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Lumine had a habit of collecting things everyone who knew her knows it, she collects things from the smallest of rocks to the biggest of trees decorating her teapot. Recently she had started saving animals from around Teyvat and letting them live in the teapot, many of her friends have told her she should just leave them that they’re is no point. Lumine doesn't believe that though, after all if she could give them the best life possible why wouldn’t she.
That mind set has led her to having many cats and a couple dogs, she tends to come across hurt cats on a more frequent basis leading her to become what Venti likes to call ‘An old cat lady’ which Lumine likes to argue that she isn’t that old. She is what like just under a thousand years which she thinks is still quite young in her standers even if her sense of time is a bit off.
She found cats where he favourite animal out of the bunch they were rather independent when compared to dogs which she enjoyed. When they showed affection it was something special as they weren’t as trusting it means you gained it that all your hard work had paid off.
It might even be because they remind her greatly of her favourite Adeptus one that took her so long to gain the trust off. Then once she finally did and he actually gave her the smallest smile in the world it felt as if she had just accomplished the greatest of challenges. It was silly when she actually thought about it fully but it made sense in her heart.
She had even been tempted to name her black cat after Xiao until she realized she could never say the poor cats name out loud without calling him. Lumine would not have enjoyed the conversation that would have followed after he arrived, She would have definitely died of embarrassment. So she named the cat the next best thing, Almond.
Lumine luckily never had to explain the origins of the name to anyone they usually just thought it was a cute name that she picked out of thin air, not because the stupid Adepti she was crushing on favourite food was almond tofu. She was honestly slightly ashamed of herself but always argued with herself its a cute name anyone might pick.
Xiao had never even visited her teapot so the chances of him finding out were slim to none and even if he did he didn’t care for things such as her cats. He would never in a million years ask the name of her cats, she wondered if he even knew she had any to begin with. Lumine worried about it for the first month of naming him then she honestly completely forgot about it.
Lumine had to call Xiao in a fight she didn’t want to after all adding to his karma was something she actively avoided doing. But she also knew if she didn’t call him and she got seriously injured or died he would go even more of a shut in and never trust anyone again. She couldn’t be the cause of that not after all the progress she made.
So she called his name as her opponent caught her side with his sword causing her to scream in pain as she felt a gust of wind from behind and a flash of green quickly take her opponent out in one fail swoop. If she wasn’t bleeding out she would have been more pissed at the fact he managed to do that but she had better things to be annoyed at currently.
“Lumine!” Xiao rushed over to her side actually grabbing her for the first time since the collapse of the jade chamber, “Why didn’t you call me earlier” He scolded her checking the slice on her side.
“I thought I had it hand- agh watch it” She practically shouted at him being met with a stone cold face of someone who she would be worried would kill her if she didn’t know any better.
“I’m making sure you don’t die” He told her while grabbing part of the long flowing part of his outfit to tie around her side to slow the bleeding, “We need to take you somewhere with medical supplies”
“My teapot” She told him, “I keep some there” He nodded as he pulled her arm around his shoulder keeping her steady. Teleporting into the teapot was thankfully not a painful experience getting her bearings in there sadly was slightly. She had to hold onto Xiao for support as she tried not to fall onto her back.
“I’ve got you” He told her as they walked up the small steps giving a nod to tubby as they walked past. Lumine’s legs were struggling to keep up as they finally made their way into the main room of her house. She had a couch at the very end in front of a fire that was always burning, once she finally sat down she felt her eyes getting slightly heavy.
“Lumine you have to stay awake” Xiao instructed her, “Where do you keep your supplies?” She forced her eyes open while pointing at a tall cabinet that stood beside the fire. Lumine was about to fall asleep again before she heard a familiar meow.
Before a black blob jumped up onto the back of the sofa, “Almond” She whispered reaching out her hand as he came over to nudge himself into it. She saw Xiao coming over with the box of stuff he needed to patch her up with, “I could always do it if you wish to go” She turned her head to face him.
“I need to make sure you will be alright” He told her getting to work on cleaning up the mess, Lumine tried to remain calm throughout the whole ordeal but the wound was deeper than she realized. Almond had climbed on her lamp during it which helped her keep her mind off it, it was quite obvious why she found him being her favourite.
“I didn’t realize you had so many pets” Xiao told her, she was surprised in the fact he was making conversation. Usually it was her who did it when she went to visit him, he normally just hummed along asking small questions every now and again showing he was in fact interested.
“I take in the ones who don’t have homes” She responded realizing he was finished with the job, “This one is Almond” She stroked the top of Almonds head as she told Xiao, nearly forgetting why she actually named him that in the first place.
“Like Almond tofu” Xiao responded, Lumine could have swore she felt her heart stop in that moment, she wasn’t expecting that response. After all he barely ever made proper conversation never mind put two and two together like that.
“Exactly” She couldn’t exactly lie to him but she also didn’t give him the full truth, if she came out with ‘Oh well Xiao I was going to name him after you but decided against it because that would be pretty embarrassing’. Almond stretched on her slightly before pushing himself up and hopping over to Xiao who was now sitting cross legged on the floor and making himself comfortable in his lap.
“He likes you” She laughed as she saw Xiao tense as the sudden intrusion, “You should scratch his head he loves it” Lumine was trying to be encouraging since she couldn’t pull the cat of his lap even if she wanted to. If she did try Xiao would most likely tell her to sit back down anyways.
Xiao hesitantly moved his hand towards the cat before finally patting it on the head slightly, not exactly what she meant but baby steps. As she watched Xiao slowly become more comfortable with Almond she made a note to herself to get him to come to her teapot more and tell him the origins of the name.