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“If you add an even number to an even number, the results will be even. If you take an even number from an even number the results will be even. If you add an odd number to an odd number the results will be even. If you take an odd number from an odd number the results will be even. But if you try to add an odd number to an even number the results will be odd. The only way to fix it is to remove the odd one. People work the same way. You could be odd and find another odd to even you out but then another odd comes and you're no longer even. Then you realize that that odd evens out the other odd better than you could ever hope, so you're left there by yourself being the odd one out.”
Paimon knew the day was bound to come.
The day when her adventures with the traveler would come to an end.
The day when the traveler would find their sibling.
The day the traveler would leave to the next world.
The day the traveler would leave her.
She would be tossed to the side once more.
By herself once again.
All she could do was count the seconds into minutes into hours into days into weeks into months and finally into years.
As they went from nation to nation.
From Mondstadt to Liyue.
From Liyue to Inazuma.
From Inazuma to Sumeru.
From Sumeru to Fontaine.
From Fontaine to Natlan.
From Natlan to Snezhnaya.
By each nation they ventured the closer to the traveler's sibling they got, and the closer they came to the end of their journey.
She tried to ignore it but in each nation there was an odd but that odd always had another to even them out.
Venti and Dvalin.
Zhongli and Childe.
Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko.
Wanderer and Nahida
Furina and Neuvillette.
Mavuika and Iansan
The Tsarista and the Harbingers
The list went on and on.
She was an odd and the traveler was an odd, but the traveler’s sibling was also an odd and they evened the traveler out more than she could ever hope.
Sometimes she wished the traveler would never find their sibling, so that they wouldn't have to part.
But then she would realize that would upset the traveler, she would never want to upset the traveler, they were her one and only Friend, she didn't want to hurt her friend. What kind of friend would she be if she hurt them?
What type of travel guide would she be if she didn't guide them to their sister. She's nothing more than a guide, personal feelings shouldn't be involved in her duties. She was an annoyance anyway.
She was guilty that she would ever wish that. But she didn't want to be left alone again.
What if no one finds her the next time.
What if no one could fish her out of the water like the traveler did, next time.
What if she was the odd one forever.
She could only guide the traveler until they didn't need her to even them out any more.
Until she was odd again. Maybe it was better that way, she would always be the odd one out.
“Paimon come- is something wrong? You're not usually this quiet.” The traveler looked back at her, their golden eyes filled with concern.
“Nothings wrong. I- Paimon’s fine! Paimon was just thinking about what you would make for dinner. Paimon's craving some sticky honey roast, we haven't had that in a while!” She quickly shook her head and flew circles around the traveler.
“You're a bottomless pit.” The traveler gave her a blank look before shaking their head with a smile.
This was fine, she was fine. She could even out the traveler until they found their sibling. She could ignore the pain in her chest for now.
She was fine being the odd one out, really she was.