"Hey Katheryne! Got any commissions for us?"
Aether and his companion Paimon moseyed up to the Adventurer's Desk. Spry and ready for another day of hard work. The robot clerk greeted them with a slight bow.
"Yes, in fact. This one requests you both by name."
"Ooo, what's the job?"
"Babysitting."
"Sounds easy enough! Who's the client?"
"The House of the Hearth."
Paimon stiffened. "Uh what?"
"Miss Arlecchino has to attend a meeting in Schneznaya. Lyney and Lynette are on a job and can't watch the House. Therefore, Miss Arlecchino has requested your assistance."
"Um, not sure we can work for the Knave…" murmured Paimon.
Katheryne laid the commission letter on the desk with all the details. Paimon narrowed in on pay. The offer was beyond generous; it was magnanimous. Stars formed in her eyes.
"We'll do it!"
Chapleau greeted them at the door, inviting them inside.
Soon as they stepped inside, a dozen children swarmed them. Eyes wide with excitement, they grabbed Aether and Paimon by the hands, pulling them to the living room. They all let out about a thousand questions and requests. They wanted to hear all about his adventures.
Paimon and Aether didn't mind. His companion, the more vocal of the two, took up the storytelling starting with their adventure in Mondstadt. Midway into the story, Helior tugged on his scarf.
The brown-haired girl offered him a bottle filled with a sparkling orange liquid.
"I made it for you. Could you please try it out?"
It was only after he swallowed half the concoction, and tasted something that definitely wasn't orange juice that he remembered Helior was the girl who liked making poisons. Oh dear.
When he didn't keel over, Aether sighed with relief.
"It's my strength-enhancing potion," she explained. "What do you think?"
"Not bad. Would you like feedback from a certified alchemist?"
She nodded eagerly.
"The base is excellent, especially with the warm characteristic. I think you could make it even better if you… Actually, would you like me to show you?"
Aether went to the alchemy bench and reached into his inventory. Helior and several others clustered around him. He reached into his inventory, producing four jueyun chilis, horse tail, and mushroom. Once arranging the ingredients, he ground them with a mortar. He whisked the items together until they formed a viscous, glowing orange liquid. He then poured the liquid into a bottle and handed it to Helior.
"Jueyun chilis have a spicy flavor," he explained, "If you extract the juices and combine it with the right ingredients, you can make a warm, enduring strength potion. Here, now you try."
Helior replicated his actions. Soon, she proudly held her strength potion. Her eyes sparkled, mesmerized by her successful creation.
Aether spent the next hour showing her how to make advanced-level potions. The little girl took the instructions like a fish to water. Soon, she was churning out potions that would have impressed even Lisa.
A few other kids took up potion-making. The rest gravitated towards Paimon's storytelling. By now, the little fairy had reached Inazuma. Once she told them all about Onikabuto Battles, the kids got dreamy-eyed.
"Hey Paimon," said Aether. "I've got a few Onikabuto on me. How about we show them how it's done?"
She grinned. "You're on, buster!"
They went to a courtyard behind the house and set up a tiny arena. Aether placed his beetle on the right end, and Paimon the left. The two friends faced off like ancient samurai prepared to stake their lives on this duel.
"Hope you're prepared to lose," he taunted.
"Hah! You first!"
Their Onikabuto charged one another. Horns collided and locked. His beetle lost ground as hers pushed it backward. It bucked its horn, tossing his beetle into the air. As it landed, hers charged. With nowhere to go, it took the full brunt of the attack and flipped over.
Paimon and her beetle let out a victorious war cry.
The children and adults stared, enraptured.
"Hey, um," Foltz said, "can I try?"
"Sure," said Aether.
Foltz took Aether's place. After a brief explanation of the rules, they dueled.
Foltz proved a quick learner. After a few losses, he found his rhythm commanding the Onikabuto. He won once, then twice, and then Paimon kept losing. She rubbed her head, dumbstruck.
"Wow, Paimon's out of practice."
Aether cast her a sidelong smirk, which she chose to ignore.
Everyone got their turn with the Onikabuto. Still, nobody could beat the undefeated champion Foltz. He just had a way with his beetle that went beyond words. As he petted his little guy for winning once again, Aether smiled.
"Would you like to keep it?"
Foltz's eyes widened in disbelief. "Can I?!"
"Sure. We've got plenty of Onikabuto."
"Oh, thank you! I promise I'll take good care of it."
As they played, Aether noticed it was early afternoon. The kids would be hungry soon. That gave him an idea. Leaving Paimon to watch over them, he snuck into the kitchen. Half an hour later, he returned with trays of sticky honey roast.
They all loved his cooking, asking for seconds and thirds with honey caking their lips. He was all too happy to oblige. For a chef, there was no greater reward than a satisfied customer.
While he cooked, he watched from the kitchen window as Paimon shared more stories.
It looked nice. All those kids out there, enjoying the day with bright smiles and grins.
They all seemed happy. It struck him that this was the kind of world Arlecchino wanted for them. She'd been through hell during her childhood at the House. These kids would never know that kind of pain.
It just went to show that his girlfriend Peruere was secretly such a kind, loving person.
Once the kids had their fill, everyone helped clean the dishes. Chapleau, Aether, and some guys scrubbed the pots, plates, and pans, while the younger kids dried the wet plates. A real team effort.
As they worked, one kid suddenly asked, "Will Aether marry Father?"
Chapleau and the adults became embarrassed. Aether didn't mind. Kids had this frankness about them that he found refreshing.
He knelt so he could look at the kid eye level. "Would you like me to?"
The kid touched a finger to his chin. "I don't know…would that mean you could come play with us every day?"
"I'd come every day, even if I wasn't married to her," he said. "But if I marry Father, then I guess I'd become your second father. That is, if you don't mind."
"I wouldn't," said the kid.
"Me neither," said another one.
Aether smiled gently. One day when he married Arlecchino, these kids would become their kids. It made him happy, seeing they already liked him. He only hoped he could be half the parent Arlecchino was to them.
"Will you and Father have children?" asked a kid.
Aether shrugged. "If she wants to."
"How many kids will you have?" asked another.
He smiled. "However many she wants."
"Will they be our family too?"
He nodded. "Absolutely."
"Will you cook for us every day?"
"I don't see why I can't," he replied. "I'll make anything you like."
The kids all cheered hearing that.
Aether and Paimon spent the rest of the day telling stories, showing them things from their travels, and playing. When nighttime came and he had to go, they were reluctant to go. The kids clearly didn't want him to go either. They clustered around him, begging him to stay a bit longer.
He couldn't refuse.
They ended up falling asleep around the glowing hearth. Helior hugged a dozing Paimon to her chest like a teddy bear. The little girl was fast asleep, murmuring about potions. Meanwhile, Aether ended up on a couch with a dozen kids sleeping all around him. Some rested against his shoulders, and others his chest. It was not unlike falling asleep beneath a mountain of kittens.
He took in those adorable faces.
Gods help him, he loved these kids like they were his own. That night, he swore he'd do anything to see them happy.
Next day:
Chapleau entered Father's office where Arlecchino sat at her desk. Everyone else thought she went to a Fatui meeting. She never left Fontaine. He offered her a bow and began his report, summarizing the traveler's day with the children.
Arlecchino listened. Her veiled expression surrendered a glimmer of amusement whenever he mentioned how they played. He recounted all his observations in meticulous detail. Upon hearing that Aether spent the night over, the Knave smiled—actually smiled! He never knew she could look so happy.
"The kids loved him," said Chapleau. "And he loved them."
She nodded. "Anything else to report?"
"Well, they did ask if he'd um… marry you. Silly, I know, but kids are kids."
Arlecchino permitted herself a chuckle, startling him. In all the time he'd known the Knave, she never laughed even a little. If he didn't know better, he'd wonder if she was sick.
"Father?"
She collected herself. "Apologies. Excellent work, Chapleau. Send Aether a letter on behalf of the House, and let him know that he and his companion are welcome back any time."
"Yes, Father," he said. "But they promised they'd come back next week."
"Is that so? Excellent. Continue to observe them."
Chapleau bowed. He then departed the office, leaving Arlecchino alone.
The Knave couldn't help but smile all giddily. Oh, she had no doubt Aether would adore the kids—the man wore his heart on his sleeve. The real question had been if the kids would reciprocate.
Her little test had been a success.
It seems the kids accepted Aether like family. Good.
Soon enough, thought Arlecchino, the House of the Hearth will have two fathers.