Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus.
Focus wasn’t a word Beidou much cared for, by and large. She was a wild spirit, as swift as the Alcor at full mast and as free as the ocean breeze. In all of her verbal spars with Ningguang, she had never been the one that clung to poise and nonchalance - in that arena, the Tianquan doubtlessly reigned sovereign. What Beidou was good at, amazing at, if she did say so herself, was her ability to always come back swinging. Deflect, reflect, whichever. She knew when to parry and when to glissade, when to lunge and jab and go for the throat.
Distracted or not, Beidou was one of the only - and in her opinion, the singular - person in Liyue capable of matching Ningguang when the Tianquan brought her full wits to bear. It helped that she never underestimated Ningguang. Not many tended to, nowadays, after the ruthless businesswoman practically completed a stranglehold over Liyue’s economy. But that certainly wasn’t the case when Ningguang first started out, when the various heads of the merchants’ guild were too busy staring at her ass or being mesmerized by her smile to pay attention to the terms she proposed.
And yes, Beidou kept tabs on these things. Neither politics nor trade was something she was particularly fond of, but Liyue was important to her, its people something she had sworn to defend. So yes, she knew exactly what game Ningguang was playing here, and yet, despite having full knowledge of the same, she still found herself flustered. In her defense, it was one thing to match the Tianquan blow for blow when it came to her sharply-flashing intellect, but another entirely to navigate around the hidden eddies of her allure. However, Beidou wouldn’t be where she was today if she were quick to yield in the face of a challenge. One must never forget just how many times she had challenged Haishan and failed until she emerged victorious. And so, she steeled her jaw, firmed her resolve, wiped that laughably awestruck look off of her face and curled her lips into something appropriately self-satisfied.
“I told you, Ning,” her eye raked down the graceful column of throat, across the clavicles standing in high relief, and back up to meet that equally vibrant gaze with a look of undisguised hunger. “Fortune favors the bold - although, it’s not Fortune’s favor that I’m keen on tonight.” She leaned to the side, propped an arm up on the armrest and rested her jaw against her index, studying Ningguang even as the woman plundered her drink. “Be my guest.” She offered, though she doubted that Ningguang much cared if she had Beidou’s permission or not.
“I’m surprised that you could appreciate Stormwine though. Always figured you would be the type to like softer, more delicate drinks, with your abhorrent taste in culinary cuisines and all.” Her smile widened enough to show teeth, and she added with a meaningful lift to her brow. “Don’t tell me that you have gotten bored with…” a pause, tapping on her chin as she tried to recall Ningguang’s exact words during that one ‘argument’ of theirs. “Precise, pure, smart, and sophisticated, wasn’t it?” Beidou laughed, a hearty sound that reverberated in her chest. “If you wanted something with a little more bite to it, you could have just asked to drink directly from the source than pillaging my wine, Ningguang.” The implication was obvious, but she was not about to spell it out. No, unlike the Tianquan, the Captain liked to be forthcoming about her wishes and wants, but wreathed in just enough finesse not to be likened to common vulgarity.
That was not to say that her thoughts did not take a vulgar turn when Ningguang set about retrieving her dice. Unlucky. Yeah right. She was onto this game Ningguang was playing. Although being alerted to the same unfortunately did not make her any less susceptible - as it were, she was quickly running out of non-obscene swear words to use when Ningguang insisted upon arching her back at every which turn, strategically dispersing faux-unintentional seduction until chess was the last thing on Beidou’s mind.
That was just the thing though. Competitive as she was, the Captain was also incredibly adaptable. While she might have been a teeny bit slow on the uptake this time around, she most certainly picked up on the game they were playing now. And it wasn’t chess, not anymore. Unlike before, she no longer had any intention upon winning Liyue Millennial. No, Beidou never played by the rules, and she certainly wasn’t about to let Ningguang lead her around a few more steps like a common load-bearing ox.
“You sure you don’t want one of my gloves?” She laughed, reminding her opponent that she herself had quite a few more pieces to spare. But before Ningguang would have time to pout or otherwise, she was already pushing up and out of her chair. Beidou was a lot of things, but she most certainly wasn’t shy. If her darling Tianquan wanted to see her Captain without that signature red overcoat, who was she to deny Ningguang the same?
Although, Ningguang might be disappointed to realize that despite the consistent hue throughout, Beidou’s outfit consisted of quite a few different pieces. That jacket, for example, was not in fact connected to the top bit with the modified mandarin collar, which was in turn not connected to the sweeping fabric that poured down between her legs. The form-fitting black she wore was entirely independent as well. But this wasn’t about what Ningguang was or was not entitled to for knocking out her Rook, this was about evening the playing field in this ‘lil’ game of theirs, and Beidou was ever one to go big or go home.
The jacket slid off her back as she rounded the table, snagging at her elbows for now. She didn’t remove it though, and as such, it did not count toward the one piece she was supposed to shed. She stopped to the side of Ningguang’s chair, smirking cockily still as she peered down at the seated Tianquan. There wasn’t even a gratuitous pause as her fingers plucked open the additional clasp on the front, hidden beneath the inseams, before peeling the silk aside until it draped down her arms the same as her jacket. Unlike Ningguang, Beidou was far more powerfully built, all that time spent hefting her claymore around self-evident in the pronounced musculature of her shoulders and upper arms. Lean, too, streamlined like a beast of prey with definition in spades. Scars, as well, if Ningguang looked closely. Streaks of off-white interrupted the smoothness of her skin in no discernable pattern, faded souvenirs from her many adventures. And yet, all of that ruggedness only seemed to enhance her appeal, augmenting her abundant femininity with a touch of something dangerous.
“Alas, I’m afraid I’m rather fond of this coat.” She remarked, leaning down, a hand bracing into the back of Ningguang’s chair. Her fingers did not touch even a single moonkissed hair, but her presence was another thing entirely as she amply invaded Ningguang’s personal bubble. Occupied her gaze. Took control of her space. Filled the air with the scent of strong liquor and that unique blend of sea she always carried. “So,” she purred the word, tracing the fingers of her free hand down her own front, briefly disrupting the black to deepen the valley of her breasts, before sliding down onto the golden buckle of that belt resting just beneath her bust. “What else can I offer you instead?” A pause now, her hair falling down her shoulders and arms like curtains, brushing against Ningguang’s skin like night chasing after day. “This belt? The rest of my qipao?” Smugness dripped from every word, exercising a far more deliberate sort of seduction than the coyness the Tianquan favored. The ‘lil’ fox wanted to play, but she best not forget just what she was playing with.
Feeling like she had made her point, Beidou eased up on her tone, offering a way out, as her good-nature dictated. “Or we can forget about this chess game. You did promise me fireworks, and it’s not too late to catch the grand finale. I’ll even let you wear my jacket if you are cold.” She wanted Ning, yes, was more than happy to fight fire with fire if it came to that, but she was also respectful. That said, she was not one of those obsequious fools that danced when the Tianquan pulled the strings. If Ningguang needed another reminder of that fact, Beidou would always rise to the occasion.
Your support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)
