Title: the recipe of friendship

A/N: For the Yes, Chef! Zine. Yes, Beidou was a must for this story, no questions asked. A bit of a missing scene after the Gouba event.

Summary: Gouba was an adepti. It was strange to think of her friend and constant companion as a kinda-god, and yet, that's what he was. Xiangling wasn't sure how she should treat him now but hopefully a chat with Beidou could help with that.

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Alcor's galley was a small, cramped place. There wasn't room for much more on a pirate ship. Beidou wouldn't sacrifice cargo space, especially with all the goods she smuggled in and out of Liyue. Xiangling was lucky there was just enough room for two stoves. Though, to her pride, she knew the pantry was well-stocked on spices and pots and pans because of her. And, for once, since the ship was at port, it was filled with fresh meat and vegetables.

Beidou didn't skimp out on food, especially when it came to her usual 'Welcome back' feast.

Muted music and rambunctious laughter drifted down into the galley, a sure sign that the party upstairs was going well. By now, Xiangling was certain everyone was drunk. Hopefully they had enough room for all the food she was making.

There was a satisfied grunt behind her and Xiangling chuckled as she glanced over her shoulder. Seated on a wooden keg, Beidou was as satisfied as a cat that caught the canary, her skin lightly flushed. At best, the captain was tipsy; Xiangling had seen her drink everyone under the table and still walk straight. If the woman could get drunk, it'd probably take at least three of those kegs to do so.

"No matter how many times I see this, I'm impressed." Beidou held a stein in one hand as she leaned forward, her chest pressing against her bent knee. Her other leg dangled over the keg, her toes tracing the floor in slow circles. "You really make everything on your own." She sniffed the air. "I could smell this all day."

"It's one of the best parts of cooking." Xiangling breathed in deeply, enjoying the ways the different scents blended in with one another. There was something magical about it. Even though she'd been in a kitchen since she could crawl, she never got tired of the aroma.

"Best part's eating what you make." Beidou smiled broadly, all teeth.

Xiangling couldn't deny that. She gently stirred a pot, her other hand slowly fanning the scent toward her. The stew was almost ready, the different spices blending in almost perfectly. All that was left was a taste test. As she grabbed a small spoon, she said, "The kitchen's a little small, but that makes it really easy to manage everything."

"Only so much galley a ship needs." Beidou grimaced, her grip tightening on her stein. "'Sides, my cook doesn't need more than just scraps to work with. Anything more would be wasted on the big lug."

"Wasted?" Xiangling cocked her head, confused. For people who ate as heartily as Beidou and her crew, how could a bigger kitchen be wasted?

"He only makes two dishes." Beidou drank her beer deeply, as though to repress the memories.

Xiangling dropped her spoon. "Only two?"

"Two good ones. Anything else he makes is just…Well, I suppose they're edible." Beidou patted the barrel she was sitting on. "We only have salted meats and pickles to work with. I doubt anyone aside from you can make them tasty."

Not for the first time, Xiangling was glad she hadn't taken up Beidou's offer to join the crew. Sure, a short journey here or there was fine, but she couldn't imagine months at sea with only fresh fish to cook with. Then again, it could be a challenge and maybe she'd find a new—

She pinched her side, cutting off her thoughts before she went on a seafood spiral. That could wait till later. There was still a feast to prepare.

"There's a reason we hire you every time we reach the shore," Beidou added, licking her lips as she eyed the stew. Her gaze was predatory. Xiangling would have to protect the dish if she wanted anyone else to eat it. "We're craving real food."

Xiangling laughed. Considering Beidou's honest, forthright personality, the poor guy probably heard these complaints every meal. "He can't be that bad."

"Try being trapped with him with nowhere to run." Beidou's eyes gleamed as she leaned forward. "Care to travel with us?"

It was like she'd read Xiangling's mind. If they kept on this topic for much longer, she'd make a promise she shouldn't. Jerking her attention back to her stew and away from Beidou's persuasive smile, Xiangling shook her head. "Not yet. Maybe later, after I've finished everything I want to do here."

"I'll hold you to it." Beidou raised her stein as though to make a toast and then she downed the whole thing. With a self-satisfied burp, she set her stein down on the barrel next to her with a loud thud. "That really hit the spot."

Xiangling hummed as she sipped a little of the stew. As usual, it was missing salt. She always under-salted her food. Her father would flick her forehead if he were here. Adding a teaspoonful to the pot, she stirred it twice and tasted it again.

There. Perfection. She grinned as she grabbed a serving bowl. "Finished."

"Food's all done?" Beidou perked up, pausing as she refilled her stein. Maybe that was the real reason she was down in the kitchens instead of up at the party—she wanted to be right next to the alcohol.

"No, just the dish," Xiangling corrected quickly. "It's a feast! There's a lot more to make. Though…" She scratched her cheek sheepishly; considering the pace she'd been going at, it'd be midnight before she finished. "It'll be a little slow."

"Slow but good." Beidou winked before topping off her stein. Beer sloshed off the sides, spilling onto her hands in a sticky mess. "We've waited months; what's a few more hours? 'Sides, I doubt anyone's going to sleep before dawn."

She blushed, her ears hot from the praise. No one complimented like Beidou. Her words were rough but honest, and Xiangling never doubted the sincerity of them even once.

Busying herself, she spooned the stew into the bowl. "At least they won't have to wait for this one."

Before she could consider how to take it up, there was a small creak as the door to the galley opened and Guoba entered. It was a familiar sight. She had seen this every day of her life. Her friend looked at her expectantly and she knew what he was asking without even having to say a word.

And yet, the whole scene felt off, like it was missing a flavour, like something hadn't cooked properly.

Xiangling glanced at the bowl in her hands, then at Guoba. Hesitantly, she said, "Uh. Guoba—"

Already a flub—should she still call him that? It felt informal. He didn't look displeased, but she wasn't certain she'd ever seen him actually angry. Was it possible for him to get angry? Did he just bottle it up? Caught up in her thoughts, she held out the bowl. "Can you—"

Once more, she cut herself off. Should she be asking an adeptus to serve food? Wasn't that below them? Even if Guoba was an ex-adeptus who'd lost his memory and most of his powers? Was it even possible to be an ex-adeptus?

Before she could take the bowl back, Guoba waddled over. His fluffy paws grasped the bowl, managing to keep it steady despite his apparent lack of thumbs or anything that'd help him grip the container. Maybe it was an adeptus thing. He gave a happy growl before smiling up at her.

Well. She'd done it. She'd made an adeptus into a waiter. Xiangling sighed, defeated. "Thanks. Could you, uh, check if everyone's drinks are filled while you're up there?"

Guoba growled happily again before turning around and waddling out the door. It was adorable. It was extremely undignified for an adeptus to look like that. Hopefully she wouldn't get cursed for having thoughts like that. She hadn't said them aloud. That had to count for something, right?

Beidou whistled, long and low, as she reminded Xiangling that she wasn't alone. Sipping her drink, she smirked. "So. What was that about?"

Xiangling flinched. "N-nothing."

"Don't lie; you're shit at it." Beidou harrumphed, licking her lips. "Come on, get on with it."

It was impossible to deny her. Xiangling fiddled with the spice rack as she gathered her thoughts. She needed to move, to do something, so she wouldn't dwell too much on what she was about to say. "So. It's. Uh, you heard about Guoba, right?"

"Yeah, the runt's an adeptus." Beidou snorted, clearly amused by the whole thing. "Thought the Yaksha was the shrimp, but this guy takes the cake."

While she was used to Beidou's coarse language, this felt a little too much for once. Xiangling twisted the cap on the pepper flakes. "That sounds a little… blasphemous."

"I guess…" Beidou shrugged. Maybe her time at sea had left her forgetting just what it meant to be an adeptus in Liyue. "I helped take down two sea gods. I think I've earned a little slack for that."

Well, it wasn't like Beidou was wrong. She had protected Liyue from the wrath of the sea twice. And worked side-by-side with adepti while doing so. Xiangling worried her lip. "Does it really work like that?"

"It should." Beidou tapped her stein impatiently. "Anyway, enough about me. What's your deal?"

"It's not really a problem, just…Guoba. Sir Guoba? Lord Guoba?" Xiangling wrung her hands. She couldn't even talk about the issue without hitting upon the issue. Nervous, she glanced at Beidou. "What do I even call him?"

"What you usually do," Beidou replied back bluntly, not even batting an eye. "I don't think he cares about that."

She had a point. Xiangling bit her cheek. "I don't think so either but…it's not like I can ask him. He doesn't talk. Should I ask another adeptus about this? Can I even ask?"

"Probably?" Beidou sounded utterly unconcerned. "Ganyu's working in the government. Most people just call her by name too."

Ganyu. Now that Xiangling thought about it, she'd called the adeptus informally as well. "That's true…"

"Wait, is that it?" Beidou asked incredulously, frowning into her beer.

"Well, kinda…" Xiangling pulled out a tray and started to arrange stuffed peppers on it. The more her fingers moved, the easier it was to talk. "It's not just what I should call him—I'm not sure how to treat him. He's always just been Guoba."

The bear in her kitchen, the bear in her bed, the bear that followed her as she traipsed over mountains, searching for ingredients, staying by her side through thick and thin. They'd fought bandits together, slept in caves and under trees when she'd travelled too far, even entered Mondstadt together.

"And now, he's…more than that. Should he still be helping me? Should he live with the other adepti? I…I don't know what we're…"

Beidou crossed the room quickly. Her grip was firm and steadying as she squeezed Xiangling's shoulders. "Breathe," she ordered, her voice commanding.

Xiangling took a deep breath automatically.

"Good." Beidou smiled approvingly. "Now, just treat him like you used to."

She frowned. That didn't feel like an answer.

"Don't look at me like that," Beidou snapped, rolling her eyes. "He's your mate, ain't he? Your first mate. That hasn't changed."

Was it really that simple? "But—"

"Not buts. He wants to help." Beidou returned to her seat, picking up the beer stein she'd left behind. "He likes you. You're mates. Doesn't matter who he was, just who he is now."

"He still is an adeptus…" Xiangling mumbled.

"He's an adeptus who's also your friend." Beidou scoffed, dismissing the argument entirely. "Trust me, he's happy where he is."

As though summoned, Guoba waddled in again. He was smiling, his ears perked, his gait a happy dance. They'd been together for so long she could read his body language like a recipe. Maybe Beidou was right. Maybe it was that simple.

Maybe he was still just Guoba, for all the new things she'd learned about him.

"Hey, Guoba," Xiangling greeted, crouching down and hugging him. His arms wrapped around her and he made a happy croon. Adeptus or not, the place he belonged was here, in her arms, at her side, helping her as she explored the extents of the culinary world.

She pulled back. "Want to help?"

He waggled his ears eagerly, and Xiangling laughed.