Work Text:
Paimon, the ever present companion to Lumine. The tiny fairy with an appetite that could challenge the archons. The one and only person capable of distributing "Paimonial Wrath" as she calls it. She's certainly an interesting character to all of those who have had the pleasure of meeting her and the wandering traveler.
Despite her title of "Greatest Companion Ever", Paimon still had her moments away from Lumine. She was her own person after all and sometimes the routine of going through commissions could get tiring. At the moment, she's sitting down in her own room within the Serenitea Pot that Lumine more than happily provided. The room could probably be described as a dollhouse of sorts given her small stature. She was especially grateful for the appropriately sized furniture provided by Albedo and Kaeya, happy to occasionally pretend she was as tall as her friends in Teyvat. The fairy is snacking on a few apple slices she hauled into her room, pondering what to do on this boring day.
"Hmm...Paimon could try cooking again but that didn't end well for anybody..."
She muses to herself with a shudder, remembering the intense work it took in order to scrape every bit of cheese off the floor. It was a nightmare quite honestly, who knew trying to carry a whole pizza on her own would be such a bad idea? No, she needed a better idea. Something she knew how to do.
Her answer came with the ever familiar chime of someone entering the teapot, no doubt one of Lumine's many friends. The Traveler was plenty okay with giving people a key into the dimension, wanting to provide her friends a place to relax or even live if the need arises. She pokes her head out of her room to see who it is before her eyes finally rest on a certain brunette clad in red with a matching bow that resembled bunny ears.
"Amber! Hi!"
Paimon greets the outrider with delight and floats out of her door, catching the girl off guard.
"Paimon? Is Lumine here too then?"
Paimon gives her a shake of the head.
"No no, it's just Paimon. Lumine is off doing her commissions so Paimon is taking it easy. Anyways what brings you here?"
Paimon asks with a curious grin, floating over to a chair to pull it out for Amber. Well, at the very least attempt to. Amber watches the fairy pull at a chair in vain with an amused expression, letting her try for a while longer before finally deciding to pull it out herself much to the annoyance of Paimon.
"Paimon had it you know."
"I know I know, I just wanted to give you a bit of help."
Amber laughs for a bit before settling down, adjusting her red gloves and taking a breath.
"To answer the question, I...came to think for a bit. I figured a quiet place like this would be a good place to start."
"Hm? Think about what?"
Paimon asks as she floats over to her room, grabbing her remaining apple slices and continuing to snack.
"It's...about Eula. A lot of my thoughts have been about Eula actually."
Oh. OH.
"I don't know, I've just...had her on my mind a lot? She helped me on patrol a few weeks ago and I just can't get it out of my mind..."
Paimon could see where this was going. She could see where it was going from several miles away. The fairy had always had a bit of a hunch about those two. The way they talked, the glances that lasted a bit too long, hugs that seemed to leave both of them red in the face, plenty of other signs that hinted at feeling that were a bit more than just platonic.
"Oh? What parts of it caught your eye?"
"I dunno, I guess...The way she carried herself, her piercing eyes, that small laugh she gave when I nearly tripped on a slime..."
Amber sighs and puts her cheeks in her hands, eyes drifting up to stare at the ceiling.
"Amber, Paimon thinks you've got a crush."
The brunette quickly shot up in her seat, cheeks quickly flushing red at Paimon's words.
"Pffft, whaaaa? I totally don't have a crush on Eula! Why would I have a crush on her? Sure she's a really cool person and one of the most determined people I've met and suuure the way she looks at me sometimes makes me all red in the - oh my gods I have a crush on her."
Amber rambles on in her panic before the realization hits her like a truck, cheeks as red as her clothes while her hands pull down on her bow.
"Calm down girl! Sheesh, Paimon's just stating the facts here. But seriously, you didn't think that you did the entire time?!"
"I dunno! I just never thought of it that way! Oh archons, what do I do..."
Amber tries to find a solution in her mind to no avail, sighing in defeat and laying her head on the table. Paimon gives her an empathetic frown and a pat on the head before floating in front of her face.
"Cheer up! Paimon's sure she can be of some assistance!"
"Really? You'd do that for me?"
"Of course! Paimon didn't get her title for nothing!"
"You mean emergency food?"
Amber playfully jokes with Paimon which gets her a glare from the completely unintimidating fairy.
"Do you want the help or not?!"
"Sorry sorry, I really do want the help. Thank you Paimon."
Perfect. Paimon's plan for an interesting afternoon was already in motion.
After a pep talk and a long moment for Amber to properly collect herself, the two were ready to put Paimon's plan into action. A plan so simple not even the flustered outrider could hope to screw it up. Yes, Paimon's Practically Perfect Passion Play (patent pending) would be a complete success!
The plan was very simple: Amber would hang out with Eula, wait for Eula to do something "vengeance worthy", and then ask her for a date as retribution. Yep. Completely foolproof. Despite this...unique plan of action, Paimon and Amber seemed to think that it was the smartest idea they had both come up with.
The two exit the teapot into Amber's own house, the last place Amber was in before she teleported in. The living room looked normal enough before Paimon laid her eyes on the workshop and the partially deconstructed Baron Bunny Bomb Amber left there from last night.
"That, uh...Paimon's got nothing. That's terrifying Amber."
"Oh yeah, I was working with Albedo and Lumine to make the explosion hit even harder!"
Amber says with a bit too much excitement in her voice for Paimon not to worry before her own mind was brought to the names Amber mentioned. Albedo was always a confusing person to Paimon. He was a smart person, no doubt about it. But his methods were so strange. The few tests Lumine helped him run were sketchy enough, especially the potion she had to drink to test her elemental capabilities. Still, Paimon supposed it made sense. After all, who would know how to make explosives better than the brother of Klee and Ms. I-Fought-God-and-Won? Come to think of it, those two were spending a lot of time together as of late...Eh, she'd think about it another time. For now she had to focus on her plan.
The two quickly made their way out of the house and onto the streets of Mondstadt, looking around to find where Eula could possibly be. To Amber's knowledge, Eula had the day off from her knightly duties and would most likely be taking the day to relax. If Amber had to guess, she would either be in her own house or...
"Ah! There she is!"
Amber exclaims as she points to a table at Good Hunter where Eula currently sits, enjoying a roast that Amber had previously recommended her get.
Amber's cheeks flush a bit at seeing the icy blue haired woman. Eula Lawrence, in all her majesty, was right there and suddenly the outrider was having a hard time working up the courage again. Paimon takes notice of Amber's plight and decides to step up, there's no way she was about to let the pyro wielder get cold feet.
"Eulaaaa! Hi!"
Eula perks up at hearing her name mid bite, quickly putting up a finger and finishing the food in her mouth before speaking.
"Greetings Paimon. To you as well Amber. What brings you to me this fine day?"
Paimon quickly floats behind Amber and starts trying to push her forward. Emphasis on trying, Paimon's small stature doesn't lend itself to moving people. Amber takes the hint and walks forward to Eula, the blunette raising an eyebrow in response and waiting for Amber to speak.
"Heyyyy Eula, I wanted to ask if you...wanted to go with me to Springvale with me? I wanted to get Acting Grandmaster Jean some food from there and I'd like some company."
"Springvale? I suppose I could accompany you and Paimon...Allow me to finish my meal here then meet me at the front entrance of the city."
Eula says to Amber with a smile, a small curl of the lips that the outrider would have absolutely no qualms killing for. Paimon could practically see Amber's heart skip a beat and quickly decides to get her out of there, once again trying and failing to pull Amber away.
"Alright, let's go get ready! See you then Eula!"
"Yeah...YEAH! Yeah we'll - we'll uh...see you then."
Amber manages out before quickly shuffling away, dragging Paimon with her. The fairy only had a few moments to look back at Eula and she could swear she saw The Spindrift Knight bury her face in her hands.
Paimon and Amber now stood at the entrance of the City of Freedom, the latter pacing a circle into the stone bridge below her feet. Paimon was helping get Amber prepared for her big moment, hyping her up and making sure she's completely ready to put the plan into action.
All of Paimon's efforts, however, were immediately thrown away once Eula started to approach, Amber quickly falling back apart and struggling to pull herself together before Eula approaches. The girl was fumbling. Bad.
"Amber? Is everything well?"
"Yyyyyep! All good! Why would - pfft, everything's good! Come on, let's get going! After all the faster we get that food the better!"
Amber quickly stammers out in a rushed tone, spinning on her heel and quickly walking towards Springvale. Eula raises an eyebrow in suspicion of her dear friend's behavior before that icy cold stare is locked onto Paimon, the fair looking back and freezing up out of sheer terror.
"Paimon. You did not do anything to her, did you?"
"O-Of course not! Paimon just wanted to find a more fun way to spend her free time!”
She floats back slowly and is unable to do anything as Eula gets face to face with her, jamming a finger into Paimon's chest.
"If I find out you've done anything that may be affecting her negatively, mark my words. Vengeance WILL be mine."
"Y-Yes ma'am..."
Despite the threat that made her scared to even float within ten feet of Amber, the threat was...interesting in its implications. It did make sense for Eula to be protective of her friends, but the intensity in her eyes when threatening Paimon was something else. If it wasn't for the cryo vision hanging on her side, Paimon would have guessed she was a pyro user with how bright that fire in her eyes burned.
The trio's walk to Springvale wasn't too eventful at first, their conversations and the occasional wildlife running by them being the most stimulating thing during the first few hours. Amber and Eula seemed to be deep in a talk about one another and the food Amber planned on getting Jean. Paimon popped into the conversation when she could, mostly keeping quiet to let Amber talk her nerves off as well as avoid Eula's dangerous gaze. What was that one monster Lumine had told her about from a world she had been to? A Medusa?
Yeah. Eula's gaze was like that.
The trio's trip slowed when they stumbled upon a travelling group of hilichurls and mitachurls, far away enough to not be noticed thankfully. Eula had been to first to notice and quickly pulled the other two into a bush so they could observe, watching the moving camp intently.
"Four mitachurls, five hilichurls. They seem to be strong, but nothing we cannot handle."
"Still...Let's let them pass for now, we can bring a proper patrol to take care of them after we get the food to Jean. Safety in numbers, right Eula?"
Amber gave her friend a comforting look and patted her hand, calming the Spindrift Knight down enough to keep her from leaving into the fray. Accepting the idea of returning later, Eula slowly raised back to a standing po-
CRACK.
The loud snap of a branch under Eula's foot sounded out and split the air, the world completely silent for a few moments before the group of hilichurls started to turn towards the sound with weapons drawn. Suddenly, Eula understood Bennett on a spiritual level.
Both knights quickly draw their weapons in preparation for the fight, Eula's claymore resting in her hands with a chilling cold emanating from the blade. Amber already had an arrow nocked and quickly took aim at one of the hiliculhurls raising its crossbow, taking the first shot and piercing its shoulder with a burning arrow. The creature let out a grunt of frustration and pain as the others started to charge in, two mitachurls with shields leading the front and protecting the others from Amber's fiery shots.
They were being smart about how they approached, putting a line of defense between the other hilichurls and the outrider's attacks. Eula was up front however, quickly meeting the shielded mitachurls with a mighty swing of her blade. Metal clashes against wood in a sharp scraping sound, splinters showering the ground and both combatants. Both behemoths weren't about to just stand there and take an assault from the knight however, swinging at her wildly with their fists and shields. Eula's artful dodging and counterattacks gracefully weave between their blows, leaving gashes and cuts on both their shields and their flesh at every opportunity she could get.
Amber was stunned at watching the display, her volley of arrows slowing down slightly. She had watched the blunette fight before, but the grace in which Eula wielded her unwieldy blade never ceased to amaze her. It was only the sound of Paimon yelling her name that snapped her out of her trance, quickly noticing the hilichurls taking aim at her from behind their larger allies. She quickly dodges a bolt flying towards her and fires a shot in retaliation, hitting the hilichurl's forearm and making it drop its crossbow. She whispers a quick thanks to Celestia for that lucky shot between the shields before she fires again.
This time she isn't as lucky as the towering shield takes the hit with only a dull thud.
Despite being present in the fight and keeping close watch of where she shoots as to not accidentally hit an ally, Amber’s mind was clouded by her thoughts. Her worry for Paimon's plan was setting in now, at possibly the worst of times.
Surely this was something Amber could call "revenge worthy" but would that even be okay to use as a catalyst for a simple question? Eula was fighting her heart out, it didn't feel right to think of this as just a way to ask her on a date. It felt selfish, wrong. Maybe-
Amber's internal conflict was quickly interrupted by a sharp pain shooting through her thigh as a hilichurl manages to hit her mid dodge.
Maybe she should have been focusing on the nine hilichurls in front of instead of having a crisis.
Amber collapses to the ground with a yelp of pain, causing Paimon to panic and Eula to look over with horror in her eyes.
"AMBER!"
She yells out with concern in her eyes, losing focus on one of the shielded mitachurls.
Paimon could only watch as one charges past Eula and towards the downed Amber. Time seemed to slow down, eyes locked on the charging mass of muscle and anger barreling towards an archer with no way to dodge. The fairy didn't know what to do as her body acted on her own, flying in front of Amber in a vain attempt to protect her. Paimon knew she wasn't going to block anything, she knew that her small body was going to be turned into meat pudding on contact with the shield. Still, it was better to die brave than to live doing nothing. Paimon said her prayers for herself with the hope that Amber could at least make it out of the way or take the hit.
Her prayers were quickly answered when the mitachurl stopped in its tracks, inches from Paimon's face. Maybe Celestia did have favorites.
Paimon quickly floated away in a flash of terror, moving beside Amber and watching frost spread across the body and shield of the beast. Both the archer and the fairy are brought back to reality when they see a flash of blue behind the mitachurl, a single swing cleaving its head and the top of its shield off like it was warm butter to a knife. The body crumples into itself and behind it is Eula, her eyes burning with an intense rage that could cause even the most hardened of beasts to run in fear. The remaining shielded mitachurl charges towards her in hopes of catching her off guard, completely unprepared as she spins around and takes a brutal swing that turns the entire shield into icy splinters. It was like watching a glacier crash into the ocean as Eula's second strike tore the mitachurl in half, killing it instantly with no less than a blink. Paimon could see the other hilichurls turn their attention towards the rage driven knight, seeing her as the biggest threat at the moment. She takes the opportunity to fish through Amber's bag and grab medical supplies, getting to work on bandaging Amber's injured leg.
The brunette watches Eula charge towards the rest of the enemies, going on a rampage as she swings her claymore with deadly efficiency. One has its torso and arm separated from the rest of its body as her blade cuts through it with ease. Another is thrown into a rock and has its back broken as she slams into it with the flat of her blade, sending the hilichurl hurtling at an alarming speed. Eula wasn't fighting with tact or grace anymore, she was fighting like a wild animal. She no longer weaved together graceful swings to disable her opponents before a finishing blow, she simply killed one and moved onto the next.
There was a change that scared Amber the most however: Eula wasn't dodging.
Attacks that would have missed her instead grazed her, and attacks that would have grazed hit her head on. Her pure adrenaline and sturdiness were the only things keeping her up, bolts sticking out of her arms and slashes littered across her body. Still, she raged on like she hadn't even been touched. In a matter of minutes, Eula had finished off all but one heavily injured axe wielding mitachurl. Eula faced it down with her claymore in hand, the feral glare in her eyes not dying down for a second. Paimon had just gotten the bandages fixed on Amber's leg before she noticed Eula's condition, gasping in horror and flying over to the injured knight. The adrenaline could only carry her body so far as her legs have started to give out, the pain of her injuries finally getting to her. Unfortunately, the mitachurl seemed to notice this as well as it lifted its axe above its head, ready to bring it down onto Eula to finish the job. Paimon, in her second bad idea of the fight, could only thing of one thing to do.
She flew forward as fast as she could, aiming her body at the mitachurl's eye. At the last second she scrunches up as small as she can and slams into the behemoth's eye. Paimon wasn't strong, she knew she couldn't do any lasting damage. But she knew what she could be.
She could be annoying.
The impact of her body against the already hurt mitachurl's sensitive eye through its mask causes it to reel back in pain, dropping its axe and grabbing onto its face from the surprise attack.
Amber saw an opportunity opened by Paimon and quickly leaped forward to take it, grabbing an arrow from her quiver and aiming her bow. Amber takes a deep breath before letting loose the pyro charged arrow. The projectile said through the air and lands right on target, planting itself into the mitachurl's neck and burning away at the flesh. The mitachurl reaches for the arrow to pull it out but is far too late as the fire spreads throughout its throat, the beast finally falling lifeless before the Spindrift Knight.
Eula watches the creature fall and lets the relief wash over her, falling to her knees as the pain of her injuries finally sets in.
"Eula!"
Paimon flies towards her and tries to catch her before she hits the ground, unable to slow her fall as the blue haired knight slips into unconsciousness.
Paimon is sitting on a chair cross legged next to Eula's bed alongside Amber, both not saying a word with the sound of Eula's soft breathing being the only thing to break the silence. Shortly after Eula had passed out, a few hunters from Springvale arrived to see what the commotion was outside of their village. They quickly brought the trio in to be treated for injuries, Eula receiving the most extensive care due to her plethora of injuries sustained from her fight. Thankfully, none of the damage taken by either of them was too serious, Eula's mostly being flesh wounds or minor muscle damage. Amber was sitting beside Eula's bed with her hands on the unconscious knight's, her expression a mixture of worry and guilt.
Paimon looks over to Amber with the same amount of concern, slowly floating over and patting her back. Finally, after hours of deafening silence, Amber spoke.
"This was a bad plan Paimon..."
"Paimon agrees, don't worry...We should've come up with something a lot safer..."
"I - I just wanted to ask her on a date. I thought this would be a cute outing like some sort of fairy tale. Not..."
Amber gestures to Eula, motioning to the bandages wrapped all over her body.
"This."
The two stay silent for a while more with Paimon doing her best to reassure Amber. The little fairy was upset with herself and her Practically Perfect Passion Play, she should've made things way simpler. Getting Amber to be the one call for revenge? That was Eula's thing. Paimon should've just suggested Amber ask Eula to glide with her.
The two sit there for a while longer before both suddenly hear a low groan from their unconscious friend, the sheets stirring as Eula slowly sits up.
"Mmmh...Where...?"
"EULA!"
Both Paimon and Amber yell out in unison as they hug her tight, quickly realizing their mistake when Eula flinches upon contact.
"Oh, shoot, sorry Eula."
Amber quickly apologizes and pulls away, her worry quickly washing away with that initial burst of joy. Paimon floats back slightly to let the two talk, deciding it's best to not interrupt.
"Eula, I'm so sorry this happened. I didn't think any of this would happen, I-"
Amber begins to ramble out her apology before being stopped by Eula placing her hands on the outrider's, Amber quickly shutting up with her cheeks reddening at the contact.
"Amber, you haven't any need to apologize for circumstances none of us had control over. I heavily doubt either you or Paimon had expected there to be a group of hilichurls along our path."
Amber still seems unconvinced before wrapping her arms around Eula, her grasp much less tight as to make sure she doesn't cause any discomfort.
"...You worried me with that last stunt. A lot. You...You weren't protecting yourself. Watching you get hurt like that, it tore me up inside. Especially since you only started doing that when I messed up and got myself shot..."
Eula suddenly feels a pang of guilt jab through her heart at hearing the outrider's words and silently cursed herself for losing her temper.
"I...Amber, I'm sorry that my actions hurt you so. My intent was to protect you. It is...upsetting, to see you get hurt as well. If my reckless actions were a cause of pain, then I will make sure to avoid such a thing."
Eula takes Amber's hand and squeezes it tighter, a reassuring smile on her lips that makes Amber's heart skip a beat.
"You were the first person in the Knights of Favonious to treat me as a normal person, despite my lineage. You are by far the person I am closest to within Mondstadt, arguably within Teyvat. For that, I'm eternally grateful."
Those words were like absolute music to Amber's ears, a wide grin on her lips as she momentarily forgets the thoughts troubling her mind. It doesn't help her poor heart much when Eula pulls her in for a hug either.
"Eula...I'm really glad I met you."
"As I am to have had the pleasure of meeting you."
The two hug in silence for a while, Paimon smugly smiling to herself when she notices the flustered grins on both girls. Seems like her plan had worked after all. Despite this moment, Amber slowly goes back to frowning and pulls away to look at Eula.
"Still, none of this would have happened if we didn't come up with that stupid plan..."
"Plan? I was under the impression that we were getting food for the acting grandmaster."
Uh oh. Suddenly, Paimon could see her ticket to Celestia being punched.
"O-Oh, uhm...well you see..."
Amber quickly tries to figure out an excuse to give Eula, a look in her eyes all too familiar to the Spindrift Knight.
"Amber."
"...Okay fine. Paimon and I had...come up with a plan. We were supposed to just do something together, wait until you did something 'vengeance worthy',"
Amber puts a dumb voice on the term, her fingers forming quotes. It seems to rather amuse Eula despite her expression showing very little.
"And then I was supposed to...to ask you on a proper date as vengeance..."
The last sentence seems to stun Eula for a short moment, Amber dying from anticipation to hear her reaction. Paimon used that time in a very rational way as well, that being mentally writing her will out as to what she wanted to leave Lumine after Eula turned her into a popsicle. She was definitely leaving her sunsettia sapling to Lumine. The two, however, are taken completely off guard when they hear the usually stern knight start to laugh. It's small at first, mostly restrained by Eula trying to control herself before she properly starts laughing, her sweet voice filling the air and releasing the tension the other two had been holding onto.
"Really now? Such a convoluted plan just for you to ask me on a date? You could have just asked from the start Amber, I would have more than readily said yes."
"Wait...really?"
Amber blinks a few times in disbelief at hearing Eula's words, her heart practically jumping our of her chest when she places a hand on her cheek.
"Of course. There really was no need to claim your own vengeance in such a way. Besides, I am...not adverse to seeing where it may take us."
Eula says a lot softer than usual, leaving both girls speechless as to what to say next.
"...Well, Paimon thi-"
"As for you."
Uh oh. There it was. Her luck finally ran out. It had been an honor serving as Lumine's travel companion. She would say she had a fulfilling life to leave behind.
"Thank you."
"Just make Paimon's death qu - what."
Eula raises an eye at Paimon before softly laughing in amusement.
"While the injuries to both Amber and I are...less than desirable, you did save me from a blow from that mitachurl as well as give Amber an opportunity to finish it off. I also heavily doubt Amber or I would have properly worked up the courage to ask the other on a proper date, I'm thankful for your help all things considered."
"Oh...Oh! Well, Paimon's glad she could help!"
The fairy gives a big thankful smile, once again silently thanking Celestia for having favorites.
"Now then, Amber, where shall we be going for our date? Once we both have healed up of course."
"Um...lunch at Good Hunter and then shop around town? I think Marjorie restocked on her trinkets recently."
"That sounds like an agreeable plan. Although I do believe must exact vengeance for how you let yourself become distracted during the heat of combat. I think...a kiss on the cheek after a serving of Fleisch mit Sauerkraut shall suffice."
Eula gives a teasing grin as she watches Amber's cheeks redden severely, letting the outrider think through what was said before she realizes and scrunches up her face in playful disgust.
"Aww gross! That's the worst revenge you've ever promised!"
The two share a warm laugh that seems to put them at ease, Amber wrapping her arms around Eula as they simply enjoy the moment with one another. Paimon takes this as a queue to leave, patting Amber on the back before using her own key to teleport back into the Serenitea Pot.
Once back at The Traveler’s warm abode, Paimon makes her way over to the kitchen. She grabs herself many various snacks from the fridge as a treat for a job well done before finding a spot on the couch. Today was a relatively good day for Paimon. An eventful evening and helping two friends finally come together? All in a day's work for The Greatest Travel Companion Ever.