i want sweet revenge

she chuckles, "you should give plushienon a kiss to cheer him up!"

"don't call him plushienon, and i'm not kissing a toy!"

"aww, c'mon, it's just the deliverer boy, what's wrong with that?"

"it's embarrassing and juvenile!" you murmur, hiding behind the tufts of white hair.

"it's embarrassing to show the love of your life some affection?" she pouts, dramatising a pout. "this isn't even him, what will you do when it is the real deal?"

"fine!" you huff. "i'll kiss him!"

she giggles, satisfied. you press a fleeting kiss to his covered forehead, the fabric soft underneath your lips. you don't linger long, getting ready to sass cipher with a quip, but the words die on your tongue when you notice something unbelievable.

the small frown and teary blues that plushienon previously had have morphed into a beaming smile and bright eyes, the sudden change catching you off guard.

what is this elation magic- you swear he was crying before!

"little y/n, you look like you've seen a ghost! what's wrong?" cipher asks as she studies your expression with great amusement. "surely kissing him can't be that unenjoyable-"

you turn him around, "why is he happy all of a sudden?"

she begins cackling, her tail whipping. "oh my! i didn't know this thing was going to be true to life!"

"did you do something to him? you didn't use your trickery powers, did you?" you ask wildly, looking at him again to make sure that he was still smiling- and indeed he was. in fact, it seems as though he's grinning wider.

"this is brilliant! wow, i didn't think the deliverer's obnoxiously obvious affection for you would transcend into inanimate versions of himself as well!" the demigod is beside herself now, holding her stomach with tangible glee.

"hey! what do you mean affection? and obvious?"

"you'd find out if you just show him!"

"no!" you shriek, holding the big plushie to your chest now as your flustered cries get hidden by the bustling nature of okhema's markets. "i'm not showing phainon anything!"

an all-too-familiar voice pipes up from beside you. "why not?"

this is the worst day of your life. phainon absolutely can not see you holding a large plushie of him, and he can not know that you discovered it had the ability to change expressions as soon as you kissed its fabric-covered forehead.

cipher, however, had other plans.

"deliverer boy," she greets, "you have many fans outside amphoreus, did you know that? while i was in planarcadia, i found this!"

she gestures to the plushie that you have pressed against your chest. for a moment, the two stare at you expectedly. it is with great embarrassment that you reveal the item in your arms, unable to make eye contact with the white-haired before you.

"is that me?" he questions, "am i… crying?"

"isn't it so cute? wouldn't you agree, y/n?" cipher prods.

"i don't think it's cute because it's crying!" you murmur, trying to defend what is left of your dignity.

"so you think it's cute because it's lord phainon?"

"cipher!" you wish the ground could swallow you whole.

"anyways, what's more important is that y/n has found an interesting discovery by kissing plushie-you's forehead. why don't you show the great hero of amphoreus?"

you frown, the heat in your cheeks now unbearable. with a grumble, you turn around so that your back was towards the pair, not allowing either of them to see you peck the plushie's forehead. turning around, its frown has now transformed into a beaming smile, delight completely painting over its previously-woeful expression.

phainon is quiet for a moment and you brace for the worst, your heart thumping wildly in your ears as you wait for him to be offended or disgusted by your discovery.

instead, it is him who completely rips the carpet from underneath your feet.

"interesting, they've captured me scarily accurately…"

Kazuha felt a little too hot with his disguise, but he wanted this, so he would go through with it. He tugged his mask under his nose, relaxing at the scent of the open air. The mall had an open area with trees all over; the leaves fell to the ground, and the wind brushed past. Kazuha couldn’t feel it, having been stuffed under layers, but he was satisfied.

Although it felt embarrassing to be clothed in this disguise, he couldn’t go outside this freely before. He was going to make the most of it.

And then he passed by a stall that had him doing a double take. Kazuha took a few steps back, lighting up with recognition. He couldn’t be mistaken, not with that familiar symbol of Anemo. The stall displayed a light stick of their group, released only a few days ago.

His friends would have a blast if he came back with it, most likely, Kazuha mused. Maybe he could bring it back as a gift.

A hand shot out from the side, blocking his view of the light stick. Kazuha blinked, a little surprised. He followed the arm's stretch and came face-to-face with an angry stranger.

“Hey, you!” you said. Kazuha felt like he needed to stand straighter at the tone. “I had my eye on this one first, ‘kay? Whatever number you have in mind—keep it. I finally get my hands on one of these; I’m not letting it go!”

“Oh, this was an auction?” he asked curiously. The stall didn’t seem to be being run by anyone at the moment, and no one else was there.

“Well, no,” you sniffed, “but I would win. I already told the seller I called dibs on this one—wait until she gets back.”

Charmed, Kazuha smiled. “Two thousand.”

“Three.”

“Three-thousand, five hundred?”

“Five-thousand, three hundred.”

Kazuha had to wonder: “How much do these usually cost?”

“Five thousand, if you’re lucky. I’ll make it ten thousand, easy. Are you still not backing down?”

Kazuha laughed under his breath. Were you serious? Were you actually willing to drop that much for this? “Alright, I cede. I apologize for attempting to defeat you.”

You grinned, eyes sparkling quite literally as your gaze slid back to the lightstick. You were very pretty. “Yeah, I thought so.” You eyed him curiously; Kazuha suddenly felt a little shy. “Are you a fan as well?”

Kazuha nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from your genuine smile for a few moments. His eyes drifted down to your shirt, which had the same Vision of the lightstick—but there was something else. “You could say that.”

Your shirt had maple leaves swirling around the logo, and Kazuha could recognize it all too well because he was asked to sit down and draw it for their merchandise—something personal for each member. Did Kazuha have the right to suspect what it meant that you were wearing his?

Emboldened, Kazuha gestured at the lightstick. “As a fellow enthusiast, may I extend my offer to cover this purchase?”

You blinked and stuttered. “W-What— You don’t have to! I literally stole it from you!”

“So you confess that you pried it off of me?” Kazuha teased.

“That’s not—Listen—” You stared at him, then got flustered. “Hold on, are you hitting on me?”

“Yes.” He took off his sunglasses and tugged down his mask, flashing a sweet smile that he knew was utterly unfair. Your face bluescreened out of pure shock. Without the mask muffling his voice, it was clear as day. “So, will you let me?”

"But… you mentioned you needed to get to Mondstadt for an important matter." And Ayaka takes important matters very seriously.

Actually, the important matter in question was really just you wanting to try out their wine; and apparently, their tastiest—and cheapest—is limited for this season. It is sold as a special, as leftovers from the Windblume Festival. And it is definitely not worth Ayaka's conscience.

You cup her cheeks, feeling incredibly guilty. "It's nothing super serious. I can reschedule. See? Easy—solved. Mondstadt isn't going anywhere any time soon, I think."

"Did we just hear you say Mondstadt?" a shrill voice pipes up a few feet away.

Of course, considering your luck, it's none other than Paimon and her trusty companion, the Traveler. Paimon's entire body wiggles as she waves at you both, while Aether's gaze is locked on you, lips quirked.

"Traveler!" Ayaka cries out, rising to her feet in an instant and all but rushing over to the pair. "You came at the perfect time!"

"Is something wrong?" Paimon asks, faltering.

"Yes," Ayaka replies swiftly before you could even cut in. "You see, Beidou has already sailed off to return to Liyue, but Y/N needed to get to Mondstadt and just missed her."

You don’t like where this is going. "Hold on—"

Paimon gasps. "Are you saying—?"

"I'm not saying anything—!"

Aether hums thoughtfully, grinning at you like he's won something. "Mondstadt? I'm sure we can afford to take a detour, can't we, Paimon?"

Paimon nods enthusiastically. "Yup! It's a good excuse to visit some familiar faces we've missed while we were off traveling!"

"Detour?" You eye him suspiciously. "From Inazuma to Mondstadt?"

Ayaka tugs you to her side, and you oddly feel like a scolded kid in the playground. "Thank you so much. I know out of anyone in Teyvat, the Traveler is someone I can trust. Please take care of my friend."

Aether grins at you. "You're in safe hands."

"We're so glad you could join us, Y/N!" Paimon says, clasping her hands in a single, delighted clap. "It's not every day we get to have another companion."

After what felt like Ayaka selling you off to the most dangerous individual on Teyvat, Aether rented out a boat built for five but crowded with two and a half. You watched helplessly as Aether tossed a heavy pouch of Mora to the dock master with the ease only a world-renowned hero could have.

"Sumeru first! We can't risk it on the ocean without Beidou's crew!" Paimon had chirped when you set sail.

You couldn't complain when they asked if that was alright, since it would be a golden opportunity to set foot on Sumeru, though the way Aether's gaze lingered on you, faintly smug—he probably knows what you're thinking.

It was unsettling for sure, but Aether kept his distance while on the boat. Paimon had dozed off, curled up on Aether's lap. You'd braced yourself for it—that sly grin and heated proximity, the way he did that day. But Aether stayed frustratingly polite. You don't know why you were almost wishing he would pay attention to you. To prove a point? How embarrassing.

The three of you reached a grassy stretch of Sumeru, a bit farther from civilization's reach, all rolling hills and rich with trees. You'd hesitated visibly back at the port, lingering by the city just a beat too long to take in everything. It had been so dangerously tempting to ask for them to stay. But Aether had been watching you, and there was a knowing look in his eyes that meant he could easily make up another excuse to keep you longer, and you knew yourself well enough to recognize your weakness. You wouldn't even hesitate.

"Thank you for having me," you respond politely, inclining your head. "I promise I won't be too much of a bother—you're already doing so much for me."

Paimon waves both hands in front of her face dismissively. "Nah. Don't you worry! It's always fun for everyone to travel in a group! Right, Aether?"

Finally, you both turn to acknowledge Aether's presence, who's off gazing at something else. His hair sways along with the wind. You find yourself entranced by how the sunlight traces over it for a moment. Must be an alien thing to have gold as hair.

Paimon flutters over to her companion worriedly. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Shh." Aether holds a finger against Paimon's mouth, his brows knitting together in concentration. "You hear that?"

The air seems to have fallen silent as well to listen; and there was only the sound of the fresh wind blowing past your ears, paired by the tickle of the grass against your ankles—then a whirring sound vibrates the ground so heavily you can feel it in your teeth, crawling closer and closer.

Paimon rears back in shock. "That sounds like—"

A dragon-like machine crests the hill and ascends overhead, gears creaking and grinding ominously. And due to its sheer size, its shadow swallows all three of your bodies.

"How is an Aeonblight Drake here?" Aether curses, his wrist flicking as a strange colored light pools in his palm.

Paimon shrieks, streaking past to hide behind you.

For one breathless moment, you are too paralyzed by awe to flee. The pressure sends grass whipping around into the air with each lash of its limb, producing a mock blizzard of green.

Then the drake's lenses lock onto Aether with a click, wings rattling in the air with its rusted hinges—and suddenly, you're mimicking Aether and materialize a handcrafted bow to your grasp. The bow feels frayed and light in your hands—meant to hunt weak animals, and not at all suitable for the size of a ruin machine that would make your arrows seem like a toothpick. But if you aim to buy seconds enough for Aether to strike it down, then—

Aether doesn't question your instantaneous instinct to kill, instead encouraging it with a grim nod. "Shoot at its core!" he yells over the deafening whir of the engine.

Aether's hand flares with elemental energy as the drake flies overhead. He hurls a concentrated vortex, causing it to stumble and flutter erratically. You take it as an opportunity to strike—the arrow hurtles as soon as its core dips into view.

It jerks back, releasing a shower of sparks. But it is not enough. It stabilizes too soon, and it locks onto you.

The realization hits just a bit too late.

You catch Aether's sharp inhale as energy crackles around the machine, its core pulsing gold and straining your eyes. It happens in a flash—before you even know it, a stream of energy hurls towards you. You could've dodged it, but you still feel Paimon clinging to your sleeves, terrified, and there wouldn't have been enough time for you to pull her aside without injuring her. No time at all. So you shove her to the side with your body and brace yourself for the blast that was left unavoidable.

It burns, brutal like a whip, however not bone-deep.

Paimon's cry cuts through the ringing in your ears as you push yourself up. You want to reassure her that it was nothing too serious—it might even heal in a day, saved by the thick leather hugging your forearms.

But you don't notice how Aether stills. Don't notice the way his eyes lock onto your battered form, sleeves singed, and knocked to the ground. You couldn't even catch it if you tried, when suddenly—

Light.

A furious burst of energy, howling and splitting through the air. You and Paimon clutch each other in surprise, unable to see past the blinding glare.

It's unlike anything you've seen before. It is nothing like the elements Teyvat had to offer. It feels as though the ground beneath you trembled, alarmed and unfamiliar by this display of power, just entirely beyond this world.

One blink and the next, and the machine jerks unsteadily, into shuddering spasms. Its gears stutter to a halt, hanging suspended mid-air for a breath of a moment, before crashing to the ground violently, parts scattering around.

The air is heavy with the silence and the smell of smoke coming from the defeated machine.

Aether stands amid the wreckage, heaving and glowing with the same shade of the blast that killed the Aeonblight Drake in a split second. It's like his entire body is thrumming with leftover energy, begging to be released and to burst out of his body, though Teyvat could not take it. It would kill this world in one fell swoop.

Your breath comes in ragged gasps, fingers trembling from the adrenaline—or perhaps shock from the display of sheer power. Paimon is fluttering around you, though her voice sounds muffled from the ringing in your ears, and your attention is solely on the man before you.

Aether whirls around, and your gaze locks.

He stumbles toward you through the settling dust, asking if there is any bleeding or if you were limp anywhere.

You think you're answering him. You must be. But you just can't tear your eyes away from his face. His pupils are blown wide, his chestplate glowing with a light that doesn't belong in this world. A color Teyvat might not even have a name for.

Oh.

So this is why they call him the Traveler.

all this for wine Like i would just rather die hello. Also ik its inaccurate bc aether loves his dull sword but like this is sexier methinks WHOSAIDTHAT