#astral express shenanigans | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tjemegames · 2 months ago

Text

HSR: HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY! 🥳🎉 - TJ’s 2nd Annual Playthrough Recap

Two years of playing the same game every day is not for the faint of heart, especially when it's a live service gacha game. The last year has been... something. I’m feeling a little more negative about it than in the first year but, miraculously, I still find myself enjoying the game. More on that later, let’s get into it under the cut!

⚠️ Extremely summarized spoilers ahead for the events/storylines of HSR versions 2.2-3.2. Read at your own discretion! ⚠️

Apologies for any image distortion, Tumblr’s not a fan of long photos.

Stats Overview

Another year of traversing the silver rail has come to pass. I knew from the way that I fell in love with this game on day one that I'd be playing it for the long haul. The Astral Express Annual Trailblaze Report (data collection as of 03/31/2025 at 23:59) offered some interesting statistical insight on what I've gotten up to since the last anniversary. Sadly, there isn't a comprehensive sharable image this year, so I’ve compiled the highlights that I found most interesting:

As of today, 4/26/25, I've logged 707 days of gameplay on my main account (with a 602 day consecutive login streak)!

Companion Interactions

These were the new characters that I got over the course of the year:

My ride or dies:

I love Aventurine, he's great and he very sparingly lets my main dps die (not a skill issue, don't perceive me). I totally, definitely, only spent so much time with him because of how much I like him and not because I still hadn’t pulled another limited sustain until April 3rd, almost a full year after getting him.

I severely underestimated the amount of use my Ruan Mei has seen over the last year. I knew that it was going to be a lot, but I didn't think that she would be my second most used character since I pulled three more limited harmony units this year. Wild to see, honestly. I'm interested to see which harmony unit takes the top spot next year; it’ll likely be Robin—maybe Sunday if I get really into memosprite gaming—but I doubt it’ll be Ruan Mei again.

The KING Yuan resurgence was so real! I hadn't really used my general all that much before the midpoint of Penacony: I love him, but he just wasn't putting out the damage I needed to use him consistently. Thankfully, he got so much love this past year via Sunday and the unfortunate rise of erudition necessity, so I felt motivated to get as much out of him as I possibly could. I'm still in the Duke trenches for him, aha. Surely, I'll earn my freedom soon (I won't.)

My E2 boys, Horny Daniel and Mr. PewPew (DHIL and Boothill), saw much less action than I expected of them. I'm not going to lie, most of their battles took place in endgame or the Simulated Universe. The enemy lineups in the story and overworld during the latter half of the year didn't really allow me to use either of them as much as I would've liked to. I hope that changes here in the near future because I've invested far too much time and resources into the two of them for them to ride the bench as much as they have been.

Gallagher: cinema. I fished for his eidolons (it was a painful process) and he has been putting in work ever since then. Even though I finally cracked and pulled Huohuo a few weeks ago, he isn't allowed to take a vacation until we leave Amphoreus. I'm petty and he was far more expensive than he should've been, I’ll continue to hold that against him until I’m satisfied.

So, Nihility... Listen, DoT gaming isn’t for me. Pela is cool though. I would say that I'll try to use her more this year, but I'd be lying. Since Silver Wolf is getting buffed in 3.4 and she's been living on my bench since around 2.1 (probably earlier), I'll be making a conscious effort to get some use out of her instead.

RMC is super fun and incredibly strong. Unfortunately, Mem tries to crash my game every single time I put them on my team so I’ve gotta be mindful of where I’m using them. I haven't gotten any other Remembrance characters yet: Aglaea, while gorgeous and a little bit scary, was not interesting enough to call for pulling her. I like the idea of summoners so I’m intrigued to see what the Devs will cook up for future units. Until then, my Trailblazer will be leading the charge in that path.

Trailblazing!

The life of a Nameless can be summed up through their adventures. This is what the last year of mine consisted of:

Trailblaze Power Usage & Relic Farming:

It's been two straight years in the Rutilant mines, and I still only have one attack sphere. I'm not gonna say that the game is bullying me, but I feel a bit bullied at this point.

I understand that the grind is supposed to be challenging to ensure that you have a reason to stick around during downtime between story, events, etc. However, I feel like the drop rates could use a tiny bit of tweaking. The introduction of custom synthesis and reroll dice are nice in theory but they’re not very practical if you’re F2P or a low spender because of their rarity. It’s very much a bandaid on a bullet wound when the system is in dire need of stitches. I highly doubt that they’ll ever adjust the rates, at the very least I would like to see an increase in the ability to freely obtain these premium resources. Hell, at this point I’d just settle for more frequent double drop events. All I know is somethings gotta give. I can’t keep living like this.

World Exploration & Achievement Hunting:

The hoarder in me loves exploring the map to find treasure, collectibles, readables, and the like. I spend a good bit of time checking out the world and looking through all its nooks and crannies. You would think that the game only being semi-open world would deter you from doing so, but the more recent worlds have felt like they’re trying to cater to the players who enjoy exploration by adding more collectibles (like the origami birds and Amphoreus bugs) to find. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the exploration increase and I’m glad that the Devs had the foresight to allow you to buy hints for the collectibles that you might’ve missed along the way. The Hoyolab interactive map is helpful, but it can be a pain to navigate, the hints make everything so much simpler.

The treasure compasses have also been a great addition for explorers. It’s easy to get turned around in some of the maps with more unique layouts which can really hinder the ability to find treasure chests. Giving us a tool to track them down was the right move; I haven’t had much of a chance to use mine yet but I’m happy to have them regardless.

When it comes to achievements, I have one tiny little grievance: I don’t think that there should be character-locked achievements. Firstly, the idea that the average player will pull for every character is unrealistic. I don’t like locking people out of chances to earn premium currency because they do not have the necessary tools to even try at getting it. Sure, five jades are nothing in the grand scheme of things, but eventually those little increments tally up to something much larger, and people will have reason to feel bad about it. It helps that some of the achievements can be obtained by borrowing a unit from a friend, or with trial units during events and banner reruns, but that doesn’t cover the whole of the issue. There are still interaction, exploration, and team-based achievements that can’t be done without owning certain units. It’s frustrating from a completionist perspective and I sincerely wish that the Devs would stop allowing it to happen.

That being said, I’m a good ways off from having finished every achievement. There are so many related to the Simulated Universe and its various expansions that I am nowhere close to getting. Eventually, I’ll lock in and knock out a good chunk of them. For now, I’m not really all that worried about it, they’re not going anywhere.

Battle Shenanigans & Trailblaze Assistance:

A busy year of fighting enemies! 21 million single attack damage ain’t too shabby. Do I know who did that damage? No, not a clue. I’d imagine it was done in DU with a fuck ton of buffs and the eidolon cheese curio though.

Boothill really took his bounties seriously this year. Shoutout to everyone who used my Cowboy, thanks for the credits! I do wonder how much of the remaining funds were attributed to my other assistants; it would’ve been nice to see a full breakdown of the assists in this section. Oh well, perhaps next year they’ll give us more information.

Story Recap & Storytelling Assessment

Honestly, everything that happened from 2.2 to 2.7 has mostly left my brain (I've been dealing with some health issues for a little while now, so my memory has been shoddy at best) and Amphoreus has been a massive infodump that I’m still sorting through. That being said, this section is a bit harder to write this time, but I’ll do my best.

Story Recap

I had to go back into the story map and do some research to refamiliarize myself with this past year of trailblazing. Turns out we did quite a bit:

Learned the history of the Watchmaker and the fate of Nameless passed 🥹

Discovered the true meaning of dreaming in Penacony and prevented the resurrection of the Order

Became an amateur film maker to help repair the big screen at Clock Studios Theme Park

Became Penacony shareholders and owner of the Radiant Feldspar

Became the best damn Origami Bird Clash Player in Penacony

Returned to the Xianzhou Loufu to attend the Wardance and helped March 7th “master” Xianzhou swordplay

Got trapped in The Shackling Prison with the borisin Warhead, Hoolay, who breaks free and goes on a massacre before managing to escape his centuries-long confinement there. Learned Hoolay’s history with the Loufu, began the hunt for him with Feixiao, engaged in a brief war, and brought about his downfall during a fakeout Wardance where he loses a 1v1 against Feixiao’s dark aura, thereby bringing the Loufu to safety (yet again)

Dan Heng v. Elder Taoran: “The oath of the Xianzhou means nothing to the spear in my hand!” I love Dan Heng. SS tier scene, truly

Became the best damn coach at the Wardance: Luka loses but that’s okay because winning was the friends we made along the way, apparently

Penacony University AU: monkeys, bananas, ninjas, oh my!

Became the best damn band manager in Penacony

Fugue and Sunday’s Great Penaconian Adventure

We FINALLY get a room on the Express: DIY Room Makeover and Express Slice of Life

Sunday joins the Express (yippee!)

The Amphoreus arc begins. Phainon is so pretty. TJ is screwed

Rainbow gaslight waves do not work on Therta: Grandpa and Sunday’s Space Station Adventure

Amphoreus info dumping galore (I’m not getting into this right now. We’ll talk about everything next year)

Those were the main highlights. There were a decent number of events and side quests as well; events have felt a lot less substantial than year one, while side quests have gotten a nice increase in both quantity and quality. I do miss the days of long spanning events that felt conducive to the story and/or worldbuilding. Unfortunately, there were hardly any companion missions. I miss those as well; I hope that we’ll get more for all the characters who have yet to have one. We deserve more interactive opportunities to learn about the characters we’ve met on our journey. I don’t want everything to get sandwiched into the main quest like with Aventurine, Acheron, Feixiao, and all the Amphoreus folks so far. Bring back companion missions, Hoyo!

Storytelling Assessment

Some of this might be hard to understand because I was having trouble relaying my thoughts. I apologize in advance, the yap factory has been open too long today.

Overall, I’m enjoying the story that Honkai: Star Rail is telling. Every world that we’ve been to over the last year has had independent themes, unique ideals and problems, as well as lively environments that were able to immerse me in that specific place. While there is a recurring pattern of “hey, this place is in crisis: the Stellaron is the problem, and we need the Nameless to solve it” that doesn’t detract from the experience because of the nuance in the way things manifest and how those manifestations are handled.

Penacony was a bit hit-or-miss for me. I feel like there were quite a few moments that just didn’t hit me the way that the Storywriters intended. I don’t know if that’s because of the way we were introduced to certain characters or the fact that the reality of the dream wasn’t what was presented to us, but something about the narrative felt clunky and unsatisfying.

Maybe part of the issue is the way they implemented the shifting perspective gameplay; there were a lot of moving parts and fragments strung together in a way that hadn’t been presented before, and the tonal shifting was a bit all over the place because of it. It also doesn’t help that the cutscene sequences had a tendency of being lengthy without any way to pause them. There were times when you would be stuck in a 45-minute loop of time sequencing and perspective shifting without any real chance to slow down and take stock of the information you learned. Eh, it was a bit much, which is probably why I’ve forgotten most of it. I can only hope that the promised continuation in 3.8 will smooth out the kinks.

The return to the Loufu was interesting. It felt less like a continuation of the Xianzhou arc and more like a set up for the Wardance event itself. It was fine for what it was, but I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about it in conjunction to the rest of the Xianzhou story so far. At this point, I just want to see where the pieces we’ve been given will link together with the other ships. Clearly there’s a lot of history we’re not aware of and I feel less satisfied with the information we do have when it takes so long to continue from where we left off.

I have a natural skepticism when it comes to the Xianzhou storytelling because of how rough it was in the beginning. I feel like the writers have gotten better about some things, while still lacking in others. The biggest thing for me is always going to be the conciseness of delivery. I don’t enjoy roundabout storytelling. It’s fine if I need to come to some conclusions on my own, I welcome the test of my comprehension, but don’t add in information that’s going to send me in circles around the message you’re trying to convey. It detracts from the experience and ultimately leaves me wanting for more in a bad way. Once again, I fear we’re at the mercy of time.

In a surprising turn of events, the things that bothered me about the earlier worlds do not bother me in Amphoreus. Since it’s meant to be completely unknown to the entirety of the cosmos, the excess of information dumping feels more acceptable. I’m still not a fan of extremely long and unstoppable cutscenes here, don’t get it twisted, but the perspective switching feels more structured, and I have a better grasp on what’s going on. I’m not caught up with 3.2 yet so there’s a chance that my feelings will change. I’m feeling rather hopeful about this world though—it might end up being my favorite one by the time we leave it.

Permanent Game Modes

Simulated Universe

A thing of the past for veteran players. Don't think I've gone into a SU world since Divergent Universe quick farming came into being. That seems to be exactly what the Devs wanted considering that the Sigonia & Izumo planars are the most recent ones that you can get in this mode. 'Twas somewhat fun while it lasted; although, I'm much happier with the optimized version.

Swarm Disaster

Not a fan, I don’t like the swarm bug and getting through all the pillars feels like a monumental feat. Even with following a guide that a friend from discord made, it’s just so much to do. I think I’m down to the final pillar, but it’s been well over six months since I last tried to make any progress toward finishing it. Bleh.

Gold & Gears

I like this mode more than swarm but it’s also one of the more time-consuming things that I don’t have the motivation to bother with. I think I got about halfway through with it before deciding to leave it until I’m desperate for jades again.

Unknowable Domain

I haven’t even talked to Screwllum, he’s still hanging out in Herta’s office, and he’s gonna stay there for the foreseeable future. I won’t be messing with this mode until I’m ready to hunt for its achievements.

Divergent Universe

I have a sneaking suspicion that the astronomical overtaking of the DU is the culprit behind the diminishing number of comprehensive events that we've seen over the last year.

It might not seem like it, but DU has a lot of content: a plethora of lore drops, integrations of "new" paths, consistent changes to buff names for thematical reasons (which is cool but arguably unnecessary, the time spent renaming things could probably be better spent elsewhere), and the introduction of new gimmicks in both battle and adventure domains. There's a significant amount of time being spent on this mode and I don't see it falling off anytime soon since it holds a prominent significance in the game's lore via the Genius Society.

I have a hard time gauging how I feel about DU because, on the one hand, it’s great; the planar farming optimization is something I use weekly and appreciate the efficiency of. On the other hand, the actual main content is very time consuming, the rewards have a time limit, and there's a whole upper echelon of increased difficulty content that is aimed towards a very specific type of hardcore player. Though that hardcore content doesn't usually offer anything other than brownie points, the completionist in me is disgruntled when I'm unable to finish everything in the version because the gameplay is too difficult.

sigh

Looking back at this section, I might just have beef with the Genius Society's projects specifically. 🤣

Rotational Endgame Modes

While being the main source of consistent jade accumulation (aside from the Trailblaze Missions), endgame is not free of drawbacks. Each patch is worth a whopping 2400 jades (15 pulls), which makes it almost mandatory to complete if you want to get the most out of the game. Unfortunately, turbulent meta shifting and difficulty “balancing” for the newest overpowered units have made it a pain to deal with over the course of the last year.

It’s been a while since I’ve finished endgame without deflating in relief afterward. I miss the days when it was exciting and I was counting down the days until the modes would reset; now I just want to get in, get out, and then stay as far away from it as possible until it’s time to repeat the process all over again. I don’t enjoy it now, in 3.2, as much as I was enjoying it from 2.4 to 2.6.

Apocalyptic Shadow

My favorite endgame mode by far. It’s the most recent one, having been released in 2.3, and I’d say the most unique of the three. AS has a higher ceiling of possibility for creativity than the other modes do. It’s the only mode that I want to return to for team testing and general tomfoolery.

Positives:

I can clear everything in one session

I've been able to get 12 stars every patch since it debuted

Some bosses have unique gameplay mechanics that are fun to manipulate

Flexible enough to use my favorite units effectively

Negatives:

Buffs tend to cater to a specific type of gameplay, or the newest unit being sold

An increased number of elites has made it more challenging to clear than it was in the past

Pure Fiction

My least favorite mode. It could cease to exist tomorrow, and I’d be happy to see it go. I’ve never enjoyed this mode; it rubbed me the wrong way from the start because of its need for specific units. As someone who mostly owns single-target units, it’s an absolute nightmare to manage. I sincerely think that they should’ve given us a free erudition five star to go along with it when it was originally released.

Positives:

Mechanics changes in 2.7 have made it more possible to clear with single target units

Negatives:

It takes more time and effort to get three stars than I’d like; it can take me anywhere from a few sessions to a dozen sessions to complete. There have been times when I’m unable to get all my stars, regardless of my efforts

Forces me to ask for team comp advice and shuffle relics around to accommodate a different style of gameplay

Caters specifically to erudition and AOE units

Weakness mixes on both sides are too similar, making it difficult to complete if you’re lacking multiple multi-target or AOE units

Memory of Chaos

My second favorite mode. It’s very middle of the road, I don’t really have any strong feelings about it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Positives:

I’ve been able to get 36 stars consistently over the last year

Flexible enough to allow for a variety of playstyles

Negatives:

A toss up on time consumption: can either take one session or multiple sessions, there’s no in between

Memory turbulence is often lackluster and can be completely useless if you don’t have the right units for it

The Triumphs & Perils of Warping

Would it be gacha without trying your luck? I've been keeping close track of my pulls since launch. This is my roster after two years, 550 standard passes, and 1651 special passes:

Characters

As you saw back in the stats overview, I got quite a few limited characters this past year:

Did you know that e2 Boothill was not originally on the docket for me? I hadn’t even considered getting him when he got dripped. It wasn’t until the livestream when the Devs showed off his animations that the voices started to creep in; his little lean got to me, I don't know why. When I got to hear his English VA for the first time, I knew it was jover. e0 was the plan. Fishing for Himeko ensued and I ended up at e2, aha. No regrets, I’ve had so much fun with him.

Himeko was the hardest to obtain. After eight months of hoping for her to show up on the standard banner or in a 50/50 loss, I ended up using my 2.7 Express Gift selector to get her. Hands down, the best choice I could’ve made for my account at that time; I was struggling with a lack of fire coverage and PF was annoying me enough to make me consider pulling an erudition unit that I didn’t necessarily want. That selector was honestly a godsend. I know that the folks in the discord were probably getting tired of listening to me plead for Himeko to come home. 🫠

Feixiao was another unplanned addition to my roster. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t pull her because I needed to stay loyal to Dan Heng. And then BAM! Glowing back tattoo. It was a wrap, and she took everything from me.

Huohuo was a rather late, spur of the moment decision for me because I was malding over 3.2’s MoC 12. I'd been planning to wait for Hyacine to come out so that I could try to grab her. I was also flirting with the idea of getting Lingsha the next time she reran. I made it nearly two years into the game without a five star healer so I figured I’d be okay for a couple more months. I was wrong. It’s okay though, I don't regret pulling her in the slightest. She was probably the best limited healer I could've chosen for my account with my penchant for hypercarry gaming.

I also got Sparkle, Sunday, and Robin this year. You can never have too many harmony units! The three of them allowed me to unbench some of the older dps characters that I was avoiding. I’m very happy with their performances, especially in endgame, they've made a world of difference.

Besides the 2.7 Express Gift selector, in 3.2 we were also given the choice to use a Golden Companion Spirit Token to claim either Ruan Mei or Luocha from the new Stellar Convergence shop. I decided to save my token for a future character since I already have e1 Ruan Mei and I did not feel Luocha was worth getting without owning Blade or Mydei. There’s no telling how often they will add characters to the shop so there’s a chance I’ll be holding onto my token for a long time.

Light Cones

My light cone situation is both funny and painful. I’m the ruler of useless four star cones. I don’t know what it is about my account that attracts them, but I can’t seem to keep them away. For context, I got 14 copies of The Birth of the Self this past year. 14. That’s unnecessary and hilarious. Don’t get me started on the other ones, trust, I have words. However, I’ve already yapped far too much in this post to get in to all of that.

As far as limited cones are concerned, I mostly only pull for a sig if I don’t have or like the F2P alternative(s), it has QoL or kit extension that would make building them and/or their teammates easier, I purposely saved for it, or DDD is running alongside it. Otherwise, I’m fine without it, in most cases. I mean look at DHIL, I’ve had him the entire time he’s been out, and he still doesn’t have his cone because he’s doing just fine without it.

Pull Luck

My luck is a tiny step above average, I would say. This is how things have shaped up since launch:

I’ve had 19 limited character 50/50s. Of those I’ve lost 7, putting me at an average win ratio of 68.4%:

2 losses to Gepard

2 losses to Bronya

1 loss to Clara

2 losses to Yanqing

My overall average pity is 66. Out of 25 characters received:

10 came before the 75th pull

15 came after the 75th pull

Earliest pull = 16 pity

Latest pull = 80 pity

I’ve had 8 light cone 75/25s. Of those I’ve lost 4, putting me at an average win ratio of 50%:

2 losses to Sleep Like the Dead

1 loss to In the Name of the World

1 loss to Moment of Victory

My overall average pity is 52. Out of 12 cones received:

7 came before the 65th pull

5 came after the 65th pull

Earliest pull = 16 pity

Latest pull = 73 pity

I’ve had 9 standard five star pulls. Of those I’ve gotten 5 characters and 4 cones. My most reoccurring characters are Welt and Yanqing, tied at 2 copies each.

My overall average pity is 59. Out of 9 five stars received:

5 came before the 75th pull

4 came after the 75th pull

Earliest pull = 28 pity

Latest pull = 80 pity

Aside from a few very unfortunate pull sessions that bankrupted me, I’m not too upset with my luck in the game thus far. I do wish that I wouldn’t get so many copies of Welt and Yanqing because, even though I love both of their characters, I don’t really enjoy playing with them, so their eidolons are going to waste. I suppose the bright side is that, as of 3.2, hitting e7 on any given five star character will give you special currency that can be used in the Stellar Convergence shop. Potential future dividends are better than nothing, I guess.

Future Plans & Wishlist

I’m the type of person who will always pull for a character they like over trying to keep up with the meta. HSR makes it a bit harder to stick with that mindset because of the continual influx of new premium units who powercreep each other. At this point in my playthrough, there is only one character that I’ve pulled because I felt like I couldn’t complete content without them (Huohuo).

For the most part, I try to be as strategic and mindful as possible when it comes to the five stars I pull for my account. In the early days I didn’t pay too much attention to path versatility and that has come back to bite more times than not. Having learned that lesson, these are my loose plans for the future:

Further diversify path portfolio. stop pulling hunt TJ, you have enough

Make the dive into nihility gaming, doesn’t necessarily have to be DoT but I do need to get comfortable using units from that path

Invest in synergistic units for endgame, specifically PF

Get at least one more premium sustain

Invest in premium cones with good versatility, even if I don’t want the character that cone was intended for

At this moment in time, my wishlist consists of:

Phainon: whenever he comes out, regardless of path or element, because I love him as a character. Will likely go for e2s1 if it’s worth it or he fulfills a role that I’m lacking in

Tribbie: harmony. What else is there to say really? She’s adorable, very strong, and is not likely to fall off for a very long time—she has indefinite value

Screwllum: Hoyo, when?!? I just love him. I don’t care what rarity he ends up being, I will be getting him

Anaxa: I need more erudition units, and I like his character.

Yunli: I don’t want to play with Clara on this account and she’s the only other unit who has counter mechanics. Not a high want, I would be more than fine waiting for another unit in her role to come out

Jade: still on the fence. She would be useful with PF and follow-up comps but I’m fine waiting for someone else with the same role to come out

Mydei: he’s Babygirl, sorry. Unfortunately, not a priority because he’s imaginary and I’ve got more than enough of that to go around. He’d be more of a collector’s item than anything else. That could change though, it just depends on where the game goes and if need for his role outweighs his element

Blade: collector’s item, he’s the one HCQ member that I’m missing. He’s also one of my favorite characters

Final Thoughts

Firstly, if you read all of this, you’re a trooper. I’m putting myself on yapping timeout after this because it did not need to be this long. Why am I like this?

Anyway, year two was fun. Despite its highs and lows, I can’t deny that I enjoyed myself. This game is one of my favorites. It has its problems, the first being that it’s a gacha in the first place. Eh. The rest fall in line with balancing issues and corporate greed. Without those things, the game has a lot of potential and promise. You can see it in the detail that Devs put into some of the most minuscule content (readables and random side quests). It’s a bit tragic to know how good things could be if the need to sell this product to us wasn’t at the forefront of its presentation.

I plan on sticking around for the entirety of HSR’s runtime. I love the concept of it, and I care about where the Nameless will go and how we reach the end of our journey. If that means a few more years of touch and go before the Devs truly lock in and deliver beyond my expectations, then so be it. There are worst things I could do with my free time.

May this journey lead us starward!

#honkai star rail #hsr #hsr anniversary #astral express annual trailblaze report #hsr spoilers #hsr 2.2 to 3.2 spoilers #hsr character roster #hsr light cones #tj talks hsr #tj yaps so much in this post #tjs hsr shenanigans #tjemegames

4 notes · View notes

mymarifae · 9 months ago

Text

wao... the real herta herself? in the flesh and everything. what the fuck

#i like her hat #2.6 LOOKS FUN TBH i love astral express trio shenanigans. date night on penacony gone wrong (not clickbait)#i'm very drained from mizu5 chaos but i am excited... vasha rerun too :D!!!!!#i wish rappa's concept wasn't torn between like 5 different things because i get the feeling her Character will be enjoyable #like she's just so messy. hard to like... get behind her. and invested. it's off-putting #i think just the street artist theme would have been fine...????? but someone on the team HAD to say No that's Too Boring #and now we have . whatever that is

11 notes · View notes

nepenthic-delirium · 3 months ago

Text

SHAHJAJAJAJAJ hello guys 🫶🏽 this is my first time posting something on this tumblr blog and i’m so happy seeing everyone enjoy the recent fic. <3

#now that brings me to who i should write next #lowkey leaning towards blade or jing yuan #but at the same time…astral express shenanigans? 🤔#choices choices #—𝐍𝐘𝐗.𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐒

0 notes

kyo-mei · 7 months ago

Text

Astral Express Shenanigans: Game Night

Bonus:

#honkai star rail #hsr #hsr fanart #astral express #dan heng #march 7th #caelus #sunday #astral express trio #astral express family #I had way too much fun doing this #tryin out a simpler more comic-friendly style #cause i rlly wanna be able to draw comics hehe #but at the same time idk what to draw ;-;

6K notes · View notes

quietplace26 · 4 months ago

Text

Another SAGAU au idea, but this time mixed with SAHSRAU?

I'm basing this idea off this post (the creator is called @suiana. give them love!) where the MC lands in Honkai: Star Rail and every character, besides the Trailblazer, Pom-Pom, and the Aeons, hates them.

Warnings: Cringe worthy content. OCness from the characters. HSR characters (minus Trailblazer and Aeons) calling MC an 'it'.

Notes: This is mostly crack, so don't take it seriously. I only included certain characters that I felt comfortable with since I'm not good with keeping characters in character. So, if you want, please send me any suggestions about shenanigans the Genshin crew and MC could get mixed up with while trying to get back to Teyvat, or just how they would interact with the HSR crew.

Basically, the MC is stressed beyond belief. Besides Trailblazer, Pom-Pom, and the Aeons, everyone MC once admired in Honkai: Star Rail, hates them, calls them an it, tries to hurt them, and even tried to KILL them on many occasions.

And when everything becomes too much, they kind of break down? Maybe wishing they landed in Genshin Impact instead.

Then because of Aeon shittery, as the MC is their darling and want them to be happy, MC's wish is granted... and the next moment, characters from Genshin Impact start appearing on the Express... and they all know the Reader!

Reader is quickly surrounded by worried Archons and vision holders, and their chosen Traveler was hugging them, saying they were worried as your presence just disappeared!

Needless to say, the Astral Express becomes more crowded, and you gained a whole bunch of bodyguards that weren't afraid to throw someone down for your honor and safety.

One thing I think would be hilarious if Nahida met Dr. Ratio. He's like all, 'I'm above you or something', because one, she's a 'child', and second, she was with that... thing (the MC).

But then Nahida just tears him down with a sweet smile and quick wit... and then he finds out this 'child' was actually a Goddess of Wisdom.

And speaking of children, the child vision holders become absolute menaces to the HSR characters.

The MC had to on many occasions stop Aha or one of the more chaotic Aeons from blessing the Genshin children.

Especially Klee.

MC and Jean: "Klee where did you get that bomb?!"

Klee: "Masky gave it to me!"

MC: "AHA!"

Klee is definitely Aha's favorite of Teyvatians. She's just so naturally chaotic it brings them joy!

The Aeons as a whole find the Teyvatians to be... interesting, but this could probably be because the MC was very fond of them, so of course the Aeons would be interested as well.

Did the Archons count as Teyvat's Aeons? The Sovereigns? Maybe?

If Long somehow pops in, alive, jump scaring the Vidyadharas, and just zeros in on Zhongli and Neuvillette.

Long's like, dragons? But not mine, not Vidyadhara? There's more like you two (Zhongli and Neuvillette).

And then MC's telling Long all about Dvalin, Azhdaha, Apep, Mini Durin, Ajaw, and goodness knows, all about Natlan's adorable and amazing Saurian population.

Long would also probably find the Melusines fascinating as well because they were born from the blood of the dragon Elynas. And there's 48 of them???

Childe would definitely pick a fight with an Aeon, only for either the Traveler or the MC to grab his ear and pull him away.

Yae Miko would go about trolling the Foxians and spending time with the MC via asking them to help her go over potential new novel ideas. Because this whole experience would no doubt make the best novel to hit Teyvat.

Ei would be like MC's protector like the others but would help them relax via teaching meditation... and if one of the HSR characters butt in, they're in for a nasty shock to the ass.

Zhongli and Neuvillette casually dunking on Dan Heng and the other Vidyadhara, both of which are in awe and slight terror as these true dragons...

...who only spends time with it (the MC) of all things!

Zhongli, for shits and giggles, shifts into a tiny, chunky form of his Exuvia form, his Chonkli form if you will, and lets MC cuddle and smother him with affection all the while Dan Heng and the Vidyadhara are watching in disbelief.

Like this man was like an elder Vidyadhara, a TRUE dragon... and he was waddling around in a tiny, chubby undignified form, and lays on its (MC's) lap like a common house cat!

Zhongli only innocently bleeps his tongue at them before making biscuits on MC's lap and curls up to for some cuddles.

Neuvillette immediately joins in so not to be out done by the Geo Archon, but his form is rather large, so he tends to squish the MC but they only giggle and return the cuddles.

He's so big and long that he scares most of the Honkai characters away while MC naps with him.

If MC starts feeling nervous or scared, Furina dramatically swoops in to steal MC away, drawing their attention by retelling a story of one her many plays as she helps MC with their hair or clothes, maybe even pulling them into a small performance with her Hydro familiar's while Neuvillette stands guard.

Wriothesly helps with MC's self-defense after they admit about feeling scared whenever the Trailblazer, he, or the Aeons aren't around. And considering how the most of the HSR crew treats you... he becomes MC's self-defense coach.

Though afterwards he always asks you to join him for some tea, which usually leads to Neuvillette or others always inviting themselves to join.

When the Genshin crew gets to know the Trailblazer some of them make a connection that they reminded them of the Traveler... A bit of a more feral and raccoon like Traveler.

And since they were kind to MC, protecting them when no one else on the Express was willing to, the Trailblazer was automatically granted access to any of the nations of Teyvat if they wished to visit once the Teyvatians made it home.

Except for the Trailblazer, no one else from the Astral Express was given this permission. In fact, any special guilds, explorers, Stellaron Hunters, and especially the ICP was banned from setting one foot in Teyvat.

Nanook and a few other Aeons made sure to emphasize on this... after setting an example with the first few foolish ones that tried to force their way in.

And that's how Teyvat quickly becomes something like vacation spot for the Aeons whenever any of them wanted to visit MC.

#genshin impact #honkai star rail #sagau #sahsrau #genshin impact x reader #honkai star rail x reader #crossover #this is a mess #my genshin content

381 notes · View notes

endursent · 8 months ago

Text

- Biting Cold - Searing Warmth

【 content; sunday x reader , astral express sunday , mutual masturbation , blood and injury, hurt/comfort , huddling for warmth , handjob , self-destructive thoughts , NSFW 】

【 note; thank you for all the likes, comments and reblogs on through the dark, the overwhelming support means a lot to me and gives my souls strength. please enjoy this much longer piece.

as always, the reader's gender is never mentioned, i avoided describing their genitalia and left it vague so that you can imagine your preference. 】

【 word count; 8.075 | read on ao3 】

He feels slightly out of place among the Astral Express, it’s not that he doesn’t physically ‘fit in’, all of you look different, act differently and portray yourself in very different ways… but Sunday hasn’t been able to see himself as part of the crew despite travelling with you for four months.

He feels like he’s made of stone, every movement is stiff and he has to make excruciating effort into every little action, he feels cold and hard, like an observing statue as opposed to a member.

There are days where he forgets that cold, when what he has come to recognise as typical shenanigans drags him into situations where he’s either forced to use his brain to solve complex problems or empathise with someone in a situation he didn’t think was possible. Days where he is on his feet and his mind tunnels to the mission at hand.

And there are others where there is silent travel, two days of calm traversal through the cosmos where he retreats to solitude and sees the sky get further away behind closed eyes. He tries to write down his thoughts and understand them, understand what his goal has become… the path he has taken leads towards the cosmos, towards discovery of himself as well as the universe, but what does he search for in the distant stars?

Is he merely searching for redemption? Should he not atone for the wrongs his ideals did to others?

Dan Heng had told him that endlessly searching to right a wrong that has already been done will only wear him down to his bones and bring no closure. That it will be an endless journey of selfish fulfilment, he will never be able to touch every person that was drawn into the dream—and that he should start with the person he can touch, himself.

He startles when he bumps into your back, his mind having been completely occupied with thoughts and distracted—as usual. Sunday grasps your shoulder to push himself back slightly as he gives the back of your head a glare. “Why do you walk in front of me? There’s more than enough space.”

You give a small shrug. “Just making sure you don’t walk into something, think of me like a cushion,” you wave your hand vaguely as you turn back around. The snow is getting deeper as you venture through the woods, at one point in the densest part, it reaches up to your knees as you practically climb forward, raising your knee stomach-high with every step.

Looking around, you squint through the all-white forest… there’s supposed to be a research facility out here, at least according to one of the locals that showed the group around. But all you see is snow and trees.

Sunday pulls his coat tighter around himself, he doesn’t yet have a very varied wardrobe to properly adjust based on the world the Express goes to next… perhaps he should have searched in the small town for an extra layer, the biting cold makes his fingers stiff and toes tingle uncomfortably. His nose is cold and whenever you turn your back to him, he tucks his wings against the front of his face like a shield, hoping his warm breath might give some comfort to his red nose and cheeks.

Finally, the trees spread further apart and the snow congested less, you take out your phone and unlock it… no signal. Well, at least you’ve been walking in a straight line, it’s unlikely you’ll get… lost…

You see a line of snow that’s been walked through across the clearing, it’s halfway snowed up again… and it looks exactly like the line the two of you have been leaving behind—but how could it be through this same clearing? You swear you haven’t turned at all since you left the town!

Sunday spots it as well and his teeth clench together. “That’s ours… have we been walking in circles?” he, too, was sure the path had been straight the entire time. How could you pass by your own footsteps leading across your current path?

You both stand still for a time, the gears in your head spinning, trying to understand how this came to be—does it mean that the way you came from now is wrong? Is left or right the way back. You heard Sunday click his tongue and turn to look at him… he looks terribly cold.

Feeling a bit bad for him—and certainly not wanting him to catch a cold, you zip down your thick jacket and pull your arms out of it. Being that you’re the only moving thing in his line of sight, Sunday immediately frowns at the sight. “What are you doing? You’ll freeze if you take that off—” he blinks as you hold the jacked out towards him, and he hugs his own coat closer to himself, lowering his chin under the scarf around his neck. “I don’t need your jacket, it is my own fault that I’m underdressed.”

“Doesn’t mean you should freeze,” you push it against his chest. “Come on, while it’s warm—we can take turns.”

Reluctantly, Sunday unwinds his stiffly cold arms from around himself and accepts the jacket, it doesn’t fit him perfectly… but the relief it brings is far more valuable. It’s still a bit warm from when it was wrapped around your own body, and he can faintly smell your scent along the neck of it. You give a smile and reach for the hood on the back, you pull it over his head, the fur lining it tickling his cheeks as his wings get pushed against his head and poke out of it, halo bobbing behind his head with snow lined around its outline.

“... thank yo—wh—?” his thanks is interrupted as you poke the feathers of his wings that are sticking out and push them inside the hood before pulling it slightly further down. “Stop—it’s perfectly suitable,” he waves your hand away. His cheeks were red already, but now more so with an embarrassed warmth as well.

You immediately feel the chill of the cold wind and shake your arms a bit before rubbing them for some friction. “Alright, alright—I’ll leave you be, come on. The sooner we find this facility the faster we’ll be out of the cold.”

He makes a ‘hmph’ sound and hunches slightly so that his face is nestled nicely in the collar of the puffy jacket. If you’re to take turns, he should try and warm up as quickly as possible… he doesn’t want you to be cold either. He only accepted as easily as he did because he knew you would hold him down and force the jacket onto him if he didn’t…

But the gesture resonates with him nonetheless. It would be easy for you to continue in comfort, the jacket doesn’t prevent cold entirely, but it brings a significant barrier to the wind and chill, especially with the hood protecting his ears and neck. Yet you still chose to share it with him… it almost brought more warmth to him than the jacket.

You have always been like this, he shouldn’t be surprised at this point… with every offer, every smile and nudge, his chest grows warmer.

His sleepless nights were never unaccompanied, you were usually in the kitchen past midnight—once because you ‘forgot to boil eggs for breakfast and are too tired in the morning to do it’, another time because you were simply thirsty, then it was the night before Welt’s birthday and you and March 7th were baking cupcakes at three in the morning.

It has become a habit when he cannot sleep, be it because his thoughts will not stop interrupting him, or because the deeds of the past pull his stomach down until he has to use a bathroom or he simply feels restless and has a need to stand and move… to go to the kitchen. It’s a separate carriage from the bedrooms and gives some peace and quiet, once when you were not there as he had become accustomed to, he had taken out his phone to send you a message and ask if you were awake.

Of course… he didn’t, as his thumb had hovered over the send button, he set his phone down and turned back to his water. Spending the dark hours of the night alone.

Not that there is a true night and day on the Express, it operates on a 24-hour cycle where the lights dim and the windows are blocked to emulate night—but Sunday is far accustomed to strange hours or wake and deep sleep.

Sunday is once again taken from his thoughts as you stop for the second time, looking around with a focused expression on your face. He follows your gaze but sees nothing amiss, just more snow and now distant trees. The sky is grey and the ground white, the falling flakes of snow blending the two seamlessly to blur the distance between earth and sky. “What is it?”

With a shimmer, your weapon appears in your hand, sturdy and warm against your cold fingers. “I heard something…”

Out here? It was a miracle if anyone found you out in the chilled wilderness like this.

“Remember what those kids said earlier? When we were in town?” your voice lowers, eyes still scanning your surroundings.

Sunday nods. “That… we should be careful because ‘kids who get lost in the forest turn into ghosts that eat people’?” he didn’t entirely believe them, it was most likely just a cautionary tale their parents tell them so they don’t run into the forest and get lost. No child will survive for long.

“I don’t much like ghosts…” you mumble, the shiver on your skin not only because of the biting winds. Your muscles are coiled, ready and tense… you’re no stranger to duking it out with a monster or two, or even people. But what if you can’t whack it away like you could anything else?

Sunday is equally on guard as you are, but less experienced with direct combat. He’s mostly relied on intellectual disputes in the past, as well as planning for conflicts ahead of time where he won’t have to directly face off against something.

You see something shift in the corner of your eye—it’s not a whole form, it looks like a misty shape that drags into the snow as it moves. You shift your feet towards it as it speeds towards the two of you. Sunday grasps your shoulder as if he’s about to pull you backwards, but before he can, you swing your weapon—and the misty form dissipates.

“...” your eyes flicker around to search for it. “Was that it?”

“I doubt it,” Sunday says quietly next to your ear, his voice clear above the cool brush of wind that’s been chilling your skin. “There,” he gestures to a shift between trees. “There is a flicker of blue between the shoulders, it must be the weak spot.”

Weak spot, you can deal with that—it can’t be much different from the game machines in Penacony, whack the glowing part.

“Be careful if it—” Sunday’s warning went ignored and interrupted as you lift your leg and charge toward the misty apparition. “Wait—!” damn it, he knows you have a tendency for recklessness, but at least let him do what he’s good at and create a plan of attack!

He struggles to wade through the snow to follow you, unfamiliar with navigating high snow. But he has no chance of catching up with you. You raise your weapon again and raise your hands to swing downwards—but the misty form moves and you miss, the body dissipating again, it’s already a pretty small form, but it’s mostly translucent too, it’s not easy to follow.

You’re so damn cold, it’s difficult to move as quickly as you usually could. You see Sunday stop halfway towards you and look around for the elusive creature… you’re not sure what it’s capable of, but your prickling instincts are telling you it’s absolutely not friendly. “Come, stay closer,” Sunday calls to you. “It’s less likely to surprise us if we watch each other’s flanks.”

He’s right. You start to wade through the snow towards him when something moves in the corner of your eyes to your right—the wraith-looking creature seemed more condensed than before, its form whiter as if the falling snow had blanketed its outline and made it more visible. The blue hue in it’s torso flickered and expanded as a sharp shard of ice formed inside its body, it wasn’t wide, but it was long and jagged—and it was facing Sunday, too far from you to be able to get to him in time if the speed at which the shard was made was anything to believe.

He seemed to see it as well, eyes widening only slightly in surprise at the sight—his gaze snaps equally startled towards you as you dash towards the wraith. What are you doing!? Sunday calls your name in both warning and surprise, concern clear in his startled gaze, the creature is clearly preparing an attack—you should be falling back on the defensive, and not charging right at it!

You hop surprisingly easily through the snow, each large step eating at the distance between the threat and yourself. Swinging the bat at it did nothing but dissipate it and let it reappear elsewhere—and you don’t have the body heat or stamina to chase it around for twenty minutes. Maybe if you grab the blue centre, it’ll materialise enough for you to break it.

Sunday cursed the high snow, trying to stumble through it towards you as you ran at the enemy. He watched as you leapt at it and tackled it down—surprisingly, the wraith did fall with you, but the way your body jerked as you landed in the puffy snow made his skin itch.

As soon as you tackled the wraith down, the shard of ice it was conjuring short forward as if it had been held back by a tight bowstring—and impaled itself in your body. The sudden, violent pain that burst from your torso made you nearly double over in on yourself. But you persisted and jabbed the end of your weapon into the core.

With a loud crack and sound of shattering, the core broke apart like a light bulb, as if it had been entirely hollow. The misty form dissipated once more, leaving only shards of blue on the snow under you.

Sunday calls your name again with more urgency, heart hammering in his chest as he finally makes it to you, he bends down to take your shoulders in his hands. “Are you hurt? You shouldn’t rush li—” his words stop in his throat once he sees blood padder onto the snow, the red colour a stark contrast to the pure white of freshly fallen snow.

For a moment, he doesn’t move, unsure what to do—does he tug you up into a sitting position? Onto your back? Where is it coming from? You’re on all fours already, so perhaps you can straighten slightly. “Let me see, let me see,” his voice is urgent as he sees the tremble of your hands and hears a strange sound, as if a thin sheet of ice was being stepped on. Sunday takes your arm that twitched towards your torso and sees frost hardening on your clothes and skin.

As soon as you had physically touched the wraith, your skin began to feel extremely cold, like you were perpetually laid against ice. Your entire torso prickled, but the worse of the pain was coming low in your abdomen, your eyes lower and you see the shard imbedded in your lower left abdomen, it was wider at the bottom and stretched the skin apart and cut your clothes where blood bubbled and dripped down into the snow. It felt like you had drunk ice cold water, the feeling of it leaking down into your stomach—except it was spreading from the ice, and every surface you had touched of the ghost.

“Let me see,” he says for the third time, firmer this time despite the small crack of his voice, whether it was from the cold numbing his nose and lips or the creeping anxiety at the back of his mind, it was hard to tell.

You gasp and cry out slightly as he tries to right you up, it feels as if the sharp shard in your body had just cut through the entirety of your torso with the small movement, tears bubbling at the bottom of your eyelids from the overwhelming sensitivity and pain. “S-stop—” you pant, voice barely audible between short, quick breaths, as if you were afraid that breathing deeper would hurt more.

Sunday swallows, he’s not a doctor and though he knows basic first aid, his knowledge of what to do in situations like this relies heavily on the fact further help was on the way—but out here in the snow and wind with no signal…

He shrugs off the puffy jacket you had handed to him earlier and he lays it over your back, the biting cold already cooling his shivering body. “I’m sorry,” Sunday apologises quietly, his heart is racing, and though he seems calm outwardly, it’s a very practised and well-crafted front. His thoughts are racing, heart hammering in his chest and cold fingers trembling. All he sees and seems to be able to focus on is the puff of your breath and the drops of blood continuously leaking from you.

He’s afraid. Afraid that trying to move you will hurt you further, afraid that it might do irreversible damage—afraid that the damage is already so bad that there is scarce time to act.

The wind blows again and a shiver shakes both of your bodies and Sunday knows that just sitting around fretting will do more harm than good. “I am sorry,” he apologises again, more sincerely, because he knows this will only cause more agony.

He wraps his arms around you, and hoists you up to your feet. Your breath leaves you as you instinctively try to hunch back down, the stretch of your torso is blinding, your vision almost whites out in pain as you gasp and curse. Sunday apologises for the third time as he tries to drag you with him, pulling your dead weight is no easy feat—he isn’t particularly strong physically, he would struggle to hold Pom-Pom for long. “Hold on…” Sunday says quietly, his breath heaving from the strain of dragging both of you through the cold. “It’s alright, you’ll be okay,” he tries to reassure you, he needs to keep you awake.

Sunday wasn’t sure he had ever felt so… anxious? Afraid? His skin felt like it was trying to tear away from his body, his hands and knees trembled and his heart clenched with every beat.

He is the one who should suffer, not you.

“Talk to me, you need to stay awake,” he urges, pinching the skin over your ribs. Sunday doesn’t want to create more pain… but if you fall asleep now, there’s no guarantee you’ll wake up again, and the thought makes his breath tighten.

Talk to him? No thought forms in your head, all you feel is pain. You want to throw up, your head is spinning and it feels like your ears are blocked out. “... o-okay,” is all you can manage. You can’t even move your legs to walk with him, he’s taking the entirety of your weight at this awkward angle.

“Good,” he peers into the distance. You need shelter—it would be a miracle if he found the town you departed from, or the facility you were looking for. But Sunday doesn’t consider himself so lucky. He looks down at you, slumped against him with sweat on your forehead despite the cold, he tugs the jacket closer to your body, trying to make sure you get some respite from the winds.

His legs burn, but he sees a raised part of the earth—there, it must be enough. “Almost there,” he murmurs your name, worry gnawing at his gut. “You’ll be alright, I’ll make sure of it,” he promises, holding you tighter.

You groan as he sets you down in the small cave you found, your limbs shaking terribly—laying on your back doesn’t feel great, but it’s probably the best position you could be in, it pulls slightly on your wound… but it’s better than being hauled around. Blood has leaked more from the wound because of the movement, and the cold spreading from it, as well as your arms and chest where you touched the wraith has begun freezing your clothes in place.

Sunday presses his lips together, this cave isn’t large, but he could immediately feel the relief that the shelter brought. The snow gathered at the entrance shielded you from the biting wind, and that’s what’s most important. He takes his phone out of his coat pocket, his fingers stiff and numb from the cold… no signal, still. It might be the snow and wind, perhaps it will come around if it dies down.

For now, there’s a far more important matter to tend to.

Sunday kneels by your side, his throat tight at the sight of your pain. He had never been particularly good at facing the pain of others with a calm and straight face, his deep sense of empathy and compassion makes him wish he could take the pain from you and bear it himself. Not to mention that he’s come to actually care for you, he has never felt himself so shaken like this—not since he had heard of Robin’s injury. Very few instances will shake him so thoroughly to his core as that did.

He tugs your sweater up, a small whimper leaving you as more cold brushes against your bare skin. The shard isn’t wide, it’s similar to his thumb, perhaps a bit wider… but he realises the severity of it nonetheless. It’s long, and…

Sunday hears the cracking again.

You had only moved your hand, your breath trembling. He looks down at the shard again and sees frost spread from it, it’s cooling your skin and hardening on it—it has to be removed. Everything in his mind is telling him not to touch it, leave it there so that you don’t bleed even more profusely. But if he leaves it in, your skin and body will freeze.

He says your name quietly. “I need to remove the shard,” he says slowly. Sunday reaches for your hand and holds your fingers in his palm. They’re ice cold, frost covering the gloves and threatening to freeze them in place. “It… it will hurt, and I apologise for having to do it.”

You squint at him, swallowing thickly. You can’t imagine how it will feel, and you feel anxious to let him. “A-are you sure?”

“Yes,” he nods, his hand slides up your arm and rubs it slightly, as if he’s trying to create friction and warm your skin. His wings are lowered, sitting against his shoulders as if saddened. He wasn’t entirely sure what the best course of action is, but surely you will have a better chance with an open, but dressed wound and not being actively frozen alive, than you will with the shard still inside of you and trying to actively kill you?

It’s a chance you’ll have to take.

He takes off his scarf but leaves his gloves on, he doesn’t want to touch the shard with his bare hands. “I will need to remove it slowly to ensure it doesn’t cut you further…” Sunday shifts on his knees next to you, the cave floor is just as cold as kneeling on snow. “I’m sorry.”

You’re not sure how often he’s apologised at this point, and you’re unsure why he feels the need to, this wasn’t his fault.

Before you can examine the thought further, he grips the shard and you gasp—even just touching it makes you panic. “W-w-wait—” your heart races. Don’t, it—

He pulls gently, and the shard moves. A scream tears from your throat and Sunday’s breath catches. He almost stops, but steels himself. If he stops now, it’ll be worse, he’s already started—he has to finish. He repeats his apologies like a mantra, your body jerks and he uses his other hand to press down on your left hip, trying to hold you still.

It only takes a few seconds, but they feel like minutes, minutes of tears and screams, of trembling fingers and gentle pulling. He has to pay attention to his movements perfectly, and has to make sure it doesn’t hurt you further.

And when it’s all over, he tosses the shard aside and bundles his scarf to lay over the wound as blood wells in the wound. His white scarf immediately colours red at the edges as tears slip down your temples. Sunday feels a rush of emotions after the ordeal, your screams and tears, the blood. Almost as if moving instinctually, he lays over you and wraps one arm around you, cradling your head into his shoulder as his other still presses against the wound. “I’m sorry, it’s over, you’re okay,” he whispers into your ear, his arms shaking equally to your entire body. “Focus on breathing, slowly. It’s over.”

He tears up as well, the soft wings by his head touch your jaw as he holds you, his breath shaking. He hadn’t even realised how tense he had gotten, and while the danger hasn’t passed—and you could potentially be in more danger freely bleeding as you are, it brings a small relief that the shard it out.

Your head spins, the pain has been so agonising, the fear and anxiety of pulling the shard out that you feel like you passed out for a moment. But feeling Sunday so close, holding you so tenderly, as if he were cradling a delicate feather between his palms… your hand that feels less frozen solid slowly raises, as if to return the hug—but your fingers poke at his halo by accident and he near shoots up, wet eyes large. Ah, touching a halovian’s halo probably doesn’t feel good, you think.

He blinks a few times and takes a breath. “L-let me focus on your wound, then we need to find a way to warm you up,” Sunday says hurriedly, sitting back on his knees.

His mind races as he tries to focus on pressing down on your wound, hoping it starts to clot faster. Your body was so cold, even your neck and cheek. Sunday himself doesn’t feel particularly warm… but he’s afraid that you’ll die from hypothermia if he doesn’t warm you up quickly. Sunday looks up to see that your eyes have slid shut and he feels his heart tighten. “Open your eyes,” he reaches up and pats your cheek with his palm, he says your name urgently. “Stay awake, just a little bit longer, please.”

He tries to keep you awake with encouragements and small pokes and pats, but your near violently trembling body needs more help. Sunday ties the bundled scarf to the wound tightly with a long ribbon from his coat—maybe this needlessly complicated outfit has its uses after all. He then focuses on trying to warm you up, he places his hands on either side of your arms and rubs them, creating friction. The frost that had built up on your clothes and skin hasn’t spread further, it was likely driven by the shard. Now he just has to warm you up.

But friction can only do so much, after a time, you’re moaning about it hurting, and as he lifts your jacket he sees the already reddened skin from the cold is raw and sensitive.

Sunday’s eyebrows pinch in thought as he does as before. “Let me share my warmth with you,” he utters and lays over you, now using both arms to wrap around you—he doesn’t dare move you into a different position than on your back. He still tries to rub every surface of your skin for warmth, but it’s not retaining heat well enough.

“We need to create warmth—” he jumps as he feels your cold fingers slide under his shirt. His stomach is warmer than his hands, and your icy fingers on it makes his entire body shiver. “O-okay,” he doesn’t say more, he doesn’t trust his voice to form fully.

This might be the method you need, and Sunday is determined to warm you up in any way you require… though this doesn’t very much help him retain his warmth.

As your fingers feel warmer and it’s easier to move them, you retreat them from his stomach and slowly raise them to his ears. Sunday blinks at you in surprise as your warmed fingers envelop his cool ears. “What are you doing?”

You give a weak smile, you’re still in pain, but you’re more lucid now that there isn’t a foreign object stuck in you. “We warm each other.”

His cheeks redden slightly as your fingers rub the shell of his ears to warm them, your fingers aren’t exactly warm, but they’re not completely cold either.

“It won’t be sustainable like this,” he says, still laying over you, just raised slightly with his elbows on either side of your head, his misty breath wafting over your cheeks. “We need to warm faster, more directly.”

You squint at him, he sounds like he was trying not to explicitly say something, but you had an inkling to what it was. “Like… sharing body heat?”

His head turns slightly, gaze avoiding you as one of his wings twitches, moving to his cheek as if to hide his face, you’re unsure if it’s a conscious movement. “... for example.”

You don’t see why not, desperate times and all that. “Okay, your coat is pretty big, we can use it as a blanket, my sweater too,” he has an easier time taking off his coat by himself, but has to help you take your sweater off. You shiver at first, but as Sunday sets his coat and your sweater over the two of you, and lays closer to you—still wearing a thin shirt—you feel subtle warmth.

Sunday struggled to even talk to you as soon as you huddled together, though there were thin shirts separating you, he felt the skin of your arms and collar against him. He’s never been this close to the glimpses of your skin only previously seen from a distance, now he’s close enough to smell you, to touch you.

He’s careful not to touch your wound, but keeps an eye on it. Your breaths mingle together and you lay your cold forehead against his shoulder to try and absorb any warmth he gives. Unfortunately, it’s not quite enough to keep both of you warm. He tries to rub your arms again, and you try to breathe warm air on his skin, but the solutions are very temporary.

Darkness has begun setting outside, and there’s little light inside the cave. You can still see each other, but it’s clear that nighttime is approaching. You whisper in Sunday’s ear next to you. “You cried for me, earlier.”

He doesn’t reply immediately, his hands that were rubbing your thighs for warmth halting for a moment. “... I did.”

“Do you often cry when people are hurt?” you wonder.

“Sometimes,” he continues to focus on warming you, trying not to think of your lips brushing against his collar when you talk.

He hadn’t just cried because you were hurt, because you were in pain… a thought had occurred to him as you screamed and shook as he removed the shard that it might kill you—that his actions might. He had done nothing but stand and watch as you had battled the wraith, he had moved slowly and been unsure how to help you after you broke its core… and he had brought you more and more pain. Even in trying to help, how can his heart not ache?

You who have always been so kind and patient, even when he sought to entrap the cosmos. Even when you stood on opposite sides of the grand theatre. You didn’t hesitate to include him, to make him feel welcome as he hesitantly stepped onto the Express. You sat with him during long nights and caught him when he experienced his first warp.

He doesn’t want you to die, he doesn’t want you to be hurt.

You seemed to sense that he had fallen deep into thought yet again, you raise your head from his shoulder and he turns his head to look at you. As he does, your cool fingers slowly raise and touch his cheek, it’s warmer than before. “You’re very kind.”

His lips part slightly, his expression is difficult to read as he stares at you from above, his eyes flicker from your eyes down to your hand, to your eyes again and do a round of your face. He opens his mouth further, as if he wants to say something, but only a breath leaves him that warms your own cheeks. He utters your name and it’s almost too quiet to hear. Slowly, his head lowers and you meet him halfway—his lips are soft, despite not having eaten or had water in hours, stuck in the cold, they don’t feel stiff or chapped at all.

As if he’d snapped out of a trance, it had only been seconds that your lips touched and he was pulling back, eyes wide. “I-I’m sorry, I should—”

“It’s okay,” you breathe, hand still on his cheek as you try to guide him back towards you. “You’re warm, and…”

He doesn’t need more of a reason, he’s been aching to be closer, his arms tremble with the strain of holding back. His body is so damn cold, and the inside of your mouth is warm as his tongue slips between your chilly lips. Your hand that rested against his cheek slides behind his head as he kisses you deeply, your head lowered against the cold floor, only cushioned by the fluffy hood of your jacket. His wings flutter and brush against your wrist as your other hand touches his shoulder. Sunday’s fingers that had tried to keep your thighs warm rise to your hips, one hand dangerously close to your wound.

Your mouth opens to warm him, your lips separating for a moment, but he presses on again. “I know,” Sunday assures you, and his gentle tone eases your wariness. “I’ll be careful.”

His lips part in tune with yours, the sounds of your wet kisses echoing in the cave, his thumbs rub at your hips as if he can’t keep his hands still and the only way to have them put in one place was to at least soothe you like this. Your cheeks are warm from the deep kissing, it’s almost suffocating the way his tongue drags over your lips and traces the inside of them, as if he’s trying to taste every surface of your mouth he can reach.

It was too much, the taste of you, the warmth of your mouth and your tight hold on his shoulder and behind his head. He needs more warmth, needs to feel it radiate from you and bask in it like touching a bonfire. Your cold fingers and shivering skin, the frost clinging to your sleeves and collar—he wants to make you warm again, feel your warm fingers against his own, like when you handed him a cup of tea during a long night and your fingers touched. Even the brief brush of another’s skin had stuck with him for weeks.

He groans against you and his mouth slides from yours, his lips trailing warmth to your cool jaw and throat, the chilled skin shivering again when he closes his mouth over thin skin between the juncture of your shoulder and neck. Your breath trembles as he worries it between his teeth, tongue gently brushing over the tingling spot once he’s done.

“I…” his breath is deep and wanting. “Let me warm you, please. I-I wish to touch you, to ensure you won’t shiver with cold any longer.”

You nod. “Help me,” the words are pleading on your lips. Your feet are numb with cold and your body has bouts of harsh trembling. You want him to touch you.

Sunday takes your lips again with his, as if he can’t get enough of your taste and the feeling of your mouth moving against his, he tilts his head to kiss you deeper as his hands lift your thin shirt to your collar, moving any barriers in his way as he moves the heat from between your lips and to your chest. Your body will quickly warm itself if he stimulates it appropriately, and he intends for the two of you to feel comfortably warm. “Wha—“ you weren’t expecting his mouth to seek there so quickly, and certainly were you not prepared.

His lips close around your left nipple, the warmth brought from it makes you inhale softly—but as the texture of his tongue drags over it, you nearly jerk in surprise, your wound aching from the sudden moment. Sunday’s hand holds your hip down on the side where there is no injury, his eyes looking to you from under grey eyelashes. “Please be still, I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” his breath fans over the moist point of your chest and you shiver again—for entirely unrelated reasons to the cold. He resumes his attention and you find that ‘being still’ is your greatest challenge today. Every single drag of his tongue, flick and suckle sends sparks through your body, it makes your fingertips twitch where they’ve claimed hold of his shoulders and your thighs flex. The most prominent tingles settle between your legs where you’re desperately trying to will down the rising need for attention.

Your cheeks and neck warm—and you make a high-pitched sound as his gloved hand moves to your other nipple, a poke followed by a pinch and his thumb sliding left and right over it makes your body instinctively squirm and tense. “S-Sunday—“ you breathe his name, unsure exactly what you want him to do or don’t, the sensations of his warm mouth and cold glove on opposite sides makes your head nearly spin.

“Do you feel warmer?” he looks up at you again, his golden eyes seem to glow in the darkening cave.

You nod again. “A little,” you’re still cold, especially on your stomach that’s bare And exposed to the cold air of the cave. Your left hand rises slightly to touch the wing above his shoulder—causing Sunday to tense as he blinks at you. You want him to be warm too, he’s been so diligent in trying to make friction against your arms and thighs, in hugging your coats together and huddling close… “Warm us both, together.”

He licks his lips in thought. Warm you both at the same time? He can only think of one method. Sunday takes your hands from his shoulders and holds them in his own, he raises them to his lips and blows air onto them before he guides them between your legs—and a distinct warmth emanates from there. It shouldn’t be surprising, having your chest touched and licked like that definitely pools heat there, but the way Sunday’s hands are so careful and his gaze so focused, as if he were unearthing a grand treasure or under an important assignment…

He buttons open and lowers your pants only as far down as needed, not wanting to expose your skin to more cold air than necessary. Sunday still holds your hands as he lays them over the radiating warmth of your crotch, he doesn’t directly touch you, only using your own fingers as a proxy to slowly slide and rub your cool fingers over yourself. You bite your lip as you twitch under your cold fingers, the stark contrast of temperature making your heart race more than it was already. But it does warm your fingers, the more he moves them. “This might be uncomfortable at first,” Sunday utters as he brings your hands up before guiding them into your underwear—with no barrier between your warm flesh and cold fingers, the temperature difference is even more stark.

His own cheeks are red now as well, and he releases one hand from you to lean over you again and bring your bodies closer. “Keep your hands there, move and touch as you can,” he says and fully lets go of your hands. He holds himself over you with his elbow on the floor next to your head—which you instinctively tilt your head towards to rest against, seeking his touch—while his other hand unbuttons his own pants and tugs them down only slightly. “I-if we… do this, then our bodies will warm… and so long as we huddle together, then—“ his body almost jerks as his cold fingers touch his own aching need. “—then th-the cold should subside somewhat.”

You nod, the movements familiar to you as your breath deepens—you were so sensitive, perhaps it was your cold fingers, or it could be the prelude of having your chest touched like that. This is surprisingly effective, but you still struggle to pay attention to your own pleasure and movements while Sunday is only a hair’s width of you, doing the same. So much of a distraction that your movements stilled, gaze fixed on the way his breath heaved, his head lowered so that his forehead was almost touching yours, his wings raised and shuddering.

Sunday seems to notice that you aren’t moving anymore, he swallows thickly and squints at you. “Wh-what is it?” his voice trembles slightly. “Does it hurt?”

He’s worried about your wound—and it certainly does ache, but your attention is far from being focused on that. “No… ah, can I… can I touch you?”

“What?” he doesn’t understand you at first, even though he’s been quite good at reading your expressions and words today. “You… want to touch me?”

You nod, and your hands leave yourself towards him, your warmed fingers touching his wrists—and his hands almost fly out of his pants in surprise. “I do,” you confirm. “Can I?”

He seems conflicted for a moment, eyes lowering before he nods. “Okay… I’ll take care of you too.”

A smile touches your lips. “Alright, I think it will warm us much faster.”

Your fingers slide under his underwear, his cock is already straining against his underwear, hard and hot to your touch. Sunday gasps as you touch him—your fingers aren’t nearly as cold as they were before, but he still tenses as if you had shoved snow into his pants. You grasp him gingerly, not sure what is too fast of an approach for him, but as his breath seems to slow at your gentle touch, you take it as a go-ahead.

With every stroke and movement, his hips twitch—as if they want to move with you but are held back by sheer will alone. Sunday can barely think clearly, all he feels is you, all he smells is your skin, mixed with sweat and blood that stirs something in him. He joins you, his hand touching you in return and immediately it’s like your entire body flares to life, your hand moves faster, careful still—and Sunday leans down again, his lips on your neck kissing and suckling, his cool nose brushing against your warmed skin.

“S-Sunday—ah—“ your breath shudders. “More, l-little bit down—mnh,” warmth was pooling in your belly quicker than you’re used to, the flexing of your stomach amongst the pleasure tugged on your wound a little, but the brief pain was just an enhancement at this point.

He breathes out your name, once, twice—with every stroke of your hand. You don’t feel that you can properly take care of him when his cock is confined within his pants like that, you turn your hand and tug his length out of them—and he springs free to the cold air, making Sunday suck in a breath, your sweater over his back almost sliding off. “Hahh, y-you don’t need to…”

“I want to,” you assure him, licking your lips as you have much better freedom of movement now, your thumb strokes over the head and Sunday whines. His hands redouble their efforts between your legs, pushing your pants and underwear a bit further down to give himself more room as well. “Fuck, Sunday,” you curse on instinct, the overwhelming feeling of liquid heat searing through your veins causing you to respond to his hands with your hips—you were getting closer, and with every touch and twist on the upstroke you make, he is as well.

“Ahh, please,” he presses his forehead into your neck, Sunday’s hips make no effort to cease their movements now, he fully meets your strokes, hips rolling with your hand—he’s pressed down so much that your stroking him against your stomach, his thigh pressing against his hand as he prays to bring you equal pleasure with his own fingers as you are doing to him. He makes a particular movement that you can’t describe—and the tight coil in your stomach that’s been spreading fire through you for minutes finally releases its tension.

You cry out slightly, both surprised by the intensity as well as the relief and soothing warmth that surges through you from his fingers and out to your fingers and toes, to your ears and behind your eyes.

Sunday almost seems to come undone simply at the sight of you doing so, he needs only a few ruts against your tightened hand, instinctively flexed with pleasure, to achieve his own, his entire body jerking and shuddering as a sticky wetness splatters onto your stomach.

It takes the both of you a few moments to to catch your breaths, but as soon as Sunday’s thoughts realign to a comprehensive read, he tugs his coat and your sweater that’s slid a bit askew over his back—somehow miraculously not fallen off—to huddle the warms built by your combined pleasures. He nearly jumps when he feels the evidence of his pleasure sticking to your stomach and quickly starts to dry it with his shirt. “I-I apologise, I should’ve—should have turned away,” he stutters slightly, his voice not entirely reliable yet.

But you only laugh softly, wincing slightly from the strain put on your wound—the worry in his eyes from only a mere wince makes your chest warm more. “It’s okay. We’re warmer now, and… it was good, you’re good with your fingers.”

His cheeks redden further—somehow—and his gaze leaves yours, looking at the floor next to your head. “Th-thank you… you did… very well, as well,” Sunday mumbles awkwardly.

You open your mouth to speak again, and suddenly both of your phones ping.

It’s stopped snowing and the winds have calmed, Sunday fishes for his phone to see seven unread messages from the Astral Express group chat. They’re asking for both of your locations and whether you’re alright, it’s been hours. He sighs in relief and sends your coordinates to them, the sooner you get medical assistance, the better.

You watch as he sets the phone aside. “No time for round two?”

Sunday looks at you as if you’ve sprouted two additional heads. “Round two? Already—? No, you—the injury, if—what?” he stumbles through three different sentences, and you only laugh softly. The halovian lets out a ‘hmph’ and turns his head away from you—his cold halo bumping into your forehead.

“Next time, then,” you rub the spot between your eyes where the spiky point of his halo smacked against you.

A sigh leaves Sunday and he turns his head to you again, a soft, warm kiss blessing the corner of your mouth. “… once you’re healed.”

#sunday x reader #sunday x you #sunday #sunday hsr #honkai star rail #my writing #fics #big time content #hurt/comfort #hsr x reader #honkai star rail x reader

463 notes · View notes

chaot1c0 · 6 months ago

Text

the way my heart beats for you - sunday o.

alas, the fated day of christmas had arrived. being a new member of the astral express, sunday is not familiar with how the crew celebrates christmas.

so that explains why he is stunned to find a tall tree in the parlor car adorned with ornaments of almost all color that twinkle in the express' lights.

and besides the ethereal-looking tree, is the trailblazer with march 7th on their shoulders, reaching out to place the star on the tree. you stand nearby, next to himeko, dan-heng, and welt, who keep an eye on pom-pom in case the poor conductor faints out of worry.

sunday merely chuckles at the sight, covering his small smile with his fist. he then makes his way over to stand next to you and observe the sight before him.

"oh, looks like the angel decided to grace us with his presence after all," you remark.

sunday merely shrugs with a smile, one that seems genuine for the most part.

"so, what are they doing?" he asked, not bothering to take his eyes off of march 7th and the trailblazer, who somehow end up placing the star on the tree perfectly before falling.

you shrug, snapping a picture of them mid-fall.

"their usual shenanigans," you simply stated.

sunday nods slowly, deciding to leave that as it was .. [ he'd rather not get involved in their interesting activities ]

eventually, the day comes to a close and sunday finds himself staring at something else. well, someone else, in particular.

..it seems the angel has fallen for someone.

guys this was the best I could do I swear one of these days I'll drag my ass out of writer's block ..

masterlist

#hsr x you #hsr x y/n #hsr x gender neutral reader #hsr x reader #sunday x reader #sunday x you #sunday x y/n #sunday hsr #sunday #hsr sunday #honkai star rail #chaot.ic

275 notes · View notes

deathbxnny · 5 months ago

Note

helloo sunday with an astral express member teen!reader who is scared of him (would hide behind someone or something whanever they see him) but gets used to him and sometimes even tries spending time with him and comfort him?

astral express passenger sunday

Yes, yes, yes, I love this. It's so cute.

Content: Teen reader, platonic relationships, fluff, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns.

((Not proofread))

He knew who you were from the time that you and your found family rammed a train right into him. So meeting you again felt rather awkward and understandably filled with deep mistrust to his intentions. Sunday had no one to blame but himself for that of course and left you alone, especially when he noticed that you were rather fearful of him. Another thing he accepted, supposing it wasn't all too surprising.

Yet despite this, he went out of his way to apologize to you formally, considering that your young age made him feel worse about potentially having hurt you too in the battle. You always hid behind the other members of the crew, however, and so it was hard to get much of a direct response from you at first that wasn't filtered through them.

Months went on this way until his patience with you eventually wore off, and you began asking him curious questions about his wings, his sister, and his current beliefs. He always answered as calmly and as age appropriately as he could, a small, serene smile on his face when you seemed childishly amazed at his answers. The other express members saw it as a good thing that you were beginning to trust him, and it made them, in turn, let their walls down around him easier. If you saw something well meaning in him, then there was nothing for them to worry about anymore.

This resulted in you including him in all of your shenanigans. Whether it was playing board games with the crew or running around a nameless planet with him in tow, he was always a step behind you now. And deep down, your presence brought him joy again, as you reminded him of his sister in their own youth. As though reborn, he sees the world through your young eyes, and despite its at times rather worrisome and reckless nature, he finds deep appreciation for it.

To thank you for your indirect yet significantly important impact on his newfound way of life, he silently vows to keep you safe and teach you whatever good thing he still knows.

And if there is a day in which your paths diverge, he hopes that what he brings you will help you become something much greater than he ever was and will be.

#honkai star rail #honkai star rail fanfic #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail x you #hsr x reader #hsr #hsr astral express crew #sunday hsr #hsr sunday x reader #hsr sunday #sunday #honkai star rail sunday #sunday x reader

231 notes · View notes

apteryxparvus · 7 months ago

Text

your ‘just a little bit’ suspicious roommate

Pairing — Jiaoqiu / Reader

Word count — 5,191

Content warning — drinking • Astral Express shenanigans

Summary — You’re just trying to survive university life. Your new roommate? Definitely not a vampire. Or at least, that’s what you told yourself—until a drunken, accidental makeout session definitely confirms some suspicions.

Now, you’ve got to explain everything to your friends... who are definitely not going to let it go.

"As we all know, garlic is a well-known vampire repellent," March rambles, her finger waving dramatically at the screen, the laser pointer dancing over a grainy image of garlic. "And as we've discussed before, your smoking hot but totally shady roommate, has yet to touch the stuff—evidence number... what, four? Five? But regardless, this undeniable truth, along with everything else we've gathered so far, solidifies our theory."

"And with that," Stelle chimes in, crossing her arms with a smug grin, "our TED Talk has officially concluded."

"Here are our references," Caelus says with exaggerated politeness, as he presents a final slide filled with sources no one’s going to actually check.

You stare at the screen, watching the poorly edited image of Dracula with pink hair and yellow eyes—somehow eerily resembling your roommate. You blink a couple of times, unsure whether to laugh or question your life choices.

“First of all, the fandom wiki page for Count Chocula is not a proper source,” Dan Heng says, voice flat. "Second of all—no. Just no. Now, can we please go back to the movie? You know, the one that doesn’t involve… whatever this is?"

"I can't believe none of you care about this!" March exclaims, throwing her arms up in frustration. “Our dearest friend is living with a bloodsucker!”

You roll your eyes, digging further into the pile of blankets you're buried under, one hand grabbing buttery popcorn from the bowl. "I don’t care. I just want to see how the movie ends."

"The ending isn't that interesting anyway," Caelus says. "The family’s all dead. They’ve been dead the whole time."

"Caelus!" you shriek, leaping out of your seat. Popcorn explodes into the air, scattering across the couch and floor. Dan Heng groans, already pinching the bridge of his nose.

Without hesitation, you lunge at Caelus, who barely flinches as you grab a fistful of his hair and give it a solid yank. "You cannot just spoil a movie like that, you absolute moron!"

"Ow, hey—it's a classic twist, not my fault you’re slow—"

"Get off him, you heathen!" Stelle rushes to the rescue, only for you to snap at her hand like an angry feral cat when she tries to pry you off her twin. "Did you just—did you bite me?!"

Moments later, the three of you are a tangled heap on the floor—Stelle trying to wrestle you off Caelus, you stubbornly clinging to his hair, and Caelus, smirking like he’s above it all despite being squished under your combined weight.

"Am I interrupting something?" The voice is smooth, sultry. You freeze mid-pinch.

Jiaoqiu is standing in the entryway, leaning casually against the doorframe that divides the open kitchen from the living room, his expression an elegant mix of bemusement and mild confusion.

"No! No, absolutely not!" you blurt, untangling yourself with record-breaking speed and shoving Caelus aside. Scrambling upright, you snatch the remote from March and begin button-mashing like your life depends on it. The TV stubbornly scrolls through several slides until one final image—the ridiculous Dracula with suspiciously pink hair and honey-colored eyes—flashes on the screen.

You freeze. The room freezes.

Jiaoqiu arches a single perfect eyebrow, his lips curving into the faintest hint of a smirk. "Interesting taste in… presentations."

You can feel your soul actively trying to leave your body. "It’s just… uh…" You scramble for an excuse, words tumbling out in a panicked jumble. "March! March really wanted to, uh, dive into the intricacies of garlic and Dracula! For—um—for some very important in-depth cultural research!"

Stelle chokes on her soda, snorting audibly. "Oh, absolutely. Garlic research. Very academic."

You whip around to glare at her, betrayal etched into every fiber of your being. "Stelle."

She just shrugs. "What? I’m backing you up."

"Yeah, real convincing. You’re totally selling it," March wheezes, barely holding back another laugh.

Jiaoqiu clears his throat. "Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your… research.” His tone is polite, barely concealing his amusement. "I have some client work to finish, so I’ll be in my room. Have fun."

He turns to leave, his footsteps unhurried, but just before he disappears down the hall, he glances over his shoulder. His golden gaze locks with yours, a faint smile playing on his lips. "By the way," he adds smoothly, "that Dracula edit? A striking resemblance."

Your face burns hotter than the sun as he strolls away, leaving you mortified and very much on the verge of curling into a ball forever.

You bury your face in the nearest blanket, muffling a loud, frustrated groan. March leans over, whispering, "So… about that garlic test..."

The morning after, once your friends have cleared out—leaving behind only the faint smell of coffee and a suspiciously large pile of crumbs—you find yourself at the sink, scrubbing the last of the dishes. The kitchen is quiet now, save for the gentle clink of ceramic against metal.

You’re rinsing the final mug when Jiaoqiu steps out of his room. You don’t hear his footsteps— he’s always freakishly quiet—so when his raspy morning voice cuts through the silence, you nearly drop the mug into the soapy abyss.

"Mornin’," he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly as he rubs the sleep from his eyes.

You whirl around, and suddenly, all those memories from last night come rushing back—March’s presentation, and, most importantly, the fact that he saw it.

Your face heats up. Your neck burns.

You manage to croak out a greeting—something between a “good morning” and a choking sound—but the words trail off as you take him in.

Jiaoqiu has always looked unfairly good—but right now, it feels almost absurd. In the soft morning light, he’s effortlessly flawless, like he just walked off the cover of some magazine. His pale skin practically glows under the sunlight. His hair, messy from sleep, somehow falls perfectly into place, and his golden eyes catch the light, sharp and vivid, drawing attention without trying.

“I assume you had a good time last night,” he says, suddenly right next to you, voice teasing.

You nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah. Sorry if we were too loud,” you mumble, rubbing the back of your neck, avoiding his gaze.

“It’s alright,” he replies. “This apartment is as much yours as it is mine. Here, let me help finish this faster.” Without waiting for a reply, Jiaoqiu grabs a dish towel and starts drying the remaining mugs. The two of you work in a comfortable silence, the clink of the dishes the only sound between you.

When you’re done, you wipe your hands on a towel and turn to him. “We made some Songlotus cake. You just woke up, so feel free to grab some. And there’s fresh coffee in the pot.”

He gives you a small nod, eyes soft. “Thanks.”

What you definitely don’t mention is that March—with Caelus acting like her evil mastermind sidekick—turned a few of the crispy cakes into garlic landmines. Powdered, minced, pureed—she threw in every form of garlic known to mankind, probably hoping Jiaoqiu would take one bite, and dramatically burst into flames. Or, at the very least, recoil like someone slapped him with holy water.

After pouring himself a cup of dark coffee, Jiaoqiu sits down at the table. He takes a slow sip, golden eyes flicking to the leftover cakes in the middle of the table. In your peripheral vision, you watch him reach out for one, holding your breath as he picks it up. He inspects it, almost as if he’s solving a particularly tricky puzzle. He sniffs the air, and your stomach drops—does he smell the garlic?

(You’re pretty sure March and Caelus tried to mask the scent with an absolute overkill of vanilla extract. Or was it almond extract? You don't know, and frankly, you don’t want to know. But what you do know, it was probably a huge mistake, all of this.)

Jiaoqiu doesn’t seem alarmed. Maybe he trusts that your friends wouldn’t sabotage baked goods, or maybe he’s just so committed to his side-job as a nutritionist that he refuses to waste a perfectly good breakfast. Either way, he takes a bite.

You pretend to be extremely invested in wiping down the counter, sneaking glances from the corner of your eye.

And then it happens.

Jiaoqiu freezes mid-chew. A split second later, he’s coughing and his eyes are watering, as if someone blasted him with a full can of pepper spray. Wheezes echo through the kitchen as he struggles to swallow. With the last of his dignity the can muster (not that much, by the way), he takes a massive gulp of his coffee, his expression somewhere between betrayed and horrified.

“You and your friends… seem to have… interesting taste in food, as well,” Jiaoqiu manages to rasp out between coughs, his voice strained. You shrink where you stand, guilt simmering beneath your skin. Was March right in her theory? Or perhaps, did you take things too far?

Awkwardly, you step closer and give Jiaoqiu’s back a light pat, cringing at your own inadequacy. The man is choking on a crime against baking, and all you can do is offer this sad little pat. Internally cursing your friends, you grab one of the cakes and take a small, cautious bite to see if they’re really that bad.

And oh. Oh no. You immediately regret it. The flavor assaults your senses with all the subtlety of a brick to the face. It’s salty, sweet, sour, and umami all at once—a culinary abomination that defies all natural laws.

You gag as minced garlic chunks battle for dominance against unmelted sugar granules, creating a texture so horrifying you nearly spit it out on the spot.

You can’t believe you made Jiaoqiu eat this. All because your friends had convinced you he might be a vampire. A vampire. And for a split second just now, you’d actually believed them. Why? Because he choked on the garlic cake? Anyone with a functioning palate would choke on this monstrosity.

"Shit—I'm sorry." Without a second thought, you snatch the plate of cakes and chuck it straight into the trash, refusing to even look at it. You’re already composing a furious text to March in your head—because if you’d taken a bigger bite, there’s a very real chance you’d have keeled over on the spot. "I can make you something better," you offer hurriedly. But Jiaoqiu just waves a hand, his expression tired, his face somehow even paler than usual.

"Can you pass me the medicine bottle from the fridge?" You nod quickly, opening the fridge to reveal a shelf lined with identical small vials, each filled with a thick red liquid. You grab one and hand it over.

"I think I’ll take this in my room," Jiaoqiu says, holding the small vial as he turns toward the hallway.

"I’m sorry for ruining your morning," you mumble, your voice barely above a whisper. Tears prick at the corners of your eyes, hot and unwelcome.

"It’s—" Jiaoqiu pauses, his expression softening just enough to ease the weight on your chest. "It’s alright." He reaches out and pats your head gently, ruffling your hair. "I’ll be fine."

The sun is dipping below the horizon by the time you return from a grueling day at university. Between March’s relentless pestering—complete with even more outlandish theories—and the soul-crushingly dull lectures from your professors, all you want to do is crawl into bed and hibernate until the semester ends. Unfortunately, that’s not an option. Three assignments loom over you, their deadlines inching closer.

The apartment is eerily quiet, but Jiaoqiu’s shoes are neatly lined up by the entryway. The guilt from this morning rears its head again. Is he still locked up in his room, recovering from the monstrosity of a cake you let him eat? You shake the thought away. No spiraling, no distractions. Tonight is for coursework.

With a tired sigh, you settle on the carpeted floor of the living room, leaning your back against the couch and setting your laptop on the low coffee table. The university’s digital platform greets you—an overwhelming grid of assignments and unread announcements. You skim through the options, settling on what seems like the easiest one: “Cultural Analysis: Xianzhou Alliance and the Legacy of the Abundance Wars.”

You plug in your earbuds, selecting a relaxing playlist, and settle into the task at hand. Hours slip by without you even noticing. The topic—the Third Abundance War—seems endless, each paper you open just a little more confusing or irrelevant than the last. You only get up once to restock on energy drinks and snacks, fueling yourself for what feels like a marathon of academic misery.

Groaning, you slam your laptop shut after yet another fruitless attempt to find a decent source. The deeper you dive into the history of the Xianzhou Alliance, the more it seems like you’re wading through layers of conspiracy theories and folklore instead of actual research. Despite the importance of the topic in Xianzhou history, finding proper sources seems impossible.

The amount of nonsense you’ve had to close—websites dedicated to the monstrous Borisin creatures, the mystical Foxians, and other equally questionable topics—is ridiculous. You’re pretty sure if you handed in a literature review about that nonsense, not only would you be the laughing stock of the class, but you’d be expelled on the spot.

They're just legends, and there’s nothing scientifically sound to back them up. But here you are, wading through a swamp of unreliable sources, praying for anything that remotely resembles actual history.

A hand suddenly pats your head, and you nearly jump out of your skin, heart leaping into your throat. You yank your earbuds out, startled, only to find Jiaoqiu grinning at you, looking far too pleased with himself.

"You scared me," you grumble, swatting his hand away.

You take a second to really look at him. He seems better now—the sickly paleness from earlier has faded, replaced by a touch of color in his cheeks. His golden eyes are bright again, brimming with that quiet amusement that always makes you wonder what’s going on in his head.

"Were you working on something?" he asks, leaning towards you, his curiosity piqued.

You nod, slumping slightly as you glance at the time. "A stupid assignment... due in—" you squint at the clock, the reality sinking in, "—in two hours and a bit." You let out a long, defeated sigh. You’re done for. There’s no way you’re getting this paper done in time. No proper sources, no coherent thoughts, and you’re still a million words short of the required word count. You're cooked, completely and utterly cooked.

"What is it about?" Jiaoqiu asks, settling down beside you on the floor, his presence warm and close.

His proximity catches you off guard. The faint scent of jasmine fabric softener lingers on him, mingling with something subtler, something metallic that you can’t quite place. It’s faint but distinct, enough to draw your focus for a moment. You shake it off and try to redirect your attention to your laptop.

An idea suddenly strikes you, and you swivel your head toward Jiaoqiu—only to freeze when you actually realize how close he is. Your faces are mere inches apart, close enough that you can make out every flicker of gold in his irises.

“You’re a Xianzhou native,” you blurt, your voice rushing to fill the sudden silence. “Any chance you know something about the Third Abundance War? Because I’ve been wracking my brain trying to find proper sources, and—well, I’m sure you can see how that’s going.”

“Let me see,” he says, reaching over to take your laptop. You freeze, a wave of secondhand embarrassment crashing over you as the screen comes to life.

It is utter chaos—over fifty tabs open, grouped and color-coded in a system that only makes sense to you, with labels ranging from “Decent Source” to “Probably Fiction” to “Absolute Nonsense, but Fun.”

He clicks on your assignment draft, and your soul momentarily leaves your body. A grand total of 400 words stares back at you—two solid citations, a lot of filler, and way too many angry swear words sandwiched between half-baked sentences.

He spends a few minutes reading through your draft, face scrunched up in concentration. Every now and then, he clicks his tongue or tilts his head, eyes lingering on certain sentences for far longer than you’d like.

“It could use some work,” he says finally, in a tone far too gentle for the absolute travesty he’s just witnessed. Some work, he says, as if it doesn’t need to be exorcised and erased from existence. You’re too terrified to reread any of it yourself, unsure of what kind of unhinged caffeine-fueled nonsense your brain had conjured.

“Yeah, no. Better to start fresh,” you mumble, already highlighting and deleting the entire document before he can respond. You refuse to meet his gaze, staring intently at the now blank page, fingers hovering nervously over the keyboard like a criminal returning to the scene of the crime.

“Perhaps you could focus on the Lux Arrow?” Jiaoqiu suggests scrolling through a couple of tabs.

You frown, tilting your head at him. “Lan’s Sky-Shattering Lux Arrow? Isn’t that just a myth?” The words tumble out before you can stop yourself. You’d stumbled across mentions of it earlier—both in academic papers and in… less-than-reliable historical mythology blogs. From what you’d managed to piece together, it was either a groundbreaking piece of artillery technology that changed the tides of the war or an overblown legend with zero basis in reality.

“I can suggest some sources,” Jiaoqiu offers. His fingers swiftly fly across the keyboard before he pauses, scrolling through a list of results. “Here,” he says, pointing at the screen.

You lean in to get a better look. It’s a book by Zongguang, a renowned cultural anthropologist from The Xianzhou Luofu’s Grand Virtue Academy. The title alone makes your brain hurt with how dense it sounds, but it has piqued your interest, nonetheless. You’ve studied several of Zongguang’s papers throughout your courses in Xianzhou history, though you’ve never even heard of this specific book.

“It has firsthand accounts from the last battlefield,” Jiaoqiu explains, scrolling through the summary, “and covers topics like the Borisin and the Merlin’s Claw—though back then, General Feixiao was simply called Saran.”

“Wait, seriously? I thought the Borisin stuff was mostly folklore.”

“Perhaps some of it is,” your roommate replies, but there’s a shift in his tone. It’s subtle, but you catch it—the way his voice dips, the way his words slow just slightly. There’s something heavy there, almost like... anger? It’s faint, but unmistakable; and it seems to sharpen when he mentions the Lycan beasts.

You blink, caught off guard by the change. “You okay?”

Jiaoqiu’s eyes flick away from the screen, his features smoothing out like nothing happened. “I’m fine,” he says, voice calm again. “Just... the Borisin aren’t mere legends to everyone. Their methods were brutal, and their impact left scars—literal and otherwise.”

There’s something in his words that makes you pause, like the weight of them belongs to someone who was there. Which is ridiculous, obviously, because he couldn’t have been. Right?

"Alright, March, I’m not saying I believe you," you start, lying sprawled out on Stelle's plush carpet with a giant teddy bear clenched tightly to your chest. You stare blankly at the ceiling, the words barely forming in your head before spilling out. "But something strange happened, and I cannot explain it to myself."

“Oh?” March and Caelus call out at the same time from over by the fridge. You turn your head, and you’re momentarily at a loss for words. March is busy scooping homemade ice cream into bowls, while Caelus... well, Caelus is sniffing and biting into a jade-colored cloth like it’s the most natural thing in the world. You shake your head, deciding to ignore his antics. At this point, you've seen stranger things.

"Tell us!" Stelle pipes up. Meanwhile, Dan Heng is across the room, calmly trying to wrestle the cloth out of Caelus’s grip without much success.

Maybe you’re just overthinking it. Maybe you’re grasping at straws.

“You know that assignment on cultural analysis of the Xianzhou wars?” you finally say, sitting up to better face your friends. "I was having trouble coming up with a good topic and finding sources, so I asked Jiaoqiu for help."

"Go on," March says.

"I mean, I asked him because he’s a native, right? But it’s weird—he knows way more than I thought. And—"

“What’s weird about him knowing history?” Dan Heng interrupts, looking up from where he’s now holding a defeated-looking Caelus. March swats him, shushing him with a glare.

“It’s just—he wasn’t just talking about history. It was like he was living it," you continue, pulling your knees up to your chest. "When he mentioned Borisin, he completely changed. He looked... upset, like he was actively repressing anger."

“Borisin might just be a myth, same as the Vidyadhara," Dan Heng replies, shrugging. "But some people are passionate about their cultural history. Maybe Jiaoqiu is one of them."

“Sure, Dan Heng, but his recounts were too elaborate,” you argue. "It didn’t sound like some history buff talking—it sounded like he was remembering it. And when he talked about General Feixiao, it wasn’t like he was describing a famous figure from history. It was like... like he was talking about a close friend!"

“Oh, my Aeons,” March gushes, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. “So do you think he used to be a warrior in the war? Like, was Jiaoqiu out there with a sword, fighting Borisin and stuff?!”

“March,” you deadpan, “that’s literally insane. He’d have to be hundreds of years old for that to even make sense.”

“And?” she counters, completely unfazed.

You open your mouth to argue, but honestly, what’s the point? Logic has never been March’s strong suit, and you’re too tired to debate with someone who just last week tried to convince you she saw a Vidyadhara in the campus library.

“I’m just saying,” she continues. “It’s not that far-fetched. Maybe he was in the war. Maybe he’s like a retired general or medic or something. Or—or maybe he’s secretly General Feixiao! Wouldn’t that be wild?”

“March.” Dan Heng’s voice cuts through her growing enthusiasm. “Stop filling their head with nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense! It’s a totally plausible theory!” she protests, crossing her arms. “Right, Stelle?”

“I mean... it would explain why he knew so much, right?”

You groan, burying your face in the teddy bear. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything.”

“Too late,” March says, grinning wickedly. “We’re already planning the movie adaptation. I’m thinking: Jiaoqiu—secret immortal of Xianzhou, haunted by his dark past. Directed by me, obviously.”

You groan even louder.

You’re staring at the Google Doc sent in the group chat, eyes glazed over. The words blur together, swimming in and out of focus. Caelus and Stelle had relentlessly begged you to try and outdrink them—and you never back out from a challenge. But now, as you stumble home with your phone clutched in your hand, you're definitely regretting your choice.

Your head swims as you fumble with your phone, squinting at the document like it’s written in a foreign language. The room spins, and you find yourself swaying slightly, leaning against the doorframe for support.

The title stands out, bold and impossible to ignore:

March 7th’s top secret investigation protocol 🔍🔴

You blink. Twice. Slowly.

It’s time to face the facts. Your roommate is 100% a vampire. I don’t even know why we’re having this discussion. I’ve been observing for weeks (because, duh, I’m a professional), and the evidence is everywhere. I’m not saying this lightly, but, I’ve seen enough weird stuff to know. And the guy’s practically a walking, talking vampire stereotype. Here’s the definitive checklist. Foolproof.

The headache pounding in your skull intensifies as you scroll down to March’s “definitive” checklist:

Aversion to garlic ✅ Gagged at the garlic cakes. Suspicious. Dietary restrictions ✅ Weird-looking "medicine" in the fridge. Super normal. Definitely not vampire-y. Listen, I’ve seen blood. It’s the same color. Supernatural senses ✅ Remember that time he overheard us talking about him from the other side of the house? Yeah. Explain that. Remembers super old stuff ✅ Talks about the Abundance Wars like he fought in them. “Good times,” he said. GOOD TIMES.

You’re about to scroll past, when your gaze lingers on the final item:

Vampire canines? 🚨 Priority check!!! Report ASAP.

Your half-drunken brain latches onto the challenge. You stumble into your apartment, shoes clattering noisily to the floor, and head straight for Jiaoqiu’s room.

Logic? Gone. Boundaries? Absolutely not.

Fueled by a potent cocktail of curiosity, adrenaline, and alcohol, you throw open his door without a second thought.

You don’t bother knocking. You just slam the door open, the hinges creaking in protest. Inside, Jiaoqiu is sitting on his bed, casually flipping through a book. His eyes flick up at the sound of the door, but there’s no surprise, no alarm. He doesn’t even flinch. It’s like he knew you were going to barge in, unannounced, with no warning whatsoever.

He closes the book with an exaggerated sigh. "Something I can help you with?"

“I need to check something,” you announce, voice wobbling as you stumble over to him. Without waiting for a response, you drop onto the bed beside him, far too close, and lean in.

His brows raise in amusement. “Do you, now?”

“Yeah,” you slur. “Your teeth. Lemme see ’em.”

“My teeth?”

“Yes.” Your hand wavers near his face, trembling slightly as you poke at his cheek. “The canines. Open your mouth.”

He doesn’t stop you. If anything, his grin widens, and he leans in just enough to make your heart skip. “You think you’ll find something interesting?”

“I know I will,” you murmur, your drunken determination unwavering. Your thumb brushes against the edge of his lips, and you swear you see his eyes darken.

His mouth parts slightly, and you squint, leaning closer—a bit too close, perhaps. Your eyes zero in on his teeth, scanning for anything remotely sharp or suspicious. And then you see them.

The soft light catches just right, revealing a pair of faintly elongated canines, sharp and glinting like tiny daggers.

Your breath catches. “No way,” you whisper.

Before you can respond—or think—your hand moves on its own, fingers brushing against his teeth. His smirk deepens, and he leans into your touch. Then, without warning, his mouth closes gently around your fingertip. It’s deliberate, teasing, and before you can pull away, you feel it—a quick, sharp prick. You yelp, jerking your hand back, staring at the tiny bead of blood pooling on your skin.

Jiaoqiu watches you, unbothered, his gaze steady as he slowly licks his lips. “Interesting,” he murmurs, his tone almost lazy.

Your head spins. You stare at your finger, then at him, then back at your finger. “You—you bit me,” you stammer.

“Did I?” His smirk sharpens, his fangs catching the light again.

“I—I knew it!” you shriek.

“And now what?” He tilts his head. “Does your little investigation end here, or…?”

You don’t think. You lean in before you can think better of it, your lips crashing against his in a messy, impulsive kiss. The faint taste of blood lingers between you, but you don’t care.

When you finally pull back, gasping for air, there’s blood on his lips—your blood. He licks it away lazily.

“Well?” he asks, his voice low and teasing. “Satisfied?”

You’re definitely putting a checkmark on March’s last list item.

But that’s a problem for future you. For now, you dive back in, ignoring the faint sting on your lips and the little voice in your head screaming that this is a terrible idea.

"Thanks for inviting us," March gleefully says, her voice full of her usual energy. The whole group is sitting around your dining table, chatting and eating.

Jiaoqiu nods casually, his demeanor as composed as ever. "Of course," he replies smoothly. "It’s important to get to know my partner’s friends better. I’ve seen you all around, but it’s nice to connect properly.”

You nearly choke on your drink at the casual mention of “partner”. But Jiaoqiu doesn’t even glance your way, his expression unreadable as he takes a sip of his own drink.

March is the first to react. Her fork clatters against her empty plate as her head snaps up. "Partner?"

Stelle and Caelus exchange a knowing glance, trying and failing to hide their smirks. Dan Heng pinches the bridge of his nose with a sigh, as though he can already see where this is heading.

March leans forward, elbows on the table. "Did I miss an announcement? Since when are you two a thing?”

"You know how it is," Jiaoqiu says. "When you live with someone long enough, you get to know them better. And… sometimes things happen."

"Things? What kind of things, exactly? Spill. Now."

You bury your face in your hands with a groan. "March," you mutter, voice muffled, "please don’t."

Before March can push further, Jiaoqiu rises from his seat with a faint smile. "Excuse me for a moment," he says, gesturing toward the kitchen. "I’ll bring out the rest of the dishes."

When he returns, he sets a dish in front of March first—a well-done steak, neatly plated and still steaming. "For you," he says lightly. His own serving follows, the steak so rare it looks like it might moo if you poked it.

"Apologies if my preference for steak so rare makes anyone uncomfortable," Jiaoqiu says, his golden eyes flicking briefly to March. "I just can’t resist the flavor. There’s something… primal about it."

March freezes. Her expression wavers for just a moment before she forces a tight-lipped smile. You can practically hear the wheels turning in her head as she remembers her checklist.

You shoot him a glare, mouthing, Why are you like this? He simply raises an eyebrow, as if to say, Because it’s fun.

March clears her throat, clearly trying to regain her composure. "You know," she says shakily. "you’re awfully… specific about your preferences."

"Not everyone enjoys their food well done," your roommate-turned-boyfriend adds casually. "Sometimes, a little blood adds that extra something."

A groan threatens to escape you, but you manage to hold it in. "Guys," you mutter, sinking deeper into your chair. "Please, don’t even start."

March swallows, eyes darting between you and Jiaoqiu. Her lips part, but no words come out, just a breath of disbelief.

Jiaoqiu, however, seems completely unfazed. “Cravings, preferences... they’re just part of who you are, aren’t they? No point in pretending they don’t exist." He continues to eat, taking another slow bite of his steak, his smile creeping wider as he watches her, clearly enjoying the reaction he’s getting.

Author's note: i wrote some of this while procrastinating a lab report awhile back, and the amount of revision i had to do because the fic started sounding like a full-blown research paper... yikes 🤧🤧

but yes, here’s my silly attempt at humor. now, if you'll excuse me, i’ll go cry about my resit tomorrow and hope the universe decides to take pity on me and let me pass

#jiaoqiu x reader #jiaoqiu x you #jiaoqiu x y/n #hsr x reader #hsr x you #hsr x y/n #honkai star rail #hsr #hsr imagines #reader insert #jiaoqiu #x reader

305 notes · View notes

lizdive · 1 year ago

Note

I propose reader being a big brother figure who's responsible and reliable for the astral express trio (March 7th, trailblazer, Dan Heng) since Welt is the grandpa/father figure while himeko is the mother figure

i do 💍 /j this is such a cute idea i love the astral express crew found family trope it’s so cute <33 i don’t think i did this too well concept wise i’m sorry,,, but thank you for requesting <3 If you’re not satisfied then just tell me and i’ll redo it !! <33

notes 𐙚 male! reader — "you" + "he/him" + "big brother" used to refer to the reader ,, reader as an older brother figure ,, platonic relationships ,, trailblazer is not specific — can be seen as stelle or caelus ,, not proofread so excuse typos auhm ,,,,,,,

⭑ Whether you joined first or last, your closeness to the express does not differ. You’ll always be the one MARCH runs to when she wants to try out new outfits and needs an opinion, or when DAN HENG needs help with the archives, or when the TRAILBLAZER wants to go dumpster diving.

⭑ If you joined before DAN HENG, you probably had the role of Astral Express Guard and handled the archives. You left the most of the archive work to DAN HENG when he joined so he could freely enjoy the archives, but whether you give up your role as Astral Express Guard or still hold it alongside DAN HENG is up to you.

⭑ HIMEKO and WELT are very thankful for your responsibility and reliability, and HIMEKO will praise you for it with a pat on the head or the back. While DAN HENG is responsible and reliable, too, it’s nice for someone to relieve the stress of the TRAILBLAZER and MARCH from his shoulders while looking after him, too.

⭑ Also, while DAN HENG is a victim of the TRAILBLAZER and MARCH’s shenanigans, you’re always there to put a stop to them before they get too out of hand. Sometimes whenever you four are on a mission and your separated from the group, the moment you all meet back up DAN HENG will snitch on MARCH and the TRAILBLAZER. They’ll convince you to not snitch to HIMEKO and WELT after you scold them.

⭑ You’re the unofficial official chaperone for those three so good luck.

⭑ During crew group photos you’ll always be in the middle between WELT and HIMEKO. Doesn’t matter if you’re on the shorter side or the taller side.

⭑ After the Xianxhou arc, DAN HENG will find solace in your presence. Whether it’s just in silence or you comforting him verbally, he appreciates it. If you stay with him on the express during Penacony, he may feel a tear being shed from how touched he is.

⭑ The TRAILBLAZER will call you 'big brother' and depending on how you view / play them, it can be seen as either teasing or genuine. MARCH does it, too, but it’s joking.

⭑ WELT always feels himself relaxing more when you join him on missions because he knows you’ll be able to handle yourself and enemies as well as keep up with negotiations and pitch in ideas should there be any. He’ll make sure you don’t push yourself, of course, but he will appreciate you fighting diligently.

⭑ With HIMEKO it just feels like you’re babysitting the crew while she deals with the important things. It’s like when a mother is talking with a teacher and the oldest is trying to keep his siblings in check so they don’t do anything stupid.

⭑ The trio would follow big brother! reader like ducklings and if anyone calls them out on it, they’ll deny it. Maybe TRAILBLAZER wouldn’t and would crack a joke, but DAN HENG and MARCH will definitely deny it, DAN HENG being better at doing so than MARCH. big brother! reader just laughs and says he’s fine with it and doesn’t mind.

⭑ Good heart health is most likely non-existent. Poor heart will be at risk of stopping permanently with all the shit those three get into. HIMEKO and WELT will start taking your place in missions because you’ll need 5–12 stress and anxiety-free rest days after every few missions.

⭑ If anything during a mission is going downhill you’re the first person the trio will think to call. Big brother to the rescue!

#🪽 ☆ LIZDIVE #ᡣ𐭩 — ROBIN’S WRITING !!#ᡣ𐭩 — ROBIN’S STARS !!#honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #himeko hsr #himeko honkai star rail #himeko x reader #welt hsr #welt honkai star rail #welt x reader #dan heng hsr #dan heng honkai star rail #dan heng x reader #march 7th hsr #march 7th honkai star rail #march 7th x reader #trailblazer #trailblazer x reader

296 notes · View notes

aventurineswife · 2 months ago

Note

Hiii! I'm a relatively new reader who has fallen in love with your fics lol, could I request for some crack and funny moments with the astral express crew? (reader is a member of the express btw)

“Welcome Aboard the Disaster Express!”

Summary: Life aboard the Astral Express is full of breathtaking cosmic adventures… and absolute nonsense. As a member of the crew, you’ve long accepted that professionalism is a distant dream, and chaos is the true conductor of this train. Whether it’s March antagonizing Dan Heng, Trailblazer being an unhinged cryptid, or Sunday delivering existential monologues at 9 AM, you’ve learned to just go with the flow. At least it’s never boring.

Tags: Astral Express x Reader, Astral Express Crew Shenanigans, Crack & Humor, Found Family Vibes, Platonic Relationships, Mild Existential Crisis Courtesy (of Sunday), Dan Heng Is So Done, Trailblazer: Chaos Personified, Welt Deserves a Raise, March 7th vs. Dan Heng.

Warnings: Mild swearing, Unhinged behavior from Trailblazer (as expected), Existential rambling from Sunday, Dan Heng contemplating violence (he won’t actually do it… probably), Welt is tired. Just generally.

A/N: Awww thank you!! 🤭💖

The moment you wake up, you already know today is going to be a mess.

For one, Trailblazer is missing. Again. And if past experiences have taught you anything, it’s that their absence usually means trouble.

For two, March is running down the hall at full speed, her camera in one hand and a look of pure chaos in her eyes.

“For the love of Aeons—someone stop them!” Welt’s voice rings out, exasperated yet resigned.

You don’t even get a chance to ask what's happening before March practically tackles you, using your shoulder as a shield while snapping a picture of something—or someone—behind you.

“I got it!” she cheers, pumping a fist in victory.

You glance over your shoulder, half-expecting an eldritch horror, only to find Dan Heng standing there, looking deeply unamused. His spear is in hand, though it’s not aimed at anyone—yet.

“March,” he says in a calm, yet menacing tone, “delete that.”

“Nope,” she chirps.

“March.”

“It’s for science.”

“I will destroy that camera.”

“I have backups,” she grins.

You decide it’s best to take two steps away from the brewing conflict.

Before Dan Heng can contemplate murder, Sunday walks in, radiating his usual composed, otherworldly aura—until he sees the scene before him and sighs. His halo flickers slightly, as if even it is tired.

“Another morning of senseless conflict,” he mutters. “Truly, the cycle of strife knows no end.”

You blink at him. “It’s literally just March annoying Dan Heng again.”

“Yes,” he agrees, “but is this not a reflection of our broader struggles? A reminder that conflict is inherent even in our found families?”

There’s a moment of silence before Trailblazer suddenly emerges from inside a supply cabinet, looking completely unbothered despite the fact that they were very much not supposed to be in there.

“Good morning,” they greet, as if they weren’t just casually hiding in a cupboard like a cryptid.

Welt, who just arrived, pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why were you in there?”

“Dunno. Seemed like a good place to take a nap.”

“I—” Welt visibly restrains himself from asking more questions. “You know what? No. I don’t want to know.”

You give Trailblazer a look. “You’re an enigma.”

They smirk. “I try.”

Himeko enters with a steaming cup of coffee, looking far too elegant for someone who has to deal with this daily nonsense. “I see everyone’s already in top form this morning.”

Dan Heng sighs, still eyeing March with suspicion. “If by ‘top form,’ you mean ‘already causing unnecessary chaos,’ then yes.”

Sunday hums, thoughtful. “Perhaps the chaos itself is what keeps us together. Without it, would we still be the same?”

“…No offense,” you say, “but do you ever just say things without making them sound like the intro to an existential crisis?”

Sunday’s eyes glimmer with amusement. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Trailblazer leans over to you. “I think that’s his way of saying no.”

March, still holding her camera hostage, grins. “C’mon, guys, let’s take a group picture! This moment is totally capture-worthy!”

Dan Heng deadpans. “So you can delete photos.”

March winks. “Not happening.”

As Welt sighs, Himeko sips her coffee, Trailblazer plots their next act of mischief, and Sunday ponders the metaphysics of chaos, you realize something:

Maybe the Astral Express is absolute nonsense.

But hey, at least it’s your nonsense.

And that makes all the difference.

346 notes · View notes

tjemegames · 1 year ago

Text

HSR: HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY! 🥳🎉 - TJ's 1st Annual Playthrough Recap

The big day is finally here! One full year has passed since Honkai: Star Rail first launched and so much fun was had. I’m so pumped to officially be starting year two and I can’t wait to see what the Devs have in store for us. Until then, let’s chat about my experience over the last year:

⚠️ Extremely summarized spoilers ahead for the events/storylines of HSR versions 1.0-2.1. Read at your own discretion! ⚠️

Also, apologies in advance this post will be a bit verbose because I don’t know how to stop yapping about this game; we'll get into it all under the cut!

Stats Overview

Firstly, what can I say? I fell absolutely head over heels for this game on day one; I was initially a bit turned off by the combat mechanics when the teaser demos came out — I had a very limited experience with turn-based games at this point (shoutout Wizard101 💀) and was confused about how they were going about it. Suffice to say that my weariness was unnecessary because, as of today, I’ve logged 342 days of gameplay on my main account!

The Astral Express Annual Trailblaze Report (data collection as of 03/31/2024 at 23:59) had some great insight on the statistics of what I’ve done since launch:

My e6 Natasha and I were really doing the damn thing together for so long:

She’s since been replaced by Aventurine (because I was finally smart and pulled a premium sustain) but we had a good thing going for us. Thank you for paving the way, Dr. I won’t forget about all our struggles together.

Prominent Story Moments & My Thoughts on Storytelling

Once it was determined that combat wouldn’t be an issue for me, I immersed myself wholeheartedly into the lore and storytelling that was provided. I absolutely adored getting to know the Nameless better and exploring parts of the cosmos with the Astral Express Crew. We’ve done so much already:

Being coalesced into existence, fending off the Antimatter Legion’s relentless attack, and helping restoration efforts on the Herta Space Station

Becoming Herta’s guinea pig in the Simulated Universe

Dismantling a corrupt leader and freeing the under worlders in Belobog

Keeping the IPC from seizing the entirety of Belobog to pay off the backdated interest on their ancestor's 700-year-old unpaid debts

Foiling the war-motivated plots of an Emanator of Destruction on the Xianzhou Luofu

Business Simulator 1.0: Restoring Aurum Alley and making a grown man bark

Becoming the best Ghost-Hunting Content Creator on Ghostly Grove

Getting swallowed by a giant Swarm bug and being fender-bendered by a Knight of Beauty; having to duel him into acquaintance (because he’s just quirky like that) before witnessing him valiantly sacrifice himself for the Express, in the name of “Beauty” (because he’s also a little delulu), and then texting us once to see if we were okay after escaping through the hole he cut in the bug’s stomach. Subsequently, disappearing back into the cosmos without a trace (can you tell that I’m enamored by Argenti?)

Being drugged by Ruan Mei, having to deal with her experiments (I hate that synthetic bug with a burning passion) and becoming a Cat Cake extraordinaire.

Accepting the Charmony Festival invitation and having a “very heartwarming and uplifting” (aha aha-hA 😭) “vacation” in Penacony

And of course, so much more in between all of that but those were the things that stuck out the most to me.

I will say that I am in the camp of people who had to experience the Xianzhou storyline before it was streamlined for comprehension purposes and, as much as I loved it there, there were a lot of missed opportunities and wasted moments in that section of the storytelling. Not a huge fan of games trying to get me to care about something by forcing me into a nonsensical quest line during an ill-fitting moment, thereby muddying my understanding of what’s going on/what the importance of said thing is… But it is what it is, and they slapped a band aid on it for newer players. Hopefully, when we eventually return to the Luofu, they will have a better grip on what it is they want to portray there.

Overall, I’m not too fussed by the story so far. It’s been very enjoyable, extremely satisfying in some parts — a bit less so in others. One of the things that I love about sci-fi/fantasy is the ability to go all out and do pretty much anything you can think of because of the creative freedom that both genres allow. I think we’re just barely beginning to scratch the surface of what the series writers have planned for us.

Simulated Universe & Permanent Endgame Modes

Oh boy, I was almost home free in my drafting of this post when I remembered I hadn’t yet yapped about Simulated Universe, Memory of Chaos, & Pure Fiction. I am so sorry, I will try to keep it short, but I’ve got a lot of feelings about these permanent endgame modes.

Let’s kick it off with the SU. Back in the late summer of ’23 when we had our first bout of dry patches, I did more SU runs than I thought I ever would do because I didn’t want to stop playing the game. I was absolutely hooked, and I wanted to hone my skills prior to facing off against the next Echoes of War boss we would get. Within the first four months of launch, I think I had collected almost all the blessings, curios, and Aeon information that you could possibly get. Hell, there was even a day where I spent probably six hours just trying out all the different resonance paths against Gepard. It was so novel to me, and nothing like my previous experience with other rouge-like domains/dungeons – I just couldn’t get enough…

That was until they started patching in new updates. Swarm Disaster eviscerated all my excitement and desire for SU. I hate that bug; I hate that bug so very much. It’s only now that I have e2 DHIL that I don’t mind going back into Swarm and attempting to collect the rest of the rewards that have been sitting there waiting for me since its debut. The same kind of applies to Gold and Gears, although that mode is slowly starting to grow on me. I haven’t spent enough time in there playing around with all the different dice and strategies to have a definitive opinion on it. I’ll probably make some content of myself exploring the upper levels of G&G when I inevitably unlock them.

Now for the thing that would’ve really turned out to be an essay if I weren’t more capable of reining myself in; the curse that keeps on giving, MoC. Listen, I love this game. I love the combat and having to be a bit strategic, but sometimes floors 11-12 make me want to pull out the tiny bit of hair that my buzzed head tends to have. It took me 11 and a half months to 36 star the MoC for the first and only time that I’ve been able to do so. I’ve reset, changed teams, and fully rebuilt characters in attempt to beat floor 12 within 10 cycles more times than I can count. Sincerely, I wish we could’ve seen a year-end review of just the reset statistics alone. It is a source of infinite frustration for me, and it really shouldn’t be so goddamn difficult sometimes… Please Hoyo, just let me have my last star; I’m tired of sitting at 35/36 stars. There's only so much min-maxing a person can do before losing their mind.

Don’t think that I forgot about PF. Follow-up attackers’ paradise and what seemed like it would be a great time until I remembered that my only follow up attackers are Jing Yuan and an under leveled, mostly untouched Herta. This game mode is truly the one that got away for me. I’ve barely participated in it due to a lack of necessary characters. O7 to all the jades that I’ve missed out on. We’ll get there one day.

The Triumphs & Perils of Warping

What’s a gacha game without pulling? I’ve been keeping track of all my luck, both good and bad, since I started playing. This is what a year, 380 standard passes, and 1013 special passes got me:

Not a bad roster at all. There were a couple questionable choices made by me though. The lack of pulling a limited 5 star sustain until Aventurine came out being my biggest flop of them all. I did attempt to get Fu Xuan on her release banner, but I lost 50/50 and wasn’t willing to put everything I had into her at that time.

Out of all nine 50/50s I’ve had so far, I only lost three of them; I also pulled two of the following guarantees early after that so I’ve been a lot luckier than I thought I would be. My Genshin wishing experience sunk the bar for my pulling expectations well below ground, so everything feels like even more of a win here. I hope things continue to stay that way.

Another thing of note: I chose Bronya’s e1 from the standard banner selection reward once I hit the 300-warp requirement. I probably should’ve chosen Himeko for PF purposes but e1 was just too good to pass up for my hyper carry teams.

Also, Dr. Ratio gave himself to everyone (for free) in the pursuit of “curing idiocy” so that’s why I have him. Had I have been proactive in pulling his signature LC, I could be rocking a Ratiorine team right now – but no, instead he remains in Level 1 Purgatory with the rest of my unused characters.

Let us not forget about the light cones either:

I broke my one cardinal rule of avoiding weapon banners for this game, but I don’t regret it in the slightest — I did lose 75/25 to Sleep Like the Dead twice and then proceeded to get it a third time (from the standard banner), so I'm salty about that. Still no regrets though!

Final Thoughts

This game has been such a safe space of indulgence for me over the last year. It reminded me of my love for turn-based combat and strategy-based games. It has also helped me reinvigorate my creativity — this blog is proof of it. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so enthralled, inspired, and passionate, so I’m grateful to Hoyo and all the HSR Devs for bringing this game to life.

While there have been some low points from struggling with story bosses, tediously challenging endgame, and incohesive plot lines, I have mostly found great enjoyment in my traversal of the stars thus far. I can’t wait to see who else I’ll meet and where this journey among the cosmos will lead me. I also look forward to sharing even more of my adventures and insights with all of you in the years to come!

Happy Anniversary, Trailblazers! May the next year be fruitful and fulfilling. Don't forget to sign in and collect your 1600 jades!

#honkai star rail #hsr #hsr anniversary #astral express annual trailblaze report #hsr spoilers #hsr 1.0 to 2.1 spoilers #hsr character roster #hsr light cones #tj talks hsr #tj yaps so much in this post #tjs hsr shenanigans #tjemegames

3 notes · View notes