Chapter Text
When a person has extreme social anxiety, they struggle to communicate with others.
Bear in mind, they only struggle to form connections.
It doesn't mean that they don't want to.
____
Paimon took in huge breaths after coughing out a gallon of river water. Falling into a body of water really was no joke! It was an unpleasant experience, being pulled along by the water currents like a doll, but now at least someone managed to save her by fishing her out!
Paimon: ….
Not really an ideal way of being saved but what could she do?
She shook her head in an attempt to dry off, beads of water flinging around the place before she decided to bunch her hair up and squeeze the remaining water out. A small waterfall of it came raining down every few moments as she changed her hand positions to continue this small hindrance.
A fluffy white cloth appeared before her, Paimon looking up at the person who had offered it: the person who had saved her.
He looked friendly enough, Paimon noted. He was polite, though very quiet for someone who had just witnessed a drowning taking place. Blonde sunshine hair and golden eyes, dark brown exotic-looking clothes with gold (or yellow) embroidery with a white cape, and finally, pale porcelain skin. For a boy, he was really pretty. Paimon would've mistakened him for a girl if she was stupid enough, but at least she could appreciate his simple beauty!
"Ah… Paimon is sorry for troubling you traveler! Thanks for helping Paimon out though before she ended up swimming with the fishies!" Paimon smiled up at him while she kicked off her boots and shook out a whole ecosystem of fish out of it.
Silence.
A sweat began to form on her forehead as she waited for a response.
Nothing.
She put her boots on again and looked up at the blonde traveler to see if he was ok.
He was in fact not ok.
He looked at her with big cat-like eyes and a firm mouth, a shadow over his face as he trembled in his spot. Huh? HUUUH!?!?!?!?
"Eh…? Eh? EH!?!? " She jolted upwards into the air in panic, her small arms flailing around. "Traveler!? Are you ok..?!"
The boy closed his eyes for a moment before looking up at her again with those almond-shaped eyes, his mouth opening as if to say something.
"...."
"...."
"............"
"....?"
An inhale.
"M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m--"
AAAAAAAHHHHH!?!?!?! SCARY, SCARY!!!!
Paimon waved her hands in front of her as if signaling for him to stop. He did, shutting his mouth into a pout, looking down at the ground and finding an ant more interesting than the conversation they were having.
Sighing, Paimon thought for a long while on what to do. How to talk to someone who didn't seem accustomed to talking? She thought long and hard until a lightbulb popped up above her head. She looked around the small camp the traveler had made, a backpack leaning on a smooth rock catching her attention. She floated towards it before looking back at the traveler and pointing at it.
"Is it ok?"
The traveler sat there for a few minutes, confused on what she asked him. He tilted his head a bit, not at all understanding. Paimon looked at him with half-lidded eyes and an awkward smile.
"Can I look in the bag?"
"...?"
Paimon: ….
HE KNOWS HOW TO SPEAK HER LANGUAGE, RIGHT? RIGHT!?
"Can you understand what Paimon is saying?"
"...." He tilted his head to the other side.
Paimon could feel her face crack as she stared at him in horror. The traveler winced at her expression, still staring at her in a state of fear.
This traveler…
THIS TRAVELER DOESN'T UNDERSTAND!!!! WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE #1 LANGUAGE IN TEYVAT!?!?!?
And here Paimon was trying to get a piece of paper for the traveler to write on so she could understand what he was saying!!
She let out a hopeless sigh while looking at the traveler who looked at the ground with shame. So much for trying to communicate! Now what was she supposed to say to someone who didn't understand what she was saying!?
…
She could teach him how to talk the same language… and how to read and write…
Yes!! That's what she'll do!! She pumped her fist up in the air with a determined huff as the traveler tilted his head once more.
"Fear not, traveler! Paimon will teach you the ways of Teyvat!"
"...!?"