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The Serenitea pot realm was switched to the silken courtyard. With sakura blossom trees and over colorful plants decorating the main house, it looks peaceful and harmonic. As commissions today are completed, Lumine and Paimon decided to spend the time cleaning up, organizing materials and preparing for their next adventures.
Putting some remaining materials in the parametric transformer and applying elemental power, Lumine watched the device spin and shine before it produced some new materials. It felt like opening a blind box every time operating the transformer, but it always shut down due to transformation overload. She has to wait for another week until it is completely cooled down for operation. Lumine signed and put the transformer back to her pack. Now she should go back to clean up her storage and check for materials needed.
“Hey, Lumine! Paimon found something.” Her flying travel companion seemed to busy herself with materials in the storage house. Paimon put some efforts and finally managed to pull the object out from a pile of materials, “What is it? Where did you get this?”
Looks like a mechanical device. A robot? Wait… Oh…
This is a prototype of the apparatus, or a failed product from toy experiment with the toy researcher Bertrand. It looked new and shiny, but several circuits were burned during testing and longer able to move as a robot, though it still looked cute as a figure. Fortunately, their experiment went quite smooth with few failed products. Lumine had kept one failed product in storage and almost forgot its existence before today.
“Hope Bertrand had paid his debt now. I really like those robots.” Lumine picked the apparatus and carried it outside. “Maybe we can later meet him in Fontaine.”
“Paimon remembers now. The Great Machine. But this one is not moving anymore, what should we do with it?”
Lumine didn’t answer as she thought for a solution. She walked around and found a functional robot in the yard. A traveling horned owl hummed and clicked in the yard through the breeze, glittering in the sunshine. It was a hidden type of apparatus exchanged from Bertrand. Lumine looked at it for a while before came up with an idea.
“There are dyes and some spare parts. What about we refit it?”
------------
Refitting a robot is much easier than repairing or assembling one from the start. It didn’t take long before they finished making the cute standing triped robot into a standing triped monster figure with two horns. The purple thundering layer was not covered with yellow dots as imitations of flashes.
The waypoint twinkled as someone with a realm dispatch chose to enter the Serenitea Pot. Lumine and Paimon turned around to see the newcomer.
“Hi girlie, I was wondering if you have time.” Childe greeted, “What are you doing here?”
“Hi Childe,” Lumine answered and showed the apparatus. “We just finished refitting a robot. What do you think?”
Childe watched the robot carefully and his mind drifted to his siblings. Maybe he can add some new features to the ruin guard toys…?
“It looks like a cute small monster that can be popular among the children.” He finally said, “Nice job.”
“Really? Thank you.” Lumine held up the robot over her head, smiled and growled in a sharper and lighter voice, “Howl howl~ I’m a monster. Give me candy or I will trick you.”
Childe flushed and diverted his eyes, suddenly unable to meet her bright eyes. Lumine is already cute enough, any more point of cuteness added will be dangerous enough to be an overkill.
“Why candy? Paimon thought monsters will have better preferences in food.” Paimon asked half intrigued and half puzzled, “Paimon’s not saying candy is not good, but other delicacies can be better options for Paimon.”
Is that the point Paimon? All you care about is something edible?
“Oh, it's just about the time of year for Halloween and play ‘trick or treat’…” Lumine explained, “It’s a festival I experienced in another world that people usually dress up as scary characters. Children tend to participate in activities that involve knocking on doors in their local neighborhood and requesting candies by saying ‘trick-or-treat’. People can give them candy as treats, or children can play small jokes as tricks.” Lumine put the robot down and fiddled with its legs, making the robot into a standing pose, “Sounds hilarious, isn’t it?”
“I see.” Childe thought for a second and pretend to check his pocket for candies, “But I don’t have candies, so go ahead to play any tricks you want.” He grinned and opened his arms as a pose of acceptance.
This straightforwardness was unexpected. Lumine blinked several times and flustered. She quickly recovered and turned into a serious face, spoke slowly, “Okay…. You said yourself.”
Childe unconsciously gulped as he watched Lumine lower her head and come closer, probably preparing for her tricks. What will she do? He felt like a cat was scratching his heart, didn’t know whether he was expecting unseen tricks or something else like sudden attacks, or whether he should feel excited or thrilled about the tricks in her mind. The silence seemed to prolong from seconds to hours, but he didn’t mind indulging in this kind of uncertainty and thrill.
“Hello, trick or treat! Here comes an Anemo Slime.” Paimon interrupted and startled both of them. The pixie was now wearing a light pale green Slime mask made by her travel companion, standing in the air with arms on her hips.
Lumine snapped out of her inner thoughts and pulled away from Childe. She turned to Paimon with a normal smile on her face. Whether she was making mental preparation of playing tricks on Childe or not, her face didn’t show any signs. Paimon, however, was unaware of the inappropriate of previous interruption. She waited for a second and then viewed them suspiciously with one hand reached out, “where are the candies? If Childe doesn’t have any candies, does that mean Paimon can play tricks on him?”
“Well…” Lumine quickly picked a candy from her pocket dimension to put it on Paimon’s hand, “Here you go, Slime Paimon.”
Paimon took off the mask and put the candy in her mouth. “Hehe thanks, it would be nice to have this festival in Teyvat.”
“Haha…”
Lumine smiled and turned to Childe, but subconsciously stepped back when she saw the crimson mask. She took a second before realizing they were not sparring.
“Trick or treat girlie. Can I have candy as well?” The harbinger held the mask in front of his face and chuckled.
She had guessed what he was up to but was still surprised. Lumine tilted her head and gave him an expression saying, Are you really a child?
“Trick or, treat?” Childe asked slower this time, tilted his head to show his face and lowered his head.
Lumine felt like watching an orange fox treated with unfairness behind a mask. She suddenly had a strange urge and unconsciously patted his head, before finding a small basket of candy and handing it to him, “All right, little fox.”
Dumbfounded by the sudden act, Childe froze and almost dropped his mask. Is she patting me? Is this the trick I was expecting? But I don’t seem to mind…
“Ahem, stop snuggling you two. Lumine, I know you are on good terms with Mr. Moneybags, by why favor him over Paimon?” Paimon mumbled with an indescribable expression.
Lumine, suddenly realized what she had done, immediately withdrew her hand and blushed. “Th-this is for the trick.” She stammered a little.
“But he still has more candies…” Paimon puffed her cheeks, “Paimon is your best travel companion. You can’t hiberdating, Lumine.”
“What? Where did you learn—” Lumine blushed harder.
“Aww, looks like our little friend isn’t happy enough with her candy.” Childe seemed to be pleased with the pixie’s comment and chuckled. He tapped his chin and seemed to think about something, “Is there anything else we can do? Maybe we can make a unique monster costume for you?
“A new outfit for Paimon?” The pixie’s attention was diverted at once, "A scary and powerful Paimon?"
“Good idea. She can fly and will definitely become a good scary character.” Lumine gave Childe a thankful look. She turned to her little travel companion with sparkles in eyes, “Speaking of that, I’ve got a surprise for you, Paimon.” And pulled out something from her pocket dimension.
It was a blue-green jumpsuit with a tail of Boreas and a pair of wings made of Dvalin’s plumes stitched on the back. A Monoceros Caeli tusk was placed on the hood. The ends of both sleeves were embedded with claws of Dvalin.
“When did you make this?” Paimon was surprised by the appearance.
“Remember we had a conversation about furry ears and tails? I designed and made this with Tubby after that day. Both of us think you will look adorable in this outfit.”
“But Paimon thought we already over the topic of ears and tails?” The pixie waved her hand and shook her head, “No no, it’s not something Paimon expects.”
“Please please please?” Lumine showed her puppy eyes, “Are you really going to reject me?”
“Err, stop learning bad habits from your friends.” Paimon winced, “Paimon doesn’t want it and will not try it.”
“Twenty jade parcels and golden crab after this?” Lumine tried to negotiate.
“…hmm!! Paimon… will…not…” the pixie half-froze and stopped moving in the air, considering the offering.
“Plus twenty sticky honey roasts?” Lumine continued.
“Oh, sounds nice to try some new costumes.” Paimon’s voice changed suddenly, sounding brightened and excited. She picked up the jumpsuit and disappeared in a flash to her own dimension.
“You’re good at coaxing her.” Childe commended and joked. “So, are you hiberdating?”
“Oh, don’t put that in mind. Paimon is just jealous.”
**
It didn’t take long before Paimon got changed and reappeared. “Paimon’s not sure…” She turned around several times and waved her arms, “How does Paimon look?” The plume wings and tail swung as she flew around. With a tusk on her head and claws on her hands, she now looked like a real little monster.
“Aww, isn’t she really cute?” Lumine laughed.
“That doesn’t sound scary.” Paimon frowned.
If she pairs up with Lumine in this costume… “You will be scary if Lumine dresses up as the Miss Witch.” Childe suggested and winked at Lumine.
Paimon flew to the water to see her reflection, and suddenly become glad at her outfit. “Hehe, you have a good eye, Childe.” The pixie flew back and proudly put her hands on her waist, “Growl, Paimon is a scary monster!”
“I’m the witch.” Lumine chimed.
“Hmm, a witch and her familiar, then I will be a demon king.” Childe watched them and decided his character. “And I think, a familiar needs to listen to her witch’s words. A familiar also needs to listen to the demon king, right?” He ruffled Paimon’s hair.
“Paimon is not a familiar! Paimon is Witch Lumine’s best companion. No one approaches without Paimon’s approval.”
“Don’t worry, Paimon. Miss witch and her familiar will fight the demon king together.” Lumine smiled.
“Is that a challenge? Then I’m willing to take—.”
“—stop making fun of Paimon!” The pixie waved her arms, trying to make futile threats with claws on the sleeves, “Paimon… will play ugly tricks!”
Lumine soothed her little friend. “But you look really cute in this costume. I don’t mind if you want to play tricks this time.”
**
Chubby looked very amused by the scene from distance. He turned to Tubby and said: “That design of costume looks exceptional. Do you think they can have any other ones?”
Tubby seemed to be in deep thought before answering: “I don’t think your encounters with fine costumes can be forced.”
“Pity.” Chubby signed, “That little one is certainly lucky.”