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Keqing could scarcely remember how she got herself into this situation, but with Ningguang’s tongue doing obscene things to her neck, she could scarcely bring herself to care.
What had started as a very self-righteous visit stemming from the Tianquan’s newest demented policy regarding land use permits, had ended with a very disgruntled Keqing pinned under the taller woman. In her bed. Right in the heart of Ningguang’s personal quarters, a place she’d been to way more times than Keqing cared to admit.
“N-Ningguang,” Keqing hates the way her voice cracks. “We– we didn’t– I didn’t come here for this,” is the sentence she manages. Not her most eloquent, but it gets the message across.
Ningguang stops lavishing her neck with attention long enough to laugh, rich and amused, “No?” she raises her head, tilts it to the side, “Then why did you come here, wound up with stress, knowing full well I would have none of it?”
“It’s you who causes me such stress!”
“Then allow me to make amends.”
The Yuheng silently fumes at how smooth that delivery was, the way Ningguang’s wine-colored eyes pair so well with that catlike smile of hers. Everything about the Tianquan screams power, but it also warns of an underlying danger. Keqing did always like to dive headfirst into a challenge.
Keqing’s painstakingly styled hair is messy as it spills around Ningguang’s fancy sheets. The Tianquan had a fascination with making a mess of her, disarming her, be it with her words or her actions, she tended to constantly push her. Ningguang pulls down the tasseled choker at her neck, exposing it to the onslaught of bites and kisses even more.
“You’re going to leave a mark,” Keqing grumbles, already dreading what the cover-up of Ningguang’s lovebites would look like. She should start invoicing the other woman for the absurd amounts of concealer she’d been spending on lately, ever since they started this… thing.
“I’m well aware,” Ningguang says, punctuates it with another playful nip right below her jaw, as she adds, “and you’re mistaken. I do not intend to leave one mark. I mean to leave several.”
“Ningguang!”
The scrape of teeth against her earlobe makes Keqing shiver, even makes a girlish sigh escape her lips. When the older woman nuzzles Keqing’s sensitive neck, the scent of Ningguang’s glaze lily perfume invades her senses. It smelled absolutely wonderful, and with good reason— she had it on good authority that the bottle alone cost more than a lot of people’s houses.
Ningguang’s grief over losing the Jade Chamber was a quiet thing, it’s a steady anger she carried on her shoulders, a burden she only ever allowed herself to share in private. It was Keqing’s involvement in the destruction of her life’s work that brought the two women close together… trauma often did that. Keqing had been there to comfort Ningguang the day she settled into a provisional office space at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and it evolved from there.
Keqing hadn’t known this, but Ningguang had actually lived at the Jade Chamber– she’d literally sacrificed her home to defeat Osial. The room they were in now lacked the great opulence of the palace in the sky, temporary as it was, but Ningguang had made it her own. She could probably buy a place anywhere she wanted in the country, the continent, even, but she chose practical accommodations while the rebuilding took place.
She’d always greatly admired the Tianquan, despite not always seeing eye-to-eye... how could she not? Ningguang rose from someone who sold wares barefoot on the outskirts of Mingyun Village, to a master of Geo who launched entire buildings to crush ancient gods. Keqing’s feelings towards the older woman were disgustingly complicated, but there definitely were some splashes of being smitten.
Personal relationships between the Liyue Qixing outside of governance aspects were frowned upon, on the basis of conflict of interest and the formation of alliances that would afford too much power to a couple. Keqing’s brain knew this, even supported it, on a rational level– however, when the Geo Archon came up with that policy, he hadn’t laid eyes on Ningguang.
Surely he would understand?
Ningguang had convinced her that, as long as the affair remained casual, merely carnal, and entirely about unwinding after a long day, that it was alright. They could be accused of no conflict of interest or whatever else, as long as Liyue’s well-being came first.
And Ningguang could be very persuasive.
Between her racing thoughts and growing horniness at having Ningguang’s weight and attention on top of her, Keqing doesn’t notice the click of heels over the wall, the small commotion brewing outside.
The door swings open, with so much force Keqing fears for the hinges that hold it in place.
“Oi, Ning— oh. That the Yuheng under you? Nice.”
The choked sound that escapes Keqing is quickly muffled by an invasion of Ningguang’s fingers inside her mouth, clearly a bid to keep her quiet while she deals with the intruder. It wasn’t actually necessary, for all coherent words seem to leave her lungs. Keqing remains frozen under Ningguang, spying the newcomer from her upside-down perspective.
Beidou, Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean, Captain of the Crux Fleet, sunkissed, tall brunette that she is, strides in with unmatched confidence. The casual, brazen way she practically kicked the door open makes Keqing wonder where the hell Ningguang’s small army of secretaries are, why didn’t they stop her.
Or did they allow her in?
“You,” is Ningguang’s way of greeting, her voice etched with irritation. “I told you I would meet you to discuss those fines when the sun went down, did I not?”
“Aye,” the pirate rocks back on her heels, slightly sheepish, “but thanks to my patronage, Wanmin Restaurant is all out of spices, and Xiangling ran off to find more. Dunno where, didn’t feel like following.” The tall woman stretches then, giving her audience a nice view of the muscles on her broad shoulders, that ripple as she moves, “Plus, you’ve saddled poor Ganyu with so much work, she couldn’t even stop for a chat. I got bored.”
“And you were incapable of finding other ways to amuse yourself?”
“That’s why I’m here, actually. Wanted to check if, by any chance, your meetings adjourned early, to… you know. Have some fun,” Beidou’s single crimson eye glitters, lands squarely on Keqing’s compromising position, “but I see now that you’ll still be a while.”
“Yes. As you can see, the ever-present scowl is still on the poor Yuheng’s face. I intend to remedy that,” Ningguang’s comment is pointed, well aware that Keqing is right there, but pretending she isn’t. “She will be pampered like she deserves.”
Oh, how she absolutely loathed when Ningguang talked like that. It caused her face to become an inferno of bright red. To Keqing’s growing mortification, Beidou actually whistles, loud and obnoxious, “Ha! Good for you, Keqing!”
The Yuheng wants to speak up, but Ningguang’s long fingers press down on her tongue, making her gag. Only now does she realize that, at some point, the Tianquan removed those sharp claws of hers, making this significantly less painful, but no less humiliating.
She longs to question this… entire thing, between the personification of law and order and someone that held no respect for it. It was much too confusing. The easy banter, the disregard for Ningguang’s station, and the pointed silence regarding Beidou’s well-known criminal activities. There was something… warm, and familiar, clouding Ningguang’s usually cold demeanor. The storminess that usually lay in those eyes was suddenly no more.
Several questions swim aimlessly around Keqing’s muddled brain. Shouldn’t the pirate have been arrested already? Was there any reason Ningguang hadn’t crushed Beidou where she stood using the power of Geo? Why did she walk around here like she owned the place?
A sudden look crosses Ningguang’s beautiful features, the kind she got when a brilliant business opportunity presented itself. It lights up her entire face, distracting enough that Keqing is too dazzled to properly look for the danger that lurked beneath.
“Say, Keqing…” Ningguang finally deigns herself to look back down, “would you like for the Captain of the Crux Fleet to join us? I promise you, in bed, she is not as much of a brute.”
Ah.
Those words pretty much confirm her personal theory, the mountains of unsavory rumors, the whispered gossip between market stalls… and still, Keqing can’t help the way her eyes go wide at the proposition. Ningguang extracts her fingers from her mouth, wipes them on the sheets beside Keqing’s head, waits.
It’s… a lot, honestly. When she got here, the slight possibility of becoming entangled with Ningguang once more floated at the back of her mind, but never in her wildest dreams had she considered that the Captain of the Crux could be part of the deal. The overall existence of the famed pirate was reserved for some of her most outlandish fantasies, the kind she figured would never see the light of day.
As Keqing seems to have gone mute, the woman above her diverts her attention back to the newcomer.
“What say you, Captain? Would you care to join?” Ningguang raises her head to speak to Beidou, still lingering by the now-closed door, “Your timing, while at first inopportune, has become most fortunate.”
“Oh? Well, how generous,” the other Electro user grins broadly, cocking her head to the side, “but, I don’t know… wouldn’t wanna intrude on your fun, now.”
“Nonsense. You’re more than welcome,” it’s hard to pinpoint, but Keqing catches the hint of fondness in Ningguang’s tone, “or, if you prefer… you can be more of a helper. This one’s a handful,” as if to emphasize, she nudges her bare knee between Keqing’s locked legs, making her yelp.
“Uhh, yeah, alright! Sounds hot. But… Keqing didn’t exactly say yes, did she…?”
Ningguang lets out a slight snort, the kind she wouldn’t allow just anyone to hear, “Believe me, if she were opposed, she would have voiced it by now. My fellow Qixing has no qualms about making her displeasure known in any and all matters,” the older woman directs her attention back down, to the smaller figure she’s straddling, “be vocal, then. Should Beidou wait outside, or would you enjoy an extra set of hands?”
Well, how polite of her to finally acknowledge the subject of her discussion. Keqing glowers at the businesswoman, not because of Beidou, but solely because Ningguang was infuriating in her own right. As far as she could tell, given the energy in the room, the context clues… the older two had a relationship of some sort– different from the one Ningguang occasionally had with Keqing, which ranged from mundane business to occasional sex.
It hits her then. The connection.
The Tianquan had a soft spot for the pirate.
Of… a romantic nature, maybe? At the very least, their arrangement wasn’t rooted in exclusivity, not at all. No traces of jealousy could be seen from Beidou, in addition to no guilt from the woman on top of her. If anything, the Crux Captain looked delighted that Ningguang was snarking at someone else.
In all honesty, she couldn’t say she’d had a lot of contact with the pirate. Her reputation ranged from grand tales about her exploits at sea, to other kinds of shady dealings. One thing Keqing did know, from Ganyu and some Liyue folk, was that Beidou was actually very kind. It was a tempting combination, for she was also known to be powerful, brave… not to mention, easy on the eyes.
Keqing takes that into consideration, plus, another point: this wouldn’t be the first time she and Ningguang did something like this. Including a third, that is. It hadn’t been that long ago that the savior of Liyue, the very resourceful Lumine, had joined them before she had to leave the harbor for new lands. The women of the Liyue Qixing had been very appreciative of the mysterious Traveler’s efforts, to say the least.
It’s not a particularly difficult decision to make. Like the Tianquan had said, Keqing rarely allowed herself to indulge in things that distracted her from her work. Including someone like Beidou would surely make it all the more enjoyable. She doesn’t want Ningguang to know that, however, and so she inflicts as much indifference to her face as she can muster.
Ultimately, Keqing nods, curtly, once. When she can’t stomach Ningguang’s smug expression any longer, she averts her eyes.
Ningguang pinches her chin between two fingers, making the Yuheng hiss, forcing her gaze back. Her breath smells faintly of tobacco from that pipe of hers when she speaks, “Use your words, Keqing. I want your express consent.”
Just like a fucking contract, Keqing notes. The mere thought of the terms an agreement like this would entail, of such lewd and personal nature, its clauses, reciprocal concessions, and… it makes the blush on her face deepen.
“... yes.”
“Yes?”
Insufferable, arrogant woman—
“Would you like me to write it down for you?” Keqing snaps, raises her head to level the woman above her with a proper glare, but is swiftly pushed back down, reminding Keqing of her place.
The Tianquan’s smile is thin, a show of pearly whites, “Well, if you’re offering—”
“Okay! That’s enough, you two. Archons…” Beidou says, slightly exasperated. She crosses the room to join them in about three easy strides, settles her hands on her hips when she reaches them, “It’s outstanding that this came to be. All you two seem to do is snipe at each other.”
“Well, we usually don’t do a whole lot of talking,” Ningguang brings her hand down, presses one finger to the hollow of Keqing’s throat, making her grunt, “isn’t that right, pretty girl?”
The corner of Beidou’s mouth twitches, “How in the blazes is Liyue still standing, if this is what business hours are like?”
“We do get work done! At least, I do.” Keqing defends, immediately affronted by her work ethic being brought into question. Something savage and ugly compels her to add, “Though I can’t say the same for my fellow member of the Qixing.”
It’s a veiled jab, bordering on a lie, for the devil worked hard, but Ningguang, Tianquan of the Seven Stars of Liyue, worked harder. Her methods and mindset were certainly different from Keqing’s own ideas about the world, but the older woman certainly got results. Still, Keqing didn’t want to pass on an opportunity to rile the businesswoman in an attempt to get her to retaliate. It was usually Ningguang provoking her, so the chance to strike back is just too good.
The small frown that turns the corners of Ningguang’s perfectly painted lips down lets her know she’s succeeded.
The finger that had been but a gentle pressure against her skin suddenly turns into a grasp that wraps around Keqing’s throat, not enough to choke, but enough to drag her up into a sitting position that leaves her hands scrabbling for purchase.
“A-Ah, ngh!” Keqing can’t help the undignified squeal that rises out of her. She supports some of her own weight to relieve a bit of the pressure, but it doesn’t stop Ningguang from manipulating her smaller frame how she likes.
“Get behind her. Hold her still.” Ningguang says, the orders now clearly directed at Beidou. That lazy smile is back on her face when she tightens her grip ever-so slightly, “It seems the Yuheng forgets herself.”
Faster than should be possible, Beidou removes those thigh-high boots of hers to comply with Ningguang’s orders. Quite obediently, the fearsome pirate joins them on the bed, making the mattress dip under her weight. Proper amounts of air rush back to Keqing’s lungs as she’s released, but then she’s being grabbed again from behind. The practiced way Beidou pulls Keqing’s arms behind her and presses her back against Beidou’s front lets her know it’s not the first time Ningguang has got the pirate to join her in bed.
Despite looking so… well-built, Beidou’s chest is surprisingly soft, but firm. The proximity is enough that she can smell Beidou– faintly of salt and a sweet liquor. Keqing feels that same unexplainable ease she feels around other Electro users, as their Visions rise to a level of harmony.
What had Ningguang called her role? Helper? What the fuck did that even mean?
With a sharp nod comes Ningguang’s next silent instruction. Beidou’s hands are big enough that she only needs one to hold Keqing’s arms behind her back, and the other one is free to wander. Fingerless gloves grab the front of her top and yank down, ripping it, exposing Keqing’s breasts. The sudden cold air makes her gasp.
“Nothing below? My, my. And you usually wear such cute undergarments,” Ningguang clicks her tongue, as if disappointed, but her heated gaze is filled with want. “How scandalous. Beidou here is going to think you easy.”
Before Keqing can explain herself, the excuses get stuck in her throat, and it’s the captain who comes to her rescue, “Let her be, Ningguang. Such little tits don’t warrant a lot of support, anyway, eh?” or not.
“I-I didn’t deem it necessary, as it was a matter of comfort. This was supposed to be a brief meeting, and then I intended to get right back to work,” her own reasoning sounds stupid even to Keqing’s ears, so much so that Beidou chuckles in disbelief behind her.
“I wonder, did you decide on the same for your smallclothes?” Ningguang’s eyes travel down her form all the way to her crotch, and it’s like she’s undressing the rest of her with just that goddamn gaze. Instinctively, Keqing presses her legs together, shakes her head vehemently.
“No! Just… just my top. I already told you! It’s a matter of comfo—”
“Were you secretly hoping your little crusade would lead to this? To my bed?” Ningguang’s voice is sultry as she sits herself on Keqing’s pelvis, makes herself comfortable there. She croons into her ear, “Was the land permit issue just a flimsy excuse?”
Before Keqing can remind her of how important revising that policy actually is, Ningguang presses their lips together, swallowing any protest. She tries to resist for about three seconds, shy and hyper-aware of Beidou’s presence, but the moment Ningguang starts licking at her lips, demanding access, she yields.
It’s too easy to lose herself in it, especially when pale fingers thread through lavender hair, urging her closer. It made her so weak when Ningguang was like this. Keqing moans into the kiss, shameless and willing. It felt like being devoured, sometimes, with how intense their relationship could get.
When Ningguang breaks it, she looks over Keqing’s shoulder, speaks directly to Beidou. “Your turn. Break the ice.”
Keqing considered the ice sufficiently broken when Beidou had unceremoniously left her topless, but she’s incapable of complaining when another hot woman starts kissing her senseless. She has to tip her head back to reach, but Beidou is accommodating. The pirate’s lips are chapped, her movements a little sloppier than Ningguang’s familiar finesse, but Keqing enjoys herself all the same. The sheer enthusiasm behind it more than makes up for some of the clumsy contact, the awkward bumping of noses and clashing of teeth. Practice could correct all of that, though.
She flinches slightly when one of Ningguang’s fingers starts circling the swell of her breast while she’s occupied. Keqing doesn’t have to look at her to know the Tianquan is probably smirking at her reaction, at the hot flush that she knows is crawling up her collarbone to ultimately settle across her nose.
Beidou lets her go with a wet, obscene sound, and Keqing’s lips feel swollen from all the attention. She blinks herself back to the present, having become a little dazed. Ningguang’s hands are back to being primly folded on her own lap, and she cants her head forward when she says, “Very good, Beidou. Now, touch her. Play with her some.”
“As my lady commands,” Beidou says, albeit mockingly. The same hand that had ripped her top earlier, now cups one of her breasts, the same Ningguang had been teasing a moment ago.
Beidou’s touch is different from Ningguang’s. Her fingers are calloused, textured by scars, probably from life at sea and wielding that massive claymore of hers. The feel it adds is absolutely delicious. Keqing throws her head back against Beidou’s shoulder, and a low keen escapes her throat.
The surprisingly attentive pirate continues mapping as much skin as possible, even one-handed as she is. Her exploratory touch continues through the valley between her breasts, palming her, tweaking, groping. It’s patient, and purposeful, and Keqing feels the last of her apprehension melt away.
Even other spots get attention– those rough fingers graze her midriff, to then skim along the spaces between her ribs, tickling her. Keqing squirms in place, suddenly very conscious of the heat pooling between her legs, and it does not go unnoticed by either party.
“She’s sensitive,” Beidou notes, her hot breath right at Keqing’s ear as she addresses the Tianquan, “even more than you.”
Ningguang’s smile is slightly lopsided as she regards them, “Of course. Poor thing denies herself so often.” And Ningguang bends her head to kiss her again, slowly, open-mouthed, with Beidou’s hand still kneading her flesh. Keqing can’t stop the low whine that gets trapped between them, and Ningguang speaks against her lips, “Such a diligent worker. Never does allocate enough time to play as she should.”
“I bet she’s getting really wet, just from this,” is Beidou’s next comment, with the same casual delivery as before.
The corner of Ningguang’s mouth ticks up, “Shall we check?”
At long last, she moves back, and Ningguang’s hands travel the length of Keqing’s body, to the space between her legs. She gently urges Keqing’s knees apart, and that’s where she gets to work.
The Lady of the Jade Chamber lifts the hem of the skirt, bunching it against Keqing’s midsection. The delighted look that overtakes Ningguang’s face makes her own feel as if it’s on fire. Beidou’s grip tightens on the wrists at her back, and the fact that the Captain is still toying with one of her nipples certainly doesn’t help.
“Was I right?” Beidou asks, craning her neck to try and see over Keqing’s shoulder, “Exactly how wet are we talking?”
Ningguang’s grin is a little too wolf-like, and it sends a spike of heat down the Yuheng’s spine. “Oh, Keqing. You’re soaked. I can see it through your tights.”
“Are you going to fuck her now? Or d’you think she can come, just from this?”
Keqing is somewhat indignant, minus Ningguang’s brief acknowledgement, that they’re speaking like she’s not there, again. Some wicked part of her finds it hot, for her fate to be casually decided on without her input, being talked about that way… but the remaining part is a little irked.
The Yuheng suddenly realizes that because of the angle, and the pirate’s missing eye, Beidou couldn’t properly see what was going on, so that’s why she relied so much on Ningguang’s narration. That, and the Tianquan sure loved the sound of her own voice, she knew perfectly well the effect her words had on Keqing, damn her.
Ningguang hums in response, surveys how Beidou teases the peaks of her breasts, how Keqing is starting to pant. “I’ve never actually tried,” is Ningguang’s eventual response, “she usually requires more… direct stimulation. More coaxing,” Ningguang’s voice gets impossibly lower when she adds, “needy little thing.”
That’s it.
“Y-you know I’m right here,” Keqing’s protest is weak, said between labored breaths, killing any real outrage it might’ve held, but it’s a feat to get it out, worked up as she is. “Stop pretending like I can’t hear you!”
To make her point, she closes her legs. Her skirt is still flipped up, her underwear tellingly damp, but it’s the gesture that counts. Ningguang hums again, not exactly remorseful, and lays a hand on Keqing’s knee, circling it with her thumb.
“Aw. We mean no offence,” Ningguang’s rueful touch is discredited by her insufferable smirk, “it’s just… so very wonderful for a noble lady of your standing to partake with the rabble. We are truly honored.”
It wasn’t often that Ningguang referenced her own humble origins, times long behind her, but when she did, it was with the sole intention of highlighting Keqing’s own upbringing. It was doubly infuriating, given that, nowadays, Ningguang was beyond a doubt the most powerful person in Liyue. She just did it because she knew it would get her a reaction, and it does. Keqing feels the tips of her ears heat up.
“Don’t deflect! That has nothing to do with what I said,” Keqing tries to sound stern, but it’s fucking hard when one of the most gorgeous women on the land is attempting to remove her clothes. Still, she does her best, “You know damn well I don’t think any less of you, or anyone, no matter their origins. It’s one’s work and character that defines them.”
“Oh! That’s a lot of reasonable words,” Beidou muses, and for a second, Keqing feels validated. Then the pirate’s next words light the fire, “You clearly aren’t doing something right if she can string a sentence together, Ningguang. When I’m in charge, there isn’t nearly this much talking,” it’s a blatant goad, but archons, is it effective.
Something flashes in Ningguang’s eyes, dark and hungry. The power of Geo activates, and razor-sharp shards do away with what’s left of Keqing’s clothes, perfectly controlled in their objective. It wasn’t the first time either of them used their Visions during these encounters for more creative means. Keqing had used her own Electro tricks to power up a device once. Ningguang usually reserved hers for stone restraints or the like. But this… this was new.
Her overcoat falls away, practically shredded, same as her skirt. Her dark tights are now but a scrap that Ningguang simply plucks out of the way. And so, the only survivors are the choker at her neck and her smallclothes. It’s an impressive feat of control and discipline, for there wasn’t a scratch left on Keqing’s skin despite the destruction. However, it’s impossible to commend when it’s her belongings that were targeted.
Keqing usually did not care for material possessions. Clothes could be replaced, she’d learned, after pretty much traveling all of Liyue on foot. But, as always, Ningguang’s insane actions seem to be the exception, for hot anger makes her blood boil.
Keqing bares her teeth in a snarl, “Ugh! You’d already ruined my bodice, and now— ah!”
Before she can properly berate Ningguang, her underwear’s been moved to the side, and a slender index finger is pushed inside her, easily swallowed by her walls. Keqing’s body jerks at the sudden intrusion. She could spread her legs some more, but she’s still mad about her clothes, so she doesn’t, even to her own detriment.
“Hah…”
“Beidou has a point,” Ningguang says, completely poker-faced, knuckle-deep inside her as she is, “that was quite the speech… do you want to slow down?”
Keqing shakes her head, then almost squeals when Ningguang brings her thumb up to ghost over her clit. It’s nowhere near a satisfying touch, just a brush, gone just as quickly, but it’s enough to set her nerves on fire.
“Oi, wait a sec. It won’t be long before your skin starts to chafe against the cloth,” Beidou points out, just as Ningguang gives the halfway finger inside her an experimental, gentle twist. Keqing groans softly.
“Hmph. You’re right.” Ningguang says, slowly drags her hand away. Apparently, she took Keqing’s complaint about destroying her clothes seriously, because the underwear is slid off her legs and removed normally. Funny that her damp smallclothes survive, while the perfectly good other items got destroyed.
She would definitely be invoicing Ningguang for those.
Completely naked except for the choker at her throat, Keqing becomes acutely aware that she’s the only one in such a state. She doesn’t exactly mind, she’s fairly comfortable in her body, petite and scarred as it is, but it still makes her blush up to her roots, having both sets of appreciative, heated eyes on her.
Ningguang drums her fingers against Keqing’s inner thigh, gives a cryptic order to Beidou, “Let me see her.”
Bizarrely enough, the pirate seems to understand perfectly. Beidou wraps those powerful legs around Keqing’s, where she’s stubbornly kept them together and pries them open, exposing her.
Keqing squirms in place, moans softly when Ningguang traces her slit with the same finger from before, spreading the wetness around. The teasing doesn’t last long. Without preambles, she’s penetrated once more, and Keqing chokes on a gasp. “Mm, that’s a little tight,” Ningguang murmurs.
“Up to the knuckle?” Beidou asks.
“No. My entire finger.”
“Oh, wow. Can she take a second one?” The pirate says, then her body flexes in mild alarm, “Wait, shit, sorry– didn’t mean to do the ignoring thing again.” Beidou gives the wrists she’s still holding an apologetic squeeze, “You know your body best. As is, do you think you’ll be able to fit a second, Keqing?”
It’s a lot more mortifying being directly acknowledged, Keqing now realizes. Maybe she should tell them to just continue speaking to each other, because the polite inquiry is a lot less alluring than just being talked about like before.
Before she can answer, Ningguang’s middle finger tries to join the first, but is met with resistance. Keqing whimpers, unable to accommodate.
“Alas, maybe not.” Ningguang frowns, pulls her finger out, wet with her slick. Irrationally, Keqing feels upset at having disappointed her. The feeling quickly dissipates when two digits are being offered to her, “Open your mouth.”
Keqing’s entire face heats even more. She didn’t particularly like tasting herself, but it was a time-effective way for some extra lubrication… not to mention, Ningguang really liked doing it. And pleasing Ningguang was one sure way to get her wet. The Yuheng wrinkles her nose as the smell of her own arousal reaches her nose, familiar and heavy, a testament to how she was being ruined in the best way possible.
“Come on, pretty girl,” Ningguang’s eyes are half-lidded, betraying how much she enjoyed this herself, “it’s in your best interest to get them nice and ready. They will be going inside you, after all.”
Damn you. Keqing forces her jaw to go slack, and takes Ningguang’s fingers in her mouth. Unlike those extravagant claws she tended to wear, the Tianquan’s actual nails were clipped short, perfect for all her favorite activities. She sucks on them, working her mouth around the offered digits, and feels a surge of pride swell in her chest when Ningguang makes a soft noise of approval.
It’s Beidou’s labored breathing behind her that lets her know Ningguang isn’t the only one that finds making her taste herself hot. So, she puts in more effort for the sake of their guest; not because she secretly liked it. Keqing swirls her tongue around the fingers in her mouth, properly coating them until the Tianquan is satisfied.
“Now, that’s more like it!” Ningguang holds both fingers up, shiny and wet. It only flusters Keqing further when the older woman probes at her entrance once more, followed by soft praise, “Very good, Keqing. Let’s try again.”
Ningguang’s fingers spread her open, and this time, both sink in seamlessly. Even with Beidou’s legs wrapped around her own, facilitating access, the slight burn of the stretch still makes Keqing let out a strained sound.
“You look so pretty like this,” Ningguang goes back to her casual commentary, watching as her fingers disappear in and out of Keqing. When they hook inside her, hitting just the right spot, Keqing yells, and Beidou’s hand comes up to muffle the sound. After, it wraps around her chin, forcing her to look on as Ningguang has her way with her.
The Tianquan pulls her fingers up over the edge of her entrance, until they find the long-awaited target. Deft fingertips find her clit, circling it, slow and firm, already knowing what Keqing preferred. Once the wetness has been spread to her liking, Ningguang shoves her fingers inside her again, and Keqing is now able to accommodate her up until the ring finger.
“Do you want to come for me, Keqing?”
“Yes.”
Ningguang’s lips curl into a smirk, “Beg for it.”
Another moan is punched out of her as Ningguang’s fingers pump in and out of her, resulting in noises that Keqing wishes she could eradicate from her brain. The relentless pressure builds and builds, but does not break.
“Fuck,” Keqing pants, accompanied by a quick, stubborn shake of her head, as Ningguang’s –order, request?– finally registers. Every part of her rebels against the notion, that of giving Ningguang the satisfaction after tormenting her so much.
“Oh, Keqing. I don’t know how you were raised, but,” Ningguang’s fingers drive into her, punishing and fast, “swearing at someone isn’t the best way to get what you want.”
Before she can explain that she wasn’t necessarily swearing at her, Ningguang changes strategies, shifts her position. She cups Keqing between the legs, with now the heel of her palm ground against her clit. Keqing lets out a pathetic stream of whines– quite unbecoming for the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing.
“If you beg, I’ll let you finish,” Ningguang insists, her pace slowing down, her eyes narrowing into slits. The dangerous undercurrent of her voice barely registers in Keqing’s fevered mind.
Keqing feels tears spring to her eyes, from embarrassment or desperation, she isn’t sure, but her veins sing with refusal. As she rides Ningguang’s palm, some distant corner of her mind warns her it’s a bad idea, but the other part of her is far too busy chasing her own pleasure. When she speaks, her voice is but a croak.
“N-No.”
Ningguang raises a pale, single brow. “Is that your final answer?”
The thundering in her ears doesn’t let her properly gauge the situation, for she’s reverted to the most basic of urges. Keqing grinds down on Ningguang’s upturned palm, desperately seeking release.
She’s close, just needs a push, she won’t beg Ningguang to give her this, she’s been so good, she just needs a few seconds, more pressure, and—
And Ningguang removes her hand.
The feeling of emptiness is so sudden that Keqing almost sobs, and her hips rise uselessly, only to meet empty air. To add insult to injury, Ningguang moves away, but remains close enough to pin her splayed legs against the mattress, to stop her from thrashing so much.
“Ni-Ningguang,” Keqing tries not to wail at the loss, that sudden void inside of her, “what…?”
“I’m not in the business of rewarding bad behavior,” Ningguang says mildly, matter-of-fact. She stands, clasps her hands in front of herself, back to that prim stance, “If you don’t want to climax on my terms, I’ll think of more acceptable ones.”
What the fuck. Keqing tries to twist out of Beidou’s grasp to strangle Ningguang where she stands, tall and haughty and mean, but the queen of the ocean still has her restrained, impossible to escape without her acquiesce.
“Beidou, Beidou, come on,” Keqing hates how desperate her voice sounds, but the pirate is still holding her wide open with those steel-beams for legs, leaving Keqing unable to find even some semblance of relief by rubbing her thighs together.
“Sorry,” comes a low rumble from behind her, and Beidou really does sound apologetic. “But them’s the rules. Should’ve just tacked on a pretty please, even if you didn’t mean it, but you got all stubborn-like…”
Keqing’s misery doubles as she looks down at her flushed pussy, still waiting for release that wasn’t granted. The vindictive part of her considers lashing out, really demanding to be let go of. Red, red, red, she could cry, and she would be immediately released. Ningguang would allow it, she had to. What were contracts, but wills meeting halfway? Even verbal ones, even ones of this nature; all of it dictated that agreements must be kept.
She looks up, to Ningguang’s wine-colored eyes. There’s no anger, disappointment, nor playfulness, it’s just… neutral, assessing. Keqing swallows, briefly considers groveling for the chance to come, but before she can decide, Ningguang slides off the bed and starts to look for something under it. From previous experience, Keqing knows there was some sort of storage space at the base.
When the tall woman straightens back up, she shows off what she’s retrieved. It’s a coil of rope, dyed red, and Ningguang holds it up –not for Keqing– but, for Beidou, to see.
“You know your way around nautical knots, do you not?” she asks.
“Oh, don’t play dumb. You know for a fact I do.” Beidou’s smile can be heard, even if Keqing can’t see her.
Ningguang’s face gets slightly pink at the remark, but she continues, “Make a harness,” she tosses the bundle of rope so it’s within reach. The Tianquan saunters away, towards an adjacent sliding door, and adds over her shoulder, “And feel free to get creative, if you so wish. Make her look pretty. I’ll be back.”
Beidou starts moving to oblige, finally releasing Keqing’s hands, and the Yuheng lurches forward. The primal part of her briefly considers just finishing herself off, rub one out to spite the Tianquan, but the mood is not what it was, despite the stickiness in her thighs. Keqing wants Ningguang to finish what she started, her searing touch, wants her honeyed voice at her ear when she comes, to gently fuck her through her orgasm. That’s what she wants.
Her eyes track Ningguang as she’s about to leave, and she suddenly feels apprehensive at the abrupt departure. The younger woman can’t help but blurt out, “Wait! Where are you going?”
For a terrible second, she thinks she may have upset her partner in her refusal to beg. It was nothing she hadn’t done before, but she wonders if Ningguang is miffed that she did so in front of a guest. The older woman blinks, taken aback by the question.
“To pick a toy,” Ningguang says, and a wave of relief smothers her anxieties once more, putting her at ease. Something in her face must have reflected them, however, because the Tianquan pauses at the door. Her cool facade shifts away to show full, unadulterated concern, as she asks, “Unless… Keqing. Is everything alright?”
The words bring Beidou to a halt as well. Her strong hands hover, frozen, over Keqing’s shoulders, where she’d been preparing to loop one of the ropes to comply with Ningguang’s instructions.
“We can stop at any time,” Ningguang reminds her.
The sudden wave of anxiety that clawed at her skin goes away, just as fast as it arrived. Having the attention of both women for a check-in warms her over perhaps more than it should, and Keqing feels calm once more.
“All good?” Even Beidou’s concern is sweet, genuine. “Do you guys have some safe words, or…?”
Ningguang opens her mouth to respond, but the newly-determined Yuheng beats her to it.
“Green. Absolutely green,” is what Keqing goes with, giving her chin that high, confident tilt. To prove her resolve, she willingly folds her arms behind her back, cupping her elbows, to make Beidou’s task easier. From the small breath Ningguang releases, she can tell the submissive gesture is well-received.
Ningguang’s face softens by a fraction. “Very good,” she murmurs, and her lips curl in approval when she adds, “I won’t be long. Do not touch yourself.”
She departs with a pointed look to Beidou, who rolls her eye. “What am I, the horny police now? Can you pay me to enforce that, like you do the Millelith?”
The paper door sliding shut with more force than necessary is the only acknowledgment she gets, and Beidou snorts, good-naturedly. “Right. Uh, you heard her. Behave yourself, Yuheng. Now, where was I…”
As the older woman starts smoothing out the rope again, Keqing takes a quiet moment to regard her. She was coming to understand more and more why Ganyu liked the pirate so very much. Even Ningguang was partial to her, surprising as that had been, despite their clashes… and with good reason. Beidou was just… very likable, with an easy temper that served as a complimentary personality to those that took things too seriously. It was probably why the energy in the room was so good.
“Okay, c’mere. If it’s uncomfortable, or if it pinches where it shouldn’t, let me know, alright? I love feedback. Suggestions, too.”
“Mhm.”
Beidou begins to hum an old sea shanty as she sets to work, one Keqing recognizes from the sailors at the harbor. Something about a wellerman brining sugar and tea and rum. It’s a soothing, fun tune, and it distracts her from obsessing over what Ningguang’s doing behind the sliding door.
She pulls the center of the rope up over Keqing’s head, settling it at the nape of her neck, and the two loose ends are soon done in a blur. One end slips just beneath her sternum, giving a boost to her already perky breasts, then along her ribs, securing Keqing’s arms at her back, and before she knows it, Beidou is almost done.
It’s a mix between being practical and plain artistry. Useful for Ningguang’s purposes and to not cut circulation, but also, to look aesthetically good, for some loops and decisions don’t serve any purpose other than to highlight her assets. The ropes frame her chest, pull taut against her stomach, surrounding her bellybutton in a diamond shape. She finally comes to understand Ningguang’s comment, that of make her look pretty.
Despite the prolonged pause to their activities, Keqing still feels like a livewire. Accidentally or not –Keqing suspected the latter– while she worked, Beidou’s rough hands had dragged across the peaks of her breasts, hardening them. Many times. Not to mention, the throb between her legs still demanded attention, and soon. She wonders if Ningguang is building the mood on purpose. It was almost unbearable.
Beidou studies her with a critical, crimson eye, perhaps considering going for a hogtie, or some other knots, but Ningguang hadn’t given her that much creative liberty.
“Comfy?” Beidou asks, as she sits cross-legged on the bed beside her, “tried to keep it simple. Ningguang likes hers more elaborate, but…”
“Yes. I–” Keqing’s not sure if she should thank her, so she fights down the urge. Instead, she flexes under her bonds, testing them, “I feel fine.”
Ningguang returns then, and the tension in the room swells with anticipation.
Her silver hair has been tied into a high ponytail, an unusual, but still lovely look on her. Ningguang’s delicate furs and qipao have been replaced by a black set of lace lingerie trimmed with gold that makes her look otherworldly. It’s probably the one her secretary, Baishi, always raved about when she thought nobody could hear. Keqing had seen her in it before, but it never failed to make her heart do dangerous cartwheels whenever she got the pleasure to gawk once more.
An intricate set of straps is wound around her thighs, with her red tattoo visible as always. The harness rests comfortably over her hips, but it’s noticeably empty. That’s because, on her hands, Ningguang holds a jade-colored faux phallus, to presumably be attached. In addition, she has equipped one of the gloves with the claws to her dominant hand.
Keqing was a known skeptic of the divine, but… the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing sure made a compelling argument.
Beidou actually curses, followed by some incoherent stammering. After seeming so unflappable, it’s endearing to see her so flustered at long last. Keqing could most definitely relate.
Eventually, the Captain manages to get herself under control, enough to say, “Holy shit, you look... Gah! W-why am I the only one overdressed?!”
Ningguang tilts her head, sensual even in such an innocuous movement, “That’s about to change. You’ve been quite helpful. Please, remove your smallclothes.”
Beidou doesn’t need to be told twice. The first thing she unclips somewhat carefully is her Vision. With less care, she rids herself of her own qipao, revealing the cloth wrap around her chest and her sculpted abs. Next, the brunette chucks her black shorts away from her with alarming efficiency, underwear and all. A patch of dark curls glistens between her legs, and Keqing swallows.
While she’s busy ogling the pirate, Ningguang is suddenly behind Keqing, and her declawed hand grabs a fistful of lavender hair, the sharp pull makes her hiss. She’s guided forward until she’s close enough to smell Beidou’s arousal, kept in balance by Ningguang’s grip on her hair.
“Keqing here is going to work towards earning her own orgasm by giving you one,” the merchant explains. Ningguang tugs one of her twin tails, prompting her to look up, “Do you accept the new terms?”
If she weren’t so turned on, Keqing would scoff at the choice of words. She shifts her gaze over to the pirate, sprawled on her back. Beidou’s face seems to say you absolutely don’t have to, but, the thing is, Keqing absolutely does. She nods her agreement, her chest fluttering from the eagerness that floods it.
It makes her shiver in place when one of Ningguang’s sharp claws traces the surprisingly snug fit of the harness along her shoulder blades. The Tianquan’s next words make Keqing’s face redden even more, “She looks divine, by the way. Fine work, Captain.”
“Glad it’s to your liking.” Beidou’s pleased smile lights up her whole face, and Keqing is once again struck by the Tianquan’s fondness for the pirate. Whatever the true nature of their relationship may be, Keqing could tell they cared for each other very much.
Ningguang releases her then, and she lands gracelessly on the space between Beidou’s bent knees, who cants her hips in slight impatience. Keqing licks her lips, straining a little against her bonds, but eventually finds an acceptable angle. It would be tricky, but not impossible.
“The catch is,” Ningguang intones from behind her, “you must make Beidou come first. Then, and only then, will I give you what you want.”
The flare of irritation Keqing feels is not unlike a slap to the face. She sets her jaw, and a wave of the unfairness of it all washes over her. She’d been teased to the brink mere minutes ago, drove crazy by the ministrations of two insanely hot women, and Ningguang was asking this of her?
“With only my mouth?” Keqing sounds petulant even to her own ears.
“It’s a talented mouth,” Ningguang says, far too cheerful. “Show us how it’s not only good for endless complaints against my governance policies.”
Keqing wants to snap at her, tell her exactly what she thinks about her web of business schemes and sly commercial tactics, but she swallows down the urge. Ningguang was being lenient. If she was difficult again, Keqing may be sent home with an ache between her legs that would haunt her for weeks.
“For the record, I’m, like, super turned on right now,” Beidou’s enthusiasm distracts her from her sulky thoughts, “and I’m also not as demanding as Lady Ningguang, so I shouldn’t be long. I’ll guide you!”
Keqing can’t see Ningguang’s expression, to see whether she’s displeased at the loophole, but technically, the older woman didn’t say anything about Beidou helping the process. It would certainly be easier if the pirate decided to ride her face.
Part of her worries about what Ningguang is going to do, because Keqing’s not going to last long if she starts fingering her with the same gusto as before. She’s most definitely still wet, and her mind’s still reeling from the denial. Keqing can barely see the pale figure out of the corner of her eye, which is dangerous.
She’s watching.
For the sake of not torturing herself over what Ningguang is or what she isn’t doing, Keqing decides to focus on the very inviting, very pink cunt in front of her. The maneuvering isn’t easy, tied as she is, but she manages to part Beidou’s folds with her tongue to get started.
The Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean is not reserved when it comes to voicing her pleasure. It’s leagues different from Ningguang’s usual little gasps and suppressed moans. As soon as Keqing is touching her, licking a long line from bottom to top, Beidou is growling, low in her throat.
“Oh, oh, yeah. That’s. That’s perfect. Mm…”
She isn’t used to loud, but Keqing finds that she likes it. It’s not exactly as satisfying as forcing a whimper from Ningguang’s throat, who always attempted to censor herself, but it’s gratifying in its own right. She feels appreciated, and it spurs Keqing to lap at her a little faster.
“S-so good. Ahh. Ah!”
Keqing uses her nose to bump it against Beidou’s clit, and the pirate moans loud enough that even Ningguang has to clear her throat– a reminder that her army of secretaries was never too far away. If Beidou hears, or cares, she makes no indication of it. Her rough fingers dig into Keqing’s scalp, urging her forward.
Everything is going smoothly, until Keqing feels Ningguang start circling her entrance with those claws of hers. On her stomach like this, it makes it so the other woman has perfect access between her legs. At first, it’s but a prod, maybe just to make her aware of it, but soon it gets exploratory. It’s a feather-like touch, barely a graze against her lips, but it’s enough to startle Keqing out of her mindset. With her hands behind her back, it’s a challenge to look over her shoulder, but she manages.
“H-hey! What are you—”
“Shush,” Ningguang chides. The cold metal slides against her folds, gathering the slick that’s there. “Keep doing what you’re doing, don’t mind me. Oh, raise your ass a little.”
Keqing huffs, bites down a moan. A pillow is slipped right under her, effectively tilting her up, basically giving complete access to her slit. The slight prickle of the claw is suddenly replaced by the smooth, blunted end of Ningguang’s toy sliding against her.
“Ningguang… t-this isn’t fair,” Keqing feels the head of the toy rub against her, a torturous touch, right between her folds. Not going in yet, just… curious, and driving her crazy. It’s not even attached to Ningguang’s hips. At the moment, she just seemed intent on tormenting her like this.
“Hm. I can stop what I’m doing to lecture us all on the concept of fairness,” Ningguang alternates the teasing, now using the clawed part to caress her once more, “would you like that?” Keqing shakes her head furiously, as the touch suddenly digs into her skin, more forceful, “Answer me.”
“N-No.” Keqing bites her lip, so hard it stings. The last remnants of her pride fall away when she says, “Please… please, c-can you—”
“Now you beg?” Ningguang’s chuckle is without humor. “I’m really sorry, but the terms of your orgasm have changed, as you well know,” the claw leaves her skin with a parting nick to her flank, and Keqing shudders.
“Carry on, then, and so shall I.”
It’s a small mercy when the claw is removed. However, it’s only temporary. The soft click of Ningguang finally putting the toy in place sends a spike of dread and arousal through her entire body. Keqing ducks her head back down between the corded muscle of Beidou’s legs, a new urgency to her movements.
“Go, go, go, I’m so close,” Beidou whispers, wondrously patient after Keqing’s small spat with the mutual object of their affection. The Yuheng gives an apologetic grunt before delving in with renewed fervor.
Keqing was fast. She was fast on the battlefield, the swift thunder that struck down her opponents in a flash of Electro power before they could even blink. So it wasn’t farfetched that she would be fast eating someone out, and she is. Beidou’s growing noises of appreciation let her know she doesn’t mind the increased pace.
When Ningguang finally enters her, with the toy now equipped to her front, Keqing has to stop again, as a pathetic mewl is wrenched out of her. Her warm exhale must feel good against Beidou’s sensitive core, as her cry is seconded by the pirate.
“Don’t stop now, Keqing. Look at Beidou. I know that face. She’s close,” Ningguang probably thought she sounded encouraging, despite just adding a whole new level of difficulty to her task.
Keqing knows Beidou is close, the telltale signs are there. It’s obvious from her breathing, that rapid rise and fall of her chest, even in the soft twitches of her muscles, but Keqing needs to concentrate, and Ningguang’s being the opposite of helpful.
Despite the demented woman doing her utmost to sabotage this, Keqing latches on once more, trooper that she is, and fucks Beidou with her tongue. She gives extra attention to the other woman’s clit, having learned how much pressure she likes. Her chin’s a mess, her cheeks, her nose, all of her is wet with the pirate’s arousal. Keqing wishes she could wipe it, but Beidou is on the brink, so it becomes her sole focus.
Ningguang pulls out, then suddenly snaps her hips forward, shoving Keqing ever-closer to Beidou’s cunt. Keqing whimpers, filled all over again, and if it wasn’t for the pillow holding her up, her knees would surely give out from under her.
“Ah, Ningguang… y-you weren’t lying when you said she was a hard worker,” Beidou’s voice is but a rasp, and her next words feel as if charged by her actual Electro powers, “what a good girl.”
The praise is injected directly to Keqing’s bloodstream, and she redoubles her efforts. She ignores Ningguang’s hearty laugh, for Beidou inadvertently discovered her thing for praise with one simple sentence.
When Beidou comes, loud and unabashed and gorgeous, Keqing wants to help her ride through the aftershocks, but is unable to. Ningguang’s incessant movements fuck her silly from behind and let her do nothing but moan and writhe.
Ningguang, the only person still capable of actual speech, practically purrs, “Ah, there it is. Excellent! Now… for your reward.”
Keqing sees stars as Ningguang’s pace increases. Her declawed hand reaches between their bodies, at long last finding Keqing’s neglected clit, and adds exactly the stimulation she needed. She does the same perfect pattern as before, only now, Keqing feels somewhat secure that she’s not going to be denied a second time.
With her cheek pressed against the sheets, her breasts rubbing against the silk, the sounds coming from Keqing’s throat are guttural. She goes almost pliant except for her hips, that still roll back into the Tianquan to meet her thrusts. Warmth coils in her gut, and her first orgasm isn’t even done when the second is rolling in, a crashing wave so intense that Keqing is afraid she’ll black out.
Somewhere far, far away, Ningguang is crying out, too.
Ningguang collapses on top of her in a tangle of limbs, and Keqing is so spent she can’t even complain. It’s not long before the Tianquan rolls off, along with the toy, that slips out of her. Ningguang pants to the ceiling, with a little smile of contentment tugging at the corners of her lips.
Beidou is the first to recover, and she scrambles to untie Keqing. Despite being released, her arms and legs feel like jelly, and the Yuheng stays on her belly, still recovering after being wrecked like that. It’s not long before Ningguang seeks her once more, this time, with a kiss to her temple and soft praise to her ear. Keqing curls into her.
At some point, Beidou brings over a washcloth and pats the juncture of Keqing’s legs, doing her best to get her clean. Keqing mumbles her thanks, while Ningguang shows her appreciation by making grabby hands at the pirate and pulling her down for a long, upside-down kiss. Keqing half expected to feel a stab of jealously, but she finds herself smiling.
Slightly breathless when they part, Beidou gestures vaguely to Ningguang’s sprawled body, “Do you want me to, uh, take care of you?”
“Not necessary. This was rubbing me the entire time.” Ningguang says, nudges the toy still between her legs, the one that’s coated with Keqing’s slick. The sight makes her blush. “I-I got off on that.”
“Well, I think you deserve another,” Beidou says, watches as Ningguang untangles herself from the harness and tosses the toy away. As it clatters against the wooden floor, the pirate adds, “And maybe Keqing can be up for round two in a little while.”
Keqing buries her face against Ningguang’s neck, grumbling about the pirate’s stamina, and the Tianquan only huffs out a laugh. One of her arms is wrapped around Keqing’s waist, lazy and possessive. Keqing spies the older woman’s profile, drinks her in, even if she’s done it a million times before. The delicate span of her eyelashes, the dusting of freckles and moles on her bare shoulders… Keqing would never get tired of that effortless beauty.
She’s unreal, in more ways than one.
“Let me have a smoking break, first.” Ningguang summons her pipe, takes a deep, lengthy drag before releasing a puff of smoke, one that curls and drifts in the air above them. The Lady of the Jade Chamber is so enchanting Keqing doesn’t even mind the smell. Not for the first time, Keqing can’t help but think of a dragon when she shows off like that.
She feels Keqing’s eyes on her, and the Tianquan tilts her head, warm smile still in place, “You look like you have something to say, Yuheng. Anything on your mind?”
If Rex Lapis could see, if he could see her like this, with moonlight spilling on her silver hair, would he insist on instilling that rule about relationships between members of the Liyue Qixing?
Ningguang raises her eyebrows, expectant, and Keqing swallows her feelings, stomps on them well and good until they are nothing but another impossibility she can harbor, deep within her.
She steels her heart, summons the lofty attitude that served her in keeping others away, and bites out an answer.
“I’m charging you for the clothes you destroyed, you know.”
“Ha! Very well. In return, I’ll be charging you for the mess you’ve made of my sheets.”
Asshole.