As the newly formed trio continues through the woods, Lumine and Paimon relate the events which led to the travelers' journey to Mondstadt. Amber, for her part, remains silent, calmly listening to their tale, only asking occasional questions about the Traveler's properties as they are explained. Soon enough, Amber is fully caught up on the situation, and the walls of Mondstadt proper are clear and visible.
"So, you two are coming to Mondstadt to find your brother and fix your shrinking?"
"Yup, that about wraps it up," Paimon confirms.
"And this miniaturization makes you more durable?"
"Almost indestructible, honestly, nigh immortal," Lumine runs her palm across her sword's blade as she says this.
"Wow... And you two have tested this out?"
"That's right, Lumine put herself through a lot just to make sure, from jumping into a pyro slime to letting a Mitachurl smack her full on with an axe, she didn't even take a scratch!"
"Whoa that sounds pretty scary, but amazing too. So what's the most dangerous thing you two have tested her against?"
"Unintentionally, Paimon," Lumine groans out.
"Pah! Lumine, Paimon said that was an accident!"
"I know, I know, but it still happened. Honestly, I'm glad I managed to make it through all of that."
"Wait, what happened? I want to know!" Amber says emphatically.
"Oh, Paimon ate me."
"I see... WHAT! SHE ATE YOU! HOW ARE YOU OKAY!"
"It was no big deal. One time, while we were roasting fish on the beach, Paimon accidentally scooped me up on her fish skewer, and she swallowed me with her food."
Amber gives Paimon a shocked look as Paimon's face turns crimson with embarrassment, "Paimon didn't mean to, Paimon was just really hungry, and couldn't hear Lumine over the fish roasting!"
"Yeah, and she also didn't hear me when I landed in her stomach, which was terrifying. All of her food was dissolved almost instantly, and was immediately sucked down deeper into her body. Thankfully, I was too big to get sucked down as well, though Paimon's belly really tried. It was thanks to this experience that I finally learned why Paimon's always hungry, it's because her stomach never stays full."
"Oh, wow, that doesn't sound like how I'd ever want to make such a discovery. So how did you end up getting out of Paimon?"
"Well, eventually, Paimon finished all of the skewers we prepared, and then she noticed I wasn't around, so she started looking for me."
"Paimon tried calling out for Lumine, but Paimon couldn't find her until Lumine managed to yell over Paimon..." Paimon pitches in, looking more embarrassed by the second.
"I tried to get Paimon to cough me up on her own, but she couldn't regurgitate me. Considering how quickly she scarfs down food, it makes sense that she can't gag herself. Instead, I ended up thrashing around in her gut so hard that she got a stomachache. When I got out, I looked myself over and discovered I was unharmed, and after a quick dip in the ocean I was fully clean again."
"So you're immune to being digested?"
"Apparently so. We already knew I could go without air by generating Anemo energy in my lungs, but getting eaten confirmed that I was immune to acid. After that, Paimon became a lot more careful eating around me. Isn't that right, Paimon?"
Paimon's face is completely flush, her embarrassment over her past mistake overwhelming her. She needed to turn this around quickly, so as to not give the Outrider a bad impression of her as Lumine's friend. And the best way to turn a bad situation around us to own it.
Haughtily, Paimon puts a hand to her chest and laughs, "Mwahaha, but of course. In fact, Paimon was fully aware when Paimon gulped Lumine down in the first place!"
"Huh?" Both the Outrider and the Traveler look at Paimon, confused by her statement.
Emboldened by their shock, Paimon elaborates, "You see, Paimon knew that we had tested every way to hurt the Traveler but eating her, so Paimon decided to test her that day.
Lumine is stunned for a moment, before a knowing grin spreads across her features, "Oh, so swallowing me was intentional now?"
"That's right!"
"So you only faked trying a failing to cough me up?"
"R-right! After all, what good would being immune to tummies do if you couldn't escape one on your own?"
"And all the sobbing and apologizing after I got out?"
"Just a ruse, and because Paimon felt bad for putting you somewhere so gross."
"And all of that stuff about worrying about if I had died?"
"Just a charade, so you wouldn't suspect Paimon's brilliance!"
"Right... And what would you have done if I wasn't okay in your stomach?"
"Paimon would have swallowed a string and pulled Lumine out!"
"Right, hehe hehe," Lumine giggled atop Amber's head.
"Paimon's serious, Paimon knew the whole time! In fact, Paimon was thinking since Lumine was okay, she could be Paimon's Emergency Food."
"Pbft, Emergency Food?"
"That's right, whenever Paimon's hungry and Lumine doesn't have food ready, Paimon can swallow her to feel full until Paimon finds food."
"Right, I'll be your Emergency Food... Heh he he... Paimon your WAY too funny!"
Lumine continues giggling, as Paimon animatedly yells at her, while Amber processes the duo's interaction. Lumine seemed to be a rather go-with-the-flow sort of girl, and Paimon seemed to be well-meaning but unobservant. The two travelers seemed to get along well, but just the two of them going around Teyvat could be dangerous, even with Lumine's insane durability. Amber resolves she will help the duo as much as possible, starting with getting Lumine a glider and introducing these two to the Adventurers Guild, where they can meet fellow globe trotters to help them out.But first, a more pressing issue arises, as Paimon's stomach rumbles loudly.
As her gut makes itself known, Paimon clutches her hands to it, rubbing it as it continues to roar. For a moment, Lumine is actually worried that this meant Paimon enjoyed eating her so much that it made merely talking about it trigger Paimon's innards. At least until she recalls that they hadn't eaten since before this beginning their trek from the beach to the city.
Seeing an opportunity to help, Amber eagerly hops into the conversation, "Hey, if you two are hungry, I've got an idea to help fix that!"
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