#lightwin

“I have ... never actually made one of these myself before.” It’s a confession that unravels in a hushed tone, as if speaking it any louder into existence would prove fatal. 

Still, she keeps her gaze level with that of her companion’s, not daring to shy away any further. It’d be unwise to underestimate Venti’s powers of observation ... the last time Keqing did so, she ended up hungover in her own bedroom without any recollection of the night prior.

“What about you?” Gloved hands tinker with one of the lantern’s fraying threads. “When is the last time you were able to celebrate the Lantern Rite?”

“  — So, would that day best accommodate your schedule? Or should I look into sometime next week instead? “ In one of Keqing’s hands is a worn, leather-bound notebook labeled “outings” in a pseudo-cursive scrawl (it’s but one of the assorted planners that currently littered the desk in her home office).

In her other hand, curled between her thumb and two fingers, sits an equally worn quill pen. Even before her companion could muster a reply, she’s writing, writing, writing, circling, underlining ...

“ Mmmm, regardless of what we decide on, I can only hope that Xiangling will be available, as well ... not that I can blame her if she isn’t, given Wanmin’s popularity, especially as of late. “