"Ah…"

Desperate, and at a loss for words, Aether steered Raiden away from the fire. It was difficult to imagine someone – anyone – being quite so miserable at cooking, but as he watched the last remains of a pot and some carrots crumble into dust, he was forced to come to terms with that fact.

It seemed all archons had their flaws.

Paimon wailed in the distance, lamenting about the waste of food, her famine, and the possibility that she may not live to see another day.

Something bubbled in his stomach, and Aether, unable to help himself, let out a chuckle.

Raiden turned, her face covered in soot, and leveled him with a glare potent enough that even Zhongli would second-guess his next course of action.

"Do I amuse you, my brazen and impertinent protector?"

Struggling not to fall into an even deeper fit of laughter, Aether coughed, stammering out a weak denial.

"N-Not at all! It- It was Paimon! Yeah, she can be a real comedian sometimes!"

Raiden did not seem entirely convinced, but when said fairy dropped to the ground dramatically, clutching her aching belly and flopping around like a fish out of water, the former god relented.

It wasn't the first time Paimon had acted up due to a food-related cause, and by now, Aether knew exactly how to deal with it. Making sure to carefully step around the toxic sludge of Raiden's making, he bent over to pick up his diminutive companion.

"Let's head back inside the tent." he said, taking note of the setting sun.

Trees and leaves were coated in a beautiful shade of gold, and it was likely the last sunset he'd see in Inazuma, his heart growing heavy at the thought.

Saying goodbye was never easy, and even less so for Aether than for his sister. The Lumine he recalled was always in such high spirits, always happy to move on to the next world, to meet new people and uncover new secrets.

In that, she was his rock, the one to help him through the pain of loss that came with each farewell.

Now, however, he had no such luxury, and when time came to leave Inazuma, he did so silently, with nary a word of his departure. He'd only told Ayaka, who with misty eyes and a solemn tone had promised to spread the word.

They left the next day, before dawn, only stopping to set up camp by the shores of Ritou. With the Sakoku decree repealed, he planned to board the first ship bound for Liyue.

Pulling aside the covers of the makeshift tent, the trio stepped inside, huddling around a small, golden teapot. Just as Aether was about to touch the handle, whisking them all away, Raiden made a tiny sound.

"Aether." she said, an awkward expression on her face. "It appears that human sustenance cannot withstand my power."

Smiling softly at her non-apology, he assured her that they would be fine. Even if his portable cooking pot had been all but atomized, he was well-seasoned enough of an adventurer to stock up on rations.

"It's alright, Raiden. We've still got some emergency food in the manor."

Paimon stirred in his arms, mumbling something incoherently.

Raiden had never been so embarrassed before, not once in the many centuries that spanned her life. Worst of all was that she already knew she was a worthless cook, but some small, stubborn, prideful part of her demanded that she prove the world wrong.

It was not as if she simply wished to prepare a meal for the Traveler, of course, such a notion was absurd.

In the end, however, their dinner had been reduced to a skewer of meat with a side of fried eggs. It was the simplest, most unsophisticated meal she'd ever had, but it served its purpose.

Not long thereafter, the Traveler and Paimon had fallen asleep. The two were sprawled out across a large rug, with Paimon using the Traveler as a pillow, snoring softly into his chest.

The irony that she remained awake to watch over her supposed protector was not lost on her, but she'd no need for sleep, and in the dead of night, veiled by shadow, Raiden stared unabashedly at her love, for the first time looking forward to what tomorrow may hold.