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Amber strode through the streets of Mondstadt with an extra pep in her step. Today was a special day, after all!
With Baron Bunny in hand, she began to march towards the Knights of Favonius HQ. The guards at the front of the building gave a polite salute, but nothing more. Amber smiled brightly at them and gave a friendly wave before heading inside. She didn’t expect them to know it was her birthday, but she couldn’t lie, it did hurt a bit.
`The moment she stepped foot into the building, Amber could immediately feel something was off. Rather than the bustling, busy ambience, in its stead was… the eerie feeling of emptiness. They couldn’t all be out on missions, could they?
“Hellooo? Eula? Lisa? Jean?”
Sure enough, not a single person in sight.
Amber began to grow anxious. Where could they all be? There had to be someone here.
Peering through all the doors, there was simply nothing inside the rooms, not even a single speck of dust. All except for the Acting Grand Master’s office. The door was slightly askew, and a ray of light peered into the entrance hall. Eyes lighting up, Amber let out a small sigh of relief. Thank goodness.
Knocking on the door lightly, Amber rested her gloved hand onto the door handle.
“Jean? Are you in here?”
There was a quiet pause before Amber heard the rustling of papers. A familiar voice then emitted from the room.
“Come in!”
Gingerly pushing the door open, Amber quickly made her way to Jean’s desk. It was cluttered with several documents and papers, which was unusual for the Acting Grand Master. As she made a small mental note, Amber looked at Jean with concern.
“Jean, is everything alright? Where is everyone?” she glanced towards the piles of papers on the desk. “You aren’t usually this disorganized either… what’s happening?”
Almost immediately, Jean sat upright and looked a bit flustered.
“Ah, you don’t need to worry about it! They’re all out on their own… personal missions. An incident recently occured, so we needed all hands on deck,” Jean glanced out the window for a brief second before returning her gaze to the Outrider. “However, I believe they are wrapping it up at the moment, so you don’t need to help out. Why don’t you take the day off?” The Dandelion Knight gave a smile to the shorter girl
Amber looked at Jean reluctantly. “Are you sure? If you need any help, I don’t mind!” she nods towards the papers. “What about my missions as well? Are they being taken care of?”
Jean quickly nodded, waving her hand dismissively. It was almost as if she wanted Amber to leave and go home. “Eula decided to take them on for you, and I am certain I can handle the paperwork on my own. Please, Amber, enjoy your day off!”
Jean looked at the Outrider like she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Picking up her pen and getting back to work, it gave the Pyro user the signal to leave. With a sigh, she made her way out of the door.
“Okay, thanks Jean.”
Not even a happy birthday.
As Amber dragged her feet up the stairs towards the barracks, she couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt. Of course, she was glad she could have a day off on her birthday, but it wouldn’t be much fun if all of her friends were busy. Not only that, but she understood if the guards outside didn’t remember her birthday, but Jean of all people?
Entering her room, Amber collapsed onto her bed with a sigh, gaze fixed onto the ceiling. Holding Baron Bunny up, she glanced into the animated plushie’s eyes.
“At least you didn’t forget my birthday, right Baron Bunny?”
The plushie nodded.
A faint smile formed on Amber’s face as she held the stuffed animal close to her chest. “You’re the best. I just don’t know why everyone’s acting so weird! I expected at least one person to remember it was my birthday, but…”
Baron Bunny crossed its arms. Though its expression didn’t change, it was clear that it wanted some acknowledgement.
Laughing lightly, Amber patted its head. “Sorry, sorry! You know what I meant though,” she sighed softly. “I haven’t seen Eula all day either, and I thought sh-”
There was a knock on her door.
“Uh, excuse me! Miss Amber?”
The voice belonged to one of the knights outside, Amber recognized.
Bolting upright, she scrambled to the door, abandoning Baron Bunny on her bed. Opening the door, she noticed that the knight held a small letter in his hands.
“This is for you!”
As he handed her the letter, almost as quickly as he arrived, the knight was gone. Bewildered, Amber dismissed the entire situation before finally opening the letter. Skimming through it, it had something to do with her presence being needed at the Angel’s Share. It seemed urgent as well.
Quickly grabbing her things, Amber quickly made her way to the bar.
When she stepped inside the tavern, inside, it was completely dark. Though it seemed empty at first, her ears gathered the sound of faint whispering.
“Hello? Anyone in here?”
“SURPRISEEEEE!”
The lights were turned on in an instant, revealing the hidden contents of the room. Strewn about a long table were a variety of foods. From Sticky Honey Roasts to Sweet Madames, the charming scent wafted through Amber’s nose. The centerpiece, however, was a Baron Bunny themed cake, along with cleanily written frosting on the side that stated ‘Happy Birthday Amber’.
Behind the table were her friends, all smiling and wearing their adorable tiny party hats.
“You didn’t really think we forgot your birthday, now did you?” The Cavalry Captain smirked, clapping his hands together.
Amber was at a loss for words. Her eyes began to brim with tears as she began to furiously wipe them away with the palm of her hands.
“Y-You guys! You didn’t have to!” she was filled with such happiness, she didn’t have the energy to snap back at Kaeya’s comment. “You guys are the best! I can’t thank you enough!”
Lisa faintly smiled, drumming her fingers against her drink. “You don’t have to thank us, Amber dear. It is your birthday, after all. We should be thankful for you being here, along with Master Diluc for allowing us to rent the place out for this party.”
Diluc was at the bar, mixing up a variety of drinks. At the mention of his name, he gave a small nod before continuing his job. “It isn’t a problem at all.”
Jean bowed her head. “I apologize for not wishing you a happy birthday earlier, Amber. We were all busy preparing for this party and keeping it a surprise, and somehow it slipped my mind.”
Amber waved her hands frantically. “No, no, no! Don’t apologize! It’s okay!” the Outrider smiled brightly. “You guys were busy with this! Besides, I think your signature pizza makes up for it.”
Jean laughed lightly, shaking her head. “I hope you enjoy the food. Sara had to deal with this big order last minute.”
“Miss Eula baked the cake for you, however,” Lisa quipped in. “She should be arriving right about n-”
Right on cue, the door to the Angel’s Share opened. The Reconnaissance Captain held around a dozen of Moon Pies in her hands.
“Happy birthday, Amber,” the taller woman smiled softly, carefully placing down the food onto the table. “I hope you enjoy these; I know how much you enjoy Moon Pies.”
Amber could begin to feel her face heat up. “T-Thank you, Eula!”
Kaeya clapped loudly. “Alright, you two lovebirds! Enough talk, let’s get this party started! Starting with…”
Diluc let out a small, exasperated sigh. “If you are going to sing her happy birthday, at least do it well.”
Kaeya feigned offense. “Who do you take me for, a heathen?”
A chorus of laughter rang throughout the room.
“Now, now, you two. Don’t be fighting on Amber’s special day,” Lisa smiled at the two, eyes glinting with warning.
Jean cleared her throat. “Ahem. Let’s get back on track now, shall we?”
“Right,” Eula sighed, crossing her arms. “Let’s get this started.”
Several hours had passed, and the party began to slowly die down. Most of the food was eaten, and a little over half of the Baron Bunny cake was devoured. Kaeya laid slump on a table from all of his drinks, and Lisa and Jean went towards the balcony together. Diluc was writing down the tab for Kaeya, while Eula quietly sipped on her drink in a corner.
Amber made her way over to the aristocrat, cake in hand. Sitting down beside her, Amber looked up.
“Are you having fun?”
Eula pursed her lips, taking a small sip out of her drink. “I suppose. Parties aren’t usually my scene, but seeing as it is your birthday party, I’ll let it slide.”
Amber laughed, taking a bite out of her cake. “This is really good, Eula. You did a great job!”
Though Eula tried to keep her face in a neutral expression, a small smile cracked through her lips. “It was nothing compared to what you have done for me, Amber.”
For the second time that night, Amber could feel her cheeks heat up. “Aw, don’t say that, Eula!”
The two began to talk for several more minutes, but as the night began to grow old, it was clear exhaustion was beginning to take its toll. In the middle of her sentence, Amber trailed off and slowly slumped to the side, her head resting against Eula’s shoulder. Though Amber claimed she didn’t snore, soft breathing could be heard emitting from her mouth, her warm breath tickling the side of Eula’s neck.
Sighing softly, Eula grabbed Amber's hand, running her finger against the other's knuckle.
“Happy birthday, my dear Outrider. Rest well.”