#but i'm pretty sure hoyo is like 'shhhh don't worry about it'

[justlookatthosesausages]

Inktober 2024 🌿 day 1 🌿 Backpack

“Wait. You have an emergency backpack?” 

Paimon lifted her eyes from her skewer when she heard Traveler ask that question. 

“Why yes.” She simply answered. 

For someone as talkative as Paimon, such a short sentence was rare. Also, she never bothered talking with her mouth full, so it was weird that she didn’t add anything.

It intrigued Traveler for a second, until they remembered that Little Guy was drooling at the sight of the unfinished skewer in her hand, and she very likely was trying to eat it before it would jump to swallow it. Traveler smiled at the scene and retrieved their empty skewer and the Saurian's on the ground to store them in their backpack. They would clean it in a river later; despite being the nation of Pyro, Natlan actually had several streams and they could stop their journey near water during the afternoon. Traveler took a mental note to thank Kaeya and Diona for giving them reusable skewers when they filled up their stock in Mondstadt before heading to Natlan. Traveler then froze at the idea of bringing Little Guy to the Cat’s Tail - people would go crazy at its adorableness, and it would likely drive Diona mad. Of course, that would be if they leave Natlan with the Saurian. They cared too much about wildlife to take it away from its homeland…

Maybe it could live in the Serenitea Pot? 

While the only sound around them was Paimon’s happy chewing and sounds of nature, Traveler thought about domain expansions. Of course, they were familiar with the craziness of magic; and Teyvat has its own rules. But the fact that a whole realm could fit inside a teapot and the fact they could vanish their weapon just like their backpack truly was fascinating. Several Adepti had tried to explain how it worked, but had trouble using simple terms, or paradoxically found it too obvious, since they grew up in those environments, most of them for hundreds of years. 

Indeed, once Traveler closed the “to clean later” pocket of their beige adventurer guild backpack, it disappeared in a golden gleam, just like their weapon, and went Archons know where. Traveler held their chin for a moment, then turned to Paimon. 

“Then where is your emergency backpack?” 

Paimon scratched Little Guy’s head, then shook her foot. “In my boot, why?” 

Traveler blinked in utter confusion. “What?” 

“What, what?” 

Traveler then remembered what Paimon had said during last’s Lantern Rite, and frowned.

“Isn’t that where your hidden stash is? For emergency mora?” 

Paimon shook her head. “No, that’s in my other boot.” 

She shook her other foot, as if it would explain anything, and it made Traveler speechless. Alright, Teyvat was magic end-to-end. But exactly how magical was Paimon?