It was the first time Raiden ever saw the Traveler angry.
She wasn't even the recepient of his ire, but a mere glimpse of his frigid gaze was enough for her to draw a sharp breath and turn away.
"You're a disappointment to this city." he'd said. "To Barbatos himself."
And then he'd walked away, a trio of drunken patrons left cowering on the floor. So distracted was Raiden that she barely noticed his hand on her sleeve, tugging her along as they rushed out of the tavern.
"She can't have gone far." he muttered, looking from side to side, eyes squinting as they searched the moonlit alley.
"Traveler-" Paimon said nervously. She squirmed in the air, clearly not used to seeing her friend so irate, either.
"There!" he said, pointing in the distance. A shadowy figure vanished just around the corner, heading towards the Favonius' headquarters, and the Traveler set off in chase of it without a warning to spare.
Left with no choice in the matter, Raiden grasped the edges of her kimono, sighed, and hurried after him like a dainty maiden out of Miko's novels.
They found the figure - a woman named Eula - slumped over a park bench with her legs sprawled out and her head dangling over the backrest. Despite the darkness, a nearby lantern cast enough light for her to spot a small pool of tears forming over the pavement.
So much for Mondstadt's vaunted freedom and chivalry, she thought bitterly.
If Eula noticed their arrival, she didn't show any sign of it. Raiden knew she'd been drinking copiously, but the sight was concerning - a sentiment Paimon seemed to share as she moved to check on the drunken knight.
A small nudge in the shoulder had Eula stirring awake.
"L-Leave me- hic- alone…" she slurred.
"That would be unwise." said Raiden, taking the response as incentive to turn the woman around by her arms.
"Hey! I'm a- hic- Knight of F-Favonius! Don't touch me-"
She stilled, bloodshot eyes landing upon the Traveler's form. A hand reached up, and Eula giggled, no doubt witnessing something that differed greatly from reality.
"A… shooting star!"
He shook his head in amusement, braid dancing in the wind, and with the way his eyes shone brightly, Raiden could somewhat see the resemblance.
"Indeed. You should seize the moment and make a wish."
She wasn't sure if entertaining the woman's delusion was the right course of action, but between her happy expression and the Traveler's surprised face, she felt mostly reassured.
"A wish? I- I wish to- hic- wake up… surrounded… by friends."
Eula slumped forward, losing consciousness once more, and the Traveler quickly took her into his arms, sparing her a nasty lump where her forehead would've met with the ground.
Strangely, Raiden felt nothing at the sight, no sign of the jealousy she'd been expecting, and she wondered if perhaps the months had changed her more than she'd thought. Of course, it may also have had something to do with the woman's disheveled state, and the stench of alcohol that permeated the air.
The Traveler sighed in relief, finally securing Eula between them in a somewhat stable way.
"Venti…" he whispered. "Please don't let her remember a thing come morning."
A very loud, high-pitched scream had Aether awake and on his feet in seconds, sword in hand, ready to fend off whichever foe that dared to threaten the peace.
"GET OFF!"
He found a hand clutching his free arm in a vice grip, and Aether suddenly wished to be anywhere but in his current position. Instead of an enemy, he was met with Eula's murderous gaze.
"You're the one holding onto…" he began, trailing off as Eula looked down to find that she was indeed the one at fault. There was a moment of silence, realization sinking in before it was washed away by denial.
"INTERLOPER!" she yelled, releasing him as though he were a poisonous animal. "MONSTER!"
He covered his ears as she reared back, preparing to release her most vicious screech yet.
"PERVERT!"
Aether took it all back - it would've been far more preferable if she recalled her drunken behavior.
"Eula, calm down. There's a crowd-"
Some of the townsfolk had been drawn to the ruckus, shooting them several curious stares. Most attempted - and failed - to appear inconspicuous in their spying, while others pointed and stared unabashedly.
He could already sense the impending rumors.
"Don't you tell me to calm down, Honorary Knight! How dare you! Taking advantage of a woman while she's-"
Eula blushed fiercely.
"Mark my words…" she whispered dangerously, incapable of completing her former sentence. "Vengeance will be-"
"You may be of some meager importance to the Traveler, but lay one finger upon him and you shall regret it."
Raiden made herself known at the worst possible moment, cementing the notion that Aether was a cursed individual, shunned not only by the gods but by fate and luck too. As if to torment him, a wave of 'oohs' and 'aahs' passed through the crowd, who were taking far too much pleasure in the ensuing drama.
Not intimidated in the slightest, Eula marched off to stand mere inches in front of Raiden. The energy the two women radiated could be felt a mile away - an enveloping coldness, supercharged until each hair on Aether's body stood on end.
Eula harrumphed, her eyes roaming up and down dispassionately.
"So you're his latest companion." she said snootily. "I suppose you're not too shabby-looking, for a peasant."
Aether felt his eyes bulging out of his skull, the absurdity of Eula's statement stunning even Raiden into silence. In fact, that was probably the only reason why she remained standing at all, and he racked his mind for a way to diffuse the situation before it got entirely out of hand.
The answer came to him in an instant, and he dropped to his knees, raising his arms to the cloudy heavens as though preparing to summon a deity.
"NOELLE!" he hollered, pushing as much desperation into his shout as possible.
Noelle was a maid-knight.
And not just any maid-knight, realized Raiden, but the Maid-Knight, from the tale she'd heard in Liyue Harbor. She finally understood why the Traveler had smiled knowingly each time she asked whether there was any truth to the rumors of her existence.
Noelle appeared out of nowhere, answering the Traveler's call as though she were his familiar. The similarities ended there, however, as he proceeded to beg her to do something - anything - to 'prevent Mondstadt from falling into ruin'.
Raiden held back a laugh, hiding her lips with the palm of her hand. He must've believed she would smite Eula for her insolence, when in reality she admired the woman for her brashness, born from ignorance though it may be.
She was also beginning to see why some people may have little patience for her.
In the meantime, Noelle helped the Traveler back to his feet, smiling widely as she dusted off his shoulders and spoke a few words of encouragement. She must be a popular figure, because the crowd cheered at her arrival, calling out her name and even throwing a few haphazard requests her way.
"Good morning!" said Noelle, cheerfully skipping in between Eula and herself, her fingers interlocking with theirs. "Come, it's time for breakfast! I know, I'll whip up some lighter-than-air pancakes - they're my specialty. You simply must try them!"
"So lucky!"
"Noelle, I want some too!"
"Did someone say pancakes?!" exclaimed Paimon, reappearing once the danger had passed.
Noelle led them through the crowd and all the way to the Good Hunter, where she found them a large, round table, even holding out their chairs for them like a proper maid.
"Oooh…" moaned Paimon, rubbing her palms in anticipation. "Noelle's pancakes are the best! So sweet and fluffy… Paimon can't wait!"
Raiden froze in her seat.
The one within had awoken, the entirety of her consciousness surfacing at last. It seemed that in this particular case, Ei demanded to take the reins.
"Sweet?" she asked reverently. "Fluffy?"
Paimon nodded vigorously, head bobbing up and down as she fastened a napkin underneath her scarf. With the air of a master, the little fairy brandished fork and knife - the closest thing to weapons she'd ever wielded.
Ei felt a trickle of drool running down her chin, so enamored was she with the prospect of a sugary treat. She picked up her own fork, the foreign utensil awkward to her touch, and emulated Paimon's grip as best she could.
Eula huffed from beside her.
The blue-haired woman quickly snatched hold of her arm, twisting the fork around until it lay flat between her thumb and her middle finger, the index finger resting softly along its ridge.
"Like this." she intoned, voice still haughty and tinged with superiority.
"I see."
Ei picked up her knife as well, holding it similarly in front of her face.
"No!" Eula snapped, pressing her arm back down over the table. "You'll poke someone's eye out! Even a commoner should have that much sense."
"PANCAKES!" the Traveler shouted, for some reason sounding far more frightened than he did hungry, or even happy for that matter. Were it up to her, it would've been a crime to care so little for treats.
A heavenly aroma suddenly graced her senses, warm and sweet, like powdered sugar atop rising bread. It was buttery too, and she smelled a hint of chocolate and caramel, and even something fruity.
A delightful shiver ran down her body, and Ei licked her lips.
Aether thanked the stars for his and everyone else's continued existence.
Not only had Eula insulted a god, but she'd done it twice and gotten away with it too. He'd be impressed if his heart wasn't thumping furiously, his head light and spinning as though he were about to faint.
"Here you go, Honorary Knight! A triple stack, just for you!"
"Ah- Thanks, Noelle. You're the best-"
A tremendously loud, squelching, munching sound assaulted his ears, and Aether nearly gagged at what he saw.
Both Paimon and Raiden were stuffing their faces, burying themselves nose-deep in their plates with barely a moment's respite. It was as grotesque as it was comical, and he was unable to muster a single word.
Eula had no such inhibitions.
"This- This is- I've never seen such horrendous table manners in my entire life! No, this won't do at all - that I should be forced to sit through this is outrageous! It seems I must take it upon myself to instruct those less fortunate in proper etiquette!"
"Aefwer." said Raiden, finally looking up from her plate. Her cheeks bulged with food, lips and chin smudged brown with chocolate, and after swallowing deeply, she faced him conspiratorially.
"This one." she said, jabbing a thumb in Eula's direction. "She is a tsundere, is she not?"
"Yes- Hold on, how do you even know what that is?"
Raiden's eyes went wide, and she coughed suspiciously into her hand.
"You see… ever since Miko sent you that statue, I may or may not have stayed in touch with her and received copies of the publishing house's latest bestsellers."
"You did what?!"
"Traveler!" interrupted Eula with a hiss. The Spindrift Knight had risen from her chair, hovering ominously above him. "You will elaborate on this immediately! I won't sit idly by and be humiliated by the likes of you!"
"Oh, allow me!" said Noelle. "I came across this term while perusing some of Miss Lisa's books. I'm not entirely sure what they had to do with my knightly exams, but… no matter! A tsundere is someone who's harsh on the outside, but a real softie on the inside."
"Precisely." confirmed Raiden.
"I'm- I'm not- I'm not a tsun-whatever!"
Eula gritted her teeth, face red and ears steaming, and she couldn't have driven the point home any clearer had she tried.
A pair of arms suddenly threw themselves around her neck, nearly toppling both of them over. Crimson bunny-ears were all one could see of the assailant, yet that was more than enough for any local of Mondstadt to identify her.
"You definitely are."
"Amber?! Hey! Get off-"
They all laughed, cheering the girls on while Eula made a half-hearted attempt of escaping Amber's bear hug.
"Is that… the Lawrence girl?" muttered a middle-aged man, and Aether noticed a few people whispering in hushed tones while passing the Good Hunter. "What's she doing, acting all friendly with- goodness gracious! Outrider Amber!" he exclaimed, his surprise matched by several other citizens.
"You're right!" said an old lady, rubbing her eyes as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "There's Noelle too, and… the Honorary Knight! Am I dreaming? Why would such upstanding people associate with her?"
"Well…" the man replied nervously, shuffling his feet on the spot. "She is a Captain of the Knights. The Grand Master wouldn't appoint just anyone, I suppose."
Aether was surprised to spy a hint of shame in his voice.
"I figured she must've bribed her way to the top." the lady mumbled. "Perhaps… I was wrong."
Ei watched quietly as the Traveler's rowdy, ragtag group of friends made a public mess. She supposed she'd contributed to that mess, if only to a small degree. She couldn't be expected to understand the intricacies and customs of a foreign culture, after all.
Taking another bite of her last pancake, Ei slowed down her pace to savor the taste while she still had the chance. A delighted little moan escaped her throat, and she closed her eyes. Truly, nothing could top a plateful of something sweet, and as much as she disliked Barbatos, the light breeze and the sounds of his city only added to the experience.
"Say, Traveler, Paimon, shouldn't you introduce us to your new friend?"
Amber was surprisingly the first to ask, and Ei perked up. She'd been practicing various different introductions, making use of her new identity, going them over in her mind until finally discovering a line that resonated with her.
"Oh! Ah- Um…" stuttered Paimon, rocking back and forth in her chair. "This is-"
"I am Aether's girlfriend. You may call me Ei."
A mixture of spit, pancakes and juice left the Traveler's lips, showering the entire table.
Not a moment later, Noelle tripped and fumbled with a tray, sending several plates crashing against the stone terrace, and the bunny-eared girl's jaw dropped wide open. Eula, too, had gone deathly still, no longer struggling in Amber's clutches.
"Friend!" Paimon screeched. She waved her arms about in desperation, flying circles around them while repeating the word. "As in a friend who happens to be a girl!"
The Traveler nodded so emphatically it was a miracle that his head remained attached to his shoulders.
"Indeed." said Ei, and for some reason everyone sighed in relief. "Is that not what a girlfriend is?"
"N-No!" exclaimed Noelle, on her knees scowering for each broken piece of porcelain. "A girlfriend is someone you h-hold hands with, and, you know… kiss."
Ei marveled at her luck - since she and the Traveler had done both of those things, she wouldn't need to come up with a new introduction. She was about to tell them as much when Amber laughed nervously, muttering something about 'crazy Inazuman ladies', and wondered if she'd accidentally broken some unspoken social rule.
"That's a beautiful dress you're wearing, Miss Ei."
A shard of porcelain had fallen by her side, and as she picked it up, Noelle brushed against the hem of her kimono.
"Oh! It's so silky and smooth, too, like the dresses from Liyue. I wanted to buy a hanfu while I was there, but they were so expensive."
The simple remark was enough to open a veritable floodgate, as everyone shared in Noelle's despair.
"Don't even tell me about it." muttered Amber. "I'm pretty sure only Eula here could afford one."
"Hmph. If they're up to Lawrence standards, that is."
"And no one makes dresses in Paimon's size!"
"Well, I think you look fine just the way you are." said the Traveler placatingly. "I know I wouldn't want to change my outfit."
"That's because you're a boy!" they quipped back. "Girls have needs!"
A heated discussion broke out between them, beginning with garments that they desired before moving on to outfits they wished other people would wear. Ei quickly lost interest, not recognizing any of the names they mentioned, and last thing she heard before returning to her pancake was something about a "Fischl' and a 'Diluc', and how they were in dire need of an upgraded wardrobe.
"So you're off to Sumeru?"
Aether nodded, making sure to keep some distance between himself and Raiden as they walked down the street. He couldn't believe they'd almost been found out - the only one who knew was Ying'er and she was much too frightened to spill the beans.
It wouldn't have been too bad, he supposed, but if word reached the public that Narukami Ei and the Electro Archon were one and the same his life would turn incredibly complicated.
"Yoo-hoo, Traveler? Anyone home?" asked Amber, poking him gently in the head.
"Hm? Oh, did you say something?"
"If you visit Gandharva Ville, could you send Collei my regards?" she said. "It's been so long, I wonder how she's holding up."
"I'll see what I can do."
They were nearly at the Adventurers' Guild when Noelle stopped, a sad frown on her face. The maid-knight looked a bit shy, hesitant to speak her mind.
"But- You've only just returned… it's barely been a day, even! Must you leave so soon?"
Her downcast expression reminded Aether of why he loathed farewells. Even Eula appeared miffed, her lips tightening, and he offered them a weak smile in response.
"You know me, always on the move. Sister to find and Paimon to feed."
"Meanie!"
"Oof-" Aether gasped, air leaving his lungs as Noelle launched herself into his arms, tears splashing against his cheek.
"Promise you'll visit again, all right?" she sniffled.
"I promise. Besides, Paimon can't go for too long without those pancakes of yours, so we'll be back before you know it."
The girl giggled and wiped her eyes clean.
"Well?" he said expectantly, spreading his arms wide. "Let it not be said that I play favorites. Group hug, everyone?"
"I don't think so…" began Eula, when she was suddenly grabbed by a grinning Amber and pushed towards him. "Don't you dare!" she shrieked. "You'll pay for this! All of you-"
"Ei!" shouted Amber, drowning out Eula's cries for vengeance. "You too! He asked for it, so let's glomp him!"
"Hey, wait up! Paimon wants in on this too!"
The combined weight of four-and-a-half girls sent Aether to the ground, tumbling and laughing through the pain with only a hint of a grimace.
Eula, who'd landed right on top of him, wouldn't stop muttering about the indignity of it all, but he still caught a glimpse of her smile, happier than he'd ever seen before.
I'm glad your wish came true.
"And now…" Raiden declared ominously. "The tickling begins."
"What?!"