AN: No beta we die like hilichurl

"Good morning, everybody!"

A fair-skinned young lady with long, bright red hair arranged loosely in twin tails at the back and light turquoise eyes spoke.

Clad in a blue and white belly dancer attire comprised of a white and blue cropped blouse with saggy, unattached sleeves and gold decorations running from her cuffs to her upper arms teamed with a patterned dark blue skirt tied together by a wide blue bow embellished with a blue ornament, with a skirt adorned with countless ornaments and tassels, as well as a variety of fabrics with varying exquisite designs but most notably, the hydro vision that rested at the back of it, walked into the theater's vicinity as she greeted everyone.

"Good morning, Nilou!"

"Hey! You're here early!"

"Pleasant day to you, Nilou."

"Go back to sleep, young lady!"

"Have you eaten breakfast yet? I have some tahchin right here, freshly made."

"Oh, Nilou's already awake? I need to pick my pace up."

And, she too was being greeted by everyone, it seemed. Walking forward, she smiled and waved at everyone in the troupe.

They were like family to her, after all. She's known them her whole life, and the same was true for them. They were like one big family.

In the distance, she could see Mr. Zubayr sternly, but steadily providing guidance to the people around the theater.

She could see Kouroshi doing his best with his craft. He would look down one second, before he would shake his head, a nod to himself, and perk up.

She could see Najia making sure that all the equipment and mechanisms that they use were always being kept for.

A woman clad in female Sumeru clothing colored blue, as well as brown hair that went down to her shoulders, and a braid of some sort encompassing it.

"Well, well, you're here early. Excited for your birthday?"

Nilou chuckled. "Well, that and I wanted to help around. Good morning, Inayah."

The girl in front of her sighed. "Good morning. But didn't we tell you yesterday to get some rest for today?"

"But I've already rested enough. Plus, it would be kind of weird if I didn't do anything for my birthday." Nilou put a hand to her chin.

"No, it wouldn't be weird. If anything it would be perfectly normal." she shook her head. "Anyway, speaking of it, my father wishes to send you a gift later."

Oh? That was a surprise.

"Yeah. I was surprised too." Najia likely derived her thoughts from her facial expression. "But, you did have a big hand in letting us recuperate. I guess my father wanted to make up for it some way."

"How kind of him."

"Although he can't come into the theater, as I'm sure you are aware."

"Ah, right. That's perfectly understandable." In the past, Mr. Sharif had plotted against the theater, and though he had a change of heart since then, she could imagine that some people weren't so quick to let go of grudges like her. "Still I do want to say my thanks."

"With how busy he is nowadays? What with the huge change in management and everything, he's as busy as he gets." Inayah scoffed.

Nilou simply smiled at her, almost as if she was trying to tell Inayah something with just her smile.

Judging from how Inayah suddenly grew red and averted her gaze, it worked.

"Though, I guess he's trying. And… I should too." Inayah said. "I'll pass your message along."

"That's all I ask for." Nilou internally cheered. She was her father's daughter. Both were as stubborn as the other, and at times, both hid their true emotions buried under a blanket.

"Oh, Nilou, what are you doing here so early?"

A stern, male voice drew near them. Nilou couldn't believe she was so into the conversation that she didn't even notice him approaching. Nevertheless, she smiled.

"Good morning, Mr. Zubayr."

"Nilou. Good morning." The man clad in the clothing of different colors greeted her. He ran a hand through his brown hair and sighed. "What are you doing here so early?"

"But… this is when I normally come to the theater?"

"I know, but we told you to get some rest for today yesterday, remember?"

"That's what I said." She heard Inayah speak under her breath.

"Yes, I heard that. But I just… wanted to help out. I know it's my birthday and all but… with so much going on, and so much to do, not to mention our plans after my birthday…" Nilou pursed her lips. "I just thought it would do well for me to help out a bit."

Inayah frowned. She looked at Mr. Zubayr, who closed his eyes and slowly nodded.

"Alright. You've shown me your conviction. I suppose it is only right that I respect your choices."

Nilou raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"To tell you the truth, there's a package in Port Ormos that still hasn't been retrieved yet." Nilou's eyes widened. "I had already tasked someone with retrieving it, but I suppose you can accompany them."

"Accompany them? Multiple people? Who?"

Mr. Zubayr chuckled. "Well, look behind you and find out."

Nilou did as she was told. She was curious about who she was going to be with for the trip, not that it would've made a difference.

But, she supposed, she would be wrong, just this once.

After all, if it was anyone else, would she be smiling as big as she would be now?

"Sorry we're late, Mr. Zubayr. Paimon had a big breakfast."

"Hey! It's not my fault the food was so good!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Paimon." Paimon pouted as the blonde-haired man chuckled and shook his head, before turning to face Nilou with a grin.

Yeah, her smile could not possibly get any bigger.

"Surprise! Hello, Nilou. Happy birthday."

"I'm surprised to see you here, Aether. To think you'd take the time to visit me on my birthday." She cheerily skipped along as they made to exit Sumeru, walking through the hustle and bustle of the town. "I couldn't be happier."

"You can be! It's your birthday after all." Paimon floated around her. "So! How have you been?"

"Oh, nothing much. Been practicing my dancing more than ever since we last spoke to each other. The theater still has a long way to go to be truly prolific, but I believe we're on the right track." she put a finger to her chin. "It has been a while since then, hasn't it?"

Aether smiled and nodded.

'Ah, of course, he'd know how long it was.' Nilou thought. Aether was one of the main perpetrators of the closest thing to a revolution she could think of. The grand, and nerve-racking experience of scheming against the academy to save Lesser Lord Kusanali was something she wouldn't forget any time soon.

Perhaps never.

But that was alright with her. Something to impart to the next generation? Or maybe the history books.

She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm happy you're here. I know how busy you get, after all."

"Not at all. I'm happy to be here too. Besides, I'm not as busy as you think, really." Aether put both hands behind his head.

"Really? But the troupe says that you're always doing four commissions from the Sumeru Adventurers Guild every day."

"Hurk-"

"Not to mention doing those reputation quests once a week, and those bounties." Nilou mused. "Thank you for that, by the way. My- Aether?"

She turned to Aether mid-sentence, yet when she did, Aether had a slightly strained smile on his face, while Paimon had slumped in the air she floated on. And they were still moving.

She didn't even know Paimon could do that.

"Uhm, is everything alright?"

"Yep. everything is fine. Those commissions and stuff don't even take that long to do anyway."

"Every day… All for the… grind. So tired…"

Aether stated while Paimon appeared to be in some kind of trance.

Nilou titled her head. "O… okay." she nodded. That seemed to suffice as Paimon and Aether went back to normal. She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. "So, apparently our package is in Port Ormos, to be collected from someone named Ayhed."

"Seems simple enough." Aether nodded.

"I think so as well. I can't help but think this is a ploy of the theater to keep me away." that would be hilarious if that were the case. "But they wouldn't do that, of course."

"Yeah, of course not."

"Pshh, why would they do that?"

See? Paimon and Aether agreed with her. That information did well to ease her feelings on the matter.

Though she had to admit, she was curious. "Did they ever say anything about this package to the both of you?"

Aether shook his head. "I don't think so. It shouldn't too big or heavy, at least. Seeing as how they thought one person was enough for the job."

"Hey! One person? Did you forget about Paimon?"

"I know what I said. Besides, you never carry anything."

"I do too!"

"That black hole you call a stomach does not count."

"Why you-!"

"Pfft- Hahahahahahaha!"

She couldn't hold it in anymore. Seeing these two bicker was just like seeing some of her troupe mates fight, albeit on a much lower scale.

She quickly remembered just how much time they'd spent with each other. Perhaps less than her with the troupe, but nonetheless still significant. It was amusing to see, yet refreshing when she realized she didn't need to mediate because they would never start fighting for real.

"Well, I'm glad you're having fun, Nilou."

"That's the spirit! Paimon's happy when Nilou's happy."

She wiped her eyes with a smile on her face." T-Thank you. You reminded me of some of my troupe mates." She said as they resumed walking. She realized that they were about to leave Sumeru as she waved to the entrance guards.

"Ah, Traveller, Miss Nilou. Good morning." the guard said.

They nodded. "Good morning. We're just going to Port Ormos to fetch a package." Aether told them.

Both guards shared a quick glance before they nodded. "Please be well. Take care." they simultaneously voiced out.

"You too." Nilou waved them goodbye as they began walking outside.

"And a happy birthday to you, Miss Nilou."

Nilou's eyes widened. She gracefully performed a small twirl as she bowed in their direction. "Thank you very much."

Aether cracked a smile. "You're getting famous now. I can hear them clapping, and not just those guards."

"It's all thanks to your efforts. More and more people are coming to the theater now for every performance." Nilou cheered. "Day by day, more people are coming to see our performances! Even the ones that weren't so interested in our craft before."

"That's great. I'm happy for you." Aether nodded. "Though, I feel like there is something I should remind you of."

"And that is?"

"It's thanks to our efforts. Remember?" Aether put a hand on her shoulder. Her face grew red all of a sudden. Why was it a bit warm? "You were there too. We were there with you. We were a team."

Nilou opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, then closed it again. Eventually, she smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Thanks to our efforts."

Continuing on their journey wasn't such a hassle, and it never got boring as the trio had begun to share their own stories to pass the time while they made sure to keep track of where they were walking to.

"So, Port Ormos? Honestly haven't visited there much." Nilou mused.

"Really?" Aether raised an eyebrow.

"Well, It's not as if I have had much reason to visit. I rarely go out of the theater nowadays."

"Oh, that busy, I see?"

"Yes. Though, I would take what you imagine as busy and imagine it as even busier." she sighed, although he couldn't hide the hint of joy in her eyes.

"You don't sound so tired, though." Paimon floated around her.

Nilou chuckled. Paimon was adorable. "I am, of course. Being the so-called star of the Zubayr Theater is a lot of grandiose than it sounds. I've had to stay up past the usual to help the others. But I don't regret being this tired, nor do I hate it."

"Let me guess. Because it's fun?"

"Precisely." Nilou smiled. "You've heard of people saying that a hobby stops being a hobby once it becomes a job before, have you?"

Aether nodded. "I can think of a few examples."

"Now, while that can be true, there isn't a rule that says you can't be happy with what you're doing for a living either." she said. "Do you enjoy what you're doing every day?"

"You mean, my dailies? Commissions?"

"Yes. Them."

"Gonna need a second to think about this."

"Of course. It won't be long before we reach Port Ormos, but that's not a reason to not think of a proper response."

Aether put a hand on his chin. So did Paimon, now that she noticed. She too had learned, and absorbed several of her troupe mates' habits. It was a given, she supposed, spending that much time and in such proximity with such people that it was natural to pick up some of their more notable personality traits.

Some traits and habits she had picked up on before were helpful, and perhaps would even be beneficial to her as she grew up such as being able to fall asleep quickly, being very keen in general, and being stern, but encouraging. Those were a few out of many examples she could think of, and yes that last one was from Mr. Zubayr.

Others were… habits she'd rather not remember at all.

But Nilou… sneaking out to get pastries from the fridge in the middle of the night is so good~

Hush you. They're not good for me.

They're good for you in other ways~ Don't try to deny it.

I can, I will, and I am. Begone, demon. Leave me be in peace and pastry.

"Nilou? Are you in there? Anybody home?" Paimon quite literally made to knock on her head. But just before she could, NIlou's eyes widened and she got out of the way.

"Uuuaaaahhh!"

"Paimon!"

Which led to Paimon losing her balance somehow in mid-air as she crashed into a nearby tree. She exclaimed her name and attempted to grab onto her, but she was already too far from her reach.

"Oh my gosh. Are you okay? I'm sorry."

"Uhhhh, so dizzy." Paimon's head spun while her eyes had spirals in them.

Nilou sat down in front of her while she checked her over with concerned eyes. "Are you hurt? How many fingers am I holding? Can you still fly? Float? Levitate?"

"I'm getting even dizzier from all the questions~"

Behind her, she could hear Aether stifle a chuckle. "Don't worry about her too much. It gets to her head when you do that."

"But still… that looked like it hurt."

"Don't worry. She's been through worse. I, out of anyone else, know just exactly how hard that head is. Metaphorically, and literally."

"I… I see. Alright then." Nilou helped Paimon up as she began floating. "I'm very sorry, Paimon."

"Paimon doesn't mind. Paimon forgives you, Nilou. You're always so nice." Paimon hugged Nilou's neck. "You're like the team mom."

Nilou raised an eyebrow. "The team… mom?" her brows furrowed. "What does that mean? I heard the Theater tell me the same time and time again, but what does it mean?" she gasped. "Does it mean I look old enough to be a mother?"

"..."

"..."

For a moment, Paimon and Aether shared a glance before they turned to look at Nilou.

"W-What? I want to know?"

And then almost like a dam, after one of them snickered, both of them had voiced out their amusement with loud laughter.

Paimon was holding her stomach in the air. While Aether was trying his best to calm himself down, but he couldn't do it and would just begin laughing again.

Nilou grew red in embarrassment. She pouted and stomped angrily to Aether. She hid her face in his chest as she pounded her fists on his chest. She knew they wouldn't hurt, but she still had to try.

After a few more moments, Aether finally had calmed himself down, although Paimon was still trying and failing.

"N-NIlou. Being the team mom doesn't mean you're old."

Nilou's fists stopped, though she still kept looking at the ground with her head leaning on his chest. "It doesn't?"

"Not at all. It means you're mature and caring enough to seem like a mom to the team." Aether put a hand under Nilou's chin to raise her head up. Nilou gazed into the traveler's eyes full of wonder and kindness. "It means you're someone they can count on, and look up to. It's no wonder the theater says that about you, because we'd say that about you too."

Nilou had two separate thoughts.

The first was that she was thankful that it was meant to be a compliment, rather than a backhanded insult.

And the second was their position. Why did she come this close? Why was her head leaning on his chest? And why was Aether holding her wrist so much so that he might as well have been holding her hand?

Oh, did she say two separate thoughts? She meant three.

The third was the fact that her face was growing red for an entirely different reason.

In a single swoop, NIlou managed to gain distance from Aether, smoothen out of attire, and cleared her throat.

"Oh, would you look at that? Port Ormos isn't too far away now. Let's go!"

All the while, she refused to look at Aether.

The blush on her face refused to get away until only after Port Ormos had come in sight.

"Ah, Port Ormos." Nilou breathed and smiled. "Every time I come here, it's almost as if it's my first time visiting."

Located in Ardraravi Valley, Dharma Forest was a subarea dubbed Port Ormos.

Responsible for most shipments, incoming and outgoing, as well as travelers going by sea, Port Ormos had enough reason to be as big as it was. It wasn't Sumeru City, but Port Ormos had its own charm to it.

"Well, we're here. Port Ormos." she turned towards Aether. "The largest port city in all of Sumeru!"

"The only port in Sumeru."

"Tee-hee." she playfully knocked a knuckle on her head.

"Nilou, Nilou, Nilou!" Paimon spun around her. "What else does the letter say? Where are we going to meet them?"

"Calm down, Paimon. You're even more excited than the person we're actually here for."

Nilou chuckled. She waved their concern off. "Don't worry about it. It's cute. Now, let's see…" she unfolded the letter once more. "We're supposed to go to Djafar Tavern and ask for Ayhed."

"Ah, that's not too far from here." Traveler nodded.

"Let us be off then." Nilou moved first.

"You know, Paimon thinks that although both Liyue Harbor and Port Ormos are Port Cities, they're very different from each other." Paimon floated idly.

"Oh, Liyue Harbor. I've heard stories. Read books and all. Though I always imagined it to look like Port Ormos." Nilou looked at the sky as she contemplated.

"You're right that they're both large port cities. And they are majorly responsible for shipments of all kinds between nations. But I think that's as much similarity I can come up with in regards to Port Ormos and Liyue Harbor." Aether scratched his cheek.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'd say they couldn't be any more different. The vibe, the atmosphere, the people, and the culture is so different when comparing that I feel it shouldn't be compared at all."

"Wow. I'd love to see that someday."

"Oooh! You can tell us whenever and we'd be happy to bring you there!" Paimon enthusiastically spoke for the both of them. "Right, Aether?"

"Of course." Not a moment's hesitation front the traveler.

Nilou beamed. "I look forward to it!"

It wasn't long until they realized they were so absorbed in their talks that they had reached their destination.

A decently sized tavern, convenient for Sailors and Seafarers in need of a short break and warm food. Nilou had never eaten here, but perhaps one day she'd like to.

"Welcome!" The tavern hostess greeted them as they approached. "Oh, well if it isn't Nilou."

"Hello!" Nilou waved. "We're not here to eat, sadly. I'm here to meet someone named Ayhed? They have a package for me according to this letter."

The tavern hostess raised an eyebrow as she regarded the letter, before she started chuckling.

"Ah, so that's what she's here for."

"What was that?" Nilou asked.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing." she shook her head. "You'll find Ayhed right there if you take a left after you go down. Can't miss her." she gave back the letter.

"We will. Thank you."

"It was nice seeing you, Nilou."

"Thank you for your hospitality. Perhaps the next time I visit I'll be able to sit down for a meal."

"I'll hold you to that. I'll even give you something special on the house."

They waved to each other as Nilou began walking in the direction that they had been directed to.

Aether looked at Nilou. "Didn't realize your fame reached here."

"Well, it's only because our performances have gained more exposure through word of mouth recently. Word travels fast when more and more of your audience aren't natives of Sumeru City." she awkwardly chuckled. "Well, anyway, I think this is where we're supposed to meet her."

"Meet who?" a voice that was neither Aether's nor Paimon's spoke up.

The instant she turned, a smile erupted on her face.

"Dehya!"

A tall young woman with a lightly tanned complexion, sky-blue eyes with yellow pupils, and black hair with blonde accents adorned with accessories that made it seem as though she had cat ears. She was clad in a palette of red and black and hints of yellow in an ensemble consisting of black knee-high boots, shorts, a belt, and elbow-length fingerless gloves, and a top made of black and red fabric.

The former eremite cracked a smirk. "How's it going, you three?"

"Been here, did that. Same as usual." Aether shrugged.

"Dehya! It's been so long!" Paimon flew towards her.

"It hasn't been that long, Paimon."

"It has when you count in Paimon Time!"

Dehya smiled as Paimon flew around her. It was amazing how she didn't get dizzy.

"It's been so long, Dehya." Nilou approached her with a smile.

"Hey there, you. I heard the theater's doing better than ever now."

"It has. Thank to y- our efforts."

"Yeah, it's been a win-win situation for most of us." Dehya nodded. "Oh, right, there's someone that's been meaning to talk to you today too."

"Oh?"

"That would be me."

Nilou smiled. She knew that voice. She didn't even need to turn around to know for sure, yet she still did.

Clad in a light blue dress with gold embellishments and a purple top with gold accents She has brown eyes and brunette hair that is twisted into a low bun.

"I'm glad to see you well, Dunyarzad."

She chuckled.

"So am I, Nilou."

"I'm surprised you got to come." Nilou asked. "It must've been quite the trouble."

They now sat at a table that fit them all. Each of them had some form of beverage with them, courtesy of Dunyarzad.

"Oh, please, it was no trouble at all." Dunyarzad smiled.

"You're telling me. It was quite the exercise sneaking around all those cards while carrying a person like a sack of potatoes." Dehya chuckled.

Her smile cracked.

"We agreed to not talk about it."

"Nah, you agreed not to talk about it."

"But you made a noise of compliance!"

"No. That was a grunt. Because I was in the process of carrying you like a sack of potatoes when you said it."

Dunyarzad calmed herself with a few breaths, while Dehya crossed her arms and leaned back on the chair with a grin.

"We will have words about this later." Dunyarzad declared. "How have you been, Nilou?"

"I'm doing wonderful for myself. Oh, and thank you for your donations, they've helped out a lot with the theater." she smiled. "Oh! And by the by, when do you think you can stop by to watch a show?"

"Oh, not today. I could barely sneak out without Dehya's help." she chuckled. "My parents, albeit happy with my recovery, would like me to be at home for a little more just to ease their concerns."

Paimon flew towards her. "Yet, here you are!"

"Ah, yes. As you can see. I am doing perfectly well to ease my parent's concerns through action rather than inaction." Dunyarzad nodded.

Nilou was impressed. "And by proving to them that you can handle yourself now, they'll have to see your progress."

Dunyarzad seemed proud of it. Judging from the way she puffed her chest out.

"That's the excuse we came up with on the way here. In truth, milady just wants to get out of the house after being cooped up in her room for way too long." Dehya interjected.

Somehow, that also made sense to Nilou. "Ah."

"Yep. Milady is turning out to be quite rebellious after all."

"I'm… it's just this once…?" Oh Dunyarzad, if you couldn't convince yourself then it'd be quite the endeavor to convince others. "It's just so boring at home! I've been there for so long when I was sick! I want to go out and do… something! Anything!"

"Well, in any case. I'm glad you're doing well." Aether interjected with a nod. "This is proof that your well-being is at a steady upward slope."

"Yes. I'm thankful too. Not just to me, but you all of you." Dunyarzad addressed them.

"Like I said milady, I didn't do anything."

"Paimon is confused."

"Whatever might you mean?" Nilou raised an eyebrow.

Dunyarzad chuckled. "Play dumb all you want. Dehya might not say much about it, and she might squint around the subject, but I know you had a part to play in the massive changes surrounding Sumeru."

Dehya suddenly found the umbrella shielding them from the sun to be very interesting, Aether and Paimon were whistling to themselves, and Nilou scratched her cheek.

"Foundational change in management from the Akademiya, Eleazar being cured everywhere, not to mention it coincidentally lines up with the traveler's arrival." Dunyarzad smiled. "I may have been sick, but there's only so much to do while bedridden."

They awkwardly chuckled.

"That's… a hell of a theory, Milady."

"Oh, hush you." she said. "Oh right! I almost forgot! Dehya, the package, if you will?"

Dehya's eyes widened. "Oh, right. The thing I carried you around for."

"You will stop it?" she sounded annoyed, but Nilou could see the hint of a smile on her face. Well, that and the gleam in her eyes that said it was only friendly banter.

"Not until you get to go out by yourself. Do you know? Without relying on people like me to bust you out."

"Fine! Fine." she sighed. "I'll… I'll try."

"That's all I ask for, milady." Dehya smirked. She then brought out a small box down on the table. "And this is what you asked for."

Nilou raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"

"It's what you're here for. You're here to collect a package, correct?" Dunyarzad asked them.

Nilou pulled out the letter again as she gave them a nod. "That's correct, yes. But we were supposed to collect them from someone named… Eyhed…"

Wait.

Her eyes went up from her letter. She saw Dunyarzad with a palm to her face, while Dehya had a grin on hers.

Wait.

Eyhed… Dehya…

Her eyes widened. "It was you!"

Dunyarzad sighed. "It was her idea."

"Well? Pretty clever huh?" She could pretty much hear the pride in Dehya's voice.

"Paimon really thought we were getting a package from someone else!" Paimon put her arms to her sides. Aether just laughed.

"That means it worked didn't it?"

Nilou chuckled. "Yes. I… I suppose it did."

Perhaps she should feel annoyed at being led along. Perhaps she should have felt a tad irritated at being fooled. But she didn't feel anything like that. Like Aether, she saw amusement in the situation.

And they did get what they came here for in the end.

"Your humor needs work, Dehya." Paimon told her. "You've been hanging around Cyno too much."

"Hey! this one's all me. That general has nothing to do with my sense of humor."

"Anyway." Dunyarzad cleared her throat. "Take this. It's our present to you. It's not much, but I promise it's something you'd like."

Nilou tilted her head. "A present?"

"Yes. It's your birthday, is it not?" Dunyarzad smiled. "My parents always gave me gifts on my birthday, perhaps it was because they thought I didn't have any more birthdays after the last one. But, I thought it would be nice to give you something for yours too."

She pushed the package further to her side of the table.

Looking around, she saw Dehya smiling as she gave her a nod, Paimon was enthusiastically nodding, and Aether patted her on the shoulder. And as for Dunyarzad…

Her smile never left her face.

"Happy birthday, Nilou."

"That didn't take you so long. How was the trip?" Inayah greeted them as they returned to the Theater.

"Hello again!" Nilou waved at her.

Aether and Paimon came up from behind her while holding the package they had received. "Hey, Nilou."

"Yes?" she turned.

"Not that this isn't heavy or anything but… where do I put it?" Aether gestured to the package in his hand.

"Oh! Give it here." Inayah asked for it, and Aether delivered. "Thanks."

"Always welcome." Aether nodded.

"So… what's in it?" Nilou asked.

Inayah shook her head. "I'm not sure. Mr. Zubayr said something we'd do something with it once you arrived, but Mr. Zubayr seems to be a bit occupied with setting the stage." she then gave Nilou a concerned look. "Hey, are you sure about performing and dancing on your birthday?"

"Hm? Oh, are you worried?" Nilou smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't."

"But it's your birthday-"

"It was my idea." she said. "I love dancing. And I suppose it's a way to celebrate as well. I wish this day to be a happy day not just for me, but everyone else too. If my dancing can help that process, then I'm all for it."

"I see." Inayah returned her smile. "Sometimes, I forget just how much you love dancing."

"Mhm, you'd do well not to." the pair shared a chuckle while Aether and Paimon smiled at their interaction.

"Oh, is that Nilou?" Mr. Zubayr had come into their line of sight and was now walking towards them.

"Hello again, Mr. Zubayr." Nilou greeted him.

"That didn't take you so long. I'm glad to see you well." he turned towards Aether and Paimon. "Traveler, thank you for keeping our Nilou safe."

"She didn't need much protecting anyway, but you're welcome." Aether replied.

"Yeah! It was a piece of cake!"

"I'm glad to hear that." he took a glance at the box that Inayah held. "May I?"

Inayah blinked for a few moments, before seemingly snapping out of her trance and nodding. "Oh, of course."

Mr. Zubayr inspected the package for a short time. "All seems well here."

"So… what's in it?"

Inayah smiled. "Curious, much?"

Oh, wow, suddenly the ground was so interesting! "I just… want to know?"

Even Mr. Zubayr chuckled. How dare they derive amusement from her attempt at cleverly poking for information!

"I'm afraid this will have to wait until after all the guests have arrived." he gave her a stern, yet kind gaze. "The focus of the party should be the celebrant after all, not the presents."

"Okay." Nilou tried her best to cheer up, though she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

Something Mr. Zubayr and Inayah had evidently taken notice of, as the former had frowned and the latter… still had a smile on her face?

"Oh, but it seems the traveler has one ready and waiting, doesn't he?"

All eyes turned to the traveler as he held some sort of… trinket in his hands.

"Well, I was planning on saving this for the end of the party but seeing as how our birthday celebrant is getting a bit impatient, surely one present wouldn't be too much?"

Nilou's eyes couldn't shine brother if she could. "Can I? Please? Please?"

Mr. Zubayr sighed. "Sometimes, I feel like everyone's parent." he reluctantly nodded. "Go ahead, Aether."

The traveler nodded and approached Nilou. "Well, it isn't much. But… here."

Paimon flew down at Aether's behest and presented some kind of box the size of her palm to her.

"Go on, open it!" Paimon enthusiastically pushed the box to her.

Nilou smiled with just as much enthusiasm. As she opened the box, her eyes widened.

"This is…!"

"You asked me a question earlier about why I do what I do, and I think I have an answer for it now. I do what I do because I'm thankful. Thankful for what this place has given me, and what it has given up for me. And in that way, I do enjoy them." Aether chuckled at her reaction. "And now, this is our way of giving thanks to you. It's nothing much, just what we could afford." he said. "You work so hard with what you do, and you're slowly gaining a following, not just from the city, but Sumeru as a whole. So when I saw this… I just couldn't help but think of you."

Nilou gently cradled the object in her hands as she brought it out of the box and closer to her.

A vibrant blue necklace consisting of various Varunada Lazurite Sliver pieces strung together by a gold string. It seemed to have its own shine.

"I know this isn't much, but hopefully, this will give you enough assurance that what you're doing is worth it." Aether told her.

Nilou didn't know what to say, or to do. Between Aether's encouraging words that already hit too close to her heart, and the gift that was definitely expensive, she was out of words.

"I… I don't know what to say."

Mr. Zubayr put a hand on her shoulders. "Nilou, at times like these, when someone's given you a gift, you know what to say, don't you?"

"R-Right." she smoothed out her skirt and bowed. "Thank you. Thank you very much."

Aether smiled. "You're welcome."

Her heart skipped a beat.

I wonder why…

"Well? What are you waiting for? Wear it!" Paimon floated to her.

Nilou smiled and nodded. She put the necklace around her neck. Once she did, she shyly looked around.

"So… how does it look?"

They all gave her pleasing looks.

"I think it looks wonderful." Inayah said.

"Suits you well." Mr. Zubayr nodded.

"Told you it was the right thing to get for her." Aether smirked.

Paimon smiled. "You look so good! Almost divine!"

Nilou blushed. "D-D-Divine? Oh, I don't know about that."

Inayah shook her head. "I agree with Paimon. I think you'd be able to perform for Lesser Lord Kusanali too, don't you think?"

"W-W-What? Lesser Lord Kusanali watching my performance?! I-I think I'm going to faint just at the thought of it."

"Why not? I'm sure Lesser Lord Kusanali would love to watch."

"It's not that. It's just…" she sighed. "I still have a long way to go before I judge my performances to be up to Lesser Lord Kusanali's standards. She deserves nothing but the best, and until I can become that, I'm going to have to decline her invitations. I want her to enjoy my performances to the fullest."

"But I already enjoy your performances very much."

"I'm thankful that you do, Inayah. But I still have a long way to go, and much to learn."

Inayah simply smiled and tilted her head. "If you say so."

Nilou chuckled. "Huh, all this talk about performing… It kind of makes me want to dance. Is the stage ready?"

"As eager as ever." Mr. Zubayr sighed, but he smiled. "You're lucky I prepared it ahead of time."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Now." he then raised his voice. "Everyone! Nilou will be performing in a short moment. Guests, please prepare to be amazed!"

Sounds of cheer from her friends and family erupted at his announcement. Nilou couldn't hold back her smile as she rushed towards the stage.

To dance isn't just to move one's body. It was to move with passion, with a purpose, and with emotion to convey. And now, on her very special day, she'd give a very special performance.

As always, with grace.