#Boothill Express

[ferretzoid]

Boothill with the trio!!!

[jebunkle]

is this the real life?...

806 wc, gn!reader, all of them are having a mental breakdown

i saw some awesome sahsrau (self-aware hsr au) from @aventurineswife and they seemed a bit tired of making it...so i thought i'd give it a shot :p maybe ooc on some parts, sorry

the astral express who, while visiting a planet, begin to sense something amiss. it feels as if something, someone, has eyes on them occasionally.

while you're just logging in to play the game and pulling for new characters, everyone starts to freak out. what is watching over them? it can't be the aeons, something much more divine. hell, maybe even the aeons sense something is different.

himeko brews coffee while chatting quietly with welt, "you've felt it too, yes?" she asked him nervously, as if someone would hear if they were too loud. she sips her drink while glancing around every moment or so, displaying her franticness.

the express notices her off putting attitude, but before they can dwell on it, they begin to feel the same as her. it's almost like an illness, if this plague's symptoms were paranoia and impending doom.

the stellaron hunters are hardly different. kafka's smooth demeanor falters as she gazes off into the deep null of space. "who are you, divine being?" she asks into the nothingness, her sultry voice filling the otherwise empty air. as blade is sat on a couch, arms crossed over his chest, his posture seemed to be more tense than usual. of course, he was always uptight, but his behavior was extra rigid as of lately. silver wolf on the other hand, can't help but chuckle at kafka's philosophical rants and blade's silent pondering. she can tell that they're all puppets on a larger stage, meaning close to nothing in the vast universe ��� both her universe and yours.

aventurine, ever relaxed, has been carrying himself with a bit more of a troubled expression. his typical flamboyance has faltered and few around him have noticed. as aventurine sits on a red leather chair in an empty casino, he does not feel alone; tossing a golden coin between his fingers, aventurine begins thinking aloud. "i see you've chosen to reveal yourself, huh?" the blonde's voice is low and almost soft, as if he's trying not to offend whoever he may be speaking to.

dr. ratio's hair is a slightly unkempt, his eyebrows are pinched together much more frequently, and his papers and studies are left askew on his desk. a few members of the intellegentsia guild slowly catch onto how he's acting, and it's truly unbecoming of the infamous strict professor. his employees can be seen wearing a concerned expression when glancing over at him, yet are too afraid to inquire on his troubled state. "i will uncover whoever is ensuing this chaos amongst us all." ratio promises himself.

the xianzhou luofu is eerily quiet. the arbiter general himself has gone silent as well, as if the ship has been submerged into an ocean of solitude. jing yuan sits in his chair with his fingers intertwined atop his lap. internally, he wonders about this rumored 'creator'; are they real? is it an aeon? what does this mean for him? his companions? is something terrible on the horizon? his endless inquiries are certainly unlike him, causing the master diviner fu xuan to worry about him.

she feels that the world has been tilted also, however she's more concerned about jing yuan's scrambled state. "please, go home and rest, general." she pleads annoyedly, "mm. give me a moment, diviner fu." jing yuan replies quietly, his words melancholic. "you know as much as i do that something has changed." he states to the shorter woman.

boothill's shoes tap eagerly against the pavement that lined the roof of the building, echoing an ambience of anticipation. "what in the world are you?" the man questions the air rhetorically. he cannot, for the life of him, figure out what's causing such a stir in the mood of everyone, himself included. the silver cowboy's hand is rested on his hip, the other lifted to his neck with a finger pressed to his chin. "i dunno, but yer rackin' all our brains here.." boothill remarks, hoping that whoever is watching over him will hear it.

the enigmatic memokeeper is seen with a more defined smirk recently. black swan has taken interest is this unknown deity that has spiked fear and franticness all over the universe. she rests her palm against her chin, staring up into the stars that decorate the black outside of the express's windows. "i hope you'd be willing to speak with me, demiurge." she exclaims in a calm yet excited tone.

the head of the oak family stands in his obnoxiously large office, hands pressed against the polished table as he stares down at it. there's a few scattered documents thrown astray, but they're not important right now. all sunday can think of is you. he knows you exist, he's sure of it, and he won't rest until the day comes that you visit him and grace the world with your presence.

im so happy the eagles won the super bowl and kendricks performance was goated

dividers by @/hyuneskkami

[pregnantpony000]

I h8te myself

[aventurineswife]

hallos and how are yous :3 I hope ur day/night is doing great, if not then, I just rlly hope it gets better really quickly!!!!!

may I request argenti, boothill, sunday, serval, and (whoever of your own choice!!) with a nonchalant, indifferent reader who barely — if not, almost never — shares a blink of emotion. they aren't like grumpy or anything, but their resting face is comically a blank slate like 😐 that its almost hilarious if one stares too long 🙏😭

however, one moment, while reader hangs out with [character] and said character yaps about whatever (they could be talking about arson and reader wouldn't give a flying damn)/doing something they like doing, a soft smile is present on the reader's face as they listen to [character] yap or watch them do something [character] likes. and then [character] notices reader smiling so fondly at their direction and even the reader doesn't even realize it themselves; however doesn't deny it and straightforwardly admits it when [character] points their smile out :3

I'm sorry if this is too long or smth— please, take ur time fre!! :D

In Your Words, I Find My Smile

Tags: Argenti x Reader, Boothill x Reader, Sunday x Reader, Quiet Moments, Emotional Expression, Character Development, Soft Moments, Gentle Interaction, Lighthearted Conversations.

A/N: DW IT'S ALRIGHT, BESTIE!! 🤭💖

The evening sun bathed the landscape in a soft, golden hue. Argenti sat polishing his breastplate under a grand oak tree, its leaves rustling gently in the wind. You sat nearby on a patch of grass, leaning back against the tree with your characteristic expressionless demeanor. Arms crossed, gaze steady, you watched as Argenti spoke passionately about the latest village he had aided.

“And thus, with valor unyielding, I vanquished the fiend threatening the townsfolk,” Argenti proclaimed, his voice imbued with the flourish of a seasoned knight. His eyes sparkled as he gestured animatedly, his hair catching the sunlight. “T’was but my duty as a Knight of Beauty to uphold the sanctity of their humble lives!”

You nodded slightly, your expression unchanging. You weren’t indifferent to his words—you just didn’t express your emotions outwardly. Argenti didn’t seem to mind, though; he continued recounting his tale with fervor.

At some point, however, your gaze softened as you watched him. His dedication, his righteousness—it was admirable. The way he spoke with such passion, unyielding in his pursuit of beauty and justice, stirred something within you. Unknowingly, a small, tender smile crept onto your lips as you continued to observe him.

Argenti suddenly paused mid-sentence, his eyes widening slightly. “Hold, dear companion. Are mine eyes deceived, or doth a smile grace thine visage?”

Blinking, you touched your lips in surprise. Then, meeting his gaze, you said plainly, “Yeah. I guess I’m smiling.”

Argenti seemed taken aback for a moment before a wide, radiant grin spread across his face. “By the heavens, thy smile is a sight most wondrous! I am honored to have brought it forth.” He leaned forward slightly, his expression earnest. “Pray, what prompted such delight?”

You shrugged. “You just seem really happy talking about your work. It’s nice to see.”

For a moment, Argenti seemed stunned into silence. Then he rose dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. “To inspire such fondness in thee, I am most humbled! Know that thy kind smile is a treasure I shall carry in my heart as a beacon of encouragement!”

You raised an eyebrow, amused despite yourself. “You don’t have to make it a big deal.”

“Nonsense!” he declared, his voice ringing out. “To a knight, every smile is sacred.”

The two of you sat around a campfire on a desolate planet. The sky was an endless black, stars twinkling faintly above. Boothill leaned back against a boulder, his hat tipped forward slightly, and a smirk playing on his lips as he recounted another one of his escapades.

“So there I was, cornered in the ol’ warehouse with them IPC lackeys comin’ in hot,” he drawled, his southern accent rich and rough-edged. “And wouldn’t ya know it, the only thing between me an’ gettin’ out clean was a busted pistol and a whole lotta attitude. Naturally, I—”

He paused to snicker, glancing at you to see if you were listening. Your face remained blank as ever, staring at the fire with a neutral expression.

“—I went an’ lit their fuel tanks on fire,” he finished, letting out a raspy laugh. “Biggest bang I ever made, lemme tell ya. Sent ‘em runnin’ like chickens with their tails on fire!”

You nodded, your lips still unmoving. Boothill eyed you suspiciously, then waved a hand in front of your face. “You alive in there, partner?”

“Yeah,” you replied simply.

He laughed again, shaking his head as he returned to his story. You watched him closely, your eyes tracing the way his hair caught the flickering firelight, the smirk that tugged at his sharp features, and the glint of mischief in his eyes. He was rough around the edges, sure, but there was something captivating about his energy, his unapologetic zest for revenge and chaos.

Without realizing it, you found yourself smiling softly.

Boothill stopped mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes at you. “Well, I’ll be damned. Is that a smile on yer face, sugar?”

You blinked, your fingers brushing your lips in realization. “Guess it is.”

His grin widened, all teeth and smug satisfaction. “Ain’t that somethin’? I must be funnier than I thought. Or is it somethin’ else?”

You shrugged, unbothered. “I just like seeing you enjoy yourself.”

He tipped his hat back, his grin softening into something almost fond. “Y’know, partner, I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

The soft hum of the Astral Express filled the lounge car as Sunday sat by one of the wide windows, his eyes tracing the swirling streaks of stars outside. You sat nearby, a book in hand, though you weren’t reading—it was mostly there to give you something to hold while you listened.

Sunday, as he often did, was talking.

“The Charmony Festival wasn’t just an event,” he murmured, his voice as gentle as the atmosphere around him. “It was a reflection of everything we hoped to preserve. Harmony, beauty, hope… even if it was fleeting.”

His hands rested on a cup of tea, untouched and cooling, as he leaned slightly forward. His feathered wings behind his ears twitched subtly, betraying the emotion behind his calm facade.

You sat across from him, your usual expressionless face giving nothing away as he continued. Even as he recounted stories of the festival—the shimmering lights, the release of doves, and the harmony it brought—you listened in silence.

But somewhere in his words, as he described the way the music had filled the air and brought strangers together, you felt a warmth stir within you. A soft smile unknowingly formed on your lips as you watched him speak. His passion and quiet yearning were undeniable, and it was… nice.

Sunday stopped mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing slightly as they focused on you. “Are you… smiling?”

You blinked, your hand brushing your lips in realization. “I guess I am.”

His wings fluttered, their movement betraying his surprise despite his otherwise composed demeanor. “Might I ask what inspired such a rare and remarkable expression?”

You tilted your head, meeting his gaze evenly. “You just seemed so lost in your memories. It’s nice to see you talk about something you love.”

Sunday was silent for a moment, the quiet hum of the train filling the space between you. Then, slowly, a faint, genuine smile graced his lips. “To bring joy to someone simply by speaking of the past… I had thought such a thing beyond me.”

“It’s not,” you said plainly, placing the book down. “You’re good at it.”

His eyes softened as he studied you, a quiet warmth filling his tone. “Thank you. I will endeavor to share more, should you wish it. Though rare, your smile is… comforting.”

You shrugged. “If you like.”

His smile lingered as he picked up his tea, finally taking a sip. “I do.”

[n4tsum1-san]

HAPPY 2.2 RELEASE HERE'S SOME MEMES (no spoilers here!)

[b1adie]

[dixidin]

More Argenthill as textposts except the last two got a bit heartfelt

(Erm little thing down here. I'm working on an Argenti hurt and Boothill comfort fanfic that'll be posted this week!! Most likely on Wednesday :3)

[notsofriendlyfriendlyreminder]

I just wanted to say that the latest hsr quest was so great, sobbing right now.

[followerofmercy]

Boothill, seeing Dan Heng dragoned up for the first time: Oh my Gawd he comes with handlebars

[aystoria]

i’m blubbering

[feroluce]

For me, as much as I adore the theme of travel companions, henghill is more of a "someday" thing in that regard. I love Boothill being a weird loner Galaxy Ranger rather than a Nameless- man is undomesticated and belongs sleeping in the cargo holds of supply ships, threatening silence out of anyone that tries to report him. Let him be wild and free!!

I would LOVE it if Boothill just hitched a short ride off Asdana to whatever the Express' next destination is, though!

Like maybe the Express decides to stick around Penacony for a while, the same way they do other destinations, and Boothill is there anyway to investigate Oswaldo Schneider. It's rare to find a planet where the IPC is present, but doesn't actually have a lot of power; he can't pass this opportunity up!

And in that time, he sees a lot of Dan Heng.

Boothill gets text messages asking him to the quieter parts of the Dreamscape (he threatened and made a scene - it's called standing up for your rights, Dan Heng was given a room with a Dreampool by The Family for helping root out The Order) or mostly to the Express, where Dan Heng curiously asks him about Paths, about aeons and Emanators, The Rangers, all the worlds he's seen and places he's been.

Boothill isn't really surprised the first time they spend an entire night talking and discussing- after all, they'd chattered a lot that first day they met at the bar in the Reverie! But in talking so much, of course the topic of home comes up.

Dan Heng asks about Boothill’s homeworld.

Boothill tells Dan Heng it's gone now, and changes the subject.

Boothill asks about Dan Heng's past, before the Astral Express and the Nameless.

Dan Heng freezes up and closes off, and changes the subject.

In yet another moment of tacit understanding, neither of them ask again.

But this continues, all throughout their stint in Penacony, finding each other and seeking the other out for no reason other than good company. Dan Heng adds ridiculous amounts of data to the archives that Boothill dictates to him. They both know he could get that information elsewhere if he really wanted. Boothill finds he's kinda happy he doesn't.

And Boothill is someone who's hard to keep up with. He knows he is, and he has no problem with it. It's part of what makes him excel as a Galaxy Ranger. But there's something fun about how Dan Heng just rolls with it, and so effortlessly! Boothill finds something shady going on, grabs a guy who was preying on people, and has this dude held up by the collar with his feet swinging while he cackles right in his face, when Dan Heng shows up.

Boothill says they're just having a friendly chat. He makes zero effort to hide what he's actually doing. Boothill's new friend pleads for Dan Heng to help him, please! This guy's crazy!

Dan Heng materializes his spear.

The guy apologizes even harder, tells them he won't do anything shady ever again, promise, promise! Boothill's jabbers at him and shakes him around some more before Dan Heng taps the pole of his spear against the covered metal of Boothill's leg and tells him come on, he's already scared the man witless, they have a date to keep. Boothill drops the guy and watches him scurry off like a cockroach.

"So, now it's a date, huh?"

"...Come on, let's go."

They go to the Dreamflux Reef after that, because Boothill just so happened to totally by coincidence find that shady guy's wallet (read: robbed him blind) and he wants that money to go back to the native Penaconians before anyone else. Dan Heng follows, and stuffs all of the man's credits into the tip jar of the bar they go to.

And even when the Express embarks anew from Asdana (with Boothill hidden away in some corner or compartment, because the IPC finally got pissed enough to start looking for him under The Family's noses skzikske) this continues. The next planet is difficult to get to because of Stellaron activity; so they have to fly manually part of the way instead of warping. Boothill doesn't get his own room since he's only hitching a ride, but Pom-Pom graciously allows him to sleep on a couch-

("Thank ya, Fluffy. No hard feelings about before, right?" "You're lucky my other passengers like you. And no shoes on the couches!!")

-in one of the cars. And it becomes normal commonplace to find Boothill telling stories, and Dan Heng rapidly writing them all down, at obscene hours in the parlor car while Himeko and Welt ask if either of them even slept.

Boothill teaches Dan Heng all about his favorite drinks and liquor in general, how to aim and shoot a gun, how to hunt and track prey. Dan Heng teaches Boothill about a lot of the teachings of Lan and The Hunt from the Xianzhou, what it's like there, some of the culture, some of the fables and old tales.

Boothill still leaves when it's time to go. He's still got things to do and people to kill, after all.

But it never feels like he's very far. The archives are full of him, even if he's never mentioned by name. The article on the Galaxy Rangers is several times longer than it was before. There's new data on multiple planets and worlds.

There's one that's still just a header and title. Boothill doesn't know about it yet. Dan Heng hopes he can fill the page on Aeragan-Epharshel someday and show it to him.

And even if he doesn't stay, he does return. Boothill breaks in stops by any time he happens to be nearby. He's used to traveling without much rest, and only takes what he can easily carry on him- nothing that can slow him down or hinder him. He can't put a bullet between Oswaldo Schneider's eyes if he gets himself killed over something as stupid as being weighed down in a fight, after all.

Dan Heng is similarly sparse. He still sleeps in the archives, with nothing but his futon and old suitcase to mark the space as his.

But there's an old wooden guitar carefully propped in the corner, just waiting for its owner's return.

[falling-star-cygnus]

things i've noticed about HSR characters bc i literally have nothing better to do with my time

part one: Mr. Guard Dog cold dragon young himself: ✨Dan Heng✨

also i really really really love character design and desperately want a job in the field one day so maybe this can just be a practice in observation

Dan Heng scrunches his nose when he's bein protective *someone threatens the Express* Dan Heng: ò^ó

he {along with the trailblazer} doesn’t have an icon on the missions panel -> The spear is Welt's, as seen in the middle image although i suppose the spear could be Dan Heng's and the little circles inside the flames could be Welt but the design is closer to the old man's

✨☁️CLOUD MOTIFS☁️✨ -> that's such a corny cute lil detail, i love it

compared to Stelle and March, his Astral Express badge is a lot harder to see -> you have to rotate his avatar to get clear visual of it [also another cloud emblem on his pant leg]

i almost didn't want to include this one because it's such an obvious detail [the writing, not the attacks] that it's not really 'noticing' it's 'commenting' -> still tho, im curious as to what the script on his coat means. and im an absolute sucker for this kinda design -> His attacks mimic calligraphy strokes!

finally, maple leaves. more specifically- the symbolism behind these leaves -> It varies a little between cultures but the most common interpretations are 'honor', 'wisdom', and 'strength' -> it can also be taken as a symbol of protection, but that's lesser known -> Celtic, Chinese, and Japanese folklore all liken the leaves to an abundance of character but both Chinese and Japanese cultures see them symbolic of 'lovers'

what's really interesting about the 'honor' aspect is that Blade's moniker 'Blade' is also a symbol of honor -> which ties their characters together a bit more but also mb smth else yk yk ^ that's purely speculation and hopefulness though, i have no basis for it

HC for the road: Boothill saw Dan Heng scrunch his nose during the time they were teamed up and instinctively poked at it to smooth it out [it reminded him of when his daughter would pout]

if you enjoyed this lmk!! i'd be more than happy to do this with any other characters as well, within or outside hoyo's reach >W<

[gibbycat]

in my eyes, argenthill is neither strictly romantic or strictly platonic but a secret third thing. they can't be together long-term because of their paths, but they CAN be deeply devoted to each other. they recognize the others' independence but also know they can lean on them for emotional support.

they are planets whose orbits rarely cross, but when they do, it is a moment that is mutually cherished and kept close to the heart until the next moment. they are lonely people who try not to get attached as theyre frequently on the move, but the heart betrays their true desires.

anyways its about the Devotion and Yearning. to me.

[aroacenezhaanddainsleif]

hear me out:

boothill would be to the stellaron hunters what argenti is to the astral express crew (aka "weird honorary member that shows up every so often to help them fight a thing/complete a mission before fucking off into space again")

[reigningcheesesun]

gentle? i'll show ya gentle, yee haw~

[121231212i]

Sometimes I wish hsr characters have their own birthdays