guoba | (no subject)

Xiangling really likes her girlfriend. Like, really likes her. Oh sure, Keqing can be a little standoffish and prickly, and it can be hard to get her to open up sometimes, but when she does she's sweet and supportive and augh she's so cute. Xiangling knows that as the Yuheng, Keqing's schedule is pretty booked, and it's not easy to find much time to step away from a bustling kitchen herself, but she likes spending as much time as possible with the other girl.

And, since their time is so valuable, well... so's their intimate time, right?

They've slept together a few times, of course. More than a few. Whatever else they are, they are still very much two teenagers. But every time they do it, it takes so long for Keqing to loosen up, to relax, to get into it. Xiangling always worries that her girlfriend is just too busy and too stressed to rest and have a proper moment of relaxation.

Which is why she's hatched a cunning scheme.

Step 1: Convince Keqing to take a weekend off, with the Moonchase Festival behind them and the Lantern Rite festival months away. (Done)

Step 2: Convince Keqing to come hunting for some rare ingredients deep within Jueyun Karst, where they're not likely to run into another human at all. Plus, get the Traveler to intercede and make sure they won't be bothered by any Adepti in the process. (Done)

Step 3: Find the elusive orange Jueyun Chili, a variant on the classic pepper that only grows where the Adepti live, which is said to give any mortal who eats it increased stamina and, you know. Get them hot, not just spicy. (In-Progress)

Step 4: Cook a delicious meal for her girlfriend using said chili. (To Be Completed)

Step 5: Have lots of sex out here in the wild with nobody around to watch or interrupt them, with Keqing fully into it and free to unwind. Sleep in the single bedroll they've brought with them. Have more sex. (To Be Completed)

At least they're up to the part where they're both in Jueyun Karst? But Xiangling's pouch is full of Jueyun Chilis, and thus far, she's just only found red ones. Surely Keqing won't be suspicious of anything, though...!

Threaded | Flat

It’s true that her duties as Yuheng leave Keqing with… let’s say, minimal time to herself. It’s also true that the soft spot that she harbors for Xiangling is a mile wide, minimum, though. So, even if she has to pull some strings (and put in a bit of overtime, to ensure that she won’t wind up behind schedule), she’s about as amenable as she can be, when her girlfriend ropes her into a trip to the heart of Jueyun Karst.

How hard could it be, really, to find what she’s after? Between the two of them— with her keen eye and Xiangling’s own familiarity with gathering ingredients for her cooking— it should be as simple as cutting a path through the area, right? Except… well.

It quickly becomes clear that she has, perhaps, underestimated how long this might take. Which isn’t a problem, necessarily, because any time she gets with Xiangling is well-spent, but… maybe she feels a bit guilty about how unsuccessful their endeavor has been so far. Just a bit, though.

A little bundle of red Jueyun Chilis catch her eye as they make their way forward, and Keqing shakes her head with a sigh; with how many of them Xiangling has already managed to find, it’s probably not worth mentioning, she thinks.

It does prompt her to speak up, though. Maybe that’s a victory in and of itself, since her attention was (mostly, at least) focused on the task at hand up until now.

“Maybe we should gather a little extra, once we find what we’re looking for.” The suggestion comes out sounding relatively gentle. Maybe even uncharacteristically so, given how blunt Keqing’s tongue tends to be. There’s something soft about the way she’s watching Xiangling, too. “That way, you won’t have to make this trip again anytime soon, you know?”

Maybe efficiency is her love language…?