#♩ 》 ( verse. honkai star rail. ) // path of nihility.

[kuratm]

by aeons, how many drinks were there?! yes, it wasn't uncommon to find galaxy pirates lounging large portions of alcoholic drinks for themselves - at least for special occasion, that is - but sayu never would've expected straw hats were this big on alcohol! of course, only those who were above age would drink ... and well, it included her. after indulging one or two cups with one particular member, zoro, the gothic trailblazer found herself with a woozy feeling in her stomach. it was only now would she realize that, yes, she was not tolerant on booze.

letting out a long exhale, sayu lifts one hand to push away a bottle from her face before looking up at the pirate, himself. ❛ ugh ... don't know if i can take another bottle ... ❜

@peachiiihearts (zoro) ... for SPOTIFY WRAPPED MEME (accepting)! ///// now playing ..... GMFU by ODETARI FT. 6ARELYHUMAN. /////

[kuratm]

for a split moment, sayu slightly regretted suggesting a friendly race between two, especially when noting caelus's ... obvious advantages against her. not only was her fellow trailblazer taller, there also came experience in the factor. sure, both of them had been through a lot - in turn, experience made one stronger - but their paths were important, too. he is able to switch paths, whereas the girl was of nihility. clearly, there were few obstacles in sayu's way ... though, that didn't mean she'd give up.

after hearing caelus's tease, the shorter trailblazer only giggled and put one hand against her hip - her smile turning a smidge smug, in turn. ❛ well, hey now ... you're quick to celebrate your victory. ❜ she begins, pausing to adjust the guitar on her back and push few locks behind her ear. ❛ it's fine to have a competitive spirit, but you shouldn't be too cocky ... especially when you're in unknown territory. ❜ surely, she could tease her "bodyguard", right?

❛ besides, i haven't said my own conditions- ❜ sayu moves one hand up to caelus, poking his nose with her ring finger. ❛ and that is ... you have to let me do a makeover, without complaint. how does that sound...? ❜ she might be slower than caelus, but if there's anything she specializes in ... it's unpredictability.

━━   ❝   𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫.   ❞  As far as the trailblazer’s concern, as long as he kept himself at ear and eyeshot of her then that’d still meant they stuck together. However, it seems Sayu’s own adventurous spirit came out to play as she proposed a little friendly race. Caelus could remember the LAST night someone paid for his meal..oh yeah that was Firefly and she soon regretted  that decision once she saw just how much food he could fit into his stomach.

As far as Caelus’ is concern he was pretty much the star of a shonen series, the happy one that’s always prepared to eat mountain full of food. Whilst he could eat alot, he still could not consume the amount that they do in anime, this was real life as he thought, mental barriers like this were too hard. BUT beaten her in a race?? Definitely doable, he had a few advantages against her other than being taller (blessed with longer legs). There were also Sayu’s bosoms she had to contend with, whilst she wasn’t exactly Black Swan in terms of how full they were, he could imagine they would still kind of how her back.

So with that all mind caelus smiles and stood next to her. “You’re on babe. After I win your wallet is really going to hate you.”

[kuratm]

confused? yes, but that'd be an understatement. while sayu isn't exactly sure what happened, she knew one thing that might help cheer the trailblazer.

❛ um...hey, caelus... ❜ the dark-winged halovian speaks up, fidgeting hands gently pressing to the taller male's shoulder as amethyst eyes keep a close eye on him - not wanting to anger him more than he already was. ❛ would you like to get a meal...? erm, my treat...maybe that'll help calm your mind down, even if a bit. ❜

@astrxlfinale / continued from this

[kuratm]

@diverse-hearts asked: [ hand ] sender kisses the back of receiver's hand. - Aventurine

penacony, land of festivities...or so it was, up front. to majority of people in vast galaxy, this was a go-to place in order to escape reality and enjoy sweet dreams but to sayu? this was a land of nightmares. while she could've opted out to stay at the express with dan heng - hell, himeko and mr.yang even offered that option, knowing full well she had a not so pleasant past with this particular planet - sayu felt that would be akin to running away from the past. if there's anything she learnt during their time spent at the xianzhou luofu, it's not to do exactly that. she needed to face it, even if it meant staring directly at the nightmare, itself.

she watches almost apathetically as the ipc representative kissed the back of her hand, brows furrowed in skepticism. sayu knew very well that in a place as penacony, you couldn't put your trust easily in anyone. schemes and backstabs were almost akin to saying "hello" to one another, so she held her guard up. aventurine, however, was different...he was charming, sure, but it was a front...for what reason? she didn't know.

either way, she quietly moves her hand as amethyst eyes look up at aventurine. ❛ it's nice to meet you as well, mr. aventurine... ❜ she says, remaining polite but clearly keeping her guard up. ❛ thank you for the help at the checkout, back then...but, why the sudden interest? ❜ she couldn't help asking. it was rather sudden, after all.

[kuratm]

when stelle explains what had actually happened, sayu couldn't help but feel guilty. sure, himeko had sent her on a different task and while she done it without a hitch, but the thought of the antimatter legion actually sending a doomsday beast was unnerving her, to say the least. she only got there when the beast was defeated, but the full picture wasn't exactly taken...at least not until now, with the other girl giving her exactly that. concern is written over sayu's face before looking stelle over, as if checking to see if there were any injuries. looks like she's unharmed...miraculously so. ❛ i see...now i really wish i could've come sooner....all of that sounds terrible... ❜ hush, child of false harmony. you've failed to protect, once more...why do you even bother?

shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts - not now, not now, not now - sayu looks back at stelle. ❛ a-ah, at least mr.yang managed to subdue the disaster. as for this "bomb"... ❜ a finger is pressed under her chin, amethyst eyes narrowing slightly. ❛ are you...talking about the stellaron? i'll admit, i never thought i'd hear about a person carrying something of that grand scale... ❜ then again, this universe was vast and had many mysteries, so maybe it wasn't as far fetched as she thought.

regardless, sayu smiles. ❛ a-ah, not that it matters. at the end of day, you're now part of the crew. ❜ stelle shouldn't be excluded due to her circumstances, after all - it'd be against the code of trailblazing, as well as her own morality. she knew, too well, the feeling of being outcast for being "different". ❛ we'll be headed to our next destination...it'll be your first expedition. how do you feel about that? ❜

Observant as she was, Stelle noticed the slight shift in expression from the other girl, but she couldn’t figure out why it was there. Perhaps she still had a lot more to learn in terms of understanding others… Stelle figured she could live with that and decided to leave it be, at least for now. Just because she was looking through Sayu’s physical stuff didn’t mean she was going to force her way through her emotional stuff.

Stelle nodded her head at the other’s remark. She did indeed like Sayu’s room. Seeing the differences in decor between the rooms she explored was helping her determine what she did and didn’t like. It gave her ideas of what she might do with her own room…or maybe she’ll just leave it completely bare since she had no intentions of actually staying in there for an extended period of time. What’s the point of staying in one place for too long?

“Oh…” Right, all of that. Stelle thought about the question for a moment before answering. “A dragon broke the glass and attacked us, and then I almost died but saw a giant guy with white hair. Oh, and then Mr. Yang hit me with his cane because I have a bomb in me.” That seemed to be the rundown… At least, that’s what Stelle got from it all. A lot happened in the span of less than thirty minutes.

[kuratm]

just gonna put this here before i forget, but before penacony's storyline, sayu pretty much masqueraded a harmony unit (harmony physical, to be specific) because she was forcing herself to be something she isn't - because she wanted to run away from reality...because in many ways, she subconsciously tried to be like robin, her best friend since childhood. needless to say, it wasn't working, but sayu kept the charade on - if anything not to worry her newfound family, a.k.a the astral express, whom she joined in means of escapism from the abuse she suffered under the family's watchful eye. there was a burden on her back, the regret she daily felt for leaving everything behind - for leaving robin to suffer all alone, but she continuously pushed it in herself, making her more reserved than ever.

however, after going back to penacon, the events that happened there and many, many revelations she needed to see, by herself? sayu realizes she cannot keep running from the past anymore. she needs to face it, head on, without any fear - she cannot be controlled like a doll, any longer. for that, she becomes her true self and rips the mask off her face (haha, persona 5 reference) and spreads her own, dark colored wings. she embraces her identity as a dark halovian, as a rock-n-roll musician - she accepts herself as a PATHSTRIDER OF NIHILITY - but not for the sake of nothingness, but for its' tranquility and continuous effort to push forward, despite how meaningless it may be.

once sayu faces it all and finally gets some form of closure she, and the rest, deserve, she becomes a 5 star, nihility unit with lightning as element, since rock-n-roll is as flashy and loud as lightning.

[kuratm]

i saw this tiktok which talked in depth about the paths in HSR and the people assigned to each path, and wow...lemme tell you, the way they talked about nihility, which is the laziness, meaningless behavior and exhaustion? it truly suits sayu, especially since she fits the exhaustion part...she works so hard for her dream of giving people their voice through music that it exhausts her, yet she doesn't show it.

[kuratm]

@windhcld asked: ❝ you're not alone. you'll never be alone. not as long as i'm here. ❞ caelus

loneliness is a painful feeling, no matter what others claimed of it. some took it with stride - even being more than alright in living with solitude - and some couldn't even bear the thought and needed constant reassurance. sayu, herself, has always been used to being on her own. if you lead a life such as hers - living in a land of endless possibilities which rejected your own dreams and looked down just for daring to be anything but the harmony - then you'd surely be expected to grow accommodated.

yes, most weren't like the others - robin being one of few friends sayu cherished with all her being - but she couldn't live in shadows any longer. hell, that's why she left and joined the astral express in first place. while it took time to settle in a life of trailblazing - on top of having to accept herself and push forward without a mask on her face - she knew her choice was one which she'll always deem as worthy. loneliness is now a feeling which she never wishes on her worst enemies, let alone on those who matter, the most.

caelus, himself, was one of those who mattered - alas, he beat her to it with a simple yet meaningful reminder. perhaps her demeanor irked him to say anything, or the silence which entailed in her room. regardless, it made her pause and turn to face the trailblazer. she gazes in his yellow eyes and smiles, turning to approach him and take hold of his cheeks. ❛ ...i know, caelus. ❜ is all she says before tucking him down and pressing her lips to his cheek. after pulling off, sayu's smile softens further. ❛ you won't be alone, either... that, i promise you, with all my heart. ❜

in case you didn't know .... accepting!

[kuratm]

@peachiiihearts asked: 🎲 luka

number 5 .... A FIRM KISS!

nothing else brought sayu's spirits back up but an opportunity to visit belobog and catch up with its' inhabitants. who would've thought an empty planet, bridled with ice and never-ending winter, would contain nothing but warm memories for those aboard on astral express? one could say it's blatantly ironic, but to sayu, what mattered more was never-ending change and an iron will to strive forward ... no matter how meaningless it might seem. perhaps the pathstrider of nihility shouldn't think this optimistically, but fate held stranger possibilities.

of course, those weren't sayu's only reasons for visiting belobog - and the aforementioned reason happened to win yet another, boxing match! she awaits by the ring's entrance, holding a little bag in her hands which contained the birthday boy's gift. what sort of nameless she'd be, if not being able to afford a trinket for her boyfriend?

once certain luka was finished with idle chatter, sayu nudges past the crowd and jumps in the champion's arms for a tight hug - followed by being lifted mid air. then and there, mid shared laughs, would sayu wrap her arms around luka's neck and pull him in for a firm, lingering kiss ... one which she makes certain won't be easily washed away. the gift can await, at least until they're alone.

the kiss roulette ... accepting!

[kuratm]

whilst robin must've been used to being offered many deals, duels and whatnot, sayu was the polar opposite - penacony's always been adamant on denying rock music to prosper, thus leading to many talents losing their spark. she, however, had to be different for her passion continued pushing her forward ... despite it all seemingly being meaningless. regardless, sayu is taken off guard by robin's enthusiastic and immediate response.

ah...was this truly the beauty of a "pop idol"? really now, just the pure sight of robin's excited smile made her even the slightest bit of relieved.

❛ h-huh? o-oh, um... are you sure? it's just that... ❜ no, a tiny voice echoes in her mind. don't falter anymore - keep striving forward and free your wings. shaking her head, sayu clears her throat and firmly nods by the offer of coffee. ❛ actually, er....i'd love that, miss robin. if i can say, though, i'm surprised you've never written a song with someone else, before... ❜ she pauses to press her hand under her chin. ❛ as for coffee...maybe we could go for a quieter cafe, if you'd like? ❜

"Oh,   that   sounds   like   a   wonderful   idea"   the   songstress   beamed,   hands   clasped   together   in   a   delighted   manner.

"I've   never   written   a   song   with   someone   else   before,   I   think   we   could   have   a   lot   of   fun   with   it!"

Despite   it   merely   being   an   idea,   Robin   couldn't   help   feeling   excited.   Without   her   brother   by   her   side,   she   often   sang   alone.   Having   the   opportunity   to   sing   along   with   someone   else   once   more   ...   was   a   heartwarming   feeling.

"We   should   try   to   get   together   soon.   Perhaps   brainstorming   over   coffee?"

[kuratm]

@mamoritxi asked: "i wasn't sure what you'd like, miss trailblazer, but i thought you might like this lantern. may it always be the light in the dark for you." jingyuan didn't want to give the lady a traditional, maybe even slightly boring gift, but he also didn't know if there was something she desired from the luofu. still, he didn't want to be without a present on this fine christmas day. "i hope you'll always be safe on your ways." ( one jingyuan babe for u )

travelling through the vast, unknown galaxy has not only been an eye opening experience, but provided many teachings. without the astral express following the trailblaze path, sayu wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to see other planets and meet variety of people. this included how each individual celebrated christmas - the one day which seemed to be taken in different manner yet always brought people together.

this time around, the gothic trailblazer opted to visit the luofu by herself - she figured a different change of pace would be nice. besides, she couldn't help the mild curiosity how luofu residents enjoyed this day. alongside enjoying the culinary and entertaining aspects, she also decided to visit luofu's general...who seemed to have a surprise.

amethyst eyes widen in surprise, initially observing the lantern the general handed over as a gift, until she smiles rather bashfully and scratched her cheek. ❛ o-oh...you shouldn't have, general, really... ❜ she responds in rather humble fashion, her tone indicating slight fluster, yet still accepting jing yuan's gift with ease. ❛ by the aeons, it's beautiful...i'll be sure to keep it in my room.~ ❜

then and there, sayu bows her head a little to show gratitude before looking back up at the taller figure, her smile more gentle. ❛ thank you, general... i'm glad to have crossed paths with you, and i hope our friendship continues onward. ❜ that's when she pauses and nervously chuckles. ❛ ahhh, but i don't have a gift for you... that's a little embarrassing, ehehe... um, would some time spent together mean anything...? unless you're busy, of course... ❜ it didn't hurt to ask.

UNPROMPTED THE SERIES .... always accepting!

[kuratm]

@peachiiihearts asked:🎲 zoro

42: A clumsy kiss

travelling across vast space had its' challenges, but what is trailblazing if not a magnet for exactly that? of course, some are able to quickly adapt to this type of chaos, whereas others needed extra time. sayu was one of them - aeons knew how long it took her to accommodate to astral express and its' rowdy crewmates? fortunately, the gothic trailblazer was nothing if not stubborn and opted to learn and grow. look at her now, an experienced nameless.

however, the same couldn't be said for a literal, flying pirate ship. while trying to clean after the mess, there was a sudden turbulence thus causing sayu to slip over her own feet. she expected a loud THUD and sharp pain, but instead... she fell right on top of zoro, who was napping on the floor. that, in itself, would've been fine, had it not been for her accidentally pecking their lips. of course, it woke the grumpy pirate, earning him a panicky sayu as her hands lift up in defense. ❛ a-aahhhh, i'm sorry about that! i-i tripped and fell on you, a-and...er... ❜ was she blushing? yes, absolutely.

THE KISS ROULETTE... accepting!

[kuratm]

@hcpebled asked: crash-landing. sender chases a falling star but finds receiver where it fell. / for stelle i am going rabid at this

watching illuminating sparkles flying through vast, almost eternal bright sky of penacony's dreamland, albeit beautiful at first glance, turned to be nothing more but an accommodation the more you get used to the scenery. regular inhabitants of the dreams would be the most likely to tell you that, yes, watching newcomers falling down the sky was nothing new ... sayu, included. sure, it's been some time since last being here but after everything that happened, she felt it's necessary to rekindle with the planet of festivities - her "home".

that being said, stelle offered to join sayu's journey in revisiting each parts of the dreamscape, which was something goth trailblazer couldn't say "no" to - was it stelle's "puppy dog eyes" that did the trick would be the question left unanswered. regardless, sayu landed first and, without hesitation, chose to rush along a falling sparkle which, unfortunately, crashed on impact. small chuckles leave her as she approaches closer to a writhing stelle and crouched before the other. was there a hint of slyness on the dark halovian's smile? perhaps, but she wouldn't admit it that easily. ❛ ehehe...still not used to landing in land of dreams~? ah, are you alright, though...? that was quite a nasty fall... ❜

LOVE IS COSMIC .... accepting!

[kuratm]

@peachiiihearts asked: [ tango dip ] || caelus x sayu

after everything that happened in penacony, sayu felt more comfortable walking around familiar parts of dreamland. sure, there would be few people who'd look over, gawking upon her - or more specifically, her wings - but she wouldn't allow that to deter her. not anymore, she'd think to herself. for now, what mattered more was enjoying whatever free time there was before astral expressed ventured to new expeditions. this was no exception - with caelus taking her to the jovial area of golden hour, where they danced around to the music. it was fun, really, to loosen up like this.

while dancing, sayu felt caelus holding her closer and before she could even react, he'd make a rather dramatic dip. was this his way of humoring her? if so, it worked, as evident by slew of giggles escaping the dark halovian's lips. amethyst eyes looked up at golden ones and, without hestation, she moves closer to peck him on the cheek. after doing so, she'd look at him again - just to see his reaction. ❛ hehe...that was charming of you.~ ❜ yes...this truly was the most fun she ever had.

WAYS TO KISS SOMEONE .... accepting!

[kuratm]

@hcpebled asked: daisy chain. sender weaves flowers into receiver's hair. / stelle

having a quiet hangout on the outskirts of belobog's snowy plains was something they both needed, especially after everything they've experienced in penacony. while sayu had a hunch this was an excuse of stelle's to be alone with the dark halovian - the notion she'd find quite adorable on the trailblazer's end - it didn't mean she'd refuse her gesture. besides, they'd be one of first to see even the tiniest of life blooming on once desolate, cold planet...this included the fewest flora popping out each day.

said flowers, however, seemed to inspire stelle enough to have her pluck them and begin weaving through sayu's own, raven locks. at first, sayu insisted there was no need but after few convictions, she gave in and stood still for the other to finish her job. once allowed to move, she takes a look on her compact mirror to see the results - flowers, white as the snow yet ethereal in its' beauty, shun brightly on her hair, almost seeming to make a magnificent contrast. it was enough for sayu's smile to soften even more. ❛ oh, this looks amazing, stelle...thank you, really...~ it means a lot. a-ah, should i do the same for your hair? ❜ it was only fair, after all.

LOVE IS COSMIC .... accepting!

[kuratm]

@hcpebled asked: ❛ 01 . a kiss to say hello . / from caelus

after taking care of personal matters in belobog - by personal, of course it meant sayu getting new parts from serval to upgrade her precious guitar - she found herself stepping back into the parlor car and, lo and behold, there was caelus. he looked as if he waited on the dark halovian for some time, now...which was oddly adorable, on his part. ebony colored wings fluttered a little at the thought, though she opts to push through the tepidness and approach the taller trailblazer.

instead of greeting him verbally, however, sayu decides to pull an expected which is taking hold of his cheeks and nudging him down for a gentle peck on lips. after breaking off, she giggles and tilts her head. ❛ hey, there...did you wait too long? i'm sorry...~ ❜

DESIRE TO KISS ... not accepting!