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Nahida sat cross legged on the floor, the warm scent of freshly carved wood lingering in the air. Across from her, Paimon hovered, arms crossed and already complaining.
“Paimon still thinks this is a terrible idea. Wanderer’s going to get all grumpy and say, ‘Why do I need a birthday cake? I’m a puppet!’” they mimicked his voice in a deep, exaggerated tone, which made Aether stifle a laugh as he rummaged through his bag.
“He might say that,” Nahida mused, tracing a pattern in the wooden floor with her finger, “-but I think he’ll secretly like it. It’s the thought that matters, not the sweetness.”
“Speaking of sweetness-” Paimon groaned, “what kind of cake isn’t sweet? That defeats the whole point of a cake! Why don’t we just get him some dirt and call it a day?”
“Bitter and sweet can go together,” Nahida said gently. “They balance each other out, like you and Aether, don’t you think?” she smiled, which only made Paimon pout harder, stomping their foot mid-air.
“Paimon isn’t bitter! Paimon’s adorable!”
“Of course you are,” Nahida said with a giggle, getting up and walking towards the kitchen table where Aether pulled out a tin of finely ground green tea powder from his bag and set it down with a soft clink.
“Oh! Good thinking, Traveler!” Paimon exclaimed, pointing to the tin. “We could use this to make it all fancy-like. Paimon’s seen those green tea cakes in Inazuma before. They’re kind of bitter… but not too bitter.”
“And I could add candied ajilenakh nuts to the filling,” Nahida said, clasping her hands together. “He’s used to those by now.” she added with a giggle.
“Okay, okay,” Paimon conceded, throwing their hands up. “But-" they made a dramatic turn mid-air, putting their hands on their waist "-we’re putting Paimon’s face on it! It’ll be the best part of the whole cake.” Aether gave Paimon a skeptical look but didn’t argue, instead gathering the rest of the ingredients they’d brought.
Nahida hummed as she sifted flour into a bowl, careful not to make a mess. Paimon, on the other hand, was an like explosion -or an explosion waiting to happen, carefully held back by Aether-
“Why is this chocolate so dark? It looks...It looks… sad!” Paimon poked the bar of bitter chocolate on the counter. “And it’s so hard to break!” They tried snapping a piece off, only to send shards flying.
“Careful, Paimon,” Nahida warned as she stirred the batter. “We need it for the ganache.”
“Paimon is careful!” they huffed, scooping up the broken pieces and tossing one into their mouth. Their face immediately scrunched up. “Eugh!" They poked their tongue out "Who eats this stuff? It tastes like disappointment!” Aether, who had been quietly boiling water for tea, chuckled softly. He set a pot of Inazuman tea leaves on the counter, their aroma earthy and rich. Paimon perked up. “Oooh, is that the tea from Inazuma? It smells so fancy! ”
“It might pair well with the green tea,” Nahida agreed, already imagining the harmonious flavors. “And we can decorate the cake with your drawing on top.”
“Paimon’s going to make it look amazing!” they declared, grabbing a spoon. Unfortunately, their attempt at “helping” quickly turned into a mess of spilled batter and smudged chocolate. Aether sighed and gently steered Paimon away, picking up the pieces of their chaos.
Hours later, the cake was finally done. Layers of delicate green tea sponge alternated with candied ajilenakh nuts, tied together by a dark chocolate ganache. The frosting,also infused with Aether’s tea, gave off a subtle floral aroma.
Paimon hovered excitedly as they dipped a small brush into edible paint. “Paimon’s gonna make it so good, Wanderer will have to like it!” They began painting on the smooth surface of the chocolate, their tongue poking out in concentration.
“It’s… abstract,” Nahida said diplomatically, tilting her head to examine the drawing. Was that supposed to be Wanderer? Or a very determined anemo fungus? Aether smiled and added a few simple designs around Paimon’s artwork, smalls stars and clouds, a few messy abstract patterns-
“Hey!” Paimon pouted. “Don’t make Paimon’s masterpiece look boring!” Nahida clapped her hands together and let out a small laugh.
“It’s perfect!" she announced.
When Wanderer entered the Sanctuary that evening, the trio was waiting, the cake sitting proudly on the table. Nahida stepped forward, smiling warmly.
“Happy birthday, Wanderer!” they all said in unison.He froze, staring at the cake as if it were some kind of trap.
“...What is this?”
“A surprise!” Paimon exclaimed, flying up to him. “Paimon worked super hard on it, so you better eat it! Or else!”
“I don’t even like cake,” he muttered, crossing his arms. But his eyes lingered on it, on the awkward drawing, the stars and clouds, and the unmistakable effort they’d put into it.
“Ugh, just try it,” Nahida said, cutting a small slice and holding it out to him. “It’s not too sweet. We made sure of that.” With a sigh, Wanderer took the plate, mumbling something under his breath, inspecting the cake like it might bite him. Then, reluctantly, he took a bite. The bitterness of the chocolate and green tea hit first, followed by the crunch of candied nuts and the subtle sweetness of the frosting.
“It’s… not terrible-” he finally said, his tone gruff but his cheeks slightly pink.
“See? Paimon told you it was amazing!” Paimon beamed.
“Thank you,” he mumbled, looking away. “All of you.”
Nahida’s smile widened, and Aether gave him a thumbs-up. Paimon, hovered closer to him with a smirk
“So, does this mean Paimon can have your slice if you don’t like it?” Wanderer glared at them.
“Touch it, and I’ll feed you to a Ruin Guard.”
They somehow roped him into a small celebration, with cake and juice and tea and snacks and talking and currently, after the plates were pushed aside, Nahida was leaning over the table, patiently explaining a game to Paimon.
"-so, the goal is to match the colors in this sequence, but the tricky part is you can only move the pieces diagonally,” she said, her small hands moving deftly to demonstrate. Paimon groaned, throwing their hands up.
“This is impossible! Paimon’s pretty sure this game was made just to make Paimon feel dumb!”
“It’s all about patience,” Nahida reassured them. “You’ll get it. Here, try again.” While the two were engrossed in their game, Wanderer quietly stepped back from the group, his gaze drifting to the floor. He folded his arms, his hat casting a shadow over his face as he leaned against the wall, staring outside the window at the city lights. His usual scowl deepened into something... diferent that usual. Aether noticed. He didn’t say anything at first, just walked over and sat down beside him, close enough to acknowledge his presence but far enough to give him space.
“What do you want?” Wanderer muttered without looking up after a minute. Aether didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back slightly, tilting his head as if studying Wanderer. After a moment, he gestured toward the others with a subtle nod.
“You don’t like the game?” he asked and Wanderer scoffed.
“It’s not the game. It’s just..." He hesitated, glancing briefly at Aether before looking away again, "I’m not good at things like this.” he admitted, “All of it feels… temporary.” Aether’s gaze softened. He didn’t speak, waiting for Wanderer to continue talking. “I’ve seen it before,” Wanderer said, his voice quieter now. “People come, they go. They act like they care, but eventually, they move on. Why should this be any different?” For a moment, Aether’s expression flickered, before he let out a small sigh, tilting his head back.
“It might be temporary,” Aether admitted, “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth enjoying while it lasts.” Wanderer turned to him, his brow furrowing.
“You say that so easily. How can you just… accept it?”
“I’ve learned the hard way." Aether's gaze seemed faraway for a moment and his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at Nahida laughing while Paimon moved the pieces loudly complaining about how the game is unfair. "There were so many moments with my sister I didn’t appreciate until after we were separated. It hurts, but those memories still mean something.” Wanderer’s eyes searched Aether’s face for a moment, as if trying to find the flaw in his reasoning, but before could respond, Paimon’s voice cut through the air like a bell.
“Hey! What are you two doing over there? Being all.. gloomy and mysterious?” They pointed an accusing finger at Aether and Wanderer. “Come back and help Paimon figure this stupid game out!” Aether chuckled softly, rising to his feet.
“Looks like we’ve been called out.” He started walking back toward the table, glancing over his shoulder when he noticed Wanderer hadn’t moved. Wanderer hesitated, his hands clenching at his sides. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he pushed off the wall and followed him back.
“Paimon's about to try a new strategy. Maybe you can help them?” Nahida looked up at Wanderer with a smile as he sat back down.
“Hmph,” Wanderer huffed, crossing his arms. “You just want me to solve it for you.”
“That’s a great idea!” Paimon exclaimed, shoving their pieces toward him. “If Wanderer solves it, Paimon wins too!”
“I... don’t think that’s how it works,” Nahida said with a laugh. Wanderer rolled his eyes but took the wooden pieces anyway, grumbling as he examined the game. Paimon hovered beside him, offering loud, unhelpful suggestions, while Aether slid into his seat across from them, quietly enjoying the chaos.
For the first time that day, Wanderer allowed himself to smile - just a small one, barely noticeable, before he started telling off Paimon for hovering over him, while Nahida laughed. But it was there, hidden beneath the shadow of his hat as he leaned into the moment. And for once, he didn’t worry about how long it would last.