#I will eventually get my Stellaron Hunter thoughts out

[almea]

I thought the 2.3 story would be longer than it was because of the trailer, but I think it was a good length, especially after the monster that was 2.2.

I fucking CRIED that Dan Heng's dream was just for the five of them to continue travelling on the Express together forever. Between this and his line in 2.2 about his companions being "once-in-a-lifetime treasures" he is truly the softest boy. I read a fic where I think Himeko told Dan Heng that he could travel with the Express for as long as he wanted, and he thought to himself that he wanted to stay forever, but "forever" means something different to him than it does to the others, and that line has lived in my heart ever since and these last two versions have really shown how that author really nailed the part of Dan Heng that loves the crew so much.

I love the jokes about how trigger happy Dan Heng is with the Jade Abacus in 2.2, but I do also think it's very sweet and a little sad because it feels like his desire to keep the crew safe can get very desperate and frantic. It's also feels like the only reason Dan Heng seems so cool and levelheaded all the time is because he usually has to keep March and Stelle from going too crazy, but when they're gone he's just like. No thoughts, head empty, if I get even an inkling that they're in trouble I am going to make the most reckless choices I can in the moment to protect them and it's all anyone can do to try to stop me.

It's so fucking sad???? That no one knows what exactly happened with Gallagher. Like, Siobhan doesn't know what happened to her friend. This is a crime!! I don't know if we're ever going to see him again in the future, but if we do, I will cry. I didn't really have any thoughts about Misha or Gallagher in 2.0 or 2.1, and then 2.2 happened and now I'm in tears every time either of them are mentioned in the story lmao.

Seeing Stelle be an absolute gremlin who's being babysat by March and Dan Heng from Firefly's perspective was such a treat. She's so unhinged and it was like. Ah yes. This is exactly how I act when I'm playing the game. Opening every chest I see, looking for birds, breaking every destructible item. Getting to hear more of Stelle's voice was also a blessing and a gift.

The last cutscene was soooo beautiful. I loved the shots of everyone in Penacony. It just feels like such a nice way to wrap things up.

And the Firefly and Stelle parts, oh my god. Stelle praying for Firefly's to be okay was so cute. I wasn't expecting that and they just hit me with Stelle looking so adorable. And then Firefly princess carrying Stelle?? First with Sam and then without it?? In that moment Firefly really decided she was the hero of the story and Stelle was the heroine. I just love them so much. Seeing them so happy and relieved together made me so happy too.

There is something there about Stelle first entering the dream by falling from the sky and crash landing, and then ending the story flying through the sky and going even higher with Firefly.

And then they go from that to stabbing me in the heart with the final goodbyes in Penacony. I just. I'm so fond of the Penacony Trailblazers and seeing how the crew honours them was so sweet. I love that Razalina was the one writing those messages in the Dreamscape Pass because that means she's kind of been with us since the beginning. I want to believe we'll get to learn more about her one day, maybe in a Penacony Trailblaze Continuance. I saw a theory that she's Black Swan that was pretty compelling, so Black Swan temporarily travelling with the crew has potential.

I can't believe they made Acheron's farewell skippable. I can't believe there was an option to just go back to the train without saying goodbye to her. I picked the second option first because I thought the sentiment of "If that was the first time we met, then the next time we meet will be a reunion" was very sweet, but I went back and picked the first option afterwards because I figured it was going to be an Impact 3rd reference and I wanted to see it even if I wouldn't really Get It. I wasn't expecting the scene to be so much longer and so touching, with not one but two absolutely beautiful CGs of Acheron. And they made it skippable.

All the new visitor unlocks popping up one after the other after finishing the story was so funny. Especially Sparkle because, girl, you just gave everyone a heart attack because of your bomb threat and then you invited yourself onto the train???? And then I read her text messages, cried hysterically, and was like, okay, you can come visit whenever you want.

When Sparkle created the illusions of the Stellaron Hunters in Acheron's trailer, I had the thought that maybe my dumb theory that they were the ones who hired her to come to Penacony had a chance of being true, but I assumed it was Elio who hired her because she had a part in the script, but no! It was Silver Wolf! Silver Wolf, who was just worried about her friend and wanted to take measures to keep her as safe as possible! I always believed Silver Wolf was secretly very soft for the people she loves beneath all her attitude and I was right!

Silver Wolf and Sparkle being gaming friends is so random and I love it. It's this version's "Blade has a driver's license" for me. I can't believe they dropped this lore on me without adding new voice lines for them about each other. I'm holding out hope for the future…

My mono-Quantum team is Qingque, her boss, Silver Wolf, and her gaming buddy. It's so perfect.

[vxnuslogy]

— retail therapy. ft sunday

— warnings: slight angst if you squint hard enough

— author's note: self-indulgent stellaron hunter sunday after playing the new tb quest. ~2.4k words.

“is this…” sunday gestures with his hands, “also part of our script?”

you let out a laugh. balancing firefly and kafka’s shopping bags in your hands, you only shook your head at the angel-like man with an amused smile on your lips. 

“no, it is not.” kafka was browsing the dress sections with keen interest, blade was peering over silver wolf’s shoulder watching her as she played yet another video game, and firefly was looking over the rack of new hats. “but it’s a good change of pace. you all deserve to relax after such a hard mission.”

“i don’t think this really fits my criteria of relaxation, [name].” you only laugh at sunday’s sigh. offering him a small pat on the back and dragging him by his sleeve to where kafka was beckoning you over. “you’ll get used to it eventually. next time, we’ll do something that fits your criteria of relaxation.”

the silver haired man only shook his head. but deep down you knew he was enjoying himself – the wings behind his ears often betrayed him by openly showing what he actually felt. every now and then, they would flutter and puff up whenever silver wolf drags him to another section with new games or when he tries to deny kafka’s attempt at getting him a new shirt or coat (after his wings fluttered a bit too hard at this one coat kafka bought it immediately).

“what do you think?” you ask as you put down the bags that've been weighing down on your arms. “about us, i mean, are you adjusting well?”

you notice sunday’s hesitation, you always have when it comes to him – he often wonders how wise and knowledgeable you are to know how he felt. a hum left your lips as you sat down on one of the offered chairs at the shoe section while blade reached to the top shelf to get what firefly was pointing at. 

“i…” he starts, voice just above whisper. “don’t know.”

another hum escapes your lips. scooting over to make space for him and patting the space, urging him to sit besides you. sunday does, though reluctantly, sit beside you as you watch silver wolf giggle at firefly’s struggle to walk in heels. blade’s hands hover over her figure as she stomps her way over to the shorter girl to pinch her cheeks to which she protested.

“they’re nice people.” you say, gaze never leaving them. “the galaxies may say otherwise, but they're truly the kindest people i have ever met.”

“i… apologize.”

you raise a brow at him. “what’s with the apology?” 

“i have only ever thought of the five of you as bad people.” sunday admits with a heavy heart. eyes finding much entertainment on his gloves that you had gifted. “i… do not know how to act around you all, when i’ve only ever heard bad things about you. it feels wrong to suddenly be thrusted into your already tight knit group.”

you only hum in understanding. hand coming to caress the top of his head when you stood up when blade called you over.

“we understand, mr. sunday.” you gave him a small smile as you picked up the many shopping bags you had. “these sorts of things take time, just take it one step at a time.”

he only nods. and like the gentleman that he is, steals away the heavier bags in your hands with an awkward smile.

—

“do you miss the person you were before you joined?”

you wonder if blade has ever mentioned to sunday how you loved thought evoking questions like the one he had just asked. recently, the two have been paired up a lot for missions - you’re still on the fence on whether it's a good or bad thing, but you’re leaning more towards the former. you only gave a thoughtful hum as you spooned another scoop of ice cream into your mouth.

kafka had grown bored of the dresses and shoes and wanted to get something to eat. now here you were, outside a quaint little ice cream shop as blade orders for everyone - silver wolf and firefly hiding behind the man like two kids. 

sunday was sitting in front of you, laughing silently after catching a glimpse of the two tables across from you being filled with your shopping bags. you laughed as well and when your eyes met his, sunday quickly averted his gaze towards his own cold treat.

“do i ever miss the person i was before i joined…” you echo his question. “sometimes, in the middle of the night whenever i’m feeling a bit too sentimental, i do.” a fond expression was probably present on your face as sunday hummed in acknowledgement. “i miss the comfort of my bed as i scrolled endlessly on my phone. or how a certain little creature in red would bring me tea and biscuits when i let time pass in my little workshop. i miss them every chance i get.”

yes, every chance you get, you reminisce over your past life. missing your father’s quick temper, your brother’s indifference, your mother’s absence; you missed them all, despite all their flaws and the bitterness that swam in your heart. and of course, how could you ever forget your little escapades in different planets with a seasoned adventurer and his vast knowledge of animation and travel or the little waddling of a conductor as they scold you nearly not making it back. you missed them all very dearly.

“what about you, mr. sunday? do you miss penacony?”

“would it be wrong of me… if i said no…?”

admittedly, that was the exact opposite of what you thought his answer would be.

the six of you were now in the car with you and blade driving (firefly suggested you all take two cars so you won’t have to be squeezed together in one). silver wolf was fast asleep at the back seat, using the many shopping bags as her makeshift pillows. you and sunday sat at the front, keeping a close eye on blade’s red car in front of you as you pondered what you would say next.

“i don’t think that’s the whole truth, but it’s not an entire lie either.” was your only response. from the corner of your eye, you see sunday take off his gloves and lay them on his lap. “would you like to talk about it, mr. sunday? i’m quite the exceptional listener you know.”

sunday laughed at your jesting and that made the breath you were unconsciously holding escape you. 

“penacony, as beautiful as it was,” he fiddles with his fingers as his wings came to cover half his face - a habit you picked up on whenever he started to open up. “it was simply too much for me.”

staying silent and when sunday looked at you, you simply nod. urging him to continue.

“the flashy city lights, the ever echoing of upbeat music, to many, penacony is a paradise where nothing could go wrong,” sunday sags in his seat, “but i often wonder if it ever gets too much for them. even though i have lived my entire life in the land of festivities, i could not bring myself to enjoy the thrill and joy it offered.”

“no matter how many times i bury these feelings of guilt, they always resurface whenever…”

“whenever?” you slowly try to coax it out of him. like how a parent would to their child.

“they always resurface whenever… i find myself enjoying your company too much.” you try to hide your shock when you take a right turn. “is it truly alright for me to just leave all of penacony behind? as overwhelming it was, it offered a roof over my head. food on my table. a family.”

soft patters of rain as small droplets of water cascaded down the now slightly fogged up windows of your car. “would you like my personal opinion on this matter, mr. sunday?” the car skids to a stop as the traffic light glows red. sunday only nodded solemnly. “you have every right to not miss penacony.”

his gold eyes were furrowed in distraught. gaze boring into the side of your head as the car started moving again. “yes, penacony offered a roof over your head and food on your table, but everyone has that right. even us, stellaron hunters, the most wanted criminals across star systems, have the right to have a home. did penacony ever feel like home to you, mr. sunday?”

“no. not it has not.” sunday replies after a few moments of silence.

“just because a roof is over your head and food is served on your table doesn’t automatically make it a home.” your eyes hardened, grip on the steering wheel tightening ever so slightly. “a home is supposed to make you feel safe, not obligated to repay their so-called “kindness”. you don’t have to feel guilty for not wanting to come back to the place that had caused you pain.”

“and what of my sister, robin?” he suddenly counters. you knew from little snippets from kafka that robin was a bit of a sensitive topic with him. “am i really allowed to enjoy this new life of mine knowing that she’s still in the family’s clutches?” his voice hardened, but at the same time it quivered and broke. “what right do i have to this newfound happiness when she could be struggling? for aeon’s sake,” he messily pushes his hair away from his face. you try not to focus on the stray tears that fell from his eyes, “i’m her older brother, her protector. she should be the one here, spending time with you and enjoying the life she’s always wanted.”

“miss robin is destined for greatness and a happy life,” stopping at another traffic light, you look over to sunday, “but so are you. i do not know the pain and turmoil your adoptive father has made you go through, but you will never be free if you keep holding on to the past.”

“i don’t think being a stellaron hunter and a wanted criminal is what you call greatness.” sunday jokes with a low chuckle making you roll your eyes.

you trained your sight on the road again. “it’s not easy to break out of whatever gopher wood has taught you,” the way you spat his adoptive father’s name with such venom made sunday wonder if you had personally met him. “but if, theoretically, we had offered you to join us earlier and to sneak you out of penacony, miss robin would be the first person to urge you to take that chance. you are her older brother yes, and it's often the oldest’s job to protect the younger,” you pull up your car in the parking lot as blade, kafka, and firefly started taking the shopping bags out of the car. “but she is still your sister that wants what’s best for you, even if it means leaving penacony behind.”

the sight of blade, a man with a harsh exterior and few words, silently carry silver wolf with such care will always stir something inside of sunday. or how kafka would happily chat with firefly over the new clothes they got on today’s shopping list, promising to do a haul tomorrow morning after the older woman cooks everyone breakfast. but if there was something that pulled at his heart the most, it would be you. 

you who kindly respected his space and unwillingness to talk or socialize with the other hunters when he had been first recruited. the same you who had made him the metal wings that was now attached to his lower back - created with so much care and attentiveness sunday felt unworthy of it. you who would always be the first one to look for him whenever you were going out and extending a hand for him to take.

“everyone deserves to be happy,” you say beside him as you drop him off at the door to his room. “and that includes you, mr. sunday.”

sunday had always been treated as someone who was above everything else, that was the first thing he was taught after all. he was destined for greatness, the key to the revival of his dead aeon. so he never truly knew how to act when someone treated him as an equal. someone neither above or below anyone.

“i’m not very good with words,” sunday scoffs, thinking otherwise. “so i often convey my sincerity and comfort through actions.”

sunday feels your hand slither to the back of his neck as you slowly pull him down to your height. forcing his beating heart to still when he looks into your eyes that swam with understanding and fondness when you press both of your foreheads together.

“you can enjoy your time here, with us. you’re allowed to let go of the past and miss your sister.” your thumb rubs soothing circles on his nape, sunday feels the hairs on his arms rise. “and if you still think otherwise, then that’s also fine. breaking free from the shackles of your past isn’t easy, but you shouldn’t give up.” sunday feels the way your words leave a warm ticklish feeling on his lips, he had to fight the urge to lean into your space even more. “we want you to be happy, we want you to be here with us. so we’ll teach you how to let go. until you can do it yourself.”

sunday has seen you do this to others; after you patch up blade after a nasty fight, when you welcome kafka home, when silver wolf comes to you after a nightmare and when firefly bares her heart out to you. he finally understands why the others stuck to you closely, they showed their appreciation for you in forms of physical affections. 

involuntarily, his arms snakes around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer he feels you may decipher the way his heart beats your name. “may we stay like this for a while?” you only hum slowly when he lays his head on your shoulder. letting your comfort wash away all the guilt and frustration, even if it was just for a moment.

you catch a glimpse of kafka leaning at one of the dark walls with a knowing smile on her lips. rolling your eyes at the older woman, you bid sunday a good night with a small smile. knuckles brushing right under his eyes where phantom tears had fallen. in your mind, you can’t help but feel that your little idea of taking him shopping to brighten up his mood was a success.

© vxnuslogy 2024. please do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works.

[dustofthedailylife]

It Must Be Love

-> Masterlist || → Taglist

Pairing: Blade, Dan Heng, Jing Yuan, Gepard, Welt x (gn!) Reader

Summary: When they realized they had feelings for you...

Tags: Fluff, SFW, mention of injuries (Blade), just them realizing they're completely smitten

A/N: My last fic before my Japan vacation! I got a lot more in my WIP stash that I'll get to after. Excited to get to that when I'm back, or maybe I can finish one or the other fic in the evening on my vacation when I'm in bed. We'll see. Stay amazing until then! <3

BLADE

When you joined the Stellaron Hunters he shot down your every attempt of trying to get to know him and stayed clear of you. He was curt and only ever spoke with you if it was necessary. In his opinion, there was no need for you two to be acquainted. And it would be for your own good anyway.

It wasn’t until you came back gravely injured from a mission and were passed out for days, that he wouldn’t leave your side.

He sat on the armchair in your room most of the time, and was either sleeping or meditating with his eyes closed. He occasionally switched your bandages and cleaned your wounds while insisting he’d be the only one to do it. After all, he involuntarily had quite the expertise with injuries himself.

And when the day you began to stir awake again finally came, and he heard the quiet plea for water come over your parched lips, he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He told himself over and over again that he didn’t care about anyone and wouldn’t dare to allow himself to care anymore. In fact, he may have even thought he wasn’t capable of it anymore. But feelings are often beyond one's control or rational explanation. And deep down he had always known that he cared deeply about you. 

He had only steered clear of you because it had been evident to him, that if he allowed himself to care, there would be no going back. Alas, it now was too late for that as well. Yet it did not matter any longer. All he cared about was that you were still alive.

“Never get hurt like this again.” He scolded with a voice seemingly devoid of any emotion, as he lifted a bottle of water to your lips so you could drink. 

But despite the underlying sharp tone in his voice, there was sincere concern in his eyes only a few people ever got to see. And he knew he was no longer able to hide it.

DAN HENG

Himeko brought you along one day and introduced you to the Astral Express Crew as their newest member, a bundle of energy much like March. And everyone seems ecstatic to welcome you aboard. Everyone but Dan Heng. He curtly introduced himself without shaking your outstretched hand, before vanishing back to his room again without another word.

It would be a lie if he said he didn’t find you attractive, but Alas, he couldn’t allow himself to get closer. One more person on the Express only meant there were more people he had to keep secrets from. Besides, you seemed just as lively and energetic as March was, and if he was sure of one thing it’s that one March was already enough. So that was even more reason to steer clear of you for his own peace of mind.

So in turn he tried keeping you at an arm's length. The only problem however was, that you apparently weren’t deterred by his cold demeanor and practically threw yourself at him at every chance you got.

You would often knock on his door to bring him some freshly brewed tea, rummage through the archive or call him quirky nicknames you came up with. He could only roll his eyes at them, but secretly he began to like them and caught himself smiling whenever he thought of them. 

At first, he managed to remain distanced and only spoke to you when it was strictly necessary, but he soon began to warm up more and more. Until he would eventually find himself beginning to crave your presence every day.

And it was when he found himself looking at the empty chair you used to sit on almost every evening now, that he became aware of his feelings for you. The naggings and nicknames that used to bother him, now made his heart beat quicker and a tingly feeling made itself known in his stomach.

The simple image of your smile made the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. The sound of your voice always managed to soothe his nerves. And your absence made him feel incomplete.

It was then he had to admit to himself that there was no longer any point in denying it. He had inevitably fallen for you.

JING YUAN

When there was more administrative work to do on the Luofu due to the recent happenings, Qingzu, who was assisting Jing Yuan with the additional workload, proposed to hire someone else to help as well. To be precise, help with caring for the general’s lion, since it was usually Qingzu’s task. But since she was preoccupied with other matters right now, there was a distinct lack of time.

And that’s when you were hired.

You were tasked to care for Mimi in Qingzu’s stead from hereon out and seemed to immediately get along with the animal quite well, too. It certainly put Jing Yuan’s mind at ease to know that his lion was adequately cared for.

One day, when Jing Yuan returned earlier than usual from his duties he found you peacefully asleep on the sofa, your head comfortably nestled in the fur of the equally asleep lion. But he didn’t dare to disturb your slumber and returned to his desk with a smile on his face since he too felt the weight of sleep oftentimes throughout the day.

Once you awoke you practically jumped up when you saw him sitting at his desk already, ushering a shy “Oh, General. I didn’t expect you to be back home at such a time already. Forgive me.”

He just let out a soft chuckle in reply, assuring you that there was no need to worry and that it actually put his mind at ease that you got along so well with Mimi.

After this, he made a conscious effort to come back home earlier more often. And every time, without fail, he would find you sleeping together with his lion in the afternoon sun. Your peaceful expression and the quiet purr of his lion truly was a sight for sore eyes 

And if his lion loved you, what was he supposed to feel if not the same?

GEPARD

Gepard saw you for the first time when he stopped by his sister's workshop. He caught a quick glimpse of you before you vanished into the side room of the workshop again.

Of course, his sister immediately caught him staring. Because he stood there stunned and only stared holes into the door you vanished through. 

If Serval was good at one thing, it was reading Gepard like a book. And she only needed one look at his face to know exactly what he was thinking. Of course, she took the opportunity to tease him about it with a big grin across her face, much to the embarrassment of Gepard who only cleared his throat and diverted the topic, unable to hide the red blooming across his cheeks.

He soon found out that you were a singer and songwriter and that you and Serval sometimes performed together in a local club. And he found himself venturing there on his off days to watch your show. 

Serval introduced you to him and eventually, you began to become closer. Asking him if he would come to your next gig as well. And of course, he did. In fact, he did so often that he had all your songs memorized down to a T now and often found himself humming them absentmindedly throughout the day. 

And suddenly, as one of his subordinates asked him which song he keeps humming all the time now, he became aware of the feelings he harbored for you.

The warm, prickly feeling within his chest. The way his heartbeat quickened, or the corners of his mouth turned upwards involuntarily whenever he saw you, talked to you, or thought of you.

It was undeniable. He had fallen in love in love with you.

WELT

Welt and you were just colleagues. At least that's what he was trying to convince himself of at first. 

Research and worries about your mission often woke you up at night recently, so you often got up to brew a fresh pot of coffee. And Welt found you sitting in an armchair in the parlor car one night when he, too, got up in the middle of the night because his thoughts had kept him awake.

You offered him a cup of coffee as well before you sat back down. Each just sipped their coffee in silence. You gazed at the stars outside of the window of the Express while he tried to read some book to keep his mind off the thoughts that had kept him awake.

Yet, he found himself unable to concentrate on it and instead stole glances at you while rattling his brain about what he could talk about with you.

Eventually, you were the first one to break the silence. Initiating a conversation about the vastness of the universe and the thing that are yet beyond any human comprehension. Asking questions no man knew an answer to yet. And he was more than happy to indulge in the conversation. 

You ended up talking until the morning hours that night without the conversation ever dying down. He enjoyed the talk you had so much, he found himself thinking about it for weeks after.

Long deep talks over a fresh pot of coffee in the middle of the night should soon become a habit for both of you.

And he came to crave them so much that he even started setting an alarm at night and went to check if you were there again as well. And most of the time you were. 

One night, when he looked at you and saw the light of the stars reflect in your eyes once again, he too had to admit he was looking straight at a star himself.

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about HSR or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

[jymwahuwu]

Hello, it's my first time asking and it took me a lot of courage to do this. So I recently had a thought about what if the reader and Jing Yuan were childhood friends and she used to tease him a lot when they were younger but then she did something to get exiled from the Xianzhou and became part of the stellaron hunters but came back with blade and Kafka like in the story but after the whole phantiliya battle was finished she still stayed on the Luofu for awhile for nostalgia but got captured by the cloud nights and she was sent to see the general himself. But all this time the reader thought the general would have hated her for what she did but instead of hating her he was waiting for her to come back so he could see her and tease her like how she did to him. Idk if anyone else has already sent an idea like this but I just wanted to share my thoughts and I think it would be a pretty interesting storyline. Sorry if I was rambling but it's okay if you don't write abt this I'll be fine if you just gave some thoughts about it. Thank you for reading this idea of mine and don't worry about answering fast I know you have a lot going on in your life so just take care of yourself! (Also sorry if there are some things that didn't make sense I'm too scared to look back at what I wrote)

Love this idea!! It’s interesting and you expressed it clearly. Don't be afraid <3

Ah…turning the tables…my favourite 🤤😌 please provide me with more

-CW: yandere, non-con, kidnapping, threaten

In childhood, you and Jing Yuan were friends. Jing Yuan has precocious wisdom and is out of place among his peers, but you don't respect him. Maybe just…jealousy? These are for some childish reasons, maybe he gets perfect marks every time, he gets candy but you don't, and parents on both sides compare you to him. In your eyes, Jing Yuan is just a white-haired little boy who is similar to you. You occasionally pull his soft white hair, make him some strange braids, and often tease him, such as giving him nicknames and laughing at him. The strange thing is that Jing Yuan has never been angry with you and is as tolerant to you as the ocean.

As you grow older, you gradually drift away from each other. You also know that he joined the Cloud Knights and eventually… succeeded general. Seeing him on the Space Channel, the childhood friend you used to tease, became one of the leaders of this space civilization, and you had really mixed emotions.

You have taken your own path in life, become a member of the Stellaron Hunters, and fallen into the gray area. You and the members pick up Blade and accept him as a new member. I heard that he used to be Jing Yuan's best friend, but when you asked him about it, you found that his memory was also blurred.

Just like you.

Looking back on the past and reviving those faded memories, you are a little unsure whether Jing Yuan really never got angry, or whether you subconsciously beautified this memory. How can this be? He definitely hates you.

Before setting off back to Luofu, Elio's message said that this time the script is about Kafka, Blade and you. He tells you to be careful of General Luofu because this time you have only one fate, which is to be [caught], and only this fate can continue your destiny. It seems that most of the details are no longer visible, and your fate is shrouded in mist. You couldn't help but feel funny and told them you'd be fine.

What can Jing Yuan do to you?

However, the wanted portrait is indeed painted lifelike, in Xianzhou's traditional style. It's hard not to think that Jing Yuan provided an extremely detailed proposal in painting the wanted poster about you. It's kind of creepy.

You rescued Blade according to the flow of the script and met with Kafka. While they went to find the rumored Imbibitor Lunae, you spent some time reminiscing on Luofu. Just a moment. The moment you stepped into that familiar place, you immediately fell into unconsciousness. There was a very slight tingling sensation on your neck, like a small ant biting you, and then you fell into the boundless darkness.

When you woke up… your wrists were already locked with iron chains wrapped in feathers, right at the head of the bed. If you don't pay attention, the chain can even become invisible. Accompanying it was the general's narrowed smile, a little mocking but still gentle. The enlarged smile is right in front of you.

"Jing Yuan?! What are you doing?" A kiss electrified your heart. You watched in shock as your childhood friend held the back of your head and kissed you, lingeringly, lovingly. His eyes were closed, as if he was enjoying it, murmuring your name while kissing you. You pushed and kicked him, but he enveloped you like a quilt, crushing you. He places you in the mating position and bottoms out his cock inside you, emptying out his long-unreleased seed.

"Jing Yuan…? Stop! Stop this…"

Jing Yuan won't stop teasing you - you are too cute for him and that doesn't change. He continued to whisper lewd things in your ear, and occasionally lied about having sent a video of your orgasm to people who hated Stellaron Hunters. Your eyes were as wide as a frightened deer and you sucked his cock with resignation, tears falling. And the number of orgasms is so humiliating, you always deny it… You will not lose to the Jing Yuan you used to tease…

Jing Yuan likes you, but does not deny the possibility. Maybe Jing Yuan once really hated you, maybe he hated you during those teasings, but a long life is like peeling off the peel of a fruit in the end, revealing the crystal clear flesh inside. What remains are those sparkling memories. Your bright smile stayed in his memory.

[sunday-kisser]

So like — Sunday lives rent free in my mind and I thought, why not share some thoughts and ideas?

In this little thread, reader is also a nameless on the express but not the trailblazer — gn!reader

imagine Sunday joins the astral express (instead of, as highly anticipated, the stellaron hunters)

you've grown closer with him after everything that happened on Penacony

or more like, you've developed a crush after getting to know more and seeing more of him — and you don't know how exactly he feels about you, if he even feels the same

you don't want to overwhelm him after having to leave everything behind, after having to get used to his new life

March has noticed a long time ago that Sunday is dear to you, very much so, very romantically so

she decides to tell Stelle about it and chaos ensues from then on

they try to play matchmaker, trying to get you and Sunday to confess, so that one of you eventually breaks and finally addresses the huge elephant in the room

because it's not only you having the hots for the halovian no, he certainly also takes his time to admire you from afar — he just isn't used to this feeling and doesn't know how to make sense of everything that is happening

so you keep and keep sneaking glances at each other, casually exchanging the smallest of touches whenever one reaches out to give something to the other

March has had enough and makes plans with Stelle

one of her plans being to push you into Sunday as you walk together, with you crashing into him — unfortunately leaving more bad than good impressions as you spill March's drink on him in the process (she made you hold it on purpose)

she thought it would be all romantic as you would try to wipe it off him in a rushed panic, just like in the various romance movies she has watched

sadly enough, it took a wrong turn

Sunday would glance down, breathe out in a calm manner and say something like "vile"

it would be clear yet quite quiet too

and you would feel ashamed, an apology already on the tip of your tongue before he excuses himself and disappears

you would look at March and Stelle, apologizing to March for spilling her drink

after that, you would avoid everyone who has witnessed the scene, including your victim of spillage — after all, you were so sure Sunday would not fancy to see or talk to you ever again as you thought he found you to be vile

March would feel bad (she did the whole time) and so she would search for Sunday and explain the whole situation to him — unfortunately also laying your feelings for him in the open in the process of it all

later in the evening you would hear a knock on your door, expecting it to be March or Stelle you don't even bother to turn around and only tell them to come in

to your surprise, March's voice sounds deeper — it is Sunday

you turn around immediately but before you can say anything Sunday beats you to it and your apology dies on your tongue yet again

he listened intently to March and her explanation of the situation earlier and so he immediately assures you — he didn't mean you when he spoke the word vile, but rather the sticky and wet sensation on his suit

he tells you how March has planned this after all and that you aren't at fault

and even if you were, he couldn't be mad at you

then Sunday does something he has never done before, he indulges in HIS OWN wants and needs and lets you know exactly what he feels and how he feels about you

it is then, that you find out he's been aware of your feelings for him (Sunday doesn't tell you that March has confirmed it for him too)

you two get to plan your first date — March gets to live in fear of you getting back at her

you don't, after all, everything worked out in the end

Sunday and you are now the first couple on the express

everyone is happy for you and Sunday is glad that he gets to experience this new life with you by his side

it's been so long since I've written something of that kind — noticeably so, I know :')

Also, it's so cliche but do I care? Nah lol

©written by sunday-kisser

[strawberri-yan]

TW: kidnapping, Jing Yuan babies and degrades reader, also the usual yandere stuff

Some background: Jing Yuan and reader had a fiery rivalry when they were young which morphs into a strong friendship as they grew older. But then reader decides to betray the Loufu and take part as a Stellaron Hunter. 

 You and the other Stellaron hunters were tasked on a mission to find a potential Stellaron. Things were going smoothly until all of you were ambushed by the Cloud knights. Overwhelmed and nearly beaten, the hunters make their escape. 

But you were a liability after sustaining a critical injury from knights. Kafka and the others had no choice but to abandon you. Biting your lip, you can do nothing but shout curses and profanities as your team leaves you in the middle of Cloudford. ‘Nothing personal,’ Kafka simply told you in that mocking, teasing tone of hers. Soonly after, you had been surrounded by the army of Clouds knights as they all aim their weapons at you. “My, my, now what do we have here?” A smooth, deep voice drawls out from not too far. The men part way for the white hair general as he saunters towards your pathetic form, arms crossed from behind as he sends you a knowing look. It sickened you. 

"You... I should have known you'd be lurking around here somewhere, Jing Yuan," You growled. "And as for the others, they've already made their escape,"

Jing Yuan chuckles at your words. "Is that so?Oh well, doesn’t matter. We'll find them eventually. But for now, I'm more interested in what you're doing here. Especially joining forces with the Stellaron hunters? My, how you've fallen far."

Gritting your teeth, you glared at the man. "Someone like you wouldn't understand!" you shouted. “And why are you so pleased to see me like this? Enjoying seeing me suffer?"

"Oh (Y/N), my naïve, reckless little songbird," Jing Yuan tsks, his voice dripping with condescension. "You were so easily deceived. There was never a Stellaron. It was all a ploy to draw you out, to lure you back home and into my welcoming embrace." He extends his arms wide, exaggerating his point. If you didnt know any better, he had seemed like a wicked villain from a novel. 

You's eyes widen with a mixture of shock and anger, your battered body stiffens. "You... orchestrated all of this? … did all of this just to bring me back?" You asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jing Yuan's smug expression doesn't waver as he steps closer to you, his hand gently caressing your bruised cheek. "Yes. I've missed you so much. I couldn't bear the thought of being separated from you for so long. Especially with those slimey, conniving   hunters. "

Your eyes blow widely at the madman in front of you,  you try to pull away from his touch, but the Cloud knight general holds you firmly in place. "I won't go back with you," you snapped defiantly. "You will not strip me of my autonomy! I am a Stellaron hunter and nothing will change that. "

Jing Yuan's expression turns dark, and he tightens his grip on your cheek. "How foolish to think you have a choice in this matter, my dear. You belong to me. You always have and you always will."

You glare back at Jing Yuan. "You’re wrong! I will never go back to the life I had with you! I decide on what I do with this life!"

Jing Yuan's lips twist into a cruel smile. "We'll see about that," he says, his tone menacing. "I have ways of making you see things my way."

Immediately, you break free from his hold and summon your weapon before lunging at Jing Yuan. The older man merely smirks as he simply dodges your attacks with ease, not really seeing you as threat as he didn’t even bother taking out his own weapon. If anything, he was toying with you.

"Is this the best you can do?" Jing Yuan taunts, dodging yet another attack. "I expected more from you."

You growled, as you swing your weapon with all your might, but Jing Yuan once again dodges gracefully.

"You're still no match for me, old friend~" Jing Yuan taunts, truly getting under your skin. "You're out of practice, weak, and foolish for thinking you could challenge me."

Your's eyes blinded with fury as you charge at him once again, determined to prove him wrong. "I remember when we used to train together, you were so much better than this. What happened to you?"

A surge of humiliation bubbles within you, especially seeing how he was able to overpower you so easily. "You think you're so much better than me, I'll show you what I'm really capable of!"

"I'd like to see you try," he chuckles, still circling around you. "But I have a feeling you'll just end up embarrassing yourself even more." But before you could even retort, Jing Yuan knocks you out by striking the back of your neck. He carries your limp body as your weapon uselessly clutters to the floor. He takes this moment to admire your gentle features as you remain unconscious in his arms. He had always found you to be vibrant and beautiful, he especially liked to see you frustrated and angry as he had found it cute.

With his soldiers escorting him to his personal Starskiff, he lays you down comfortably on the seat cushions while sitting down beside you, gazing intently.

"I've missed you, baobei," Jing Yuan whispers softly. "You're still as stubborn as ever, but that's what I love about you. You may have lost your way, but I'm here to guide you back home."

Gently, he brushes some of your hair away from your forehead and leans in, pressing his lips against in a gentle kiss.

[dumplingsfordays]

patching you up

blade x injured!gn!reader

genre - fluff

summary - blade patches you up after you got injured while fighting mara.

cw!: mentions of blood + injury, soft-ish!blade, ooc blade?, mention of blade's past life which idfk how it works lmao I should be paying attention to the storyline asjdnb, swearing, mutual pining

note - god damn. soft!blade is living in my head rent-free fr, can't get enough of him <33 I'm not usually an edgy-emo-boy fan but ig blade's just built different 💪💪

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

With each painful cough, more and more thin splatters of blood painted your mouth crimson.

It hurt. A lot. You didn't expect it to hurt nearly as bad as it did when you charged in to fight the Mara that was attacking some people that were making their way through Cloudford, but the spear that their captain had used to stab through your side was probably coated in some sort of poison, because with every sluggish step you took, you felt your body break little by little. Eventually, you collapsed onto the cold ground - your torso was numb and soon your arms and legs would be as well.

Well, at least you were going to die somewhere pretty. The sunset glimmered through the leaves of thin trees growing from large pots, which were scattered across the various bridges of the district. Starskiffs drifted lazily across the sky like regal ships on the high seas and the last thing you heard before you closed your eyes for a while was the sound of crickets and footsteps fading in.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

"Finally fucking awake."

A harsh voice came from your side as you opened your extremely tired eyes, which were met with dim but warm lighting and a dark wooden ceiling.

"Can't believe you got into this mess," the voice continued as you felt something tightening around your waist. "Didn't think that you'd be so stupid."

His face flashed in your hazy mind and you tried to sit up. "...Blade, I-"

"Don't move. You'll make it worse."

Hands. Ice-cold, gruff, but gentle hands pushed you back into your previous position by your shoulders, and you felt the tightening feeling again shortly after.

"What are you doing?" you whispered, then coughed again. Your throat was so dry - it felt like you haven't drank in decades, and with each cough you swore that your lungs were going to fly out of your mouth at the sheer force.

"Fixing you, obviously."

You raised your neck to try and catch a glimpse of your wounds but saw only the top of Blade's head, his raven hair tied back in a low ponytail. He was bent over your side, and just as you lowered your head back to the pillow a sharp bolt of pain shot through you, making you hiss and wince.

"That hurt!"

"It'll pass," he replied almost too casually. "Deal with it."

An uncomfortable pause ensued, during which you finally figured out that he was bandaging your torso up. You'd never expected anyone to find you back there, much less a Stellaron Hunter that you'd only interacted with five or six times, but thank the Aeons that at least someone did. But you did think it was strange that he was doing this for you, because from all your two-or-three-word conversations, you were sure that he wasn't the type to help an almost complete stranger. In fact, you'd think that he would be the one to cause these injuries in the first place.

While you were staring up at the ceiling in deep thought, Blade was lowkey kind-of admiring your skin. You weren't going to look down at him again anyway, it seems that you'd learned your lesson, but that just allowed him to eye your softness in more detail. This was his chance - he'd been admiring you from afar ever since you first met, and he wasn't about to let this opportunity to see what you looked like close-up pass.

Before he knew what he was doing, Blade's fingers reached out to lightly press onto skin that was near your wound, at which you hissed and leaned away from his touch.

"You sure that you're actually healing me?" you asked.

"Yes. I know what I'm doing, trust me."

He continued to press curiously but gently, making sure not to hurt you on purpose. Your skin was fascinating to him - it was soft, warm, while his was unforgivingly cold; yours had a fascinating shade of life about it and his didn't. This contrast was what made his eyes widen a little everytime he made physical contact with you, and he found small differences like these to amount to vast ones overall. Maybe this is what always made him think that you came from a different world entirely.

Blade then noticed that your hand was trembling by your side - the painkillers must be wearing off. He stood up from the chair beside the bed on which you were resting and reached for a couple pills and a glass of water on a nearby counter, moving them to the bedside table. His hands felt your back as he sat you up to administer the medicine.

You now saw where you were - from what you could tell, it was a small house or apartment somewhere. Dark wood covered the walls, ceiling, and floor, and tapestries and thriving plants littered the environment. You didn't know that he had a green thumb, but now that you did, you felt safer somehow - what if this cold, distant man was more human than you'd originally thought him to be?

His lithe, cold fingers brought you back to reality as they rested under your jaw, pulling it open gently, and your eyes focused on his admittedly quite handsome face again. Crimson eyes, the color of a blood moon, stared intensely at yours in avid concentration before travelling back to his other hand, which was now lifting a glass of sparkling golden liquid to your lips. There was a certain reverence of sorts glimmering in his expression, and this was accompanied by the fact that he was treating you like he would a glass flower. Your lips finally met the rim of the glass and when you finally tasted the elixir, you sighed.

It was cool and sweet, a refreshing sensation that battled the humidity of the room and the pain in your side. You drank the entire glass with ease and after Blade set it down on the bedside table, he wiped away some stray droplets of the shining liquid with a rough thumb.

That was it - Blade had become an entirely person just now. You could see it in his eyes and feel it as he breathed: this was not the same person who happened to be walking by a person on their deathbed and had enough pity in their secluded heart to heal them. He treated you like an old friend or a partner, perhaps, by taking you in.

"You'll experience drowsiness soon," he mentioned, "don't feel like you can't sleep. I won't leave you."

You laughed lazily in return, already feeling the effects of the painkillers. "So you can murder me in my sleep?"

"...I can leave-"

"No, no, I'm just kidding."

You sigh and relax into the pillows beneath you as Blade lowers you onto your back again. His gaze lingers on yours for maybe a second too long but he pulls away, preferring to sit down in a chair by the bedside and stare out at the scenery surrounding the house.

Once your eyes close and your breaths become quiet, he gives it a couple seconds to make sure you're asleep before softly starting to hum. It's an old tune from his past life, one which he used to smith to, and as midnight moonlight begins to stream in through the window, it veils your calm face in a hazy, shimmery glow that rivals even the smoothest of satins. He reaches a hand towards the apple of your cheek, cradling it in his palm as he sighs, a faint smile dancing on his lips.

"You're gonna kill me someday."

[impactedfates]

hii! a platonic mini scenerio with blade taking care of teen!reader who is sick?

reader is a stellaron hunter, but they sadly have a tendency to get sick easily, blade is their main caretaker, like how jing yuan is to yanqing

thanks in advance!!

A/N: Hello! :D Your wish is my command, I hope you'll enjoy this >:)

Genre/Trope: Platonic + Intended Found Family (Big Brother Blade >:D)

Format: Mini Scenario (356 WC)

Warnings: None

Extra: I have no explanation on why reader slept in the snow, they're just a silly billy

“[Name] just drink the damn medicine”

Glared the swordsman, his red eyes staring into your own eyes. You mumbled and crossed your arms, turning away from him.

“No! It’s so bitter and…not tasty at all”

“It’s not MEANT to be tasty”

Blade sighed out, trying once again to put the spoon of bitter medication in your mouth. He didn’t know why you were like this, you often got sick so you should be used to the medication that you were given right?

“Give me the strawberry flavoured one, that’s nice”

“We ran out of that one. Plus you're not prescribed that one”

He explained, eventually putting the spoon down carefully to the slide so the liquid wouldn't spill out. He crossed his arms at you, narrowing his eyes as he silently examined you.

You were definitely sick, no amount of you pouting at him would change the fact your appearance gave away how deathly sick you were.

"I told you not to go out in the snow, and what did you do? You SLEPT in the snow"

He finally speaks up with a small groan, despite how cold he seemed, he still had a soft spot with you. He looked at you again before speaking in a softer tone.

"I know the medicine is bitter, but I want you to get better sooner...I...care for you okay?...If you drink it, once you get better I'll go out in the snow with you, but this time you HAVE to wear a coat"

You thought for a bit before finally nodding, agreeing. Reluctantly you opened your mouth and drank the medicine, you physically retract from it in disgust and stick out your tongue.

"There, that wasn't so bad was it?"

"It was..."

Blade shook his head and simply let out a rare chuckle, ruffling your hair.

"Right, okay I'm going to make chicken noodle soup for you, I'll be right back"

You nod, leaning back in your bed before calling out to him before he leaves.

"Bladie?"

"Hm?"

"You do promise to take me out in the snow once I'm better right?"

"Of course, I promise"

First request since I opened them eheheehheeh. I hope you like it! Ngl got paranoid about the WC until I remembered it was a mini scenario...

[moonsaver]

It’s me @pix3lplays back at it again, not a request, but you mentioned a SLEEPOVER with the Stellaron hunters and it isn’t leaving my head so please have some thoughts…

First of all oh my gosh just IMAGINE their pajamas I’m crying that’s so funny…Silver Wolf’s is just straight up a Pokémon onesie or something-

Kafka has some very pretty, tasteful silk pajamas with lace…

Blade. Idk I imagine he probably sleeps shirtless or something (I’m normal about his scars I swear) but if he knows they’re having a guest he wears some random t-shirt alongside his sweatpants. Like. He doesn’t care what he wears at night…it’s a t-shirt with a really bizarre Picture or incomprehensible writing on it and you’re just like ??? Okay….

The human cast? Each of them have long enough hair…for a braid train…Kafka doing something really nice with Silver Wolf’s hair…while Blade just does something basic for Kafka, and then y/n gets to experiment with Blade’s hair…if he’ll let you. Important stuff I’m telling you.

Trying to play a board game with them that results in Kafka having to use her Spirit Whisper at LEAST once to get you all to calm down. Do NOT play Uno. Blade got +four carded like five times in a row, you felt so bad for him…

PILLOW FIGHT GONE WRONG!!! SO MANY INJURIES!!! Sam and Blade took it WAY too seriously.

At least one incident of Blade asking you to smother him with a pillow.

Silver Wolf who stays up LATE. So late. You’re all watching her play a video game, and the girl just doesn’t STOP, haha. Eventually you all would like to go to sleep…not her. You try so hard to stay awake to watch her but you end up falling asleep on the shoulder of another Stellaron Hunter.

Kafka eventually makes Silver Wolf go to sleep, but Silver Wolf does that thing I used to do as a kid where I’d just. Hide under the blanket while playing my DS. That’s Silver Wolf.

Blade getting a mara flare up in the middle of the night kinda killing the mood. Sam holding him like he’s a feral animal while you and Kafka calm him down.

Sam who I’m assuming doesn’t have to really sleep? Combined with Blade waking up really early results in them waking up the rest of you by accident in the morning haha.

Cooking breakfast for the Stellaron Hunter humans…please I NEED- (don’t mind me not really knowing how to cook but I CAN make pancakes and scrambled eggs lol)

I just…need a Stellaron Sleepover. Elio needs to put it in the script, I’m BEGGING.

Hello, Pixel! Glad to see you in my inbox, hehe.

The sleepover is a very fun concept!

I think your descriptions of their sleepwear is quite spot on. As for Blade.. does.. does he sleep? I feel like.. he just only takes off his normal clothes for wash day. Otherwise he probably just has.. some ripped up, old clothing that's begging to be put out of it's misery. Kafka has to come to the rescue once again and fish out some more appropriate wear for the sleepover and force him to change into them.

As for the braid train, I love it! They're all chattering and snickering, and y/n gets to experiment with Blade's hair. I imagine they temporarily dismantle the train to look at y/n's progress on his hair, and go back into their positions after. I think Blade's hair would actually be kind of silky near the roots, and in the middle. Most likely because he uses either Kafka's, or Silverwolf's bare minimum shampoo products which is miraculous for his hair. The ends are.. crusty, to say the least. But hey! It's not everyday you get to braid and shape his hair all silly. Make most of it!

The card game.. aww. Uno is probably the only thing all of you can really play, monopoly's not interesting enough for Blade to keep his attention, and other board games like Ludo makes Silverwolf too competitive, and Kafka's tried one too many times to cheat the dice. So.. Uno's the only simple option, not like they can't cheat, but.. it's a small card game, so.. whatever. They just stay dormant. Until all of you simultaneously pulled out a +4 and Blade had to pick up almost half of the card stack.. yikes.

Pillow fighting is probably the only activity that gets Blade actively engaged,but it's not long before the threads all snap except a few and the pillow is begging for mercy, Blade swinging it with such force to the point there's only a small bunch of cotton and fabric left.. injuries are even worse than that. Sam is a hair's breadth away from shooting someone through the pillow itself. So pillow fighting is banned until both Blade and Sam learn how to take it easier.

Silver wolf staying up to play extremely late.. makes sense. She would. Forms a small tent with an ominous glow from the inside, and it's just her console. At least, she doesn't quite disturb you as much as the others.

Blade.. poor thing. He himself probably doesn't want the mara flare up. After a while of calming him down everyone's just docile and kind of concerned about his shuddering state. Except Sam, of course. Deathly iron grip. Asks if he's done and if he can go. Dude, read the room!

Breakfast! Silverwolf's definitely not awake by then. Kafka's up and ready, miraculously. She offers you.. questionable substances, if you can even call it edible. But don't worry! Just close your eyes, take a mouthful, and leave it to Kafka if your stomach feels weird. Blade.. isn't someone that's partial to cooking, but all the Stellaron Hunters quietly watch him cook from the side.. watching him struggle a bit, but manage to cook an average breakfast with a few burnt sides. And of course, y/n gets first dibs.

[tsujigitsune]

[ You ask Kafka why it's so hard for her. ]

…I've tried everything. You have to understand. Sam and Silver Wolf are both a no-go. That should be obvious, right? I know they'd hate me saying so, but I can't help but see them as kids. To be honest, at first, I thought working with them was… distasteful. Not like I know better than Elio's script, I guess. Bladie at least has the… fortitude, but… it'd be kind to call it an 'exercise in frustration'. I don't say that to fault him; he'll put in the effort and all, it's just… I mean, at some point, it's just masturbating but with extra steps, you know? Maybe it's just me… Thing is, it's a big galaxy out there, or… it's supposed to be, anyway. Lots and lots of people. There's a part of me that says things like… "It'd only take one." But one what…? What is it I even want? Men, or women, strong or weak, hard or soft… To be honest, I don't know what it's supposed to feel like. To me, the most fun part is seeing what happens. Once I know what to expect, it's… I don't know. A little droll. …but it's a big galaxy out there, right? If I kept myself busy with it, I'm sure I could find something new, someone new, every single day. Tried that for a while, too. But there are so, so many… boring people. It's all up to me, I have to be the one to make it interesting. I've had to get pretty creative in order to entertain myself, hehe… But it's like I always say. You'd think the possibilities are limitless… but in reality, there's only so many variations… and eventually they run out. You start being able to see them coming. Like… see that guy? It'd be effortless. You'd talk him up, give him a whisper or two, get him alone somewhere, and then… he'd fold like paper. And that's just it. Once you know that's how it's going to go, what's the fun in continuing? …I think it's me. Maybe it sounds rich coming from a Stellaron Hunter, but I don't want to be the kind of person that actually hurts people just to get off, you know? I know it's… supposed to feel good. I don't know, I shouldn't say that as if it doesn't. But… is that really all? It's… honestly, it's pretty frustrating to think… that this is just another one of those things that my lack of 'fear' has ruined for me. …Is it? Scary, I mean.

[ A little. It's scary to make yourself vulnerable to someone. You're giving them the power to really hurt you. ]

To hurt you, huh. But some people like that kind of thing… some people like it a lot. I guess that's a matter of trust, right…? …Trust… that's another thing I don't quite get. Does Bladie… 'trust' me? Does anyone trust me? Should anyone trust me? Should it bother me if they don't?

[ You sound worried. ]

Worried…? …Do you mean I sound afraid? Haha. No, I'm not afraid. I'm… it's a little more than bored… I'm frustrated. I've told you before. It feels like there's a hole in me, there's something missing. I can't see it, but… But I'm hungry for it. I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop hunting for it. If I found it… hehe, I might rip it apart, all desperate to make it a part of me… does that excite you to imagine? …No, don't. I don't know what you'd do. If I found out… then I couldn't imagine it. All the things in the universe I don't know, they're precious to me. Every time I learn something new, the range of possibilities gets a little more narrow, the world gets a little bit smaller… …haaah. I should go. Before… I hurt your feelings, heheheh. …me? I'll be fine… Don't know what else I'd be.

[crguang]

I feel like there’s a lot of sacrificing for a joke in hsr, which is definitely annoying especially when it just…doesn’t make sense, tonally and just logically. And I really do wish we found out more abt the TB, and I would’ve like even like a tidbit from firefly since we talk to her sm, we even play as her at the end. Or maybe get an offhand mention abt how she’s not supposed to tell us bc of the script or smth . I def agree w you, I cannot take the ipc seriously, bc there’s all this stuff abt how they’re doing stuff for their own benefit and profit but idk the stuff w the stellaron hunters and them is just so goofy, like it doesn’t make any sense.

ok so, I was looking thru ur blog and I realized I sent a message abt two-ish weeks ago, tumblr probably ate it smh. I was just saying how it was silly that Kafka’s wanted poster literally says she likes coats on it, and her bounty, like that’s it. Shes so sjsjshbsbddbbewv. And I also came up with another fic idea, like Kafka in an idol/band AU, but also I think her being an actor w the other stellaron hunters would be funny. But yk if I ever get around to writing anything instead of Kafka just living in my brain, who would she be in a band with, I was think abt using some of the characters from the animated before the show starts thing, but the instruments just don’t go together. Also I think I need to work on writing Kafka in general, bc she’s so complicated and it’s fun but I also overthink things too much.

And the leaks were unfortunately right abt 4 characters on one side. I’m not as devastated as you ofc, but hopefully I win my 50/50. Hjskalskskskndn I will cry if I loose.

also, no need to apologize for ranting, your rants always make more sense than mine, and I really enjoy your thoughts. -🌠

i agree with you 100%!!! missed opportunity with firefly and the tb reconnecting it could have been so nice. and omg i think i read that ask, it sounds familiar but i have so many (most are really old reqs, the recent ones are the event reqs i keep to answer eventually) and sometimes things get lost or i’ll click on the notification, answer in my head, then go do something else and forget to actually post my reply, im sorry😭😭 but YES i was thinking of kafka’s description in the game and while i know its the objective writing of the game and not the ipc, i find it funny to believe that whoever was in charge of her wanted notice thought she was hot as fuck because “dashing” and “beauty” in the same sentence is crazy work. her bounty is even funnier bc im wondering how they found out that she loved coats like😭 did she steal a bunch (she did), are they rlly monitoring her credit card and seeing all the purchases of expensive coats, is she always found in a store— what is it?!

actor au stellaron hunters would be really fun… you could also just put then in a band together for the idol/band au because i do think they’re the people who understand her best. the thought of kafka and jingliu practicing together is so funny because jingliu would hate that woman like GDJFBFNG her arrogance would have liu clenching that instrument so tight

i dont think you should worry about overthinking when it comes to writing, it can be a weakness because then you focus too much on details and forget the big picture, but personally i also think j too much into things when i write characters like kafka especially. when every genuine emotion is in the twitch of a finger, there’s kinda no choice lol

“im not as devastated as you” is killing me but its true… im the biggest victim of this banner system bc if i dont get my swanie i’ll @)&$(&)@)£<£#%. i hope u win the 50/50, unless i lose mine in which case i hope everyone else also loses <3

[spooky-activity]

Psst. Tell me about your fancomic 👀

Oh god, okay okay, I'm giving you ALL the context(as of the most recent patch, 2.4) because I know you know nothing about the game, and ALL my thoughts, are you ready Tjerra. Well. Most of my thoughts. I won't say any spoilers for future plans. But if my explanation peaks your interest you can absolutely message me on discord and I will spill EVERYTHING. If it doesn't peak your interest that's fine too I know not everyone has to like the same thing and I absolutely won't be offended XD

I'm going to put it under a cut because I've written you a dissertation.

OK. SO. CONTEXT.

In Honkai: Star Rail you play as the Trailblazer, who can be a boy(Caelus) or girl(Stelle). I picked the girl, so I'm going to refer to the Trailblazer as Stelle from here on out.

Our first moment of consciousness controlling this character is this scene, where Kafka shoves (what we later learn to be) a seed of disaster, AKA the cancer of all worlds, AKA a Stellaron into our chest. These things have the ability to corrode reality, so like. They're bad news. We get picked up by the crew of the Astral Express, which Himeko is the unspoken leader of.

About Kafka

Kafka is a member of a group known as the Stellaron Hunters, who have been going around the universe gathering these dangerous reality bombs. They are widely regarded as criminals. She seems to be the right hand of their leader, Elio. Her inter-astral bounty is 10.899 billion credits. (The highest bounty of all the currently known Stellaron Hunters, one of which blew up an entire planet.) She has an ability called Spirit Whisper, which essentially allows her to mind control people.

Here's her Character Trailer and her Myriad Celestia Trailer, which I would recommend watching if you want to get a sense of her personality, but also because these trailers kinda kick ass.

Stelle has amnesia, she doesn't remember anything from before waking up. But according to things Kafka said in an optional companion mission you can complete with her later in the game, she was the one who was "...responsible for protecting you, teaching you general knowledge, common sense, and combat skills." (I kind of see her as a motherly figure to Stelle because of this, but others see their past relationship as romantic. No confirmation of their past relationship dynamic aside from this line has appeared in the game.)

From her companion mission, we can also learn:

A bit about her backstory: "I used to be a Devil Hunter. I grew up on a planet contaminated by a Stellaron: Pteruges-V – “New Babylon.” Humans there don’t know what fear is – the concept itself simply doesn’t exist. When people don’t feel fear they are dominated by desire and pleasure – they become “devils.” When Elio found me, I was in the middle of a mission… and the conditions he offered me caught my interest."

She joined the Stellaron Hunters because "I have no mechanism for “fear”. There is an empty space in my mind and my heart, but I am unable to perceive it. Changing that part of myself isn’t something I can do alone. Elio can help me, if I follow his instructions."

She is very interested in Stelle because "One day, Elio handed you over to me. He said that if things continued to transpire according to the future possibility he foresaw, you would eventually change me, and I would change you. In other words, you and I are each other’s destiny."

Another Stellaron Hunter, Firefly, has QUITE A FEW very important things to add to Kafka's characterization, which previous to Firefly's lines about her was still very very mysterious.

Her thoughts about Kafka if you ask her: "She willingly approaches me, and when I try to approach her, I get the feeling that the distance between us is getting bigger and bigger... Kafka told me: "When making friends with someone, keep the right distance, in order to maintain a long-lasting relationship." But I don't think she actually believes this."

She revealed that Kafka just. Gave her her credit card and pin and told her to buy anything that caught her eye. The context of the scene gave the impression that Kafka has a very doting personality towards people she cares about.

She says that Kafka "knows people's hearts". This combined with her Spirit Whisper ability leads me to believe that Kafka is very, very, very good at manipulating people.

It's also mentioned that she loves velvet coats specifically because of how fragile they are/how difficult they are to care for and keep looking nice. And basically everyone she seems to actually truly care about (Stelle, the rest of the Stellaron Hunters) she has seen in an incredibly fragile and vulnerable state.

My personal interpretation of her character is that if you're not one of the people she considers "hers", you can basically go fuck yourself as far as she's concerned. She simply doesn't care about you or what happens to you. I think you become "hers" if she sees your fragility, and decides she'd rather see you whole than broken.

I think she wants to be able to feel fear because she dislikes being able to "know the hearts" of the people who are "hers"(people she loves), but being unable to empathize with them, and being unable to fear losing them. I think... She might be lonely because of this. Feeling like she can't "truly" connect with people unless she makes herself "whole".

About Himeko

Himeko is the Navigator of the Astral Express, which is a Space Train created thousands of years ago by Akivili, the God of Trailblazing(who is now missing and presumed dead). It is able to warp jump between worlds and lay down a "Silver Rail" which other people can traverse. Civilizations on different planets were unable to contact each other before this. The Express itself(and by extension, the current Crew of the Express) is extraordinarily famous throughout the cosmos because it and its Silver Rail connected the universe in the first place.

She's also the mechanic of the Astral Express(AKA smart enough to fix God's spaceship), but she never introduces herself that way. She has a very good memory. From her her Character Story: Part III "...She remembers the specifications for every single component of the Express and how they're assembled. She remembers when to oil the Express's bearings and when each plant on the Express needs watering."

We know almost nothing about her past, because this woman refuses to fucking talk about herself no matter how much I ask her.

All we know is that at some point, the Astral Express was destroyed, stranded on her home planet, and the young Himeko repaired it. Then she left her home planet, and has been Trailblazing ever since.

Her character blurbs you can read in her profile imply that she is incredibly lonely, though. Her personality is like. Elegant Team Mom. She's incredibly warm, always making sure everyone is okay and their needs are met. She MADE the outfits for Stelle and another member of the Express who ALSO has amnesia, and built a weapon for the other amnesiac too. She named the groupchat all the passengers of the Astral Express are in "The Astral Express Family" so. yeah. But also she’s allergic to talking about herself

Here's her character trailer if you'd like to get a bit of a better sense of her personality. She was one of the first characters to get a trailer, and uhhhh it's a bit lacking in pizzaz compared to Kafka's trailers.

Shipping Them

Tjerra I'm going to be honest with you. They have only met one time in the game. This is the scene.

Kafka is literally the only person we've ever seen Himeko act like this towards, including members of the IPC (Interastral Peace Corporation, which is basically just. Space Amazon if Amazon was also the government.) who she also hates. She's always, at the very least, extremely polite to everyone we've met(who isn't actively trying to kill us). Except Kafka.

Because of this aggression and this video where Himeko says: "...as for my encounters with Kafka, they were little more than footnotes to a bigger journey." people who ship the two normally headcanon them as exes, on account of the plural "encounters" mentioned here.

But it's unclear(to me) if the "Keeping up with Star Rail" videos are canon. Or if Himeko is referring to their singular ingame interaction, because Himeko also says this in that video: "Why take kindly to someone who holds up your train journey?" Which. Is what Kafka did in their one ingame interaction.

So MY personal take on the whole thing is that this actually was their first time ever meeting, and Himeko just dislikes her because she was the one who shoved the Stellaron/reality bomb into Stelle's chest(personal grudge) and has also killed a bunch of people(general dislike of mass murder).

Basically my first "huh, I think I could get into this" thought was what if Kafka, playful tease that she is, thought it was funny that she could get on Himeko's nerves so easily, and essentially decided to keep on poking her to see what kind of reactions she could get. For me, that's a really fun dynamic to play with.

What interested me further was that, in the beginning of Kafka's optional companion mission, she texts you to come help her with something, asking you not to tell anyone. You can actually go and ask Himeko about what she thinks you should do. And she actually encourages you to go and talk to her, putting aside her own feelings about Kafka in order to facilitate what she thinks is an important relationship for you.

Exploring what it would take for these two to actually fall in love is kind of the premise of my comic. (I am demisexual and demiromantic, so Love At First Sight is something I am 90% sure is not a huge prank, and is 100% something I do not understand) Kafka just wanting to push Himeko's buttons, and maybe sleep with the famous Navigator of the Astral Express (what a feat!) and Himeko hating Kafka's guts but knowing she's important to Stelle, and being willing to deal with Kafka if it is to Stelle’s benefit.

If you'd like to read all my panels in order, you can start (here), then go (here), and finally (here).

[vxnuslogy]

— what does it mean to be a star?

pairing: sunday x gn!reader

premise: sunday has stayed with you and the stellaron hunters for a few years. your lives has been filled with many adventures, both good and bad. but like any other story crafted by elio, they must come to an end eventually.

– warnings: slight angst if you squint, implications of committing suicide, not proofread that much.

– author’s note: one final (?) stellaron hunter!sunday fic before he gets released. ive missed writing for this man. art credits to 冒火锅海台 on Weibo for the art. | 1.9k words.

— tags: @ryescapades @mitsvriii @https-sourlimes @dazaisms ; if you'd like to be tagged, please let me know by sending an ask off anon or filling out the forms in my pinned !!!

“what do you think makes a star, a star?”

elio asked you that question decades ago. and only now have you arrived at one final answer. out of curiosity, you asked each hunter the same question over the years that have passed, each of them giving one answer that didn’t quite match the rest.

“to be the top player of course!” silver wolf exclaimed, her tone in a matter of fact manner as she didn’t even look up from her console. you only shook your head in amusement, jotting her answer down in a new journal your boss had given you as a present.

“a star you ask,” kafka tilted her head curiously at you. eyes freed from her usual contacts and makeup followed your movement as you stirred the coffee in your cup. “well, a star for me would be something that captures the attention of others without much effort. stars often piqued your interest, didn’t they?” you only smiled in response and nodded. you made a mental note to write it down later before you went to bed.

firefly took a little longer than the last two to answer. you patiently waited, spooning pieces of cake to your lips as the girl in front of you was deep in thought. “a guide. even in your darkest moment, a star will shine as a guide for you to follow so you don’t stray from your path.” she answered in a whisper. eyes wistful as she played with the dessert on her plate. 

“a star,” blade’s gruff voice cut through the night like a knife. a few bottles of local xianzhou wine separating you two as you sat on the roof overlooking the stars above. you hadn’t expected blade of all people to humor your questions, but here you were, grateful in his presence. “it means to burn. so brightly you are unrecognizable, to others and yourself.”

“you have a sad answer,” you mutter, taking a sip of the wine from the small cup as the man huffs. 

“time takes a heavy toll for both you and i,” the wind sways his hair in a deathly dance. he brings his cup to his lips and drinks in one go. you don’t mention how you can barely finish a cup with how strong the drink was—blade could not feel the pain of it in his throat, and he never will. “you’ve already burned through the remains of your past self. it won’t be long before you look in the mirror and be unable to recognize your reflection.”

you frown at his response. “you’re pessimistic.”

“and you’re hypocritical.”

you have no rebuttal to his accusation, after all, at the very core of your character, the word “hypocrite” hangs like a thorny crown. 

“tell me, starcatcher,” red eyes reflected the conflict you’ve been massing deep within the columns of your bones. they crash onto your being like how the oceans do to the shores—unrelenting and loud. “are you that afraid of losing another that you love them as if tomorrow they’ll die?”

you fled the roof that night. unable to face your hopelessness head on after a fresh wound of death lingers by your heart. another attempt, another reminder of the welling darkness that swells from the tip of your fingers and slowly corrupts your entire body. it drowns you and you can’t help but fear that time is clutching your shoulder, weighing you down to the ocean floor as it laughs at your predicament.

“so it’s decided then.”

but that’s no longer the case. no, not anymore. it's been decades since then, and you’ve changed.

elio sits by his office chair, typewriter moved to the side as he personally penned the final bits of your songbird’s script. you were elio’s editor and proofreader. you don’t exactly remember when it started but when you were still an unwilling understudy—an actor who refused to acknowledge the stage—he would trap you in his office and force you to read over his script to make sure there were no errors.

a small and sad smile tugged at your lips as you read the pages of inked fate. “this is for the best.”

“the best, yes,” elio ceases his writing. compiling the papers into one bulk and staring right at you. “but it's not the ending you wanted.”

you shook your head, “my preferred ending isn’t relevant to how the story ends. it’s not my story to tell.”

“yes, but it's a story you’re meant to read,” there was pity in his eyes. your heart felt too heavy with realization to even feel offended by such a look. “you have the right to feel dissatisfied.”

“thank you, elio, truly,” you only gave destiny’s slave one final smile before standing. you quietly made your way to the door, forcing your steps to sound quiet and lacking sadness. but you can’t do that, you never will. building up walls will only prove to be a waste of effort. not when elio knows every brick by heart.

with a heavy sigh, you linger by the office door before making your way to your workshop. memories from years ago flood your mind as the halls fill your senses. photos from vacation, missions, and simple outings hang by the walls while certain trinkets and relics from bygone travels litter the many desks and drawers. time did take a heavy toll just like blade said. kafka’s skin started to wrinkle a bit, silver wolf started growing taller, firefly grew paler and paler, and blade looked more like death with every breath he took.

time was a painful thing to remember—it’s not infinite. and even if it was, it's never always kind to everyone. and you? you are worse than time and death itself. you were the inevitable–finality. 

“good morning, [name].”

a voice from behind greets you like a new sunrise–a reminder that a new day is here. you couldn’t help the smile that tugged on your lips. seeing sunday in blade’s shirt hang over his body like a blanket, firefly’s hair ties on his wrists and a spare console from silver wolf in one hand brings you so much joy. 

“sunday, good morning!” you sounded breathless. tucking both hands behind your back to hide your shaking as he joined you on your way to the workshop he’s made as his makeshift nest.

sunday smiles—filled with all the hope you’ve craved and lost. it stings your heart like a needle but you don’t show it. you’re first to look away, like all the other times in his presence, unable to face the way his wings flutter and smile twitch in concern.

when you reach the workshop, you flicker the lights on and sunday makes himself at home. sitting by the windowsill as you sat down by your table. scattered fabrics for sunday’s final mission lay in your hands, and you’d be damned if you messed up now. even with a heavy heart, you willed your hands to work, all the while ignoring the concerned stare of the angel sunbathing by the window.

the two of you spend the first few hours of morning in each other’s quiet presence before your tongue itches to ask him a question. “sunday,” you call his name and you curse the flutter in your chest when he immediately looks at you. he noticed his overly quick response and covered half of his face with a fist, pretending to hide a cough instead of his coloring cheeks.

“yes?” he asks, attention solely on you as you pin the needle back on the cushion and smooth out any creases.

“what does it mean to be a star?”

he blinked owlishly at your question. a soft hum escaped his lips as his fingers tapped on the rim of his cup in contemplation. “is there…” he tests the waters—seeing if it's too hot or too cold. “any particular occasion for you to ask me a question?”

you shake your head in amusement when his more formal tone slips out. “no, not at all. just a little tradition is all.”

“well, then,” the words die out on his tongue. every once in a while, sunday would peer at you like a lost child but you’d only nod encouragingly. “a star means to be remembered.” he looked out the window, watching the clouds pass by in a blur. “even if they aren’t always there, you know they exist.”

sometimes you wonder if it's possible for sunday to look at himself through the lens of your eyes. he was beautiful like the praise of idrila, happiness like aha’s laughter, and the curiosity for adventure like akivili. sunday wasn’t just a star, he was the entire universe. and he remained blissfully unaware of it.

“[name], is everything all right?” 

you’re snapped out of your daze when you feel his hand on your cheek. lost in the replays of sunday’s image in your mind, you didn’t notice the stray tears that had betrayed your image of an unbothered editor. 

“please, don’t cry,” he whispers, pressing your foreheads together. his thumb gently wiping away the tears that escaped your eyes. you can’t help but chuckle. sunday truly was like a sponge when it comes to others’ habits.

“what hurts you so?”

“what makes you think i’m hurt?” quite frankly, you were hurt. so incredibly hurt by his eventual departure but your heart knows his stay was only temporary. but that didn’t mean you never hoped. 

hoped. over the course of a few years, sunday had succeeded in the mission the other hunters failed at. he made you hope again.

“kafka is cooking everyone’s breakfast. it’ll surely brighten up your mood.” he states taking your hand in his and tugging you in the direction of the dining room and kitchen. sunday maneuvered through the headquarters with such ease your ribs began to clamp on your heart again.

this was his home, his respite. but only for a short time.

when the two of you enter the room, you notice his frown. the emotions of everyone were palpable—it felt suffocating. your eyes met blade and you just smiled. one deep breath in and you snapped back into your joyous self. bringing temporary light to the room.

even as you ate and chatted, there were undertones of sadness. sunday nudged your side and quietly asked you, “are you quite sure everything is alright? everyone seems sad today.”

you look at them one by one. kafka’s eyes are slowly being accompanied by eye bags and wrinkles, silver wolf is nearing blade’s shoulder, firefly looks paler, and blade’s hand shakes as he holds his chopsticks. you look at sunday’s eyes, and smile. even he was a victim of time with the way his hair grew longer and face filled with more life.

“they’re just worried,” you look away first like always. meeting blade’s gaze halfway and smiling to yourself when you see him huff in denial. “your next mission is here.”

what does it mean to be a star? elio asked you that question a long, long time ago. and you only found the answer in the form of an angel with wings behind his ears and eyes that shined like the sun. the star you’ve grown to love burns brighter than the sun but still requires rest when night falls. 

to be a star means to be remembered, even in the face of departure. you remain bright and unforgotten. left in the care of a conductor and an express you’ve once loved.

to be a star means to face the inevitable that sunday was meant for greater things than being just a fugitive venturing the universe.

© vxnuslogy 2024. please do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works.

[azamonvoid]

Back here to talk abt my hsr coffee shop au cuz Im a bit of a perfectionist and want everything to make sense/be logical (?).

So I haven't worked much on this au, mainly cuz I kept forgetting every couple of days that the idea ever crossed my mind and also cuz this month I've been having more exams than usual and a lot of assigments crampled all in 1 month. What Im gonna do in this post its just briefly talk about some of the ideas I have so far :]

-- Caelus and Stelle are twins. Caelus is the older but shorter and Stelle the younger but shorter (directly picked from our dynamic @a-sociopath-do-your-research xd (also sorry for @ when its not like our silly post xdnt))

-- This one its still in thought process, but I want to make the whole stellaron thing an actual health issue that both twins (will be referring to both Caelus & Stelle as twins througthout this post/AU) have and prob also characters like Cocolia. In-game its known as the Cancer of All Words, but Im prob dumb for not knowing if its actually based on cancer or if its meant to be like a made up illness. (Pointing this out cuz I literally went out my way to research illnesses with specific symptoms for a Genshin oc..)

-- Pom-Pom is the owner of the coffee shop, both Himeko and Welt would prob be the managers. Danheng March and the twins are kinda scattered between senior & junior employees.

-- Something thats giving me major trouble to plan (right under the health topic) is how to add the Stellaron hunters into this au. The original idea, that was one of the veru first ones, was that the shop was actually theirs, but since I want to add in the same mistery between the group's connection with the twins, I ended up discarding the idea. I currently have 2 vague ideas: either they're like some mafia/shady group or they also have a business close by (the latter came while writing abt the og idea). Also conflicted on the whole idea of Kafka being like a mother figure to the twins (hc Ive had ever since I started playing).

-- The coffee shop is called Stellaron, just cuz I like the idea of it, cuz either way, the concept Im getting from the ingame stellari¡ons are just the effect they can have in people. (As in, the sickness would have a different name-)

-- Lastly, not really an idea for the au but Im kinda thinking of eventually writing a fic out of this au, that is if I dont give up on it xdnt)

[coruscqte]

what is xiayu’s relationship with the stellaron hunters? how do they feel about her? i’d love to hear! ur thoughts are always intriguing :3

to preface this, while i do enjoy the hunters im not actually particularly familiar with most of them :0! with the very narrow exception of firefly, i did have to go poking around on the wikia for interactions and such to find somewhere to start.

+ secondly you left a couple questions in the tags of her last post so i'll try and answer those too! <3 (i would kill for your tags btw i hope you know that /pos)

also tagging @sundays-wing-piercing + @lesbianbootheng as per usual <3

kafka:

this is a weird one because kafka, besides firefly and blade, is likely the one that interacts with xiayu the most. pops up whenever she’s least expected, just looking to see what she might be up to every few years. depending upon how you see the relationship she has with the trailblazer, she probably feels as if she has some … vague responsibility to look out for her. keep her out of trouble at least.

its not like her parents need her to, with three trailblazers someone would be lucky to walk away with all their fingers if they touched a hair on her head, but it never hurt to just. check on her if she was on planet. then message her. then meet up with her. of course not. kafka’s the furthest thing from maternal, but she fits neatly into a rich aunt slot. sort of. if that rich aunt had a gun.

though i dont think kafka would want her to be a hunter. as much as she preaches that xiayu should be equally fearless (“a vidyadhara with magic at her fingertips and a half decent shot with an axe? tell me, what is it that one little dragon has to be afraid of?”), its not like approves of her putting herself in unnecessary danger. not without her present, at least.

appreciates the finer things in life. sends ahead these dubiously earned things in the space mail for xiayu to wear or use. most of these things are packed away in her closet, but sometimes she wears this pearl bracelet kafka bought her for her fifteenth birthday (“oh hush, trailblazer. she could use something a little womanly, don’t you think?”).

occasionally, if they do run into each other, they get dinner. discuss nothing of any true importance, its off script usually between scenes, and having someone new around — young, fresh — its invigorating to kafka.

what xiayu thinks of her is equally a mystery. i think she considered becoming a hunter shortly after march’s death and still rides the fence on the topic today, but before kafka died, she’d said elio had no place for her in the script. that she was never going to be a true actor in any of their scenes.

of course, necessary redirection. whether xiayu continues to take this as proper advice is truly up to time. whether it was fate that she eventually loses everyone but her father (and that she will lose him someday), she’s not sure if she wants to be a slave to destiny. really, she doesnt know if she already is or not.

blade:

i. am not sure. i am incredibly xing/yue pilled, im ren//heng pilled only because a beloved mutual of mine is, so xiayu just appearing in canon probably throws blade for a loop. a) *how* and b) why.

(in my uber perfect world its just one big polycule. jinghengren / danstellemarch / stellefly. this is not my uber perfect world)

but i like to imagine a canon where blade and dan heng are able to reconcile their past lives and at least become amicable towards each other again. maybe not friends, but also not stab-on-sight.

xiayu is so small and innocent to him that hes just not really sure what to make of her. this ankle biting child that clings onto his pants is not exactly easily understood and he does not want to be left alone with her. at all. so much joy in a tiny person good god. he’d sooner pawn her off to kafka or firefly before she stays with him.

though i dont think she’s scared of him. fascinated by him maybe, esp as a child she likes his eyes. its bit terrifying to turn a little and see a baby staring you down though.

but an older xiayu, if blade lives long enough to see her mature into a young adult ... is probably not all that different from firefly. amped to 11. hes not sure where she gets the energy (read: its from march). surely he comes to care about her just a smidge. a little even. maybe has one of the hunters send a message for him if theyre both on the same planet (though kafka will usually message her first). she gets exactly one (1, singular) sword-wielding lesson from him, and thats about it. to him, she has potential, if she just matures a little.

seeing someone so ready to throw their life away when she’s so young and full of life is … disorienting. his time has been up for quite a long time now, but her’s is just beginning. he cant make heads or tails of why shes like this.

i wonder if he sees dan heng in her, in her face, wonder if hes seeing his old friend in three separate ways -- through dan feng, dan heng and now his daughter. terrible facade she puts up after march and stelle are gone, but should he live long enough to see them pass, i think blade of all people might be the one to rationalize their deaths to her. after all, its finality at work. you cant escape fate, you can only use it. life goes on, and even if you don’t wan it, people will stay you with long after they’ve left this plane.

though blade’s good ending to me is him dying long before xiayu is born at all. this is just a hypothetical.

silver wolf:

im not sure silver wolf knows what to make of the trailblaze baby. and im not sure that xiayu knows what to make of her either. unlike her and firefly they relate on less things and are closer in age as well. begrudgingly, silver wolf probably offers to play games with her when she gets old enough.

though, i do think she keeps an eye out for her in public channels. nothing too fancy, silver wolf wouldnt be caught dead risking her neck for a kid that didn’t even care about her all that much — but she figures its the least she can do if kafka likes her. she’ll remove a record here, tip the scales in her favor there, other than that theyre simply gaming partners and not much else.

silver wolf is still the better gamer. just because xiayu lives longer doesn’t mean she’ll ever win. after all, silver wolf has never pulled her punches.

firefly:

firefly was at the baby shower. for sure. she brought a little gift, it was xiayu's first mobile. i like to think it had butterflies patterned like her dress over it. looking out for her, in a way lol

also, the only stellaron hunter allowed to babysit. not that the three of them tend to use babysitters very often, but if firefly isn't on a script, stelle sometimes calls her.

i dont think xiayu has ever seen sam for herself 🤔 even if we’re particularly optimistic im not actually sure how long firefly will live for in canon. she might not even live long enough into xiayu’s “normal” adulthood at 20ish. given she may discover her “aunt’s” altered form on her own, but its not incredibly likely and thats okay. firefly wants to be known as herself to xiayu, rather than what she was made to be.

flair for the dramatics though. is the one sending all the (watered down) stories for xiayu to read. cultivates her thrill seeking, and she thinks being a stellaron hunter is SO cool for a little while.

firefly (?) maybe have been the first time she experienced true loss, if himeko + welt didnt go first. i think that was a bit of a shell shock, but thats also probably how she figured out she could keep sending messages to dead people’s ids. she misses her aunt too.

i think out of all of the hunters, firefly is the one she was closest with. someone she could really talk to if she got into an argument with her parents or if she just wanted to do something silly or girly or mundane with a non family member.

i do think that firefly inspired her to be just who she was though. not stelle or march or dan heng. just that she herself was enough, that she herself was at her best no matter what. it was a rather sweet parting gift that firefly left for her, and i think it must be one of her accessories that she also wears.

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and then i'll do my very best to address these!

xiayu's catcake is named dragonfruit creamcake <3 munyamunyamunyamunyamunya, that poor cat will meow your ear off until you get sick of it or it manages to tire itself out. then itll plop itself in your lap and youre not allowed to move unless you want it to yap at you even more.

it does seem particularly fond of rice dumpling, trashcake and ice cake. it likes to "chat" whenever anyone unlucky enough to enter the lab interacts with it, and has routinely managed to escape the little catcaketopia in ruan mei’s lab. truly, it has asta stumped -- ruan mei didn't create it, the trailblazer didn't make it, where did this creation come from?

like any good mother with their rambunctious toddler, stelle of course took xiayu out to teach her baseball. now, this did mean pompom lost a vase or two whenever xiayu swung a little too hard on the express, but by the time she's a little older she has decent technique. because she doesn't carry the traditional bat, shes not known as the galactic baseballer, but it worries yanqing that she doesn't wield the axe like an axe -- its distinctly as if she treats it like a bludgeoning object.

(classically trained swordsman v gung-ho axe wielder, who wins?)

interestingly enough, xiayu sees yanqing as an estranged elder brother almost. he often wonders if he was this irresponsible as a child, and then thanks jing yuan for raising him. multiple times.

she is decent at video games! she prefers a handheld console that stelle bought for her compared to the phone that she owns, she and stelle are 1-4 right now on one of the newer games, she’s just waiting for her mom to get back to do a proper rematch. until then, she plays other games on her console.

extra fact i thought of while writing this: do you think dan heng is the one that sees his partners in his daughter? like, has a deja vu moment everytime she smiles a certain way or says something just the way one of them would? he knows he isn't dan feng, he never wanted to be treated as such, but to acknowledge the same of xiayu, that she isn't her mothers, that is so much more difficult.

[plitaka]

Okay so because I’m gay and mentally ill I have decided to take it upon myself to go through Kafka’s demo frame by frame and overanalyze the shit out of anything I find interesting

It’s insanely packed with blink or you’ll miss it details so buckle up folks- this is gonna be a ride

Right off the bat she starts off with the same coin she also ends the demo with. This isn’t something that’s been part of her character so far nor do I think it has any real significance, so she just brought it to be extra and torment the poor souls she’s planning to slaughter anyway. Annoying dramatic bitch

Also just to get this out of the way now, this is indeed the Belobog museum, or at least its assets. The floor of some of the inner rooms, the staircases, the chandelier and the big golden clock thingy are the same, and in one of the shots you can clearly see the portraits of the former supreme guardians which is. Makes you wonder if they just picked the museum for grand dramatic interior or if she actually had reasons to have business there.

This. This fucking part is probably no longer than 5 seconds and yet, even with the video on 0.25 speed I had to constantly rewind and pause to catch everything and it still probably isn’t 100% accurate. Also I had to cut out a lot things because Tumblr only allows 30 images per post but like, you get the picture

“What do you see” over and over again as images of Rorschach tests flash across the screen so fast you barely have a chance *to* see. Personally I mainly see spider like things and butterflies. Among them are images are some flashes of the robo guards, which to me give the feeling of them getting caught in her web, losing themselves and their control to her mind games and technique.

Something else worth nothing is that this sequence is kickstarted by her throwing the coin and ends with it still in her hand, just thought that was an interesting choice

Before moving on to the next point, however, I want to point out the obvious irony of her telling the guards “don’t be afraid”. Truly words to hear from the woman who is incapable of feeling fear. And what is the name of the demo? Dramatic irony. We’ll get back to that.

Anyway, after that we see the camera pan away from her and over the guards as she uses spirit whisper. The camera movement is accompanied by a single rose petal that starts from Kafka and flies over the guards, which kinda feels like the visual representation of spirit whisper, a gentle rose petal innocently brushing across them as if carried by an invisible breeze

I wanted to make a joke about how her bounty is as large as her strap but seeing as I’m restricted in the number of images I can put I’ll just state the obvious and say she has the largest known bounty of the Stellaron hunters. I’m going to guess the only one higher than hers is Elio’s.

can’t be 100% sure this is what’s going on here, but the imagery makes it look like she’s taking a nice calming stroll and playing Vivaldi in her head while letting the guards slaughter each other, either by controlling them with her strings or with spirit whisper

Dozens of hands reaching out for her, trying to grab her as she’s cocooned in a vulnerable state, pupils visible. I’m sure we’ll eventually get an ingame explanation as to what’s actually going on with her eyes, but for now I do think this is a VERY interesting time to show them. She’s in a compromising position, she’s cornered and vulnerable, but she’s confident and cocky and always, always in control. To anyone else this would be horrifying, but she can’t feel fear, why should she care. Like genuinely this is terrifying imagery that in media is more often than not used to showcase or symbolize sexual violence of sorts and personally makes my skin crawl. I don’t want to get too much into it here I think it needs its own separate post, so for now I’ll keep it short and say that up until now, her pupils have only been shown in situations where she’s at a physical disadvantage (held prisoner at the divination commission, whatever this is etc)

Something a bit lighter to focus on is what she’s saying; “the silk is too fragile to be a treat… unless you’re more fragile than the silk.” Symbolism aside she always seems to refer to silk when talking about fragile things, which we know are, in her opinion, the most beautiful. I really don’t think she’s referring to herself here seeing as the next scene demonstrates she’s far from fragile, so I think she does mean it in a much more literal way and is talking about a spider web; too fragile to capture humans, strong enough to capture its intended prey, this being weaker bugs. All in all she’s probably insulting them by comparing them to bugs weaker than a fragile silk web.

Nothing much to say about the fight scene other than that it’s incredibly choreographed and confirms that Kafka is strong enough to roundhouse kick a guy in the head (god I wish that were me) and do backflips in midair while firing her guns. Also the elevator counting down the survivors as their forces dwindle is fucking rad.

“Destiny has thousands of faces, why does it choose to wear this one?” In the context of the scene this reads to me as her mockingly lamenting the guards’ fate as she beautifully takes them down one by one, but it’s also one hell of a peculiar sentence from someone working for a guy who supposedly sees destiny and directs his followers according to that. She’s a nihilist, everything is predetermined in her eyes, she’s one of destiny’s slaves, but destiny also has thousands of faces? Is she really so nihilistic that even her own worldviews are contrasting in her eyes? As I’m writing this it makes me think of dadaism more than anything else. To quote from wikipedia: “an early 20th-century international movement in art, literature, music, and film, repudiating and mocking artistic and social conventions and emphasizing the illogical and absurd.” Kafka herself in an artist in many ways; she’s an actress first and foremost, always dramatic and theatrical, following a script to a T. But she’s also a musician, everything about her steeped in classical music and references. Anyway, dada is an absurdist nihilistic movement, and you know which real life author known for his absurdism lived and wrote parallel to the Dada? Franz Kafka.

Genuinely Idk where I was going with this I just thought it was worth sharing, MOVING ON-

Neat way of visualizing what I’m assuming is supposed to be her spirit whisper. Also I’m extremely stingy with images (thanks Tumblr), but if you slow down the video around 1:17 you could see that the shot of her katana very quickly flashes into another spider, just wanted to mention that.

These are all narrative screenplay terms that flash by in like a millisecond each after the big ult (that, btw, has a similar shot saying ‘intermission’ right before she casts it but it flashes by so fast and with such bright colors that I couldn’t take a proper screenshot of it) and shown on the Belobog Museum’s projector. The most interesting one here imo is Oneiric Structure; “a cinematic story using dream like visuals, exploring the structure of dreams, memories, and human consciousness”, very fitting considering how much of her abilitieseing how dramatic irony is yet another narrative device.

All these movie terms and framings, however, feel to me more like a wink to Kafka’s roots than anything else. This is the third time she’s been tied to movies somehow (the web event, one of her leaked messages that actually mentions how she’d hate for her life to be turned into a movie), and this is one time too many for me to stop denying that the inspiration for her character was at least in part Makima from Chainsaw Man. I won’t elaborate too much not to spoil the 3 people unfamiliar with csm, but this whole thing feels like a homage, a love letter to Fujimoto’s own love letter for cinema.

Also she *is* an actress following a script, so there’s that as well.

The demo ends with her taunting the one remaining guard with the very same coin from the beginning, flipping it in her palm and asking the guard to guess the ending with heads or tails, prefacing it by saying “sooner or later, the curtain has to fall”. To me this indicates that she sees life as kind of a one gigantic play, with no fear and no value for human life everything is a performance to her, it doesn’t matter beyond what’s happening on the stage in the presence. But also the way this is all framed makes it very easy to assume she’s actually talking about the end of the guard’s life, and asking him how he thinks this encounter between them will end, lol.

Another thing about the coin that Meadows mentioned “her flipping the coin over and over is both like, play with fate, a distraction (like, think in movies, you see someone flipping a coin your eyes are drawn to it and not the sleight of hand happening elsewhere), and ofc her clear obsession with vintage shit”

This has been it from me for now, too dead to properly edit through this rn so I’ll probably go back and add some details once I’m feeling better. Would also love for anyone to chime in with their own conclusions since this is just one person’s interpretation. Especially if you have more knowledge than me about classical music and have ideas regarding the use of Vivaldi’s winter