Aether sat down on a rock near the cliff edge and sighed. He hoped the winds of the ocean would soothe him, or that once he exhaled the heaviness in his chest would subside.
No such luck.
Most would think that seeing him like this means he's experienced something unpleasant when in truth his recent experiences should have kept his mood gleeful. Noticing this, his floating white-haired companion felt it was time to fulfill her secondary duty of being his emotional support animal.
"Aether, why do you look so sad?" She asked, floating by his side. "Paimon thought you'd be in a good mood today after…well…" the floating pixie looked around as if she had something to protect.
"After spending the night with Ayaka?" The blonde haired man said, giving his companion a sideways glance.
"Yeah, you seemed happy this morning, and Ayaka looked REALLY happy so Paimon didn't think anything bad happened. Besides Ayato probably not getting any sleep" Paimon said, hoping that some humor would alleviate his mood.
"It's…not that I didn't have fun with Ayaka. It's just…" he paused. "Paimon…how many?"
She blinked. "How many?"
"How many girls have I 'spent the night with? Do you know?" Aether asked, finally turning to look at her.
Paimon blinked and her gaze went upwards as if she'd see the number in the sky.
"You don't, do you? You're probably shocked to hear it wasn't just Ayaka," Aether continued before paimon could answer. "You can't imagine how I feel
every time I think about it. What am I doing to these women!?" He said as he put his hands on his head.
All while Paimon was still scratching her head.
"It started with Amber, I was just so taken by her. You can't imagine how I felt when I realized she felt the same way. I still remember that night out in the woods I spent with her 'on patrol'," Aether chuckled. "Amber convinced Jean to let me tag along with her. We didn't complete the patrol that night, though you would have guessed we'd run nonstop for hours cause of how exhausted we were on our return." Aether smiled at the memory of the night he'd spent with his first. Her eyes, her long hair, her absolutely banging legs, and the sounds she made. His look went somber once more. "Then there was Lisa, I guess that's the first time I felt the guilt…" he continued.
Meanwhile, behind him, Paimon had two fingers raised as if counting on her tiny hand.
"Lisa, she was so alluring. Her voice practically sets me on fire when I hear it. We were in the library one day while it was empty, just chit-chatting to pass time and she mentioned that she caught a couple getting handsy with each other in the library. They were promptly banned. Then she got in really close to me and said…no one fucks in her library unless it's her," Aether said as a thin red line formed on his cheeks. "Things escalated from there. Her desk isn't so sturdy anymore if you know what I mean." He said, rubbing the back of his head.
Paimon now was next to him on the rock, holding an inquisitive pose. Not at all shocked by Aether's confession but rather still contemplating his earlier question.
"We moved to Liyue next, and things were busy for a long time. So much so that I barely had a chance to collect myself before I realized that Keqing and Ganyu had both started acting differently around me. Ganyu was first, it happened when she was having that identity crisis, we were near Cloud retainers domain when it happened." Aether shuddered. "If cloud retainer had found us I doubt I'd be here. She'd probably smite me for 'committing indecent acts on sacred ground' or something," he finished. "Keqing actually asked me on a date, she was pretty forward. Makes sense for someone like her right? What I didn't expect her to do was start teasing me. She found a way to flash her…assets at me often. That date ended back at her place," this time Aether gritted his teeth and looked to the ground.
"Am I just a dog? I'm on a journey to find my sister not…a conquest of this world's women! I…have to come clean to them…all of them. Not just the ones I mentioned but-"
"16! No, wait…20!?" Paimon chanted as if she were guessing the number of peppers in Xianglings jar back at Wamins restaurant.
"Uh"
"Paimon can't remember if you've already boned Shinobu and Sara," she said scratching her chin.
"I…. you're taking this pretty lightly Paimon," Aether said, surprised at her lack of shock.
"Well, it's not like you're cheating."
"What do to mea-how is this not cheating?"
"Well they know about each other, so isn't it more like sharing?" Paimon said rather nonchalantly.
Aether gave her a blank stare. Unable to process everything she said after 'they know about each other he wasn't sure how to continue.
"They…know about each other?" Aether said in a shaky tone. "They're sharing!?"
"Yeah, they are! How do you not know? Did Amber never tell you about her and Lisa's agreement?" Paimon said with a deadpan expression.
"No! When did they make an agreement?" Aether asked, trying his hardest to remember if there was even the slightest hint of something like this.
"Oh, it started all the way back in Mondstat. Paimon doesn't know all the details, you can ask them if you like. They're probably all in the teapot having some tea or something. They meet up every so often," Paimon said casually.
"They are?" asked Aether, once again in shock. He swiftly pulled out the adeptal device and entered the realm he called home when he wasn't adventuring.
Upon spawning into his room in the pocket realm he knew immediately it wasn't vacant. Seems Paimon wasn't wrong.
"Why are they all here now?" Aether asked no one in particular.
"They meet up every week to chat, and also schedule," Paimon said, appearing behind him.
"Schedule?" the young man said in a bewildered tone.
"Yeah, they basically pass you around like a smoking pipe" The floating gal said with a laugh and slap of the knee.
Aether walked out of the room, ignoring his companions' joke and proceeding down the steps. The sounds of chatter grew louder until he could clearly make out what they were saying. He recognized the voices as he stopped just before he could come into sight.
"So Ayaka, how was your first night with our stallion?"
"That was Lisa.." Aether thought to himself.
"He was gentle and loving and caressed me like I was the most important thing in the world to him. I could scarcely let go of him when I awoke in the morning. I look forward to seeing him again tonight," came the reply.
"A-Ayaka…" Aether felt a blush burning his cheeks. He didn't take her for the type to kiss and tell.
"That's so sweet! I'm happy you enjoyed your first time so much, Ayaka."
"That was…"
"How was your first time with him Amber? Was he the same?'" Ayaka asked.
"Oh no, we romped like wild animals in the woods. Right up against a tree, he told me that I was howling like a wolf, I left bite marks on him like one too." She giggled.
"A shock that no one but myself noticed. Though I can't say I don't understand where you're coming from. Cutie and I really did a number on my desk, it squeaks when I lean against it." Lisa said in a sultry tone.
"O-oh my" Ayaka said in response.
"You're not the only one who enjoys a gentle touch Ayaka, I too enjoy the travelers loving hold."
"Yeah you strike me as the type to like it soft Ganyu," Amber said.
"Indeed, Aether tells me that he wants me to get more sleep, but I get less of it when he's around," she giggled. "I don't mind it honestly, he whispers such sweet things to me when we're together. I can hardly keep a straight face when I'm around him. Cloud retainer has started pestering me though, asking when I'll be bringing her grandkids. I imagine Shenhe has posed a similar question."
"No way…" Aether thought
"Ladies just before you continue…"
"That's monas voice"
"Aether, would you like to come join us? Or would you rather keep hearing us sing praises about your performance?"
Aether felt his soul leave his body. Of course, Mona would have predicted he'd be here.
"Oh? Is cutie here? Please do join us. It's been far too long, " Lisa chimed in.
"Yeah! Aether get out here!" Amber's bubbly tone cheered for him.
Realizing he'd been caught Aether stepped out from behind the wall and approached the table everyone was eating at. He built this table some time ago at Mona's advice, back when she moved in she suggested it cause she believed they'd be getting more company. Now he sees what she meant.
"H-hey girls…"
"Hey, Aeth! Why were you hiding? Also, didn't you have any commissions this morning?" Amber asked as she patted the seat next to her.
"I did but…I've got till the end of the week for these ones," he said as he awkwardly sat next to his first.
"Then why were you hiding cutie? You know very well that, with the exception of Amber, we don't bite," Lisa teased.
"Hey!"
"Oh well…the thing is…"
"Aether didn't know that you guys were sharing him," Paimon said as she floated into the room holding a freshly made but somehow halfway eaten sandwich.
The girls at the table all shared a giggle at that.
"Is that true, Aether?" Ganyu asked.
"Did you really not pick up on the fact that we all agreed on sharing the cake?" Mona asked after one of her signature hearty laughs.
"Why else did you think we would flirt with you so brazenly in front of one another? Honestly, if I weren't in on this I might have just started zapping anyone who laid a finger on my precious cutie, " Lisa joked
Aether's face was an entirely new shade of crimson. He had to admit, not picking up on this arrangement was a certified Paimon moment that said floating companion would never let him live down.
"Y-yeah I guess I was kind of a dunce for not seeing it. So uh…why did you girls agree to this?" The young man asked.
"We love you Aether, that's why," Amber answered.
"Indeed, you've got us all smitten cutie," Lisa added.
"We know that you'll get lonely while you're out there, none of us can stand the thought of that. We also know that none of us can afford to travel with you constantly. So this way we not only get all our needs met, but we can meet yours as well," added Ganyu.
"W-wow girls, I don't know what to say…" Aether said, rubbing the back of his head.
"You don't have to say anything. In fact…maybe you shouldn't say anything at all…"Lisa said as she rose from her seat and walked behind Aether. "You know girls, when you think about it, if Aether didn't know that we were in on it he must have thought that he was playing us." She finished by placing her hands on his shoulders and gripping them firmly.
"W-wait…I may not have known but…I was just feeling so guilty about it that I was going to come clean a-and make a choice-"
"Choice?" Amber said as she now stood atop the table and looked down at him. "So you were going to pick a favorite?" She said with a raised brow.
"How terrible Aether, dear" Ganyu chimed in as she gave him a sideways glance.
"It seems we'll have to keep a tighter leash on him than we anticipated," Ayaka said with a stare that was as icy as her vision.
"Agreed, girls, we should take this opportunity to properly punish him," Mona said with a smirk and a shadowy expression.
Aether didn't have time to process what was happening before he was suddenly hoisted on the table. Amber straddled his lap while Lisa and Gayu held his arms in place. Mona and Ayaka meanwhile kept a firm grip on his legs. At that moment Aether learned how to feel scared and aroused at the same time, a nervous smile formed on his face.
"I like a challenge, bring it on," he said.
The room erupted in the sounds of ripping cloth and feminine giggles. In the chaos, they had completely forgotten that Paimon was right there watching it happen. Mortified at the sight of her friend about to become a full course meal (That she WOULD NOT be taking part in) she swallowed what was left of her sandwich and flew through a window directly towards the realm's avian groundskeeper.
"Tubby! Make some room in that mini teapot! They're about to go at it!"