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Paimon woke up to a loud crash coming from the kitchen.
"Whha -" they rubbed their tired eyes and dragged herself out of bed. "Aetherr what are you doing?" She asked when they arrived at the kitchen. They glanced at the clock. 4am.
"Oh hey paimon! I decided to wake up a bit earlier today!!" Aether turned and gave paimon a big smile.
Paimon saw the mess Aether made behind him, he wasn't hiding it very well. "Paimon usually has to take hours to wake you up!!" It's true, aether is a very heavy sleeper. It's a wonder he gets up in time to look for his sister.
"Uh well. Today is kinda special, so."
Paimon was too tired to think about what he meant. "What's today?"
Aether answered her while he cleaned up the mess. "It's venti's birthday!"
Paimon groaned "you woke up at 4am for that tone deaf bard??"
"Yeah"
Aether turned back to Paimon. "You can go back to sleep now, I promise I won't be too loud."
Paimon sighed in agreement and went back to sleep.
Paimon followed aether through the busy streets of mondstadt. They kept losing him.
"Hhhey aether! Wait up!!" Paimon shouted after him.
Once she caught up to the traveler, he crossed his arms and looked at her. "Paimon comeon, we can't keep him waiting."
"The streets are crowded!! Walk slower!!"
Eventually the two reached the stone statue near the church. Aether started climbing and paimon floated by him, holding the bard's gift.
Said bard was waiting for the two at the top of the statue. "Oh finally! I was starting to think you two forgot," venti teased.
"Paimon slowed us down, sorry venti," aether said, sitting next to venti.
"Whha wait!!! That's not fair!" They shrieked in response.
Venti laughed and handed aether a cup. "Here, special apple juice made just for you. Try it~"
Paimon stared in shock. "HEY WHERE'S PAIMON'S SPECIAL APPLE JUICE?"
"Hahahah! Oopsie I must've forgotten!"
That idiot bard.
They later headed to windrise. Aether gave venti that cake he made at the asscrack of dawn. "Hope you like it, just something I made when I had the time." Liar!!
Venti did like the cake, and shared it with aether and paimon. "Oh before I forget!" Venti pulled out a bouquet of Cecilias from his cape (how?????) And handed them to aether "for you, my warrior."
"Ah." Aether took them "wait a minute. You're not supposed to give me stuff if it's your birthday!"
Venti laughed "aw let me spoil you a bit!"
Aether frowned and took a flower out from the bouquet, placing it near venti's other cecilia. "There."
Paimon tugged on Aether's scarf "hey! Paimon wants a flower too!"
"Ah!" Aether laughed "okay, sure" he placed one in her hair.
Venti shuffled around to sit behind aether. "Hey gimme those flowers back real quick."
Venti took Aether's braid in his hands. After a few minutes he pulled back. "Done!" He said.
Aether took his braid looking at it "oh you put the cecilias in it."
"Yeah, do you like it?"
"Yeah I... Love it. It's very pretty"
Venti moved to sit next to aether again. He leaned in close to the traveler. "Heh, we both smell like flowers now."
"Paimon wants a flower braid too!!" Paimon tugged at venti's cape.
Venti leaned back away from aether "alright alright, let's go get you some flowers then."
Apparently the two weren't done hanging out after that. Paimon lazily floated around while venti and aether sat together on Starsnatch cliff. Venti was telling a story about something, but paimon wasn't listening. Paimon was happy that aether and venti were such close friends, but was it really necessary to spend the entire day with the bard?? They haven't even done any commissions today!
"... think I'd summon a meteor shower!" Paimon neared the two, interrupting whatever story venti was telling. "Heyyy paimon knows that you guys are really close friends, but we haven't done any commissions today!!! Shouldn't we go get those done??" ...and maybe go to sleep, paimon left unsaid.
"Paimon, it's rude to interrupt a story, it's even ruder to ask to leave while venti is right here."
"My dear traveler, 'ruder' is not a word."
"Can't you make it a word?"
Paimon stepped in, before they continued chatting for eternity "well paimon doesn't want to sit here forever!"
Aether sighed "alrighty, why don't you get some apples then? You don't have to keep waiting for us."
Venti stayed quiet, he looked like he was zoning out.
"Finnne okay! Paimon will go for a bit and if you guys are still here then paimon will for sure drag aether away!"
As paimon turned, they thought they caught venti snuggling closer to aether out of the corner of her eye, but whatever, maybe they're REALLY close friends.
After a few minutes of silence, Venti sighed.
"Sorry..."
"Hmm? Oh no Paimon's fine," he said, looking at Aether.
Aether looked back at Venti. "I hope you enjoyed today, I hope I didn't tire you."
Venti grinned at the traveler "I think today was probably the best day of my life."
Venti grabbed Aether's hand. "But you know what'd make it even better?"
Some say, that night, the stars shined brighter, the wind smelled sweeter. A tale of how a poet moved the stars.