The long and short of the delay is life hit me like truck-kun going to isekai someone, only instead of getting sent to another world I get thrust into the hell that is existence...
Ahem. Everything is fine (for now) but yeah, sorry about the delay. I literally was too tired to even consider doing anything except eating and sleeping (and studying).
Just a brief disclaimer before the actual one: I've beaten the quest so I know what happens, but for the sake of wholesomeness, I'm going to pretend that a certain friend can still be called on by Aether and Paimon. You'll see soon enough. Hope you enjoy!
Further notes at the end; on with the show!
Disclaimer: Genshin Impact and its characters belong to Mi-hoyo and Hoyoverse; I own nothing.
Paimon really didn't understand Aether sometimes.
Her best buddy was the reason she survived drowning, of course, and she was immensely grateful to him… But even she had to marvel at all they'd been through. From Mondstadt and now Fontaine, they'd gone on all kinds of amazing, strange and at some points wacky adventures. Now it seemed the most recent was a mixture of all three categories, and all of them revolved around a certain god that had decided Paimon's buddy was to be her chaperone or whatever.
Now Paimon may not have been the brightest Mora in the vault, but even she could see how hung up on Aether Furina really was. Sure it had started out friendly enough and Paimon had slowly leaned away from giving the archon an ugly nickname – for now.
But now she didn't know what to think though it wasn't just about Furina herself. Aether was also at fault for the confusion.
The reason for that being his chronic indecisiveness.
The Traveler had no shortage of admirers in the nations they've visited and all of them had dropped everything to come help him when they could. Some had even come across Teyvat just to see him like in the case of Lisa in Sumeru, albeit under the guise of an "overdue vacation".
But it wasn't just the languid Librarian that was in the running for Aether's affections.
In Liyue there was Kequing and, unless her eyes deceived her, maybe even Yelan.
In Inazuma there was Ayaka and Kokomi, both og whom held extremely influential positions in the nation.
And then, most recently, in Sumeru, there was Nilou, Layla, and Dehya; a famed dancer, a respected scholar and infamous mercenary, respectively.
Of course, there were others interested in Aether, but those girls mentioned were the ones closest to the Traveler. They were the ones he'd spent the most time with, and the ones who regularly hung out in the teapot.-
Now it seemed like that number was about to increase yet again if what she was picking up from Furina was any indication. That I'm-better-than-you-all-so-worship-me mask of hers might fool others who weren't familiar with the god. But Paimon hadn't followed the Traveler this far without picking up a few tricks, namely the art of reading people.
It didn't always work, of course, but with someone like Furina she might as well have been an open book. Aether was too, but for different reasons. They had history together after all.
So watching them dance around each other, while amusing at first had quickly grown stale since neither were willing to take that crucial first step.
In other words, they were just stuck flirting.
It wasn't the first time she'd see Aether stuck in that crevice that was interaction between the opposite sex, but this was the most promising occurrence. It wasn't one-sided, basically.
With Lisa for instance, she teased and babied the heck out of Aether but the blond never returned her advances though that wasn't entirely his fault.
Lisa is a lot to handle, after all, Paimon deadpanned. She teases him so much there's no way to tell whenever she's being genuine.
But she was still one of the Traveler's longest friends – and Paimon used the term loosely – he had in Teyvat. He trusted her a great deal, and often went to her whenever thoughts of his sister got too much for him. At this stage, she was more like a doting older sister to Aether than anything really.
The same went for a few others with some exceptions of course though the results were much the same.
That is, until Furina entered the picture.
Paimon couldn't see the appeal of the bratty archon compared to some of the blond's other admirers apart from being someone who challenged him.
But Dehya fills that slot too! Whenever they go out hunting scorpions, it always turns into a competition about who can slay more with the loser having to cook… Dehya makes the best butter chicken though, hehe.
However, their dynamic was more of close friends than prospective lovers. Dehya liked the Traveler a lot, but she also respected his feelings enough not to push them on him… which was odd, given her status as a mercenary. Whenever she saw something she wanted, she took it – that included any treasure they found while adventuring together.
Ok, so Dehya's out with Lisa. But that just leaves Yelan and hoo boy, talk about pushy.
The Tianquan's elite enforcer was certainly a force of nature, to be sure. Ever since their first meeting down in the Chasm, Yelan had quickly established herself on Paimon's exclusive Never Make Mad list along with Lisa and Dehya… and Ayaka too, if she were being honest. Cunning and beautiful, she caught the eye of anyone whenever she made the scene… even Aether. For some reason she always chose him to go gambling on Jade with, calling him her "lucky charm" but Paimon could garner a few reasons as to why. Yelan respected strength and even without taking the fact he'd both saved Liyue and helped her boss out on numerous occasions, he still would catch her eye just from his skills in battle alone.
But Paimon still can't say if she really likes him likes him, since she's always putting on an act. Actually, maybe her and Ayato would get along… The mere thought of that development caused her to pale a bit. Yeesh, Paimon's not even touching that can of worms.
If it weren't for the fact that Kequing, Ayaka, Kokomi, Nilou and Layla were people Aether genuinely trusted and cared a lot about, Paimon would've suspected the Traveler was only into older women.
Well… older in their eyes anyway. She still wasn't sure just how they would take learning he was more quadruple their age despite his youthful appearance.
But… maybe that was it! Furina herself was only 500 years old roughly, being a newly minted archon for Fontaine and all, so in terms of age technically she was the closest to the Traveler. If he did start developing feelings for her, maybe it wouldn't feel like he was dating a child.
Ugh, Paimon still doesn't really get this whole age-gap thing.
What she did know was that Aether had practically lit up when he saw Furina today, even when they got into sometimes heated arguments. So maybe she would be the one…
But the way things were going, they'd circle all of Teyvat just as many times as there were members of the Seven before they spilled the beans to each other! Something had to give, or maybe…
Maybe they just needed a little nudge in the right direction.
Completely lost in their own world, the pair completely missed the silver-haired fairy's devious smile.
Hehe, Paimon just had an awesome idea…!
It didn't take long for them to find the special aquarium sanctuary, the barrier still in place like always. With Furina's hand still clasped, Aether swam through the translucent "door", letting gravity take hold. That is, until he heard Furina yelp.
"Uh wait WAAAH!"
Instinct took over, pivoting just in time to catch Furina princess-style, the girl unconsciously throwing her arms around his neck. Surprisingly enough, she was a lot lighter than he thought she'd be what with all those accessories she wore. "Ah, sorry, I forgot to mention that happens."
"Make that type of knowledge priority next time!" she shrieked at him, outraged.
Aether barely drew back the chuckle that threatened to escape. It never failed to amuse him seeing this side of archon that prided herself as the picture of elegance. She was almost normal this way…
Strangely enough, he frowned at that thought. Somehow that just felt wrong. She didn't need to be normal for him to enjoy being around her. She was fine just like this. Furina was Furina...
"Are you… going to let me go already?" Furina's voice drew him from his musings, finding the girl staring at him expectantly with a slight blush in her cheeks.
Cute…
"Yeah."
But the girl didn't relinquish her hold on him.
"Uh… are you going to let go? Because I can't do it if you won't."
Furina blinked thrice, seeming to realize what she was doing and practically leapt from his arms, dusting herself off.
Already he found himself missing that closeness they had…
"Berrypuff!"
Aether and Furina whirled around, the god stumbling back in shock as a particularly chonky Blubberbeast now waited in the ocean outside, practically bouncing in place.
"Arf, arf!"
"Awww, we missed you too big guy!" Paimon gushed, floating up to the creature's level.
Aether smiled. He'd missed the adorable ball of fat too.
"Goodness, I had no idea you had tamed one of these things," Furina commented, staring wide-eyed up at the beast.
"Hey! Berrypuff isn't a thing! He's our friend!" Paimon snapped defensively.
"Were my words inaccurate?" she asked Aether, a bit bewildered by the fairy's outrage.
"Don't take it personally. We helped nurse him back to health together in this place when he was a bit smaller, and the two get along famously."
"Arf!"
"Yeah, you tell her 'Puff"!
"And she understands the… beast as well?" Furina asked, subtly changing the wording in order to appease Paimon.
Aether just chuckled nervously. "Just go with it."
Furina pursed her lips, once more turning to stare up at the beast as it flapped its flippers, staring in with dopey expression. "So, this is the infamous Berrypuff you mentioned prior. Well, he certainly is an impressive size if others are anything to go by. Now if there's nothing else, may we depart? There's more of the ocean I want – I-I mean, that I wish for you to take me to see," the archon said, catching herself mid-sentence with a distinct cough to cover her slip.
But Aether just smirked at her. "Well, that'd be rude to Berrypuff don't you think? And besides, I think he likes you."
"Arf, arf, arf!" The blubberbeast clapped its fins together, eyes shining.
"Flattered though I might be, partaking in animal care is… beneath me," Furina explained, turning up her nose not unlike a cat would. "Besides, we're inside. How is a sea creature meant to join us?"
Aether just barely held back the evil grin, but Paimon got the message loud and clear.
"Oh, don't worry. Hey Berrypuff, come on in!"
"ARF, ARF!"
"Wait, what – WHAT IN CELESTIA-!?"
A mass of blubbery fat charged through the barrier, floating in the air for a long moment before it came down like a rock, the creature nearly flattening the startled god who quickly scrambled out of the way.
"Arf, arf, arf!" Berrypuff barked, clapping its fins at Furina who just stared, eyes as wide as saucers.
"T-that… beast nearly flattened me!" Furina screeched, chest heaving.
"Aw, he just wanted to give you a big ol hug Furina!" Paimon giggled, floating over to the blubberbeast as it rolled over, patting its belly "Hehe, who's a good Berrypuff? You are, yes you are!"
"Arf, arf, arf!"
"Wha…?" Furina muttered, at a complete loss. "How can that creature be here with us if it lives in the ocean?
"Blubberbeast have lungs just like us but since theirs are larger than a human's, they can hold their breath for longer periods of time," Aether explained, taking a seat next to her.
"Come on Berrypuff, let's go play!" Paimon called, flying into the large aquarium, the blubber beast hot on her heels.
"Arf, arf, arf!" The blubberbeast tottered after her, its fins making a distinct plap plap plap noise before it dove into the water after Paimon.
"I'm a bit surprised you aren't joining them," Furina pointed out.
"I could say the same to you," the blond returned good-naturedly, nudging her shoulder with his.
"Oh please. Don't take me for someone who gets won over so easily by a cute face."
"So you admit Berrypuff is cute," Aether teased, smirking at her to which Furina huffed petulantly.
"Why restate the obvious? It… I mean he is but one of the many denizens of my realm, and thus they automatically assume such status!"
"Then why the hesitation? It's obvious he likes you."
"Was I not clear? Just because that blob of fat is cute does not mean I'm going to fawn over it like that one does," Furina stated, pointing in the direction of a squealing Paimon as she and Berrypuff swam together. "I have standards after all."
"Alright, but you're really missing out~" Aether sang.
"What purpose could come from mingling with the local wildlife in this manner, anyhow?" Furina scoffed.
"You could say the same about being here right now, you know?" Aether pointed out which made Furina wince at the truth. He sighed, rising to his feet. "I won't force you if you don't want to, but it might be hard to pull Paimon and Berrypuff apart. Besides, I want to see him too."
"Hey wait just a second! Surely you don't intend to leave me by my lonesome here, do you?!"
"We'll only be in the aquarium, so don't worry. But if you get lonely, you could aways join~"
"Ugh! Fine then, go play around with the beast if you insist on this childish behavior!"
"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment," Aether said cheekily before he dove into the barrier, completely missing Furina's indignant squawk.
Stubborn as a sumpterbeast, he grumbled mentally.
At least Berrypuff was happy to see him, the blubber beast giving an excited bark and nuzzling his chest. "Yeah I missed you too buddy."
"Hey, don't go hogging him Aether!"
"Right, right…"
How utterly inane. Scenes such as the one playing out before her now made it hard to reconcile the fact that this boy was the renowned Traveler. Now he just appeared the same as any commoner, delighting in such simple pastimes.
What was so special about that overgrown beast anyhow? Indeed it was certainly larger than the others she'd seen since coming down here, but that was were the appeal ended. At the end of the day it was just another blubberbeast.
…so why did Aether look so bloody happy with it?
The Traveler was laughing, nay giggling like a child as the beast encircled him, bashing him with its large cranium. Were it not for his obvious enjoyment, Furina might've worried the beast was attempting to attack him.
More than that, he looked like he was having… fun.
How absurd. I should be all the entertainment he requires, just as he is for me.
Even you know that's not the whole truth, the little voice spoke once more to her which only made her snarl.
"And what would you know?" She was fortunate that nobody else was within earshot to hear her converse with what was basically herself.
Gods, she was getting a headache just entertaining that notion.
It's not what I know, but what we know. And whether you wish to admit it aloud is irrelevant – you are enjoying your time together with him.
"Hmph. But of course, he's proven to be quite the amusing distraction since being exiled from the Epicles," Furina boasted.
You mean how you exiled yourself because of that ridiculous condition. Seriously, whatever were you thinking?
"Oh shut it! It seemed reasonable at the time! Besides, why am I even wasting my time talking to some hallucination when I could be doing more worthwhile things with my time?"
Then why don't you leave?
Furina's heart froze.
The voice went on, unrelenting, and whether she was hallucinating or not, there was something about its words that compelled her to listen.
You could very easily leave while they're occupied and they wouldn't even notice probably. At some point, they would but why should that matter to you? So why don't you leave? Go home to the Palais Mermonia where you could be catered for with the attention you believe you so rightly deserve. Why waste time with some foreigner?
"HE'S NOT JUST THAT...!"
Furina's protest echoed in the chamber, the barriers beyond somehow acting as a sound buffer as her companions didn't even notice her outburst.
Swallowing, Furina went on, clenching the folds of her dress in a tight grip. "If you claim to know so much, then you know that's not true either."
That still begs the question: why are you still here?
Furina looked up again, to the blond that was lost in his own world beyond while she sat in self-imposed misery.
Why, indeed. All she knew was that since she'd forced him to accompany her today, forced him to submit to her whims and squabble with him-
...it was enjoyable.
No, she corrected, shaking her head. I'm… having fun. When… when was the last time I felt this excited just being with someone?
There was only one time in recent memory she could name, but she dare not drudge that up. She'd locked it away for a reason. Even so…
She glanced back down at her lap as if expecting to have the answers she so desperately sought. There were none of course, but the voice once more filtered through her thoughts, clearer than ever before.
All this pomp and circumstance is fine for the masses, but is it really necessary down here? And even if you wish to keep playing such a role, why not let yourself be free for once… with someone you know deep down will never judge you for what you are.
"How can you be sure?" Furina asked in a desperate, quiet voice.
I'm not. But I know someone who is.
Furina tightened her grip on her dress, grappling with what to do now before it finally came to her.
Her decision made; the god of hydro rose to her feet…
Oooh, this isn't going well at all! Paimon fretted, watching Aether hanging around with Berrypuff nearby. At a glance, Furina seemed content to stay right where she was though Paimon didn't miss how animated she was.
Likely she's making more excuses about why she doesn't have to be with us, the little fairy surmised with a sigh. Jeez. Talk about bullheaded. Even the Shogun backed down after a point, although we wouldn't have got that far if not for Miko's meddling.
She'd thought that her little scheme earlier with Berrypuff, although the animal had no knowledge of her true intentions, would serve to drive the two closer together. Now it seemed they were starting to pull apart.
Even if Furina wasn't outwardly showing any disappointment, Aether certainly was. Paimon had learned to read her traveling companion's emotions like a book by this point, so she could tell when he was kidding and when he was serious… and when he was down in the dumps.
Smiling and giggling though he may've been now, it didn't reach his eyes.
Ticked, Paimon shot a glare back into the connecting passageway where Furina still was talking to herself. "Maybe Paimon should give her an ugly nickname!" she growled under her breath.
"What are you muttering for?"
"EEEK! Don't sneak up on Paimon like that!"
Aether shared a glance with the blubberbeast that was swimming next to him, lifting an eyebrow. "I get how I could, but why didn't she hear you?"
"Arf…?" Berrypuff just stared dopily at the blond, cocking its head a bit.
"…right, should've expected that response… anyways, what are you doing over here in the corner Paimon? You know we can both play with Berrypuff right?"
"Paimon was just taking a break is all!" the fairy claimed, waving her hands in front of her.
Aether didn't look convinced, but fortunately his attention was garnered as Berrypuff began to bark excitedly about something.
Wonder of wonders, Furina slowly swam up to meet them, coming to a stop before them with a slightly nervous look on her face. "Ahem…"
"Yes, Lady Furina?" Aether asked stoically, Paimon not missing how Furina winced at the sudden formality.
The god seemed to struggle for a moment, glancing between both Aether and the blubberbeast before finally settling on the blond. "I do hope you hadn't expected me to depart without my escort," she said haughtily, hands on her hips.
Paimon rolled her eyes.
Ugh, this again?!
"I thought animal care was beneath you, Lady Furina?" Aether pressed, crossing his arms with a slight frown.
The two started to squabble again and Paimon could only clutch at her locks in frustration, until a sort of growl from nearby filtered through her ears.
"…ARF!"
"W-what?!"
"Berrypuff-!"
Paimon was just in time to witness the blubberbeast practically ram into Furina's back, flinging her into Aether's arms. The blond caught the archon and steadied her, the latter placing her gloved hands on his chest as she glared back at the blubberbeast. "Why you-!"
"Are you alright?"
Furina blinked rapidly, glancing up at the boy who held her close and started to blush. "I uh, yes. I'm not injured it just… caught me off-guard is all. Are all blubberbeasts like this?"
"No, this one is a special case," Aether remarked with a pointed look at the barking creature as it swam around them, barking. "…and a rascally one at that."
Way to go Berrypuff! Paimon's so proud of you…! Paimon can work with this!
"Hey, maybe he's hungry!" Paimon suggested, flying over to the trio.
"Arf! Arf, arf!" Berrypuff barked, its tongue lolling out like a dog's.
"Guess that solves that mystery," Aether deadpanned, reaching into his traveler's bag to pull out some raw fish.
"You carry that around with you?" the god questioned, eyes wide.
"A good adventurer always has ingredients for a quick meal on hand," Aether recited, holding the fish out to Berrypuff who gobbled it right up. However, that didn't seem to appease the beast, its eyes landing on Furina next.
"W-what is it looking at me for?" Furina demanded, unconsciously clinging to Aether.
The blond chuckled at her hesitance. "I think he wants you to feed him next."
"Me?! But… but I don't know how to! And furthermore-!"
"-it's beneath you?" Aether finished, earning a sharp glare from her. He sighed, pulling out another thing of fish to hold out to her. "Here. We can do it together if you like."
Furina stared at the slab of fish as if it personally wronged her before picking it up daintily with the tips of her fingers. "Ew, ew, ew," she whimpered, looking at the blubberbeast that stared at her with anticipation on its face. "B-bon appeti – EEEEEK!"
Berrypuff practically gobbled the fish right up to her digits in one bite, eliciting a loud squeal from the god of hydro. "Arf! Arf, arf, arf!" The blubberbeast swam over to her and began nuzzling her chest, stunning the girl for a moment.
"H-hey, get off me you bloated beast! I said off, this instant!"
Berrypuff obeyed but remained close to her, staring at her with the same innocent adoration that of a puppy would. "Arf?"
Furina's cheeks rapidly colored, her lips threatening to break out into a smile but she continued to fight it. "Now hear me, blubberbeast," she addressed the creature as if it were one of her subjects which, given the realm, wasn't incorrect. "As your sovereign there is a certain level of decorum you must adhere to when associating with my glorious person. So if I am to feed you, you shall not nip at my fingers like that, understood?!"
Berrypuff just clapped its fins together, barking at her before nuzzling her again much to her initial chagrin.
"You little-! Listen to what I - gyah! H-hey, what are you – s-stop that it tickles~!" she broke out into a peal of giggles, the blubberbeast making its best impression of a cat that craved attention. Soon the god's laughter filled the air around them intermixed with Berrypuff's barks, the two swimming around together without a care in the world, the archon beaming with utter delight.
From nearby, Paimon could only admire the blubberbeast's handiwork with the same pride as one would possess for their child which, in a sense, wasn't entirely inaccurate. After all, Berrypuff might've very well starved had her and Aether not come across the abandoned blubberbeast in this pen.
Saving the poor creature from such a fate wasn't their only reward either it seemed. Now they had a wonderful new friend who always came to see them whenever they were in the ocean, at least when its friend wasn't around that is.
And now, watching Aether's smile return in a big way as he watched the snooty hydro archon laugh like the little girl she was before going to join them, Paimon was more than grateful they had made that decision.
Because, apart from finding his sibling, it could very well be the key to her best friend's happiness.
I'll be honest, this chapter was the whole reason I wanted to write this fic in the first place. I just couldn't get over the idea of Furina gushing about these things even if she might put up a fight in the beginning. Call me crazy, but somehow I don't think she'd be able to resist them. Blubberbeasts and the crabs are the absolute cutest things in Fontaine and nothing can convince me otherwise.
I wanted to get things from Paimon's perspective for once as well as touch on Aether's prospective love interests. As you can imagine, these are the girls I love the most in Genshin apart from Ayaka (she's an honorable mention) and who I'd like to see the Traveler shipped with. Rest assured that none of them will be making an appearance in this fic - it's entirely AetherxFurina I promise. That said, a certain someone might just might make an appearance in the epilogue if I decide to make a sequel to this.
...who am I kidding, of course there will be a sequel to this. The archon quest isn't finished yet.
Hope you guys enjoyed this little bout of wholesomeness because next chapter is where things are going to get a bit heavy. Look forward to it!