not really," Bruce shook his head. "He got fired."

"Why?"

Bruce shrugged. "No one knows. He changes the story every time you ask him."

'I defrauded a major corporation.'

'I robbed the second-largest bank in Sneznaya using only a ball-point pen.'

'I found the golden spatula and destroyed it so no one could attain its power.'

'I killed a man... with this thumb!'

Aether blinked. "What?"

-x-

"Is this really necessary? Paimon just wants to eat!"

Hertha chuckled. "Now, now, Paimon, It's your birthday! You have to look your very best."

Paimon pouted. "But this is stupid!" she squirmed. "Don't you have decorations to make and set up?"

"Hah, way ahead of you," Belinda winked. "I still had old decorations in my room from back then. All that's left is to set it up, which is what the guys and Cookie are doing now."

"That's right," Hertha nodded. "You have no escape. Now stay still and let big sister Hertha and Linda take care of you."

"Nooooo!"

Here on Team A, things were a bit different. Paimon was currently strapped to a chair. Belinda and Hertha had brought her into their room.

To do what? To dress her up of course!

"Come on, don't be such a baby. We'll make you look absolutely gorgeous. Right, Hertha?"

"Don't worry, Linda. She ain't going anywhere."

"I don't want to be gorgeous! I want to be Paimon! Traveler! Save me!"


"There we go, I think we're almost done with the food," Bruce wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. "

Aether did the same. "Yeah, just have to wait for this pot and we're good to go. Nice work, Bruce."

"Thanks."

"Good work, you two." The two of them turned around. It looked like Noelle and Otto was done with their dishes as well as the kitchen staff took care of the rest.

"Hey, Noelle, Otto, great work back there. It was amazing." Bruce shook their hands.

Noelle bowed. "It was my pleasure. It was an honor to be able to cook with Mister Otto."

Otto tsked. "I apologize."

The other three raised their eyebrows. "What for?" Aether asked.

"I've lost my edge. I couldn't dice the meat more carefully."

Aether awkwardly laughed. "W-Well, I'm sure it still tastes delicious. Right?"

"Y-Yeah of course!" Bruce immediately backed.

"I know right?"

Aether blinked. "Noelle?"

"I know right?!" The maid turned towards Otto, hands clasped in front of her. "I too failed in assisting you. You were simply too fast! I couldn't keep up. This is not good for a maid such as me! I apologize!"

Eh? What were they on about?

"No, Noelle. You're mistaken. You were doing absolutely fantastic. It was I that failed to catch up to you. The ingredients came faster than I initially thought they would be prepped and I made a lapse in judgment in my hurry."

"That may be, but I still have plenty to work up to. My performance today was lacking, I'm sure of it. I must use this as a stepping stone in my training!"

"Then I should thank you as well, Noelle. If not for you, I would never have realized I had rusted. I shall endeavor to become better, not just as a knight, but as a person!"

No seriously what was with this humblebrag.

To his side, Bruce chuckled and shook his head. "Man, these two never change."

"If you say so," Aether sighed. "Paimon wouldn't notice much anyway. As long as it's delicious, she'll eat and eat, that's just how she is. She's Paimon, not a food critic."

Paimon always appreciated the food she ate. If she ate quickly, it was because she had seconds and didn't want them to get cold. For a girl her size, it was almost comical how people reacted when they saw her eat more than double her size.

"Say, how did you find someone like Paimon anyway?" Bruce asked. "I mean, no offense, but you and Paimon must be the strangest things I've seen in my life thus far."

Aether chuckled. "None taken. And I get it. An element user without a vision, and a floating person. A strange combination indeed," he shook his head. "But I don't mind. Let's see…"

As Aether gathered his thoughts, he saw that Noelle and Otto were done with their own conversation and instead opted to listen in on their current topic. Seems they were interested in how Aether and Paimon met too.

"Basically, I was fishing for food one day. Then I got this really big catch, it was really heavy," he chuckled. "Then I did my best to fish it out, and then lo and behold…"

"Was it Paimon?" Noelle asked.

Aether nodded. "Yep. It was Paimon. She was drowning and I had fished her out just in time," he fondly smiled. "And we've been together ever since. Adventuring, fighting, arguing, everything. It's been so long, but I can still remember it like it was yesterday."

All of them smiled. "That's wonderful. Your bond is unmatched." Noelle told him.

"You think so? I guess you have a point," Aether scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "We may fight sometimes, but she's always been there for me. Whenever I feel down, she cheers me up. Helps me out a bunch too. I appreciate her a lot. I can't imagine traveling without Paimon."

Noelle wondered. The traveler was a stranger in this land, but with Paimon, he didn't feel as lonely. It was a no-brainer why they treasured each other so much.

"Now, I think the soup is ready now. We should get it out," they all nodded to each other. "Oh, and one more thing."

He winked at them.

"Don't tell Paimon about what I said, alright? Don't want her getting a big head now, even if it is her birthday."

-x-

"Achoo!"

"Here, here, blow into the tissue," Hertha warmly smiled as she gently placed a tissue over her nose as sneezed. "Someone must be talking about you."

She scoffed. "It must be Aether again. Badmouthing me,! Ooooh, I'll give him a piece of my mind-"

"Sit down little lady." Belinda sternly told her.

"Yes, Big Sister."

Hertha chuckled as she shook her head. "You two argue this often? I'm amazed you never got into serious fights."

Paimon scratched her cheek. "W-Well… that's…"

Hertha and Belinda could tell she was reluctant to disclose whatever she had in mind. Judging by the flush on her face, it was something embarrassing or something she wasn't keen to admit.

Hertha stroked her head. "Don't worry, Paimon. We're your big sisters. You don't have to tell us. But if you do, it'll never leave this room."

Paimon slowly looked up at her. "...Really?"

"I promise," she told her. She then turned towards Belinda, who nodded.

"Alright, you better keep your promise," she gathered her thoughts. "It's just… Aether has always been there for me, you know? We go from place to place and meet different people, different places, but we're always together. We see new things together. We experience stuff together. We argue, but Paimon thinks it's normal. We never fight."

Hertha and Belinda smiled as they listened to her.

"If you are my big sisters, then Aether would be… My father? No that's not right. He's like a big brother who has opinions that matter a lot more than your usual brother, or something like that." she scratched her head.

"It's us against the world, you know? Like, we know each other better than anyone else, and he's always had my back. Even earlier this morning, the first thing I woke up to was him asking what I wanted for my birthday," Paimon looked down and smiled. "I thought he wouldn't remember cause he was so busy. I wasn't even planning on bringing it up until evening came so I could watch him squirm with guilt."

Hertha and Belinda chuckled. She was still a child after all. The innocence she displayed, and the clear admiration and affection she held for the traveler was wonderful to see.

"Well, we have to level up then, don't you think?" Hertha told her. "Your big brother is in the kitchen right now helping out, why not repay the favor by surprising him with your OOTD?"

Belinda stared blankly at all. "Just say it as it is, Hertha."

"But Outfit-Of-The-Day is such a mouthful!"

"I can never get why you talk like that. I'm starting to sympathize with Bruce now."

"H-Hey! What does Bruce have to do with-"

"So, what color do you like best, Paimon?"

"Don't ignore me you-"

"White? Wait no, Paimon wants blue and white! And yellow too maybe?"

"Sure we can do that."

Hertha groaned. "Fine, I give up. But this isn't over."

Belinda and Paimon both laughed at the coordinator who was shoveling through her closet in search of clothes.

"By the way, remember our promise, okay?" Paimon winked.

"Don't tell Aether about what I said, alright? Paimon thinks his head is already too big from all his accomplishments. Any more and it'll go boom-shakalaka!"


Just from a few hours of decorating, the knights had managed to change the cafeteria into a celebratory venue. Confetti, table mats, and the like were out everywhere. Team A did a good job.

On the other hand, the staff had been very helpful in managing the food that Team B had made. It was transferred into their own containers with spoons, forks, and plates on the side of the table the food was on. Almost similar to the catering to a buffet.

As for the birthday girl?

She was sitting on an impromptu pedestal that the knights had hastily made themselves. It didn't look like a pedestal and more like a high chair. But Paimon didn't care.

She was the star of the show. And the glowing smile on her face told anyone that saw her that she was very happy.

Tomorrow, they would surely go back to business as usual, Noelle was sure. But today, today would be special. If not for her, then for someone. Noelle was happy she insisted. Paimon wouldn't look so happy right now if she hadn't.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday~"

Paimon closed her eyes, smiling as they all sang for her.

"Happy birthday to you!"

Fwoosh

Everyone clapped as Paimon blew out her candles.

Beside her, Cookie bumped into her feet, asking for her attention.

"Yes, Cookie?"

◤Why do people celebrate birthdays?◢

Noelle softly smiled. Of course, Cookie didn't understand. "It's to celebrate your accomplishments for the past year, and to celebrate the day you were born."

◤People celebrate the day they were born… Affirmative, updating database…◢

Aether put the cake down on the table in front of her. He smiled. "Anything else you want to say, Paimon? It is your birthday after all."

Granted, Paimon didn't really know many of the Knights. Most of them she simply knew in the background. But from this day, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to get to know the people around her a bit more.

Besides, they took the time to prepare all of this for her, didn't they? That made them awesome people in her book.

"Actually, I do have one thing to say,"

Aether nodded. "Sure, anything. What is it."

"I'm starving! Let's eat!" she leaped out of her chair and floated towards the food, eager to serve herself a plate.

The knights all laughed as they followed along and lined up to get some food. More people were coming in now. The other knights, even Amber, Lisa, and Kaeya were there! Though, Noelle might have to bring Klee her own share later. She might still be grounded.

Aether shook his head as he chuckled.

Regardless of what occasion, Paimon would still be Paimon.

'And I wouldn't have it any other way.'


AN: It's Paimon's birthday today! Did you forget? I don't blame you cause it's also Itto's birthday today. I originally wanted to make this a one-shot of its own, but it just so happened that her birthday was going to be on my posting day too, so why not make it part of the series instead?

I actually like Paimon. If you think about it, she's kind of the only constant in the Traveler's life. And vice-versa.