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The nightmare is recurring. Oftentimes, Beidou doesn't even need two hands to count the number of days between each familiar dream— she opens her eyes and is struck by the same terror all over again, bolts up awake in bed hours later, sweating in that same way. By morning, she usually forgets, and the day ambles on with the ocean's rolling breezes.
But she's not at sea today. The bed Beidou startles awake in is not her own, and instead, the first thing she notices is the sensation of soft silk sheets; softer than anything the pirate woman owns herself, that's for sure.
"Beidou?" A sleepy voice asks, and Beidou sucks in a breath as a warm hand cups at her cheek, worried wine-red eyes blinking up at her.
Ah, that's right. Memories from the previous night bubble back to the surface— her dinner date with Ningguang (the third this month), a surprisingly shy Ningguang inviting her up to the Jade Chamber, a soft and sleepy Ningguang patting the pillow next to her own and telling Beidou to stay.
The memory alone is enough to ease Beidou's restlessness, and the captain cracks a small smile, turning to press a kiss into her new lover's palm.
(Silently, she sends a quick prayer to the Phoenix, thanking the sacred adepti for allowing her the fortune of being able to lie with Ningguang right now.)
"It's nothing, Ning," she whispers, lips brushing against soft skin. "Just had a nightmare, nothing new. You can go back to sleep, baby."
Frowning, Ningguang insistently presses closer.
"That doesn't sound like nothing," the Tianquan murmurs. Her thumb runs over Beidou's cheek, and the captain feels a warm wave of affection wash over her, electricity sizzling across her skin. Already, her nightmare has been forgotten, the presence of Ningguang having chased them away with her concern. "You said something about 'nothing new,' right? Do you want to talk about it?"
Beidou shrugs, unable to help but comply when Ningguang does. "When I was a kid, I didn't have a home. I was constantly searching for scraps— anything, anything. Begging at the age of five, stealing at seven, getting involved with the wrong crowd at ten. I still remember how dark the cell was. There were no windows, no light. I'd stolen from the wrong gang, and now I was facing the consequences."
Her lips parting in horror but no words managing to form, Beidou chuckles at the sight of a speechless Ningguang for the first time.
"I don't even remember how long I was there for. All I know is that by the time I was saved and brought back to the village – that I was later driven out of, by the way – several days had passed."
Ningguang shakes her head. She's always had a notion of Beidou's harsh upbringing— or rather, lack thereof, if their early days spent bickering were evidence of anything. Still, Beidou can tell that this wasn't something Ningguang had ever expected to hear in the ungodly hours of the morning, and the captain lets the guilt of her burdens sink deep into her stomach.
"I'm sorry," she says quietly, squeezing Ningguang's hand. "I didn't mean to spring this on you—"
"Why did nobody come for you sooner?" Ningguang interrupts, thinly veiled anger in her tone. "Why didn't they search for you more urgently?"
Beidou blinks, momentarily surprised. Then she softens, chuckling under her breath.
"Because I didn't have anyone who wanted to search for me, Ning." It's almost sad how easily the admission passes through her lips. "The only reason they found me at all was because other village children had also gone missing— the ones with actual families."
"That's bullshit," Ningguang says, insistent. Her hands fist into the hem of Beidou's sleep shirt.
Beidou laughs. She loves Ningguang like this, throwing all decorum away. "Perhaps it is."
"Call for me, then. Promise me."
"What?"
"If you ever find yourself in trouble, please promise me that you'll call my name, Beidou." There is something dire in the way Ningguang looks into Beidou's eyes, her white hair a shade of gold as the sun begins to rise outside the Jade Chamber. "And promise me that you will never cease, that you will trust me to find you no matter what."
"Okay."
"Yes? You promise."
"I promise." Beidou smiles, tired but affectionate, and she opens her arms to let Ningguang settle back down into her embrace. Sleep tugs at her eyes, her weariness from the nightmare-filled sleep weighing heavy at her eyelids. Nevertheless, she presses her lips to her lover's forehead and brands a promise in Electro. "I'll always call for you, Ningguang."
--
Typical preparation for a voyage goes like this: all crewmates take the day off before setting sail. Some visit family and loved ones, others dine at any of Liyue Harbor's world-famous restaurants, and some simply sleep the day away, desiring rest before the labor of maintaining the Alcor's pristine conditions.
Beidou usually does some amalgamation of all three— sleeping in late, waking up at noon to enjoy a meal with Xiangling, and then visiting the shrine of the Phoenix at the end of the day, leaving an offering for good fortune.
It's the first time she's had someone accompany her, though. Frankly, Beidou thinks that this is a worthy addition to her traditions.
Ningguang pays no mind to the stares she receives as she strolls leisurely at Beidou's side, off-handedly pointing out provisions for the captain to consider as they pass by vendors on their way across the Harbor. Once upon a time, Beidou would've wondered if Ningguang was even allowed to do such a thing, as holed up in her office as she typically is.
(In hindsight, she really should've known that once Ningguang puts her mind to something, she follows through wholeheartedly.)
Xiangling is thrilled as she serves them her meal, delivering their food with an unsubtle wink that has Beidou groaning as Ningguang laughs and thanks the young chef.
Before either of them knows it, they're already knee-deep into the afternoon and Beidou is leading them up to the shrine at the outskirts of the Liyue Harbor.
She knows that Ningguang isn't the most devout of Liyue, but it's still a surprise to see the deep frown materialize across Ningguang's lips the moment the Tianquan realizes where they're going.
"That's not a good look," Beidou notes.
Sighing, Ningguang shakes her head.
"This place unsettles me," she admits, her arms crossing. She stops a safe distance away, sucks in a breath as a group of children race away in giggles from the shrine, having placed a basket of bread at its steps in an offering. "It's been years and I still remember how rapidly this shrine was built in the wake of that near tragedy. To be honest, I found it incredibly startling."
"You mean when the Phoenix first appeared and saved the Harbor from Osial?" Beidou cocks her head, casting a curious look Ningguang's way. She hadn't known the other woman had such feelings towards the sacred figure— it was well-known that Ningguang had entered contracts with Rex Lapis during her time as Tianquan, after all. "Guess I thought it made sense. Ever since that time, Liyue Harbor's been flourishing— financially and spiritually. Heard talks that people are gaining more faith in the adepti, even. Isn't it cool to have another god around?"
Legend has it that the Phoenix had been in a deep slumber for centuries before awakening in the current modern day. Beidou is no scholar, but that Xingqiu boy is, and he had eagerly told her of his recent discovery— apparently, there are journals documenting the appearance of a flaming bird from hundreds of years ago in Liyue's past, fighting alongside Rex Lapis during the Archon War.
To have such a powerful ally in this era, one would think Ningguang would be thrilled.
"But the adepti aren't gods, Beidou," Ningguang explains, seemingly exasperated. Her shoulders slack and she turns away from the shrine, fingers reaching up to card through her own hair as she sighs. "They rely on Visions granted by Rex Lapis just like any other blessed individual."
"Some of them have horns, though," Beidou replies pointedly, biting back a smirk as Ningguang groans. "That seems pretty godly to me."
"If you dare try to call Ganyu a god, she might just melt into the floor out of embarrassment."
"But the Phoenix has wings."
Ningguang raises an eyebrow. "Cloud Retainer has wings as well. Does that make her a god?"
"I suppose not," Beidou considers after a moment, shrugging. "But what's the difference, anyway? Rex Lapis is an adepti as well."
"The gaps in power among adepti are larger than you know." Perhaps it's simply because she is Ningguang, and Ningguang always has an answer, but Beidou cannot help but peer curiously at the other woman's forlorn expression— suddenly, it is as though Ningguang wears her sadness like a veil. "And although the adepti can hear many things, the power of gods comes from more than worship— they must be acknowledged by Celestia as well. And until that happens, regular adepti cannot hear the silent prayers of the heart."
Nodding wordlessly, Beidou allows Ningguang's words to sink in properly. She's never been very spiritual herself. When she was younger, she figured that the gods had probably forsaken her in her bad luck— it wasn't until her crewmates had told her about their prayers to the Phoenix that Beidou somehow fell into the habit of offering her own prayers to the shrine. Maybe it's because of this that she finds herself mulling over Ningguang's sentiments, finding herself accepting Ningguang's perspective more easily than someone truly devout.
And so she nods again, resolute this time, as she flashes a quick smile Ningguang's way.
"Alrighty. Suppose I won't be offering any prayers today, then!" Beidou grins boyishly, wishing to catch the surprise in Ningguang's eyes and pocket it for later.
“Wait,” Ningguang starts to protest, but then she hesitates.
Before she can continue, Beidou waves off her concerns with a softening smile. For more for Ningguang’s sake than her own, she takes a quick peek around before reaching to envelop Ningguang’s hand within her own.
“Don’t worry,” she murmurs, moving to bump her forehead against Ningguang’s. The other woman’s eyes slip shut as Beidou hums. “I get it.”
Or at least, she’s trying to. Years of sailing with a crew who comfort themselves with prayers to Rex Lapis - and later, to Liyue’s new presumed god of fortune, the Phoenix - have instilled a sense of debt to the divine that Beidou cannot completely shake. But if Ningguang finds fault in elevating an unknown but adepti to such a position, then Beidou can comply, no matter how well-meaning this Phoenix is.
“Thank you,” Ningguang whispers. She squeezes Beidou’s hand. “One day, I’ll tell you why I think this way.”
“Take your time,” Beidou tells her earnestly, finally cracking another grin. “But since I’m not praying to some adepti, you better keep me and my voyage in your thoughts instead.”
“Oh, Beidou.” Ningguang rolls her eyes, but her light laughter is fond. “You occupy my thoughts more than I wish to admit.”
--
In hindsight, Beidou almost wishes she'd prayed to the Phoenix anyway.
The cell she finds herself in is cold, and dark, and there are no windows. It's difficult to see where the room starts and ends through the lack of lighting, but the first thing she'd done was trace her bruised fingertips along the walls, counting the seconds it took to get from one wall to another.
She almost wishes she didn't— now, huddled in a corner, her head resting against the cold, damp stone, Beidou feels impossibly small.
It's like she's a child again, and it's scary, truly, how she's transported back to that time. How long are her limbs? It's hard to tell in the dark. Is she in her youth with both working eyes? Just one eye? Have both eyes given out? But then again, what difference does it make in the black?
Summoning the last of her strength to remain sardonic, Beidou wishes she'd made an offering after all.
How had she let herself lower her guard? She should've known better than to let the tiny fishing boat onto her ship— there's no way mere fishermen would be that far out at sea. The next thing she'd known, she was handing herself as ransom over to a ship of Fatui in exchange for her captive crew members. Her Vision had been confiscated, and with it, her ability to summon her beloved claymore. Hands bound and blindfolded, she'd been swept away.
And in the darkness of her new cell, she groans, head throbbing, heart racing.
It is familiar, too familiar— her nightmares surfacing to reality.
"Please," Beidou murmurs, hugging herself with grit teeth. "Please, not this. Not like this."
There are footsteps from somewhere, muffled voices that she can't pick out. It's dark, too dark, and Beidou shuts her good eye and tries to think of anything else.
Food, the shrine, the Phoenix.
She hadn't left an offering for the Phoenix, and maybe this was her punishment.
Irrationality.
A harsh laugh rips through Beidou's throat. Would the bird bother saving someone who'd neglected giving an offering after years of doing so? Surely not, right? What did it matter? The bird isn’t a god.
Shaking her head, she moves on.
Sunlight, the Alcor above clear blue waters, her crew anxiously waiting for her return; starlight, the Jade Chamber against clear blue skies, Ningguang pacing in her sky palace, wondering where she is.
She thinks of Ningguang and her unwavering faith in humanity.
Ningguang.
"Ningguang," Beidou mumbles. Call my name. "Ning—" She breaks off into a cough, her lungs burning from the seawater she'd swallowed earlier. "Ningguang—"
She halts. Listens.
Nothing but silence answers.
Beidou settles back against cold stone and smiles ruefully. She's really done it this time.
--
What happens next comes and goes.
Beidou sleeps, and then she wakes until the darkness pulls her in again. Her awareness comes and goes like the tide, arriving when bread and water are forced down her lips, and then fleeing as soon as the cell door closes again.
Usually, her dreams are quiet.
Other times, she thinks of white wings and fire. She dreams of clouds and the skies looking over Liyue Harbor. She dreams of a head resting itself on her shoulder, and when Beidou turns to get a glimpse of who shares her company, she wakes up to darkness.
She calls for Ningguang.
Rinse and repeat.
But then, one time, she wakes up to a bright, bright light, and she’s still not sure if this is a dream or not.
And then there are arms around her, lips pressing to her forehead and whispered reassurances being promised into her hair.
“I’m sorry,” the voice whispers, and then Beidou is being lifted. There’s a flutter of feathers against her shoulder blade, a shifting of fabric and footsteps. Her arm is jostled and Beidou groans, burying her face against the shoulder there. Immediately, her rescuer halts, pain in her voice when she speaks again. “I’m sorry for taking so long.”
Wings. The person who carries her has wings and carries a light that illuminates the entire cell— crystals and flames, shadows dancing across the stone walls.
(Later on, Beidou knows what her first thought should have been. She knows who her crewmates will think saved her, and maybe she'll let them continue to think as such.
In reality, however, Beidou's first thought is this—)
Ningguang.
“It’s okay,” Beidou mumbles, slurring her words as her eyes slip closed. There’s the sound of a door swinging open. Beidou squeezes her good eye shut tighter— they’re outside, and the sun is harsh, and she’s afraid that the last of her vision will burn up with its brightness. “You found me.”
Ningguang’s response is fond, affectionate, and most of all, relieved.
“I did.”
Beidou’s dreaming; surely she still is. “Very warm. Tired.”
“Sleep,” Ningguang whispers, fingertips grazing over Beidou’s eyepatch, compelling. “I've already taken care of everything. When you wake up, we’ll be home.”
And with a final yawn, Beidou complies and slips into slumber.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix spreads her wings and takes flight.
--
When she awakes, there is so much warmth around her that Beidou startles, nearly bolting up in a panic as the lack of cold, hard floor; of rough edges and stone digging into her skin.
Two hands grasp gently at her shoulders, pushing her gently back onto the mound of pillows behind her, and Beidou exhales as she matches the gaze of a familiar pair of wine-colored eyes.
"Beidou," Ningguang whispers, and her hands massage at the captain's shoulders momentarily before she pulls back, careful not to overwhelm the other woman with too much sensation. Still, her voice is soothing, comfort exuding from the small, her genuine smile of relief on her lips. "You've been asleep for a few days, but you're safe now. I brought you back to the Jade Chamber. You're alright now."
"Are you real?" Beidou asks, a mere wisp of a breath on her lips. She reaches out tentatively, the tips of her bandaged fingers shaking. "Are you… Are you?"
At the other end, Ningguang watches her inquisitively, her sharp eyes keen and knowing and soft— impossibly, impossibly soft.
She takes a step forward, enveloping Beidou's hand within her own to press a kiss into a calloused palm, intertwining their fingers together.
"As real as ever," Ningguang murmurs, gentle like the clouds and Beidou chokes back a sob, breaking into a laugh. At the noise, Ningguang cannot help herself as her smile grows with Beidou's mirth.
"You found me," Beidou breathes when she calms down. Absently, she tugs on Ningguang's fingers, urging her closer until the Tianquan lies in her captain's arms, caught in a loose embrace as she's careful not to jostle Beidou's injuries. "You really found me."
"You called my name," Ningguang reminds her, palming Beidou's cheek. "I will always find you."
"Last thing I remember was knowing I had no other options but to save my crew. So they took me." A shiver runs down Beidou's spine, and she grips at Ningguang's waist, commits the sensation of holding her lover to memory so that she never has the chance to lose sight of it again. "It was dark. It was like my nightmares, but you weren't there when I woke up."
Immediately, the smile falls from Ningguang's face, overtaken by remorse and guilt as the other woman shivers.
"I'm sorry," Ningguang whispers. "I'm so, so sorry."
"For what?" With a shake of her head, Beidou huffs out a quiet laugh. "You can't predict the future, Ning. This wasn't even one of your missions for me. None of this was your fault."
"I still wish there was more I could've done."
Pouting, Beidou bats her eyelashes. "Let me keep holding you?"
"You've held me before, Beidou," Ningguang reminds her with a gentle chuckle, her eyes slipping shut as she pushes further into Beidou's touch. Her smile is kind, adoring, and the captain nearly sobs at how the Tianquan raises a hand to cradle Beidou's, her thumb rubbing circles against her skin. "You've held me closer than this, even."
"I know," Beidou says, nodding as she sniffs. Ningguang's resulting laugh is breathless, and Beidou remembers the same way Ningguang had laughed before, as they'd been lying parallel atop the Tianquan's silk sheets. "I know. But not exactly like this."
"Not quite," Ningguang agrees, because this is different.
"I dreamt about you every day." Beidou smiles. It's surreal, to know just where she had been only a few days prior— just like her nightmares, the knowledge that she'd been perspiring away in a pitch black cell not long ago already feels so far off in the presence of her lover.
She is beautiful like this. Ningguang always is, but something about Ningguang right now steals the breath right from Beidou's lungs, gravity tugging her jaw towards the earth as her mouth parts in awe. And there is a moment, then, when the dying orange daylight hits Ningguang's hair just right— with her hair stained golden and a glimmer in her eyes, the clouds from the open balcony behind her painting an illusion of wings, Ningguang looks like the most divine of goddesses, lying on this soft pillow with her.
Oh.
"Ningguang—" Beidou's mouth opens, then closes. Is this the sort of thing you just ask? "Ningguang, are you—?"
"I'm not."
Ningguang's answer comes swift and concise. She is efficient as always, just like in the work Liyue has come to cherish her for.
And yet somehow, Beidou knows there's something else, too.
"You're not," the captain repeats slowly. "So you're not the Phoenix. But…?"
"But," Ningguang sighs, seeming to deflate, "only because the Phoenix never existed, to begin with."
Beidou's eyes widen. "What do you mean?"
Sighing again, Ningguang sits up, kneading the blanket contemplatively and Beidou has to fight the urge to vocally protest at the sudden lack of physical touch.
"I'm half-human, half-adeptus," Ningguang says quietly, and just like that, a pair of glimmering, white-gold wings materialize at her back in a burst of light. Under what remains of the setting sun, her wings – her very real wings – too, are dyed something golden.
"My mother was an illuminated beast, while presumably, my father was a human," Ningguang continues, her brow furrowed as she takes her time, finding the proper words to explain. "I was raised by neither, although I presented myself as fully human at a young age in order to work my way up through Liyue Harbor."
"How long ago was that?" Beidou interrupts, curiosity flowing through her veins.
Ningguang smiles. "I am a young adeptus, Beidou. You and the Phoenix – so to speak – are the same age." She pauses then, considering. "Although I do not think my appearance will change much now that I have come of age. Regardless, I'm certainly no god."
Oh. Oh, oh, oh. Beidou feels her chest tighten, but from pride this time. She settles easily into an expression of awe— it certainly is not the first time she has directed such an emotion in Ningguang's direction. Often times she finds herself stunned by her secret lover's beauty, but now, at the tips of Ningguang's otherworldly splendor, Beidou suddenly feels the need to leap from bed and bow down on her knees to worship.
But Beidou is injured and she knows Ningguang would never let her do such a thing, so she settles with—
"Beautiful is what you are."
Ningguang's snort of laughter is immediate, and Beidou smiles wide, all exhaustion forgotten, as she sees the pair of wings curl in slightly, shaking with laughter.
Yeah, they're definitely real.
"Why must you do this?" Ningguang questions aloud between titters of laughter.
"So what?" Beidou replies innocently.
"I'm trying to explain something serious," Ningguang scolds, but her words hold no weight— just deep unadulterated affection. She palms Beidou's cheek and drags her thumb over the smooth skin there. "Stop distracting me."
"I'm the distraction?" Beidou gestures vaguely to Ningguang's wings.
The Tianquan rolls her eyes. "Touché."
"But wow, a half-adeptus." Beidou whistles low. There had been more than one occasion when she'd wondered if Ningguang was not entirely human— mostly in the sense that Ningguang seemed far too perfect to be the same species as Beidou herself. "That actually explains a lot."
A shade of worry crosses Ningguang's eyes.
"What… do you mean by that?"
Beidou shrugs— just her left shoulder, in an effort to not accidentally reinjure her right. She smiles sheepishly.
"You've always felt ethereal," she confesses as Ningguang listens on with quiet apprehension. "Your connection to Rex Lapis, the way the adepti trust you despite their general distrust of humans." Beidou pauses. "How you're always working towards something greater than yourself."
Beidou still remembers the first time the Jade Chamber went hurtling into the ocean, and Ningguang's declaration that she wouldn't have hesitated to do so again still rings clear.
"Thank you," Beidou continues earnestly. "Thank you for saving me, Ning."
Immediately, Ningguang flushes, tries to wave her off.
"Truly, Beidou, it was nothing. I'm only sorry it took me so long to find you."
"No, no. It wasn't your fault." Beidou cracks a comforting grin. "You said it yourself— you’re not all-knowing, and the adepti aren't gods."
"And certainly not a half-adepti like me." Ningguang pointedly looks away, her glimmering white wings drooping behind her. "I think it's rather unfortunate how Liyue wishes to treat me like one."
It's like something clicks into place.
“That’s why you were so upset at the shrine.” The image of Ningguang worrying away at her bottom lip, keeping a careful distance at the shrine where children had left a basket of bread had remained firmly in Beidou’s mind. “And recently, you agreed with Keqing that Liyue is becoming too complacent.”
“But what choice do I have?” Closing her eyes, Ningguang rests her forehead against Beidou's shoulder, her wings folding bashfully. "How can I simply ignore cries for help? Even if I cannot hear hearts, the pleas of Liyue's people are more than loud enough."
Beidou stares at her.
"I really don't deserve you."
"What?"
The captain laughs loudly despite the aching in her ribs. Reaching out, she runs her fingers through golden-white wings— it's astounding how light they feel, given the knowledge that they had carried both Ningguang and herself back to the Jade Chamber.
"Liyue doesn't deserve you," Beidou murmurs, a thumb smoothing across Ningguang's cheek. "I certainly don't. But Ningguang?"
Ningguang sits back, tilts her head. "Yes?"
Beidou smiles. "Thank you. Again. I know humans can be brash and stupid, but you continue to save us because you believe in us, right? So, thank you. For everything."
And with her cheeks dusting pink, Ningguang leads forward to hide her face in the crook of Beidou's neck once more.
"Of course, Beidou. Anything. Anything for you."
--
(When the Alcor had docked but Beidou was not among her men, Ningguang had nearly taken flight in a sheer panic. It was like she couldn't breathe— her wings had threatened to burst from her back, expose her identity to the world.
It had only been thanks to Ganyu that Ningguang could calm down at all in the presence of the forming, worried crowd, and her fellow half-adeptus had created an opening for her to slip away.
"Be safe," Ganyu had said quietly, and the moment she was out of sight, Ningguang had taken off.
Ningguang.
Her name. She'd heard it, she swore she did, and she'd grasped onto that single sound, the calling of her name, like a lifeline; a string to be followed.
It would lead her to Beidou, she knew it would.
What good were the wings on her back if they couldn't save the one she loved the most?)
--
"Wait." Beidou lowers her cup of tea to the tray on her lap, a thought occuring. "If you're not the Phoenix and you're the same age as me, who is the flaming bird mentioned in those ancient journals?"
"Ah." The Tianquan smiles, lifting her shoulder in a small shrug. "My mother. Unfortunately, she passed shortly after giving birth to me, her last 'gift' to the human realm. Supposedly my father is human, but I have never met him myself. Regardless, my mother had a Pyro Vision and fought alongside Rex Lapis— any favor our Archon carries towards me, it is because my mother served him well."
"But your Vision is Geo," Beidou points out, easily spying the glass ball hanging from Ningguang's waist, much like her own Electro Vision. "How is it that you've become so associated with fire?"
"My crystals," Ningguang admits, almost out of embarrassment. Effortlessly, she summons an aforementioned crystal to hover at her fingertips, it's orange color shimmering in the dying light. "When the sunlight hits them, it makes them look aflame. But never—" She shakes her head, her jaw working. "I've never had fire. It has always simply been my gems. The sun does the rest of the work."
"Woah," Beidou marvels, eyes sparkling with something innocent and child-like, and Ningguang cannot help the smile that spreads across her face. "You're gonna have to show that to me."
"Why do I feel like I'll be demonstrating many new feats to you?" Ningguang huffs out a laugh. She's never been so relieved in her life. Every moment she pinches herself, just as a reminder that the worst is over— for now, at least.
Everything else, they'll tackle together.
"Because you will!" Beidou declares, her signature wild grin pulling at her lips. "As soon as I'm not attached to this bed anymore, I want to go flying!"
Bringing their foreheads together, Ningguang chuckles. "Is ruling the sea not enough for you, love?"
"Love, you already rule the skies," Beidou replies dryly, although the affection in her good eye speaks entire novels. "I just want to experience it with you— awake this time."
Ningguang hums, smiles like she's obtained the entire world.
"I suppose I can do that."
End.