#astral express x reader

[ryker-others]

Mornings with them

What are mornings like with them? Do they sleep in? Are they early risers? When they wake up, how long does it take them to get out of bed? Are they grumpy waking up or playful? Only you know the answer

Characters: March 7th, Dan Heng, Welt, Himeko, Caelus, Pom-Pom (platonic)

Request rules and masterlists

March 7th:

March is definitely not an early riser

she will stay in bed as long as possible with you all cuddled up under the covers

even if she wakes up before you, she will just cuddle closer up to you before falling back asleep

you have to be the one to tell her to get out of bed

once you do, she knows it's time to get up for real

...but she's very slow to rise

for someone so energetic during the day, she's very slow and quieter in the mornings

almost like she's walking around half asleep for the first hour

she's also very clingy in the mornings

Dan Heng:

not really an early riser, not really one to sleep in late either

it's honestly up to fate which one of you wakes up first

but him and his bed is so warm and comfortable

he doesn't really cling to you like March does, but he lightly has one or both of his arms very lightly wrapped around you

Dan Heng loves to stay in bed with you for a little while before getting up

he spends most of this time just admiring you and thinking about the day ahead

if you have to get up for anything, you'll never be late this man is your personal alarm clock

he will drag you out of bed if he has too

Caelus:

he loves to sleep in with you!

seriously, you have to be the one to get up first or else you two will never get out of bed

he's such a cuddle bug too

he won't let you go in the mornings for real like he is wrapped around you

you have to pry him off if you want to get up

there's a good chance you will always wake up first

waking him up is a nightmare too like he just keeps falling asleep again and again

but when you two do get up, he can be very cuddly and will travel with you in the mornings to go get breakfast

(he'd even carry you if you asked)

Welt:

the earliest riser

what can I say? it's an old man trait

he wakes up around 5-6 in the morning

whenever Welt wakes up he always tries to avoid waking you up too

like he moves so slowly and stays as quiet as possible

still, he always spends a few moments in bed when he wakes up to admire your beauty and appreciate you

he'll place a gentle kiss on your forehead before he fully gets up

when he comes back later to wake you, he usually brings you a drink to help wake you

he's so gentle in the way he wakes you up because he's stroking your hair, giving you light kisses, and softly calling your name

Himeko:

another early riser!

she's usually up before most of the others, but she demands peace when it's early

she can get grumpy if things are too loud so early or chaotic before she's had her coffee

speaking of coffee, she will make you a cup every morning!

after she spends her time going through her morning routine and getting ready for the day, she'll wake you up

she'll help get you out of bed (she can be forceful if she needs)

Himeko insists on brushing your hair in the mornings because it's such a soft moment and it's a nice way to show her love so early

Pom-Pom:

Pom-Pom has to wake up early so they can get to work as the conductor

but if they didn't have that responsibility, you bet they would be sleeping in late

each morning they're super cuddly until they fully wake up

once they are fully woken up, they will deny being so cuddly and how cute they were during it

you get the special Pom-Pom treatment!

basically, no one is allowed to wake you and you get brought a nice breakfast! Conductor's orders!

you're the one they trust most to brush their fur or adjust their clothing

[lizdive]

based off of the leaks where it looks like sunday has the astral express ticket on his clothes — ii.

When SUNDAY boarded the express, he was not surprised at the… less than friendly welcome. The tenseness that would follow him to every room and cart that had another occupant was one that he knew would not leave him alone for a long time. Nobody really wanted to interact with him too much.

Nobody but Pom Pom — which was expected since they were the conductor — and you.

For some reason, you tended to him like you both had been friends since childhood who had just reunited. You bought him new clothes with your own credits, you forced helped him to decorate his bland room, you snuck into the archives when Dan Heng was on a mission and let him look at all the data and information he could dream of.

And overtime, SUNDAY found himself subconsciously keeping either you near him or him near you. Mostly the latter. Your presence was like reassurance humanized. Most of SUNDAY’s time was spent with you, and during those times he noticed how you picked up on his habits and mannerisms and knew what each little details about him meant.

He didn’t know if you had picked them up since Penacony or if you were just very perceptive and fast. But your knowledge on SUNDAY proves useful whenever it comes to missions or just mundane activities on the express.

If he’s struggling against conversation, if he’s trying not to stress over something he had placed and couldn’t find, if he doesn’t like the food but was trying to be polite.

"I’ll be fine, I’ll have Sunday with me," You would say whenever you would go off on a mission, effectively dragging SUNDAY with you. You initially thought he was annoyed by it, but the small smile that blooms on his face, so genuine and thankful that you pick him as your partner for the mission, always made you discard that thought.

The halovian likes to think that actions speak louder than words, so he will thank you by making sure you’re protected. He knows he’s not the strongest person on the express, but he also isn’t the weakest. He almost ascended, he’s more than capable of protecting you should the mission take a less-than-pleasant turn.

When it’s just a nice stop at a planet to explore and look around, SUNDAY acts like a bird who has just left it’s cage. If he drags you around during the little sight-seeing journey, please don’t be upset. He’s just so intrigued by how different every planet is from Penacony. He’s read of some, yes, but it’s very different when it’s in real life.

It’s still very new for him to introduce himself as a nameless, so sometimes he might pause mid-introduction to stop himself from saying the incorrect title. If you introduce him, he’d appreciate it. Just until he’s used to it.

[aventurineswife]

Can I request the same boys as ur cold reader fic but with a s/o who is haepaphobic (fear of touch) who allows the boys to finally hold them as they've grown confident enough to surpass their fear? Like they just go up to the boi and silently hold their hand, hug them or lay against them. How'd they react?

-🍭

Hold Me Tight

Tags: Aventurine x Reader, Dan Heng x Reader, Ratio x Reader, Jing Yuan x Reader, Jiaoqiu x Reader, AE!Sunday x Reader, Comfort, Slow Burn, Overcoming Fear, Emotional Growth, Healing Touch, Gentle Romance, Trust and Vulnerability, Supportive Partner, Quiet Moments. Warnings: Mentions of past trauma (haepaphobia, fear of touch), Light emotional angst.

You’ve been sitting together on the balcony of your shared apartment, the evening air cool against your skin. As always, Aventurine's smile was playful, but there was something in his gaze that softened when he noticed the tension in your body. It had taken time for you to feel comfortable around him, but he had always respected your space. Today, however, something inside you shifted.

You approached him cautiously, heart beating faster than usual, but the air felt different. There was something unspoken between you, a promise, a trust that had taken root. Slowly, you extended your hand towards him. His eyes widened, but the smile that bloomed on his face was warm and reassuring. He didn’t say a word, letting your action speak louder than any reassurance he could give.

When your fingers brushed against his, you felt the subtle electricity of contact. And then, before you could second-guess yourself, you gently clasped his hand. It was a soft, tentative motion, but Aventurine’s reaction was anything but tentative. He leaned forward, the playful glint in his eyes turning to one of deep affection.

"You’ve made a gamble, haven’t you?" he said softly, his voice a comforting mix of teasing and tenderness. "And it seems like it’s paying off."

He didn’t pull away, didn’t hesitate. Instead, he gently squeezed your hand, his warmth grounding you in a way words couldn’t. Aventurine’s confidence was a constant, but in this moment, it was your courage that shone the brightest.

The quiet hum of the Astral Express echoed around you both as you sat next to each other in the quiet of the observation room. Dan Heng had always respected your space—he rarely initiated physical contact, understanding your fear. But tonight was different. The train felt peaceful, almost still, as if the universe had slowed just for you.

Without a word, you gently placed your hand over his, just resting it there. The warmth of his skin against yours was enough to make your heart race. Dan Heng looked down at your hand, his expression unreadable, but you could feel the shift in his energy, the way his calmness seemed to embrace your nerves.

After a long pause, he slowly wrapped his fingers around yours, his grip gentle and careful, as if he didn’t want to overwhelm you. The simple gesture made your chest tighten with a mixture of fear and relief, but it was a fear that slowly melted away under the steadiness of his touch.

“Thank you.” you whispered, though you weren’t sure if you were thanking him or yourself.

Dan Heng’s voice was soft, almost imperceptible. “I’ve been waiting for this moment… waiting for you.”

In the study room filled with towering stacks of books and papers, you’d always been hesitant. Ratio, for all his brilliance and confidence, respected your space as much as anyone could, though you had seen the way his sharp eyes softened when you lingered nearby.

Today, though, there was something in the air that urged you forward. You had been reading a particularly difficult text, and as if drawn by some unseen force, you found yourself standing beside him. You looked up at him, quietly offering your hand. Your pulse quickened as you waited for him to react.

Ratio blinked, his sharp gaze flicking from your hand to your face, a hint of surprise flashing across his features. For a moment, his intellectual mind seemed to process, then slowly, ever so carefully, he placed his hand over yours. He didn’t pull away immediately, as you’d feared, instead his fingers lightly caressed yours.

“You… are bold,” he mused, his voice soft but undeniably earnest. “This… is new. But it is a challenge I will gladly accept, if you will allow me to teach you the art of trust.”

You didn’t respond verbally; instead, you squeezed his hand gently. His expression shifted from one of calculated assessment to a rare, sincere smile.

The vast expanse of the Xianzhou Luofu stretched out beyond you, but you found yourself in the quiet solace of Jing Yuan’s office. He’d always been a calming presence, the kind that never rushed or pushed you to go beyond what you were comfortable with.

Today, you didn’t want to be rushed. You didn’t want to be pushed at all.

Instead, you walked up to him slowly, your hands trembling slightly as you reached out to touch his sleeve. Jing Yuan noticed instantly, his eyes locking with yours. He didn’t move, allowing you the space to decide your next step.

Without warning, you slid your hand down to his, fingers brushing his warm skin. For a moment, you froze, waiting for his reaction. His gaze softened, and a quiet, approving smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Without a word, his hand enveloped yours, large and reassuring.

“You’ve taken a step toward me,” Jing Yuan murmured, his voice low and comforting. “And I’ll take a thousand steps toward you, if that’s what it takes.”

You laid your head on his shoulder then, resting against him. There was no pressure, no judgment—only the shared, unspoken promise that he would never push you past your limits.

The Yaoqing district was quiet, a peaceful kind of stillness that only a place of healing could offer. Jiaoqiu, ever the gentle soul, was focused on preparing his latest concoction, his attention absorbed in the delicate task before him. But you were nervous today—your heart raced in the quiet room as you approached him, feeling the weight of your fear and longing to overcome it.

Jiaoqiu looked up from his work as you silently extended your hand towards him. He didn’t move immediately, sensing your uncertainty. But then, after a moment of quiet deliberation, he slowly took your hand in his.

His touch was soft, tender, like he had all the time in the world for you to overcome this fear. Without words, he pulled you gently closer, allowing you to rest against him. His arms were steady around you, offering a sanctuary of warmth and solace.

“Fear is something you need not face alone,” Jiaoqiu whispered, his voice a balm for your restless soul. “I am here, always.”

The soft rhythm of his heartbeat against yours was enough to soothe the storm in your chest. You didn’t need to say anything more—his presence spoke for everything.

The Astral Express was unusually quiet today, the hum of the train providing a soft background to the stillness that enveloped you. Sunday, as always, sat in his usual contemplative silence. His eyes were locked onto the stars outside the window, but you could tell he had noticed your presence.

It had taken time—months, perhaps longer—but now, you were ready. You could feel the steady confidence that had grown within you. You took a step toward him, your heart racing with anticipation, and gently placed your hand on his shoulder.

He turned to you, his piercing gaze searching your face. For a long moment, he didn’t speak. But then, without hesitation, he lowered his hand to rest on top of yours, his touch both firm and gentle.

“I did not expect this,” he said, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “But I will accept it, as I accept all things from you.”

His warmth was comforting, though his words carried a tinge of something deeper—something he didn’t often reveal. Slowly, he reached up and cupped your face with both hands, pulling you into a quiet, serene hug. His embrace was surprisingly tender, an unspoken understanding flowing between you both.

“The world is harsh,” Sunday whispered, his voice soft yet resolute. “But with you, perhaps there is another way.”

And in that moment, with your body pressed gently against his, the world outside seemed a little less daunting. You were no longer alone.

[eternityofend]

Thinking about how if HSR had an Aeon of Unity/Creation, which would be the reader-- they'd just be GIGANTIC.

Like?? I just love it, sure they can change forms but they choose to be large. Imagine having a normal sized Trailblazer, and then a fucking 100ft tall Aeon who created the ENTIRE universe behind them, giggling like a little child as they just poke Trailblazer's cheek with their large ass finger.

And the Trailblazer we all know and love, they don't even budge, they're just enjoying the pokes while someone sane probably watches the interaction, let's say Dr. Ratio right, he's just watching and he's like "Wtf.. how is this possible?"

Like, ever played Roblox VR? There are these tiny and real humans and then YOU, big person who play with them like toys.

Imagine Aeon!Reader who accidentally squished a bug once and now you're crying because you're either disgusted, feel sorry for the bug, or you're scared of bugs, it's gotta be one of those options, unless you're an ass who did it on purpose 😭

Writers! Whoever is out there! Listen to me!! Big Aeon of Unity!Reader x SAHSRAU/SAHAU!HSR, It's a cute concept I promise 🥰

[mid-stars]

Self aware honkai star rail au

How long ago when you started playing this game? You don't know..

When you first entered the game it felt like destiny! The game was amazing at every single point! The story, the companionship, the characters! Just like genshin impact! You expected nothing less from hoyo!

But.. When did the voicelines get more... Unique?...You don't remember some of them in the game..

------------------------------------

Notes:

"Make sure caelus isn't eating any trash." - dan heng

"Let's take selfies together" - march 7th

"I have a feeling you'll get lucky this time" - Caelus

"I have other stuff to do." - dan heng

"Hey! We're friends aren't we?" - march

-----------------------------------

You sigh, those voicelines were definitely not in the game... You should check the informa—

WHERE ARE THE VOICELINES!?

You clicked on every other character you have and none. It's not there... No matter which character you click.. It's not there.

Phone.

Why.. Is it all just like an actual phone!? Wtf Is going on!? Wait.. What's spacegram? Uni tok? Huh!?

You are now totally insane, this is definitely just a dream and not reality! You sigh. Might as well go and fight some other random creatures at this point.

Using jing yuan, you decided to walk around xianzhou luofu. "Make sure to not make the same mistake [name]."

...

"Hell NAW!"

You left the game and freaked out silently on your bed. You don't want to be those isekai'd stories. You like those but being fr, too much for you!

You sigh..

"Not to worry [name], we won't bother you for long!"

Oh no.. Silver wolf..

[scribbless-n-stuff]

I'm here to request since I can't write shit.

Dan Heng came home unexpected and even gave me his lightcone early. I'm screaming 😭😭😭

Anyway, I really want to just coddle him up. Pepper his face with kisses, hugs, play with his cheeks, he's just too adorable I can't

This is more of a ramble sorry. I hope you can write something out of this. Thank youu

Late Night Longings

Characters

Dan Heng (IL or not, depends on your imagination <3)

Warnings/Info

FLUFF!!! INTENSE FLUFF!!!

Author’s Notes

LET’S GAURRR CONGRATS ON GETTING DAN HENG & HIS LIGHT CONE, ANON REQUESTER!!!

Oh god I’m actually tweaking over this beautiful man (I’m a lesbian)

might as well make this a Dan Heng fan acc bro

Hopefully this doesn't disappoint...

After another week-long adventure, the Astral Express team finally boards back on the train. The mission was tough, almost everyone was tired and drained, including you. The train’s doors close, leaving the train car quiet. 

Himeko, who was keeping in check of the duties inside the Express, approaches you from her seat. You feel a hand on your shoulder, “Welcome back, Y/n, how are you feeling?” the red-haired lady asks.

You let out a tired smile, “All good, just tired.. I should go and rest....” Your voice trails off, as you look around for your partner, Dan Heng. However, he was nowhere to be found. He probably went straight to his room. 

Smiling bittersweetly, You let out a heavy sigh, drooping down in fatigue. Your brain was basically falling asleep as you were standing up. 

The sound of light chuckling pulls you back to reality. “Alright, sleep well then.” Himeko withdraws her hand from your shoulder, giving you a smile. She leaves your side, to check on the others. You nod back before also turning away, to go to your room. 

The last sounds you hear, before exiting the parlor car are March’s whiney complaints about how troublesome the mission was. You fondly smile, the crew was like family to you. However, someone was missing. 

Entering your room, you sigh and discard your clothes, getting into more comfortable ones. You also go to wash your face and brush your teeth. By the time you get on your bed, you stretch out your limbs and pop your joints. 

You yawn, as your mind drifts to Dan Heng. “He’s probably tired… Might as well give him space tonight..” you think, before getting into your sheets and wrapping yourself into a blanket. However, you couldn’t help but feel a bit sad, missing the closeness of your partner. Nevertheless, you needed your rest. 

As you felt the snugness of your mattress and pillows, you fell asleep almost immediately, lightly snoring as you dreamt of nothing. That’s how you know you’re having the best sleep of your life.

...

… knock knock

The sound of knocking on your door disturbs your deep slumber, you grumble in annoyance. As you peek open your eyes, you could literally feel eyebags forming below your eyes. You turn your head over to your nightstand to look at the digital clock. 

2:43 AM. 

You squint your eyes and huff in disbelief of the current time. Ultimately, you decide to ignore the knocking. Besides, it was almost 3 AM, there was no way you were gonna be awake during witching hour.

Flopping back down, your head lays back down against the pillow, shutting your eyes back closed. As your whole body relaxes once more, your facial features relax too. Finally… sweet, sweet slumber…

…

… knock, knock, knock

Your eyes snap back open, feeling your anger flare up. Hopping out of bed, temporarily bidding goodbye to your warm blankets, you stomp towards the door of your room. You whip open your door. 

“Can’t it wait ‘til morning?” You sharply scoff, before looking up to see a pair of teal eyes. It was Dan Heng, in more casual attire. Except, you couldn’t see his clothes much because he was loosely wrapped around in his blue blanket. 

“Oh!-” Upon seeing that it was him, you immediately regretted your harsh words, just because you were tired.

“Apologies..” The poor boy mumbles sleepily. “I’ll go back to my room..” Dan Heng sniffles, because of the cold air, as he turns away. His hair was tousled up, looking absolutely adorable, which made you feel even more guilty. 

You immediately reach out to yank him back by the hand. “NOOO WAIT!” you exclaim. “I’m sorry, I was tired..” 

Dan Heng blinks at you, feeling a bit surprised by your raised voice.  “It’s fine.. I shouldn’t have knocked so late.” He mutters. 

Tugging again at his hand, “Apology accepted…” You look at him with adoration, it was truly a rare sight to see this man so vulnerable, due to his usual stoic behavior and expression. “Do you wanna come in?” You offer, feeling happier now that your partner was here, disregarding the late hour. 

The next second, you see a small smile appear on his face. 

“Yes, please..”

With this, he basically engulfed you in his arms, also wrapping you in the blanket draped around his figure. Your yelp is muffled into his torso, suddenly bearing his body’s weight. You do your best to drag him to your bed, hugging him by the waist. 

Dan Heng clumsily waddles to the bed, still holding onto you out of clinginess. Eventually, you pry yourself out of his hold, pushing him onto your bed. “Man.. you’re different when you’re sleepy.” You huff at him, as he looks up at you with a sleepy expression. He doesn’t respond.

You smile, before also getting into bed, beside him. His and your legs tangle together, as you position yourself just a bit higher than him, so that his head is around the same level as your collarbone and neck.

His eyes were already closed, falling back asleep. Poor little thing must have woken up randomly, then decided to come to you for comfort. You coo at him, cupping his face with one hand and leaning in to kiss him on the forehead. 

Dan Heng furrows his eyebrows at his, as you feel his cheeks grow warm. Upon registering this reaction, you snicker, deciding to coddle him up even more. You release your next attack on his nose, giving him a quick peck. After that, you go to both of his cheeks, giving him four kisses on each one. 

“Mmmmfff..” The boy mumbles at you, the warm fluttering feeling swelling up in his chest was feeling too strong. The combination of the late hour and his fatigue were a dangerous combination. Nevertheless, he doesn’t tell you to stop… Or maybe he’s too tired to. 

Regardless, you wouldn’t stop either way. 

“You’re sooo cute~”  Finally, you kiss his lips. Slowly and tenderly, lightly biting his lower lip to tease him. This was the last straw for him. 

“You’re waking me…” Dan Heng muffles against your lips, but you just swallow up his words, as you pull away and give him another quick peck. Ignoring him, as you repeatedly kiss his face in the same order as before, except, more aggressive and affectionate. He blushes madly as his face scrunches up in feigned discomfort, but he secretly enjoys it. 

After a bit, he’s had enough, seriously wanting to sleep now. Dan Heng uses the last of his physical strength and energy to push and roll you onto your back. He gets on top of you, mainly to pin you down and restrict you from any movement to disturb him. The comfortability and closeness were just bonus points.

“Stop. Sleep.” He muffles again, as he nestles his face against your chest. As you’re pushed down, you feel your face heating up at the change of position. Even he felt slightly flustered and embarrassed at his own boldness, but he couldn’t help himself. 

You whine a bit at the loss of control, but you sigh and give in, feeling tired too. One of your hands is brought to his back, as you run it up and down to generate warmth for him. As for your free hand, you tangle your fingers in his hair, gently massaging his scalp to further lull him to sleep. 

Dan Heng on the other hand, his arms were still wrapped around your waist from earlier, holding you against him like a needy koala. The feeling of your fingers caressing against his hair made him let out a shaky sigh. He felt so content, and so did you.

[mirrology]

MUSE ❛ ❁. ━━ ( n.) a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.

❛ ⟡. trailblazer, dan heng, march 7th & gender neutral reader. ━━ wc: 1.1k

❛ ⟡ ━━ strictly platonic. teen reader, the reader is an artist who prefers to sketch in a sketchbook or doodle on post-it notes. Typical Astral Express shenanigans. Reader comes from a poor planet, found family astral express!! March and reader have a lot in common when it comes to capturing memories. Reader likes giving the express drawings.

To you, painting, sketching, doodling, and the like is a way to capture a moment. Just like taking a photograph, yet it takes more time, and it requires more skill. You know that it's faster with a camera. You've seen March snapping photos of the other express members in an instant.

But you take pride in your work. You won't let a camera blow out the flame of inspiration that is burning within you. That flame was the only thing you had left when you were on the streets, dressed in rags that could barely be considered clothes. As you gazed at the shining stars in the night sky from the window of the astral express, those memories resurfaced from the depth of your mind and dripped ink on the pages of your sketchbook The ink, over time, eventually became a silhouette of a child, buildings, and a city.

The piece of art was never shown to your astral express family. It was tucked away in a drawer in your room, never to see seen by eyes other than yours.

But…

There are pieces that you shoe your family, and all of them are gifts to preserve the memories of them and you. For one day, we will all be gone.

❛ ☆ ━━ Trailblazer

You knew their obsession with trash and trash cans, and their birthday was coming up, so you devised a plan. As an artist, art isn't just painting or drawing. It is also sculpting. The plan was… to make them a sculpture! Of what? Of them sparring with the lordly trash can, of course! So you got to work, it was many hours of grueling work, and your hands were starting to cramp up from digging them into the clay of the sculpture.

You sighed and leaned back into your seat. You stared at the finished sculpture that was sat on the table in front of you. It wasn't big, oh no, you weren't that talented, and it would be suspicious if any of the Astral Express members were to see the big statue of the trailblazer in your room.

This model can fit in your cupped hands. The details of their outfit were difficult to add, but you managed, and just in time for the big day! You turned to the cabinet that was on the side of your bed, ah! It was time! You quickly got up from your desk, grabbed the gift box that sat on your bed, and stuffed the sculpture inside. You tied the ribbon on top into a bow. You were ready! Let's hope they like it!

(And they definitely did. They thanked you almost a thousand times and declared you as their favorite)

❛ ☆ ━━ Dan Heng

You put the cap on your pen as you finished the little doodle of Dan Heng that was on a post-it note. It depicted a chibi version of Dan Heng, sitting in the archives, while reading a book. You quietly chuckled to yourself. You got up from your desk in your room and walked down the hall to the door of the archives. You switched from walking to tiptoeing once you got close, not wanting to alarm the vidyadhara that was inside the room. Just as you were about to stick the note on the door, it slid open, revealing the man in your doodle and also leaving your hand in the air, covering Dan Heng's face from your perspective.

You quickly put your hand down and beamed at the man in front of you. He only stared back with his typical poker face, although his eyes held a certain sparkle that was only reserved for you. “Dan Heng! hold your hand out.” You briefly greet him, then gesturing for him to hold his hand out for you. Dan Heng brought his hand up, and you placed the doodle of him in the middle of his palm. “That's for you! Ihopeyoulikeit,okaybyeeeeee” you blurted out and sprinted down the hallway, the embarrassment of being caught in the middle of putting a sitcky note on his door, finally caught up to you.

A dumbfounded Dan Heng stared at your running form as he awkwardly stood in the doorway. He stared down at the little art piece in the palm of his hand. Dan Heng’s lips twitched up into an amused smile. He walked back inside the archives and placed the doodle in the pile of different drawings and paintings that you had given him. Another thing to treasure.

❛ ☆ ━━ March 7th

“Ready?” March asked, her hands behind her back while a big grin was plastered on her face. “Ready.” You confirmed with a nod. Your hands were also behind your back. This was yours and March's monthly gift exchange, her's usually being photos of the express members and you. Yours being sketches of her or the both of you together, but today was different. For once, you decided to paint for her, it has been a while since you've had the motivation to paint but if it was for March you would paint a thousand paintings if it meant to preserve the memories of her and of course… to see her smile.

Little did you know Ms. March also had an extra special gift for you. March started counting down “Okay, 1… 2… 3!” At the count of three, the both of you held out your gifts. Your eyes lit up at the sight of the album that was held in the pink haired girl's hand and hers at the painting in yours. “Here.” You spoke gently and held out the covered canvas to her. She set down the album on the table beside her. March slowly took the canvas from you. She felt nervous, it wasn't every day that you painted. This must be really special.

The pink haired girl pulled down the cloth that was covering the painting. A small gasp left her mouth as she stared at the painting. It depicted you and her, with big smiles on your faces, hugging, while sitting in a field of pink carnations. A flower crown sat on your head, matching hers. March's lower lip wobbled as tears welled up in her eyes. They weren't of sadness, no. They were of joy.

March sniffled and brought you into a tight hug, startling you who was gazing at the album filled to the brim with moments of the Astral Expresses trailblazing adventures. “Thank you!” March's voice wobbled as she held you tightly. The warmth the she radiated, despite her having ice powers, was comforting and… oddly familiar.

You smiled warmly and wrapped your arms around her, hugging her back just as tightly.

“You're welcome”

[moineauz]

જ⁀ 𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐄 in me as I 𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔

side comments: wanted to write for our Nanook and Yaoshi some spoilers of course, violence, Nanook's is kinda dark, reader is known to be the 'arbitrator' or 'mediator.

Whenever a tale, record or paper regarding the elusive and ancient Aeons of the vast cosmos, you, the Arbitrator always weave into each battle, dispute and archive.

You unified and ruled each contestation and difference and have lingered amongst the Aeons yet was never considered one yourself: like a fine mist braiding through the folds of the universe, unravelling and sewing it together.

And by 'it', you meant the Aeons.

While the Aeons were born and bound to the ideologies they arose from with a passionate frenzy, you merely existed- and for what purpose? Historians debated if you were a presence higher than that of Aeons: a mystic authoritarian figure whose one wave or snap of their fingers would bring an undisputed settlement, like a court judge.

However, others consider you to be less of a judge and more of a mediator. A force that ensures the Aeons keep within their bounds and do not screw the universe over entirely. Some reckon that you are an Aeon whose gaze never spared a glance. There are even theories that suggest that Lan is your pupil of sorts. In addition, some pay no mind to you at all in the grand ever-present scheme of Aeons and their ploys.

Regardless of what myriad debates, theories or conjectures rise among devout followers, skeptics, historians and the average being, an indisputable fact remains. No matter the conflict, you are always found amongst the lines in the story or perhaps only mentioned at the very end. A peculiar and reiterating occurrence that even a child could predict.

Alas, only the Aeons themselves will know who you are to them

𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐊 - the destruction

Nanook believes you are a nuisance at best. However, you choose your disputes carefully and at times, unpredictably.

Out of every Aeon you have come between, Nanook is by far the one seen most often.

Behind your back, they scoff at mentioning of your name and title and more so at the Aeons who share an ounce of respect for your inexplicable ability or deem you a 'peacemaker'.

However, your trait of never showing favour towards one Aeon or another is like a double-edged sword.

Nanook could hardly recount the myriad amount of times they had benefited from your mediation.

What dumbfounds Nanook is that beings think of you as powerful.

You quite frankly aren't, you're simply a 'good talker.'

And they loathe that.

You know their mind and toy with it, rendering with their plans only for them to alter it. You thrive on their vexations and revel in the might of their aggravation and disgust. Instead of annihilating sparks of life, you force them to cherish it within the palms of their savage hands.

Do you find pleasure in their abhorrence? Seeking it out for laughter's sake?

Nevertheless, Nanook knows you are not shallow or in any resemblance towards Aha.

In addition, Nanook knows you are neither a peacemaker nor a chaos-bringer.

There are moments when you come to Nanook and observe them acutely; having experienced your prying eyes for millennia, they remain steadfast and silent in your presence. Only then can Nanook appreciate you, not for your skill, however, for a delectable and insatiable opportunity to deliver their final gift to humanity: destruction.

For now, Nanook will reign havoc on the planets you grow fond of while quietly vying for a sliver of your attention in hopes of ultimately standing victorious in the eternal game of interastral tug of war.

Perhaps Nanook will then adore you for all the delight you brought to a now, empty universe.

𝐘𝐀𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐈 - the abundance

Yaoshi believes you are in mortal terms: ‘god sent.’

In comparison to Nanook, Yaoshi does not harbour ill will.

On the contrary, they are fascinated by you.

Why do you come between the Aeons? Do you have preferences? What pleases you?

Yes, there are times when you settle disputes and foil the plans of The Abundance. However, it does not matter! Yaoshi will continue to spread the blessings of eternal life and never-ending spings out into the universe while they watch you from afar.

However, the Aeons are selfish, cunning and self-absorbed. They will gladly swallow any opportunity that comes their way. Hence, Yaoshi's 'curiosity' grows beyond the confines of the word itself.

If you can thwart the plans of Nanook- what else can you do?

Yaoshi admires the growth and sprouting of life from their fingertips: how a flower blossoms vibrantly, staying in said form for eternity.

Thus, Yaoshi can only lick their lips and quell their ever-growing hunger.

What wonder would it be to see you bloom and bring waves of life with a mere sway of your arms or snap of your finger? Worlds can be born and no harm shall tread upon the universe- such a reality can now be achieved...

For now, Yaoshi will whisper sweet words of praise in your ear like honey; gradually drowning you in each sugary drop until they can dress you up in whatever they may fancy. You'll be the star of the universe, you'll be the epitome of ardency and everlasting life. Worshiped and praised: the universe will string together songs of your benevolence!

Alas, Yaoshi must limit their daydreaming... work must be done to accomplish their ultimate dream and it has only just begun.

masterlist

I might do a part two with the other Aeons... probably Lan and Xipe. I honestly wanted to get this out of my drafts.

[mallleus]

Extraterrestrial Satellite Communication | Sunday

"There's always a paradise that needs to be built. That vow is like the sun in the sky — perhaps I'll melt and fall before reaching it… But some hardships I must endure."

The dream of the Order has dissipated, yet there are still those who will not give up on their original intent.

— The traveler whose wings were clipped… whereto shall his footsteps lead?

EDIT:::::BTW SOMEONE SAID HE SHOULD BE HERE AROUND DEC. 4TH WE HAVE A BIT TO SAVE UP STELLAR JADES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

[kafkasmeow]

1 ꗃ A FAMILIAR TUNE

imagine! 7.2k words worth of slow-burn ─ dan heng x reader ─ second pov fem! reader ─ angst and fluff ─ father! jing yuan (strictly platonic) ─ i treated the reader more as an oc, i do apologise for that.

summery ─ leaving home was one of the hardest choices you’ve ever had to make, yet how could you stay when the life you lived could only ever bring you sadness and superficiality? 

aka dan heng x reader with mommy and daddy issues

disclaimer ─ this story may hold sensitive subjects such as mentioned death, neglect and the baggage that comes with it, mental illness, violence, harassment and talks of infertility. it has a very long introduction (my bad lol), a rather steamy end and takes inspiration from the original story line so be careful of spoilers and it was inspired by head-canons written here by @lyomeii , please go show some love. remember that this is a work of fiction and any names and characters written are my imagination alone. enjoy <3

taglist ─ @can-i-go-to-sleep-please ─ @can-i-stay-awake

There was a time when things felt easier, when the sun seemed to shine brighter despite the overwhelming shadow that was always cast on your family. You used to love the deep smell of green tea that enveloped the parlour each time the two of you took residence in it, and the wind that would swirl it around the whole of the office all while you laughed without a single care at the way it tugged your translucent shawl and hair. 

Jing Yuan adored that sound more than anything, it filled his heart with the warmest of contents yet the cruelest of longings. He would sip quietly on the tea you’d brewed for him and pretend to enjoy the frivolous moment with his eyes closed, but you both knew that when you looked away, another story would be told completely. 

Perhaps in reality, the sun never shined brighter than it seemed to and it was never easier to stomach. You were just too naive, too young to notice the thin cords bringing you and your father closer, and too ignorant to see the way they were slowly beginning to rip under the pressure. 

To the public eye, your father loved you more than anything in the world, that was no news to anyone atop the Xianzhou Luofu. You’ve always worn the most expensive silks to have ever been created, with the richest of accessories and jewels. Whenever a new Hanfu dress would reach your hands, he would parade you on the busiest streets himself, making sure everyone and their mothers would talk about it by noon the next day. 

He made sure you always had the most able and knowledgeable professors at your call, and if you ever needed anything, all you’d have to do is ask to whomever was closest to you at the very moment, and it would be fulfilled within seconds. Sometimes you didn’t know if the servants did it out of admiration for your father or obligation.

Jing Yuan made sure you never needed or wanted for more. Materially, that is. 

And things were bound to change as you grew, especially as he cruelly presented you to the scrutiny of high society. 

You quickly grew to understand that it was his way of apologising, like a crow that would chip away at your skin then bring you trinkets of appreciation. When you sat and listened to some woman criticise that your dress was too frivolous for the event, too out of fashion for society and that none of your jewels matched, he did not do much but smile and pat your shoulder. 

“Little [Y/n] will learn from your kind advice.” He assured her, but you barely held in a snort of frustration. When the other women joined in, when they begun pulling at your hair to adjust it, when they hit your hands with their fans as you purred tea for not angling your elbows right, when they shamed you as the hall hollered with laughter, he watched and smiled, so you took a deep breath and smiled back to everyone around you too.

Later that very evening he found you with tears running on your cheeks, a box of red and gold velvet in his hands. Your father did not speak, nor did he show much emotion on his face and it angered you. You wished to yell, to protest for the fact that he had not jumped to your defence, but as you opened the box, all protests died on your lips and the tears stilled, hands shaking at the most beautiful jade hair pin you’ve ever seen.

But his gifts stopped making up for his emotional absence around the third time it happened. 

And you knew they all watched you like a hawk. Every move you’d make before the higher ups would be analysed on a scale of “good enough” or “weak” by none other than your father’s so called friends, while every single gesture before the public was like pulling needles off your skin. Yesterday you wore your Hanfu scandalously low on your cleavage, today you didn’t say thank you when the guard accompanying you opened up your parasol, tomorrow you won’t hold your tea cup quite right and so on. 

Usually it was easy to ignore.

But that was before the daughters of the noblest of houses would begin to alienate you for shallow reasons, and before the sons of each commissioner would size you up as nothing but easy stock to win over, an easy marriage in the pocket, or so they thought. 

It was easy for them to have the audacity to criticise you to your face or try to win you over, after all, you were nothing but a spoiled brat who’s never heard no for as long as she’s lived. Surely, you’ve never faced a single hardship, so the public felt righteous enough to scold you into it while for those within you were noting but a charity case. 

So you tried to learn all you could, so you’d never feel as less in front of others ever again. Since the very evening of your debut, you insisted on having a book under your arm, a needle in your hand, a sword at your hip, or a qin in your lap while tea cups simmered on a table. It felt easier to overlook the loneliness when you did. You found that after a certain age, it felt comforting even to worry about making it in time to granny Hua’s qin lessons while leaving the swordplay hall behind, rather than sit pretty in a room and wait all day for your father to finish his duties as a general. There was no more room at social events for rude interventions, and no more room in your mid for uncomfortable questions to ask while doing so, really.  

But you couldn’t avoid them for an eternity, that was for sure. And neither could Jing Yuan, for even in tranquil moments when peace had the taste of green tea and the smell of fresh air after rain, your twinkling eyes were still a carbon copy of how hers were. 

In the better of these days, your father would pretend to laugh at a joke you made, while you pretended to be satisfied with his reaction. You’d move a piece on the xiangqi board with elegant hands and chatted about the latest passage you read in a philosophy book, and he hummed in agreement while placing his own piece down. A cleverly crafted strategy to his own defeat, one that you felt content with following despite the fragile shame that came with it. 

It was a play you both excelled at most, after all.

At the worst of it all, you can’t understand his harsh voice as he yells “That is enough, [Y/n]!” while slamming his tea cup on the table. The whole room would shake at his warning, but your hunger for answers was much stronger than any fear, so you really can’t understand his fury when you yell back “Father! It is not!” He look at you with sorrow in his heart and his eyes were twisted by a pain you’d never understand, as he could only see her in you. 

“I will not have this conversation with you!” He’d warn again, but you took it as an invitation to push even further. “I don’t know the first thing about my mother, Jing Yuan! Her name? Never heard of it. Her face? Never seen it. Do you not think it is cruel, father?” Hot tears streamed on your perfect porcelain cheeks, smearing the red eyeliner you had painted on. “No one ever speaks about her to me, everyone refuses to. But they all look at me like I’m some kind of…” Your voice trailed off with hard puffs and sobs. “Like I’m some kind of…” 

His own chest puffed and the sight of you felt like a stab to his heart. You couldn’t get your words out, you didn’t need to really. People constantly looked at you in one of two ways, no matter how perfectly you’ve learned to craft your smiles, or how good your tea brewing had became, you were either a charity case they’d pity, or a spoiled brat that knew none of what the real world would offer.

 But despite all of his anger, he was still your father, and as much as he loved to punish himself trough you, he still held back the need of snapping the heads off all of their shoulders. He would reach for the back of your neck with his hand, bringing you into his chest in a half hug. “You are enough. Never forget that.” He’d kiss the crown of your head and inhale the floral smell of your hair. It grounded him, even as you screamed into his chest and pushed him away, his grip stayed firm until you’d shed your last tear and you cried your last sob. 

Because despite of how much you hated to admit it, you were living and breathing for his approval, which you seemed to never ever gain.

Unbeknownst to you, everything about you was just like her. Your face, your hair, even the way you wore your Hanfu  a little out of place with the shawl falling all over the floor when you walked, or your mannerism as you spoke with a tiny accent on your tongue, it was all her and nothing of his except the mole under your left eye. You’ve never met her, he tried to reason. You’ve never seen her or heard of her deeds. Your mother has been an enigma to you ever since you could remember things, and yet the world punished him with her perfect copy in you when he tried to push her memory away the most. 

It felt bittersweet. To the outside eye, general Jing Yuan adored his daughter more than anything else in the world. But underneath the jewellery, there were unaddressed feelings, each pearl you wore for people on the Central Starskiff Heaven to see was a tear unshed, each new dress was a silent apology they’d never hear, each loving promenade you’d have with your father was there to hide for the public a question you asked when the cord was too tensed. One of these days it would snap in half, you were sure of it. 

So who could blame you when it all overflowed? When you could no longer smile in the face of those who envied you and when your father’s emotional absence felt like a hallow painting of what should have really been? When the dresses and the jewels weren’t smothering the pain any longer?

You felt it daily, building up, pressing down, tugging at your smiles until they became frowns and empty stares, and your ever growing depression was evident for anyone that roamed the gardens outside your window at night, as your qin carried into the world the saddest tune your heart feared to voice. And this time, not even a Hanfu made out of golden thread would ease your pain. 

“So, say you, general,” 

Your father hummed back to the woman before him as he placed his piece down on the board. Another noble nodded in agreement with his choice behind him. You saw them all from where you were sitting, fingers strumming the qin in a delicate tune for the whole room to enjoy, while gin purred from flasks and laughter echoed somewhere in the back. It wasn’t like you to agree partaking in parties like these, but how could you turn Jing Yuan down when he asked you to serenade him at the event?

“I would say you’d want to keep your daughter closest to you, am I not right?” The wicked tone in the noble’s voice made you shiver underneath the silver shawl that draped off your shoulders. “Quite so I fear, why is that?” 

“Well, I hoped to reach you when I first heard the news, but I was quite busy, yous see?” The woman, an esteemed elder of the Artisanship Commission, hid her face behind what was possibly the most obnoxious fan you’ve ever seen, and your fingers became stiff on the metal strings of your trusted instrument. “Pardon me?” The general stilled his movements on the xiangqi pieces while the chattering went quiet. Nothing but your trembling notes filled the air.

“You know, I wished to give you my deepest condolences the moment I heard. For your daughter’s… unfortunate situation, that is.” Confused, Jing Yuan tilts his head to where you stood, only to be met with the same questions on your face that you desperately tried to drown as you played your melody. He chuckled awkwardly, then, and returned his attention on the game. “I fear I don’t know what you’re going on about, ma’am.”

“Ah… You know, the fact that your daughter is unable to bear children has quite saddened us all. I was looking forward to sending my son as a potential suitor!” 

If eyes could kill, you would be sure that the place where the woman stood would have become scorched dust. An involuntary scoff left your lips loud enough to draw attention, but you pretended to be engrossed with tuning your qin before beginning to play another piece for the hall. 

“And where have you heard such news, I wonder?” But she held no fear in her eyes. 

“Well, for one, everyone in high society talks about it! You see, your daughter is already past the age of accepting suitors yet has never even been seen with a man, so people assume. That being said I personally was told so by a doctor that works under you, your grace.” 

‘Lies’, you told yourself, but it was not enough to cool the blush you had on your cheeks from embarrassment, no matter how much you have been shamed by the public eye, nothing could compare to this very moment now. 

“Is that so,” Your father trailed off, then placed his piece on the xiangqi board. “Well, from what I know, your son is welcome to send in his suitor application, for my daughter is more than healthy and cared for. In fact, now that I think about it,” But you didn’t wish to hear any more. 

With a sudden move, you jumped from your seat to your feet and rushed to gather the qin underneath its silk cloth. The commotion drew attention to you, and so murmurs begun filling your ears which only fed your ever growing shame. “Please excuse me.” You voiced as you bowed deeply to the room of lords and nobles, then picked up your instrument and hurried to the exit with a strained “Please enjoy the rest of your evening.” 

And you hoped that would be the last you’ve heard of it all, but as fate wanted it, that was far from how things would play. 

“Father! This is ridiculous!” You protested. For all reason and purposes, it really was. 

Not even a full day after what happened, he invited you to serve tea with him in the parlour. You found it odd, as he never requested your presence on Tuesday afternoons, but did not complain as you stepped into the room with haste. 

He took his time finding the courage to face you, and when he understood he would not be able to deliver the news to you with a straight face, he pushed a stack of paper to you without even meeting your eyes. There, in red ink, was your fate sealed by a simple signature. An agreement that had been made without your knowledge or permission, and a wound that would become the reason for the demise of cord that held your family together.

Marriage certificate. 

No one knows what was truly discussed that night in the evening, but what was known was that you’ve fled with tears in your eyes and anger on your face. And for better or for worse, that would become the last time anyone on the Xianzhou Luofu had seen you under the identity of the general’s daughter, for you found no more room in your heart for the pain that followed with it.

“You know, when you put it like that, I do think that green works best with coral!” March eagerly nodded her head, while Dan Heng took his time analysing Himeko’s theory. You and welt only listened to the conversation with one ear, while the other was being filled with questions over questions from Stelle. 

“I don’t believe that’s a wise move.” You chirped as Welt placed the piece down, and you followed with a quick movement that gained you his general. He groaned and pushed his glasses up away while massaging the bridge of his nose. Stelle wowed and wood at your victory, and March leaned from her seat across the express’ parlour with a “really?” look in her eyes. 

“You lost again, M. Yang?” 

“I swear I’m good at this game.” And you chuckled while placing the pieces back into their pouch. “Used is a keyword.” March continued to tease while everyone watched your movements, which, weirdly, felt more calming than before your time on the express. In truth, it was because they never snickered underneath their palms and never cherry picked your posture until you’d get it wrong. 

That being said, you could only care for one person’s eyes alone, and his stare felt like electricity on the back of your neck. 

“How did you learn to play like this, anyways? You’re like a mad genius at these.” Stelle intervened, and you couldn’t help but shiver as your father’s knowing eyes came into your mind. “Ah…” was all that escaped your lips, before you cured your pained expression in a calm and lovely smile. “My father taught me how to play. He always made it so I would win, though. Therefore, for the longest time I believed I was quite bad at it too.” 

Your voice felt like crystal in the quiet room, so quiet and soft to the ear that it was more akin to a melody than a spoken sentence. You never truly talked about your home, never about your family of your past, which is exactly why your friends turned to you with a cocktail of shocked expressions. Despite how polite and proper you always were, whenever someone asked about it, you would have the coldest glare thrown their way, sure, involuntarily, but scary nonetheless, and with time the crew learned to not ask about a past you so much wished to hide.

Despite that, they never judged you for any of it, not even when your friendship has been tried over and over by your cold heart. You were never outright rude per se, but distant hit the nail in the head best. When Himeko would extend an invitation to a “coffee party” for the crew as an example, you refused with a polite smile that felt ripped out of etiquette teaching picture books, saying you prefer tea instead. 

She feared you’d be left out, you feared being the centre of attention. 

“I believe I’ll head in for the day.” You spoke after finishing to arrange the xiangqi pieces on the board. March left out an “Oh…” and you could hear the sad face in her voice. Amongst the others, she was the saddest when you chose to sit the Xianzhou Luofu out, as ever since your addition to the crew, you never turned down an adventure. You explained that your bones hurt from the cold of Jarilo-VI and that you needed a rest, and with Stelle at their side, you were sure they would have no problems getting trough this one trail-blazing adventure. Sure, it was a bit of a shock for Himeko and Welt, but to March? It was a tragedy. Her new bestie leaving her behind? She swore the world would end.

“Please, have a safe journey and a swift return.” 

You nodded your head their way before picking up the xiangqi game and reaching for the door. Your fingers grazed the digital pad just in time to hear Dan Heng’s voice behind you. “I will do the same, didn’t quite finish storing the data bank after Jarilo-VI.” 

And so you ended up side by side, walking trough the corridors of the Express. However, as you stepped past his make-shift room, you found his steps synced with yours still and, confused, you turned to face him and painted one of your signature smiles. Fake but pretty all the same. 

“Can I help you, Dan Heng?”

It was exactly that cold yet perfect, more-like-a-painting-than-an-actual-human attitude that made Dan Heng distrust you from the moment you stepped on the Express. You left everything to speculation in a way in which even your clothes were a mass of black and colourless, without any culture behind or any story at all to tell. Always in a bland attire with no accessories at all. March made fun of you for being so tasteless, but he saw past the appearance.  He saw past the way you acted and into the way you wilded your swords like cranes flying in the wind, the way you prepared and steeped tea, and the way you handled xiangqi and go pieces like a native only could.

He peered into your eyes in a way that made you unravel before him without a single word, and he knew it was to hide a side of you that you’ve hidden deeply to the rest. But not quite to him.

And while he was trying to get over a sense of danger in you, fed by your secrecy, you found peace in his presence. Unbeknownst  to him, he was the one thing that reminded you of home and the good in it despite it all. If your memories were filled with torment and loneliness, he was the smell of freshly baked red bean sticky rice cakes in the market, or the sound of wind chimes in the summer rain. He was all of the little things you wanted to push away but found comfort in, and you didn’t know if you loved it or hated him for it.

“Yes, actually.” He nodded. “I find I can’t sleep as of late and I wanted to try one of your calming brews.” You frowned at his words but gave in without asking much, which he greatly appreciated. “Very well, please join me for some tea tonight, then.” And silence settled between you two as you lead him to your cabin with unease rolling off your shoulders. 

Your room was much like your clothes. Simple and colourless besides the coffer next to your bed, which was unmistakably made with the mastery of a Xianzhou artisanship. But if he noticed it, he didn’t speak on it at all, nor about the low table in the middle of the room that was in the same style, or… well really about anything. You appreciated that most. Even when you settled on the table a traditional set of cups, a clear tea spreading the most enchanting and calming aroma from them, he did not speak a single word.

As he drank, his eyes rested on your covered qin that sat atop your bed, and he did not need to speak for you to understand his intentions. You sat down quietly on the covers, revealing the  simple instrument like a truth you’d usually hide from. And he couldn’t help but watch you with sadness in his heart as you tuned the strings with shaky hands ‘till crystal clear notes echoed trough the room. 

You took a heavy inhale and looked upon the dark ebony wood as if greeting an old friend before propping it on your lap, but couldn’t handle to meet Dan Heng’s eyes. At least not when he stared at you as if he knew every single secret you feared to tell. 

As you raised your hands in the air, getting ready to pull at the string, his own palm engulfed your exposed skin in an unspoken plea, and you couldn’t help but give into his warmth. He pulled gently until your face was buried into his shoulder and his other arm was in your hair, and you didn’t even notice it when silent tears begun to stain the fabric of his coat. He didn’t protest nor ever addressed it, and you preferred the feeling of his body against yours to the coldness of his eyes on a normal day. 

As such, you spent the evening together afterwords. Him silently sipping on the calming tea as the sorrowful yet comforting sound of the qin filled your bedroom, until there were no more tears to shed and the pot on the table had gone cold. 

No one wanted to admit it, but it had to be said. Something changed between you and Dan Heng from then on and the first one to notice it was none other than March. 

They were getting ready to leave the express when she stated it for the whole crew to hear. 

“Is it me or are the two of you like, in love or something now?” She arched one of her eyebrows while her lips rested in a scowl. Now, don’t get her wrong she was more than happy for you two if it was the case, but what she could not stand for was the two of you ditching the adventure to enjoy a date over tea and qin music again. 

“March, what kind of nonsense are you onto again?” You huffed with cherry red ears, while Dan Heng choked on the water he was previously drinking. All she could do was wave her hand while saying “yeah yeah,” over and over with a bored face before they set out on their way, but not before Welt pinned the two of you down with a knowing look.

The express stilled with their absence, reinforced by Pom-Pom who claimed to have some cleaning to do somewhere in the Express and Himeko who had some paperwork to finish. The parlour felt almost empty, despite Dan Heng’s presence right next to you. He still held his fist over his mouth as if preparing to cough, cheeks dusted pink and eyes on the starry sky before you, but he didn’t say a word about what happened. And something in you told you to follow his lead. 

You ate quietly at the sticky rice cake you tried your hand baking, and although the taste was very different from what you remembered, it was still as good as ever. With a tissue all crumpled up in your hand, you resulted to watching the sky along side your new friend, eyeing the stars one by one as they passed by. Yet you found your eyes sliding lower and lower from the window to the man before you, who you found already watching you with wide eyes. As if caught in headlights, he stammered out an incoherent string of words but did not move his gaze, not even as his body leaned to yours until his hand grazed your chin. 

You shuddered at his icy touch, but did not dare to move, not even as his fingertips reached for your lips. He gently wiped your lips then brought his thumb to his own mouth, licking off the excess red bean cream from the cake, and you were absolutely sure your face would explode from how hot it get in that very moment. “You had a bit,” He started, but his mouth closed shut when he noticed the dazed stare in your eyes. “Oh aeons, I didn’t make you uncomfortable, did I?” His voice shook and his own ears turned scarlet red, only now realising what he has done. You shook your head, head turning  so you could focus on the floor as if the tiles below your feet were now the best sight you have ever seen. “Ah, not at all! I was just surprised, ‘tis all.” Your sweaty palm gripped the tissue tighter. “Would you like some?” And Dan Heng looked at the half eaten cake you extended to him with an expression you’ve ever seen him give March or Stelle. He stared at the cake in his hands with a wholehearted fondness. “Yeah.” Was all he could manage to whisper back.

And somewhere in the back, you swore you heard Himeko giggle to herself. 

The same evening, you would hear three soft knocks on your door in the dead of night. There, in the hallway, with a sweat filled forehead and uneasy complexion, stood Dan Heng, and you would be a fool not to extend a hand to him when he begged for help with his tired eyes. 

“Quit hiding!” The criminal’s voice rang trough your head like a broken mantra. “Your true form… reveal it!” Dan Heng did his best to dodge the maniac attacks, all while you and Yanqing stood in an awkward stalemate in the middle of the platform.

Your blade screeched against Yanqing’s, but it was like fighting fire with fire, simply useless. No matter how lowkey you’ve been upon reaching the Xianzhou, he needed one singular look to know exactly who you were, even underneath the mask that covered the lower half of your face.

“You, little..” You trailed off with effort. Despite his usual sense of justice, that you’ve always commanded, his attacks felt awfully biased as he strikes your blade repeatedly with his icy ones. His technique felt as familiar as home did, her teaching seeping in his bones trough and trough, but so did  your father’s into yours, which you’ve had much more time to perfect than the little lapdog did. 

“Move, you idiot!” And with one harsh push of your blade, the young boy was off his feet, giving you enough time to reach Blade before he could get any damage done on Dan Heng. You yelled with each strike you struggled to par, until his crazy red eyes widened in glee and his sword flew from his hands and right by your chin. The sound of your friend’s cry in agony and the blade tearing trough skin and bone made you pause, and horror struck you as you refused to turn around and to even acknowledge what had happened. “You!” Was all you could let out, sword still pointed straight to Blade’s neck.

“I have news for you.” He laughed, and you took a step back. You would lie if you said your insides didn’t churn with fear, even as he was left completely disarmed before you.

“Behind you… Is none other,” The sound of water engulfed your ears as your head snapped back. “Than the traitor of the Xianzhou. A criminal, forever banished!” Your eyes widened as the barrier around Dan Heng rippled, leaving a water-made dragon to escape with rage all over its face. It roared and turned in the air, coiling until it fell right back to where it came from, and when light and wind filled the platform, you couldn’t help but shield your form with your arms. 

“The High Elder of the Vidyadhara… Imbibitor Lunae.” 

The hold on your sword weakened. You shuddered as the man you grew so attached to revealed himself before you in a form you’ve recognised from your father’s tales. Long silky hair and cold green eyes, horns and tail and lotus flowers and everything that made the Vidyadhara so revered. You could hardly believe your eyes. With a weak step forward, you pulled at the mask to reveal your strained expression, sword falling to your side numbly. 

“You really believed that the Stellaron Hunters were the only ones to infiltrate the Xianzhou?” 

Cold air begun pulling at your hair, and you shook off your stupor when Yanqing begun summoning his ice swords. Your body acted before your mind did at the new threat and your sword was back up within seconds, posture ready for a clash. 

“A wanted criminal, a banished person and a deserter. In this case, I will bring all three of you to justice!” 

The fight ended before it could even begin properly. Yanqing was strong, but Jingliu’s teaching could only get him so far against the three of you. Blade begun striking without mercy, taunting you and Dan Heng for holding back. “What’s wrong, your grace? Scared to harm the boy?” The criminal laughed as you sent only one out of the spirit swords you summoned towards Yanqing. Flashes of electricity begun shining trough your hair with anger, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do more. Not  even when Dan Heng delivered the final strike with a silent apology. 

Yanqing’s knees begun to buckle just as Kafka yelled “All of you, listen to me - stop!” 

You couldn’t help but stumble back, swords falling out of existence as Dan Heng’s feet stepped back on the floor and Blade’s weapon vanished before your eyes. “Well, Bladie? Are you satisfied?” She mused and he only hummed in response. 

“…What did you do?” Dan Heng called after a moment of silence. “Just clearing the stage for the grand entrance. Can’t have the four of you misbehaving in front of the Luofu’s hotshot general.” Your shoulders stiffened as a familiar laughter filled the platform. All heads turned towards the sight, yet you stayed rooted on your feet, back turned and head shaking in denial. “No, not like this.” You whispered. 

“Jing Yuan,” Blade huffed. “General!” Yanqing followed. 

The man stared at the sighed before him with a knowing smile just as you got the courage to turn and face him. If he felt anything upon the sight of you, he did not show it. “Many years have passed since the three of you have departed the Xianzhou, and yet the circumstances of your return appear to be equally unhappy. If you still thought of me as a friend,” His eyes went straight to yours, unspoken words weighting you down as you found it harder and harder to breathe. ‘As family’ was what he wished to say, yet he held back. “You should’ve forewarned me.” 

“My task is complete.” Was all the blade said. “Mhm. That it is.” Your father laughed in return. “Thank you for assisting the Xianzhou in this small matter. Take this person away, I will pretend I didn’t see anything this time.” He stated harshly despite Yanqing’s protest. Jing Yuan then stared at Dan Heng as the two Stellaron Hunters made their way to the boat at the edge of the platform. “It has been a long time, old friend.” But your friend answered harshly. “I’m not him.” 

“Mh. I’m sorry. You cannot leave yet, however. Your astral express friends are still waiting for you in Scalegorge Waterscape. Shall we go and see them together? And you…” The moment you have been trying to prepare yourself for most had arrived, and your father’s smile died on his lips as his eyes analysed your face. 

“I missed you terribly, my sweet flower.” Dan Heng stiffened next to you, but his hand fingertips grazed yours in protectiveness, to which you could only respond by accepting his palm into yours. The familiar nickname brought tears into your eyes, and despite the coldness of his face, your father’s voice felt like a familiar little tune you new by heart. Like a warm hug when you needed it most. How you wished you could’ve just forgotten it all and jumped into his chest, just like how you did when you were nothing but a sprout on two legs. 

“That being said, we will continue this conversation later. I’m afraid your friends might be in trouble, you see.”

You didn’t know how time had passed so fast, more like a blur than anything, truthfully. Your eyes were opened wide on the platform between the Xianzhou and Scalegorge Waterscape, blade in hand and senses aware as you parred each of the attacks your way. Then you blinked, and when you reopened them, a familiar sight greeted you. 

Three cups of steaming green tea on a low rise table, a board of xiangqi and pieces of go scattered all over the table. A sacred silence engulfed the room, besides the occasional sound of the chess pieces falling into place, and none of you could bring yourselves to shatter it just yet. 

Dan Heng watched you play with patience while occasionally bringing the cup to his lips, now back into the form you grew so familiar with. You hated to admit it, but his presence comforted you. It gave you the strength to hold yourself together in a situation in which you would have certainly shattered if alone, and your father’s keen eye did not glass over that fact. 

You sighed peacefully when your chariot was finally occupied in the middle of the palace, on your father’s side, in a perfect centroid checkmate. The man before you leaned back and sighed, a puzzled expression on his face. “You just had to go and get better than me at this game, did you not?” But you didn’t answer. You still didn’t know what to say, really. Were you feeling guilty for deserting your spot as a cloud knight? For leaving your father behind? Or for bailing on your responsibilities as his daughter? Well, no not quite, so apologising for it felt…strained and forced. But one thing felt real as your eyes met his and Dan Heng’s hand reached for yours across the table. You missed him terribly just as much. 

“Every single day that passes shapes you more and more like her.” He added. “I wish you could’ve been by my side for them all.” 

“Jing Yuan…” You whispered back, but he didn’t let you finish. “If your mother was here with us today, I assure you, my sweet flower, that things would have been so different.” For a moment, you could hear nothing but your heart beating against your chest.

“You are just like her. And I truly mean it. Your face, your personality, darn it all even the way you speak. And, as your father, I wish I could’ve offered you a better life.” 

“You did all you could.” Funny how even now, you were the one to reach with a warm heart, how you were the one to comfort and forgive, even when his heart couldn’t yield. 

“Not quite. I was foolish and believed that a firm hand would prepare you for the cruelty of the world. I failed to see, no. I failed to change when I saw that it was harming you more than anything.” You let out a sigh you’ve held in for a very long time and closed your eyes, a last attempt at holding in the tears you wished so disparately to shed. 

“I love you, father. Nothing will ever change that. However,” Despite how your hand shook in Dan Heng’s, your voice stood firm, and as you opened your eyes, both men shivered at their determination. “An apology, no matter how needed, will never make up for what has been. If this is your way of asking me to stay, I fear I’ve made my choice.” 

But his ever knowing smile was back on his lips, and his laughter caught you off guard. Your fingers tightened on Dan Heng’s fingertips, who had stayed quiet as you and your father voiced what both of you ever feared to before. 

“You see, that was not my intention. That being said, if you ever did wish to return, there will always be room for you into my arms, my darling flower.” And you only nodded back, lips slightly parted in surprise. 

“We should head out.” Dan Heng whispered to you after the tea had been finished and the conversation ended. He tapped the skin of your palm with gentle fingers, a quiet way of asking for your attention. His eyes were stricken with tiredness, and you doubted that yours were any better, excusing the puffiness brought by your tears. 

“Ah yes, I forgot!” The general mused. “There is no need to return to that hotel for the night. I asked for your room to be prepared, for you and your lover here. So you could rest comfortably before leaving.” The moment could be best described by a broken record being pulled abruptly from its recorder and screeching in your head. You eyed Dan Heng who refused to meet your gaze and who’s ears became scarlet red once more. “Father!” You protested. “He- He’s not-”

“Save it, [Y/n]. At least invite me if you do ever get married.” 

“Dad!” Shame engulfed you as you pushed Dan Heng out of the room all while the sound of Jing Yuan’s laughter taunted you from behind the doors of the seat of Devine Foresight. You couldn’t help but whisper muffled apologies into your hand that tried to shield your burning face from anyone that would watch, which in truth was as effective as searching for a needle in a haystack. 

What you didn’t expect was for Dan Heng’s hand to find yours and move it away, revealing cherry red cheeks that matched his own. He cleared his voice before leaning in just enough for his breath to fan over your ear as your back met the closed doors behind you. “I would not mind if I was.” He whispered before his velvet soft lips rested against the exposed skin of the back of your palm. You were sure your knees would’ve given in if it wasn’t for his arm that hooked around your waist, bringing you so close to him you shuddered. 

“I really would not mind it.” 

Later that evening, as his teeth grazed your exposed skin before kissing it with sweet words of praise, as your hands intertwined and your bodies became one under the silk sheets of your bed, you could tell that your heart began singing a familiar tune. With each kiss from Dan Heng’s, a new feeling invaded your senses. You were home. Here with him, in this very moment. You were home in his arms. 

And you wouldn’t changed it for anything else. 

Yes, not even as March yells “I fucking knew it!” the next morning, for the whole of Xianzhou Luofu to hear, upon seeing your neck caked in love marks you had no means of hiding and your hand held tightly by Dan Heng, who only smiled back to everyone as you buried your face into his chest with shame. 

[la2yn0va]

Hello! I hope that you are doing well! Can i request a yandere astral express x male reader x yandere stellaron hunters (self aware au). They have a bitter rivary because despite the reader being with the astral express in their adventures, the reader seems to have a preference with the stellaron hunter members because they are usually on the team especially with the arrival of firefly (little side note: im this little scenario Kafka came home first to the reader's team despite Himeko, being one of the first five stars).

I LOVE YANDERE CHARACTERS!!!! (Sorry got a little excited there)

———

Let’s get one thing straight. The astral express crew LOVES you and will forever be your followers, no matter what.

But..WHY do you love those criminals so much?! It’s like it goes over your head that they kill people on the daily!

You don’t… out right show your favoritism but they can sense it, they can HEAR it. How you talk faster when the topic of the hunters, how your eyes shine when talking to firefly.

It angers them. Pure jealousy and even hatred towards them purely for the fact that you love them more then you love the team your on and trailblazer with!

Meanwhile, the stellaron hunters know of your favoritism. It was obvious, due to the four of them being your main team.

They are nothing but bratty and they gloat every chance they get. And no one can do a thing about it, as they’re fearful they’ll earn your wrath.

The stellaron hunters are always around you in someway, weather it be holographic or in person, they’ll always be beside you.

Which irritates the crew members even more, besides caelus/stelle, they get to hangout with firefly AND you, so they’re the only member that enjoys your favoritism for the hunters.

Himeko feels especially betrayed by this. She was your first Five Star. Then it was Welt. But when you had the opportunity to summon for Kafka, she felt hurt that you actually did it, but then she felt hatred like she’s never felt before when Kafka replaced her in your team.

Dan heng hates blade as he took his spot, march hates SilverWolf and firefly…well, no one hates firefly personally from the express. Just hate by association.

The astral express always try to stay beside you and in a way, gaslight you into liking them more then those deranged criminals, besides the trailblazer (I’ll just use Caelus)

Himeko herself will make up lies about Kafka to you, she’s in the belief that Kafka bewitched you into favoring her and her comrades.

-The End-

This was shorter than I wanted it to be, but I need to relax. This 8 hour drive is a fuckin pain.

Also, PLEASE give me more yandere hsr / self-aware hsr requests! I love them!

[aventurineswife]

Aventurine wife but Sunday pfp smh

Lol but I have 101 pulls saved so far for Sunday so in celebration I would like to request Sunday with reader who gets him a gift to welcome him to the express. I'd probably do something hand made cause I think those kinds of presents are meaningful.

Welcome to the family, Sunday!

Summary: you create a handmade bracelet as a meaningful gift to welcome Sunday aboard the Astral Express. The bracelet, crafted with celestial beads and lavender thread, symbolizes connection and kindness. Though Sunday harbors a twisted belief in the Sweetdream Paradise, the gift resonates with him, leading to a quiet, shared moment of understanding between you two.

Tags: AE!Sunday x Reader, Handmade Gift, Emotional Connection, Gentle Romance.

A/N: SHHH!! 🫣 I'LL CHANGE IT SOON!! Take this in the meantime 🤲

The Astral Express hummed with the soft glow of stars as it sliced through the cosmos, an endless journey across the universe. You stood at the side of the locomotive, your hands fidgeting nervously. Today was important. Today, you would welcome Sunday—one of the most revered members of the Oak Family—aboard the train.

Though you knew Sunday as a man of great dignity and wisdom, you also knew there was more to him than the poised leader he projected to the world. His belief in the Sweetdream Paradise was something you couldn’t quite reconcile with, but you respected his view—no matter how different it was from your own. After all, there was a certain kind of pain in seeing the world with so much uncertainty.

But this gift… you hoped it would speak to him in a way that words never could.

You'd spent weeks working on it, carefully handcrafting each detail with a kind of tenderness that only you could understand. It wasn’t much—just a small, intricately woven bracelet—but it was imbued with something personal, something that could perhaps touch the hearts of those who wore it. The bracelet was made from pale silver thread, woven together with strands of glowing celestial beads, each one meant to symbolize a star that would never fall from the sky. You had used thread dyed a soft blue, the color of skies, which seemed fitting, considering Sunday's ethereal nature.

You glanced at the door to the cabin, waiting for his arrival.

When it finally slid open, there stood Sunday in his usual immaculate attire, the long tailcoat flowing elegantly behind him. His eyes flickered over the room, his expression a mix of curiosity and recognition as they landed on you.

"I see you’ve been waiting." he said softly, his voice carrying a certain calm authority, yet with an underlying gentleness.

You felt a flutter of warmth at the sight of him. You’d only spoken in passing since he had boarded the Astral Express, but today, there was something different in the air. Something intimate.

You cleared your throat, stepping forward slowly. "Yes, I have. I, uh, wanted to give you something… a small gift," you said, holding out the bracelet, the delicate glow of the celestial beads catching the light.

Sunday raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A gift?" he mused, taking the bracelet gently in his hands. His gaze softened as he examined it closely, the soft blue strands catching his attention.

"You don't have to accept it," you said quickly, a little embarrassed. "I just thought it might be meaningful—since, well, you're new here and all."

His fingers brushed over the beads as he looked up, and for a moment, his eyes met yours, piercing yet somehow gentle. "You believe in meaning behind these things," he said, almost to himself. His voice was softer now, as if he was considering something deeper.

"Yes, I do," you replied, your heart racing a little under the weight of his gaze. "Sometimes, a gift doesn’t have to be grand to carry meaning. I thought this might remind you that even in the vastness of the universe, you’re not alone. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself."

A faint smile played at the corners of Sunday’s lips, but it was not the usual serene, distant expression he wore. It was something softer, warmer. "You would choose such a gift for me," he said, his tone shifting slightly. "A reminder that, even in a world built on ideals of survival, there is kindness."

He turned the bracelet over in his fingers, lost in thought for a moment. "I suppose... I can accept this," he said, his voice gentle yet resolute. "Not as a symbol of weakness, but as a testament to the strength of connection."

You felt a rush of relief, even as your chest tightened at his words. He didn’t see it as an escape or an illusion—he understood it, in his own way. This gift, this simple gesture, was something that transcended the dream of a perfect world.

You smiled softly, watching as Sunday carefully slipped the bracelet onto his wrist, the delicate strands of blue and celestial beads now draping across his skin.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice softer than you'd ever heard it. "For the kindness you’ve shown me. Perhaps... there is meaning beyond what I’ve dreamed."

You nodded, heart swelling with a quiet happiness. "No matter how far the stars may stretch, we’re all connected, Sunday. Even in the Sweetdream Paradise, you're not alone."

A flicker of something warm passed through his eyes, the glimmer of gold and navy that always seemed to hold a thousand unspoken truths. "No," he agreed, his voice carrying the weight of the cosmos. "Perhaps... we’re not."

As the Astral Express continued its journey through the vast, starlit expanse, you both stood together—silent, yet connected by a bond that neither the dream of paradise nor the harshness of reality could sever.

[tower-arcana]

Can you make a Dan Heng x sick reader who would always run around the Express and sometimes comes to Dan Heng's room just to annoy him when they don't have anything to do, but one day, Dan Heng noticed there were no signs of them anywhere so he went to their room, only to find out that they're sick and bedridden? When Dan Heng knocks on the door at first, there weren't any reply so he decided to enter quietly, and found reader sleeping on their bed comfortably, groaning and panting because of their fever. Dan Heng checked their temperature by placing a hand on their forehead before leaving to prepare warm water and a cloth to place on their forehead (to reduce the fever) and decided to wait until reader wakes up. (While waiting, Dan Heng is groaning and complaining to himself on why reader didn't ask for help when they're sick) Later, when reader wakes up, they will see a hot soup and water beside them, and a worried Dan Heng (he decided to make food for them while they're asleep) Sorry it's long!

a/n: tysm for being my first requester!! and don't apologize at all about the length, i think this is a really cute prompt and i'm always a sucker for sickfics! i hope you enjoy my take on this prompt ^^

Under the Weather.

dan heng x sick / nameless reader!

word count: 1646!

. . .

Dan Heng had always known you as… well, a busybody in a way. You were bright and full of energy, always running from some place to other, whether it be doing errands or making mischief was a question he’d learned not to ask. Yes, at times it could be a bit hard to keep up with, but you were just full of life, and that was something he could never fault you for. Perhaps it had even grown on him, as well.

Well, it was hard for it not to become something he’d grown accustomed to, with how often you visited his room within the archives in particular. Perhaps you’d noticed how easy it was for Dan Heng to hole himself up in there and made it your mission to bring a bit of your sunshine to him each day — or maybe you were simply nosey, that could be it, too.

Regardless of the reasoning, you made it a point to barge into Dan Heng’s space often, and by this point he’d stopped feeling exasperated about it. In truth, he even expected it, maybe even looked forward to it, though he’d surely have a hard time admitting that. Out of all of the Nameless he spent his time with on the Astral Express, he was sure he’d seen you day by day the most.

So when that bountiful noise of yours simply stopped reaching his ears, it was only natural for Dan Heng to notice. You hadn’t visited him at all that day, nor had he seen you outside of his room when he’d ventured out… was it wrong for him to be worried? Even if it was, the nagging concern refused to go away, and eventually he made up his mind to investigate.

Dan Heng had talked to March, who despite her usual air-headed behavior should’ve definitely known where you were given how often the two of you bounced off of each other, but even with her he’d come up empty handed. The Trailblazer hadn’t seen you that day either, and that worry that had taken root now twisted inside of his chest to the beginnings of panic.

Despite how often you visited his own room, Dan Heng had never entered yours all that often — but desperate times called for desperate measures, he supposed. He’d quickly approached your personal quarters within the Astral Express, and had knocked once or twice, hoping that he’d hear you call out some silly excuse or another. Still, he heard nothing, and Dan Heng’s frown only deepened.

Pushing aside all his notions of respecting others’ boundaries and privacy like you often chose not to do, Dan Heng tried the handle on your room’s door, to which he of course found to be unlocked. He doesn’t know why he expected anything else… he really should talk to you about that later, safety was important, after all.

That was a conversation for another time, though, and as quietly as possible, Dan Heng pushed open the door and slipped inside, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of your quarters. It took him a moment to even recognize the curled up pile of blankets on the bed to even be you, but once he did, his heart sank. Something had to be wrong, something in the back of his mind told him that he couldn’t just confirm you were here and then leave. He had to make sure you were truthfully alright, which at this point didn’t seem to be the case.

Dan Heng didn’t have to try very hard to be silent to avoid waking you, as your sleep, however restless, seemed to be a deep sleep all the same. Once Dan Heng got close enough to brush back the blanket and get a good look at your face, it then became clear what was the true issue here.

Your face was red with a feverish flush, bangs plastered to your forehead from a sickly sweat, and the discomfort was evident in your expression: you were sick, and you hadn’t even told anyone about it.

Reasonably, Dan Heng knew he shouldn’t be too upset with you — you were likely unable to even think clearly if you had been able to wake up in the first place. Even so, his frustration directed towards himself and the way he’d been so late to check in on you bubbled up and made him just a bit aggravated with you as well.

Those feelings meant nothing at the moment, though; he could scold you for your foolishness later. For now, he needed to make sure you were as comfortable and as well taken care of as possible now that he was here.

Dan Heng pressed a gentle hand to your forehead at first to gauge just how bad your fever really was, and quickly winced at just how scorching your skin felt to the touch. With a sigh, he reluctantly left your side to fetch a cold cloth and water to give you once you did wake up, as he could only guess just how dehydrated you were by now. On his run, he briefly informed Himeko about your condition, though he assured her he’d take care of you for now.

It didn’t take long for Dan Heng to return with the aforementioned supplies, though you were still deep in a fitful slumber even by the time he got back. He did his best to push down the worry that stabbed at his heart and instead focused on carefully laying the cool cloth on your forehead, taking just a moment to gaze at your sleeping face once more. It was upsetting to see your usual bright smile dimmed like this, and it was only then Dan Heng realized just how much he missed that radiant grin already.

With a soft sigh, Dan Heng resigned himself to keeping watch over you while you slept; he didn’t want to be away from your side if your condition worsened anytime soon, and even if it didn’t, he had a few choice words to say to you once you did wake up…

. . .

The last thing you’d remembered before passing out the night before was feeling absolutely exhausted, uncharacteristically so. You weren’t anywhere near dense enough not to realize that you were feeling a bit under the weather by the time you curled up in your bed, but you hadn’t truly realized just how bad it would become.

You’d assured yourself it was just a cold that would pass by the morning, nothing to worry anyone over — especially not Dan Heng, who you knew was definitely the type to make a big deal over such a small thing.

Except it wasn’t just a small thing, unfortunately for you. You were sick, sick sick, and you were so down for the count that the next time you really were conscious and aware of your surroundings was late into the evening of the next day. With bleary eyes, you finally came to and attempted to roll over to check your beside clock, though you quickly became aware of a cold towel nearly flopping over your eyes from the sudden movement.

“Huh…?” Voice still hoarse from sleep, you went to remove the towel, only for another hand to adjust its position back to where it had been before on the crown of your temple. It took you a moment to really recognize who it was, but once you did, you would’ve blanched if you weren’t already pale enough — Dan Heng was currently looking at you with the most disapproving expression you’d seen him give anyone, and you knew you were in for it.

At least, that’s what you’d thought, but as your eyes met his, Dan Heng’s softened considerably with something you were surprised to see was relief. “You’re finally awake. Your fever’s gone down at least from when I first found you like this, I’m hoping you’ll be somewhat stable by tomorrow afternoon.”

“...That bad, huh?” A sheepish chuckle left your lips as you felt another wave of embarrassment hit you; it was pretty unbecoming of a Nameless to be knocked off their feet so easily like this, huh? You tried to sit up and regain some semblance of being fine, but Dan Heng was quick to catch you in the act and guide you back onto the bed with a disapproving frown.

“Yes, that bad. Don’t overexert yourself, it’ll only make things take longer to blow over,” Dan Heng reprimanded you with a shake of his head, though he did allow his shoulders to relax from their previously stiff posture in the next moment. He couldn’t read your mind, of course, but he could imagine how someone like you would be frustrated at being kept down like this.

All of Dan Heng’s initial irritation had long since dissipated, and he pushed the now lukewarm towel back off your forehead to instead replace it with his surprisingly cool hands. His expression was almost tender… and something about the care in his actions made your face heat up all over again.

“You’re not a burden in the slightest, in case you’re worrying about such things. We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends take care of each other when its called for, and nothing less,” Dan Heng lingered for a moment longer, seeming to contemplate something, before suddenly he leaned in and pressed his lips against your temple in a gesture that would’ve had you bouncing off the walls if you weren’t in your current state. “Get some rest and feel better soon; I’ll get you a new towel, call me if you need anything.”

You were left shell-shocked in your bed as Dan Heng stood up once more, and he offered you one last smile before exiting your room. Had that really just happened…?

You really hoped Dan Heng didn’t get sick from that.

[rationaliity]

found family | astral express

self indulgent found family astral express story literally no plot its just them all being silly as they welcome you, the newcomer, onto the astral express and you realize that maybe they're more like a family than you expected originally

the astral express was a family. this was something that you weren't expecting when you joined them. they each have their own agendas, their own lives, why would they worry about each other ? they just traveled with each other, which didn't constitute a family in your eyes.

you were scared when you first came to the astral express, and you needed a place to stay. " just until you could get back on your feet " you told gray haired woman in front of you, although your voice had been shaky because you were crying so much. she didn't say much, just told you that she would talk to the others on the express, and that they would talk about it.

a few hours later, you're boarding the astral express, with many unfamiliar faces staring back at you. as they introduce themselves to you, you try to remember everyone there, but there's so many names and so much information about each of them, you honestly have a hard time remembering the details.

there's the two older members on the express, himeko and welt yang. himeko has a calm but commanding voice, much like a fierce protective mother would have, and you can't help but feel calm in her presence. welt yang is softer around his edges, with a gentler tone of voice, but everyone on the express clearly respects him and his opinions, like his words held weight to him.

the other four were younger than welt and himeko and had been trailblazing for a shorter amount of time. there was march 7th, a chatty but easily irritated girl with plenty of opinions that she wasn't afraid to say, something you deeply admired from her. dan heng, who's silence was born not out of contempt or dislike, but because of what he has witnessed in the world. you understood him maybe a little better than you wanted to let on.

then there was the siblings, stelle and caelus, though they seemed perfectly content just to be called anything else, too. they both seemed perfectly fine with the nickname ' intergalactic baseballer ' which earned a little chuckle from you. they were both quiet, with stelle giving off a more cool and deadpan personality to caelus' naturally silly one, although they were both incredibly funny. they'd been travelling with the express for a lot less than everyone else, meaning they were the last two trailblazers that had been picked up from the express before you.

and now, there was you. no matter what your story was, they let you on the express so willingly, bringing you into their arms like you had always been there. it unnerved you.

" make yourself comfortable, please, " himeko's voice tore through your thoughts, and you realized you'd just been standing there at the entrance staring at everyone trying to decipher what they wanted from you.

" oh, uh, yeah, " you stuttered out finally, moving in between dan heng and march 7th to sit down on the parlor chairs, folding your legs underneath you to sit crisscrossed. almost immediately as your butt hit the plushness, did march 7th bound up to you, sitting right next to you.

" we're gonna be warp jumping to another world soon ! it's a little hard to get a hang of it at first, so make sure to brace yourself whenever the conductor gives you the warning ! " she explained, her cheerfulness breaching through your defenses, especially when she tacked on afterwards, " i'm going to see if i can stand up during the jump ! you know, balance ! "

" march, have you considered that your unwanted advances towards friendship may just be that ? unwanted ? " dan heng criticized, but you couldn't stop yourself from letting out a little giggle, covering your face with your hands at the two of them.

" she gottem, " caelus pointed out, earning a brief little nod from stelle.

" gotta try harder at being friendless than that, " stelle agreed in a dry voice despite her silly words, and you really noticed how the twins bounced off each other, like they were one full person together and only half when they were apart.

mr. yang's voice was gentle as he spoke to the five of you, warm and gentle as he regarded you. " i have a feeling that you're going to enjoy the astral express. "

" have you seen the express so full ? " himeko asked, as if she were finally taking in that there were a crew of nameless now, and not just a bunch of ragtag adventurers that had made their home the express together.

" oh, do you wanna hear stories about the astral express crew ? you know, to get an idea of what we're like ? " march asked, her intense gaze boring into yours, as if willing you to just nod a little bit so she could show off her pictures and tell you stories from each one.

" sure, " you agreed, finding yourself almost excited to learn more than just the basics from each of these people. march jumped up immediately, running towards her room and grabbing stacks of photos before plopping down right next to you again. by the time she came back, dan heng had taken a seat on your other side, albeit a bit farther away.

caelus and stelle were still standing side by side, while mr. yang and himeko decided to sit in front of you all on the other side of the parlor, likely giving you space but ready to chime in when it came to their own stories.

march sat a picture on your lap of a man with blue dragon horns and glowing eyes, separating the waters of a world that you didn't recognize. " march, " dan heng's voice sounded like he was ready to complain. " why is this the first one that you showed ? "

" because it was the first in the stack ! i don't know what to tell you, dan heng ! " march shrugged animatedly, before turning back to the picture on your lap, " that's dan heng ! apparently he's the descendant of a dragon race of the xianzhou luofu, or something like that ! "

" oh.. wow ! " you exclaimed, doing a double take at dan heng now versus what he looked like in the picture. longer hair, different clothing, but still the same piercing gaze that he had now, determination etched onto his features like it was a part of him.

" it's a little more complicated than that, " dan heng shook his head, reaching over and taking the picture from your lap. " and now, this picture is mine. "

" what ?! that's not fair at all, dan heng ! "

" he just wants to admire himself, " caelus quipped, chuckling to himself. stelle's face broke into a small smile, but she didn't say anything back.

" fine, you can keep it, dan heng, " march sighed in resignation, " besides, these are just copies. all of my photos are still stored on my actual camera. " she shuffled through the pictures one by one, absentmindedly telling you about them as she sat them on your lap, but she was clearly looking for something.

" this is the big boss we fought in the xianzhou luofu, this is a picture of the general, this is a teacher that stelle met in her journey, this is a bunch of herta's puppets from the space station in the same area and it looked really freaky so i just had to take a picture ! here's a picture of mr. yang subduing the stellaron inside of caelus' body, and i remember being very confused because once caelus was knocked out, stelle passed out at the same time, too. weird. oh ! there's a bunch of pictures of how the dreamscape looked in penacony. oh, here ! "

with a little over twenty pictures already sat in your lap as she shuffled through the stack she had, you were finally given one picture of the four trailblazers, excluding welt and himeko. " we need to have one with mr. yang and himeko, but this is the four of us when we went on our first trailblazing expedition with stelle and caelus to jarilo-xi ! " she explained.

" why don't we take a picture of all of us now ? " himeko suggested on the other side of the parlor.

" i believe we can have pompom take the picture for us, if the conductor is willing, " welt looked over to the conductor. no one had told you yet what the conductor actually was, but you had a feeling that you shouldn't really ask such a question out loud, so you left your curiosity for another day.

" what ?! pompom has to take the picture ? fine, but pompom wants a picture with everyone, too ! " they grabbed the camera that march was extending out to them, and backed up towards the end of the parlor car. " everyone, get together now ! "

you stood up, practically ushered by march as you found yourself in the middle of the picture, squished in between caelus and stelle on your right, with stelle being a little forward so there was enough room, and dan heng on your left. march stood sort of in between you and dan heng but just in front of you, since she was shorter than dan heng, and welt and himeko stood behind the five of you. you felt a hand gently resting on your shoulder, and you looked up behind you to see welt giving you a small smile.

" you're doing great, " he praised softly, under his breath so only you could hear. " welcome to the astral express. "

as the picture was snapped, you couldn't help but think that you really would enjoy this time with your new family. it was an odd experience, sure, but not one unwelcome. the astral express really was like a family, and they were embracing you with open arms.

[scribbless-n-stuff]

Volume I: Headcanons/Imagines - Dan Heng/IL

Characters

Dan Heng IL

Warnings/Info

fluff!!

Author’s Notes

I redownloaded HSR like a week ago and got Dan Heng IL and holy shit he’s so fine. 

I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM DAWG

Reading fanfictions of him isn’t enough atp, I need to WRITE

Whenever you touch or caress his dragon horns/tail, I imagine him liking it and then acting like those impassive cats whenever you pat them (but purr regardless).

Well, either that, or they’re (his horns/tail) really sensitive and he won’t let you touch them. (I know they aren’t, but man… let me be happy.) However, with a bit of coaxing and pleading, he’ll let you eventually <3

ALSOO during cuddle sessions, he uses his tail as a fifth limb used to cuddle you closer IUAJKHGAUSIUDAJJY <33 PLUS POINTS if he does it subconsciously and doesn’t realize that he’s doing it because he’s so sleepy :3 

Imagine — petting and caressing his tail 

It all started when you had asked Dan Heng if you could stay over at his room on the Astral Express. Rare were the occasions when you two would stay at your own rooms, it would usually be the two of you staying at either one of your rooms. 

You were just organizing your stuff for the night, quickly walking around his room, putting stuff here and there, eager to finally rest up for the night. Until there was this one moment where you and Dan Heng strided past each other, your fingers accidentally grazing over his scaled dragon tail, which glowed a bright-teal. 

The two of you stop in your tracks, slowly turning your heads to look at each other in surprise. Dan Heng’s cheeks were tinted red, while your face had a fascinated expression on it.

“Woooahh..” You speak up, in awe of the texture of his tail upon feeling it. “Was that weird?” You chuckle at him, and even more upon seeing his flushed face. Turning your body to fully face him and firmly placing your hands on either side of his waist, he bashfully looks away. 

Dan Heng tries to brush it off, “No.. It was just sudden.” he mutters, as his tail retreats to hide behind his body. His hands automatically go to snake around your body as well, returning your hug. 

“Okay.. but am I allowed to touch it again?” you ask, almost unashamedly. You look up at him with a pleading expression, only to be met with a small frown. “No.” He coldly replies, as he looks away. 

“Awwwww… Pleaaseee?” You ask again, “Maybe you’ll like it!” Your hand slides down to his tail, only for it to disappear, as he hides it again. You jokingly let out a dramatic, feigned-hurt gasp at the lack of touch.

With this, Dan Heng rolls his eyes and scoffs, unwrapping his arms around you and walking away to go to his bathroom. (If there even are separate bathrooms in each of their rooms…). As the poor man tried to get ready for bed, you would not stop poking at him, trying to coax him into satisfying your curiosities.

This went on for about 10 minutes, until he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“ONE STROKE!”

“Dan Heenngggg..”

“If you don’t let me, you don’t love me..” “PLEASE!!!”

“Okay, fine.” He huffs at you, as he crosses his arms and sits at the edge of his bed. “But they’re sensitive, so… just- just be cautious.” Dan Heng warns you, giving you a glare before closing his eyes. 

You basically squealed in joy, “YIPPEE!!!” Jumping on the bed, you sit with your legs crossed, as you position yourself right behind his back. Dan Heng’s tail was on your lap, as it swayed from side to side ever so slightly. 

Upon placing your palms on the rough scales, his face started to heat up. His torso leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, covering his lower face with his palm. As you slowly pet Dan Heng’s tail, for him, it felt slightly ticklish. Probably the same sensation of whenever you would play with his hair. 

Imagine — Cuddling (biased towards his tail)

As Dan Heng spoons you from behind, your legs rest firmly against each other. His arms went to slide around your waist, locking you against his chest. “Goodnight." He mumbles against your ear, giving you slight goosebumps.

On the other hand, your forearms rested right on top of his, as your thumb gently rubbed his hand. “Goodnight, sleep well.” You whisper back to him, closing your eyes.

Just as you were drifting off to sleep, you feel something slightly open your legs and swiftly slide between them. Peaking open your eyes to see what it was, the soft glow of his tail greets your sight. You fondly smile, as it curves up and rests against your lower body and stomach, cuddling you tighter against his own body. 

You keep an arm on top of one of his arms, as you sacrifice the other to wrap around his tail, gently caressing it too. As you’re about to let go of the final threads of consciousness, you hear him hum in contentment and fatigue. A small smile etches on your face at the reassuring sound, making your heart flutter. You both fall asleep in each other’s arms, one night of many more to come. 

[slowd1ving]

BOTH AIN'T SHIT ゜・BLADE, DAN HENG NSFW

"he lying to me and i'm lying to him, fuck it, guess we both ain't shit." - B.A.S continuation of roommate au see here for some basic designs for them male reader warnings: nsfw, amab!reader, voyeurism, mentions of masturbation, blade's lowkey toxic on blade's end (he a lil crazy)?? still band au too, porn with some plot wc: 1.2k

HONKAI STAR RAIL MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST ・゜・NAVIGATION

A unique kind of fresh hell has manifested itself into existence inside the apartment. It’s lacking, if you were to compare it to the traditional brimstone and lava; but what it doesn’t have in material quality, it makes up for in psychological torment. 

Aggravated, you plug in your headphones to your guitar at max volume. Decibels upon decibels of harsh chords crash against your eardrums—just enough that you can tune out the sound of skin-against-skin and pitched moans from next door. Seriously, you seethe: with how cold Blade constantly acts towards everyone, you were expecting him to get as much action as a cloistered monk. You stopped counting after the fifth girl—shuddering at his libido. 

Why did it start? You don’t know. When you first moved in two months ago, there’d been no indication he’d make your life living hell like this. Maybe if you hadn’t gotten into that argument with him—some trivial misplacement of his beloved construction manuals—it might not have led to this, but you’ve been getting the cold shoulder for the past fortnight, and the assault on your ears every other day is beginning to chip steadily away at your spirit. 

Is it too late to take Dan Heng up on his offer to move in?

Blade doesn’t know why it starts either. On the day where it’s much too hot for work, you’re lounging on the couch with your sweatpants hung low on your hips and nothing else save a chain dipping past your collarbone. There’s sweat trickling down your body from the heatwave, and his eyes follow the motion before the heat gets to him and he’s interrogating you about the whereabouts of his textbook. 

Maybe it’s the season finally getting to him, but he can’t seem to get himself off that night—the constant white noise seems too quiet when he’s depleting his energy and jerking himself off.

Perhaps he’s just angry with you. Routinely, when his irritation with himself and the world around him reaches a boiling point, it’s then that he chooses to finally pay heed to the eyes ogling at his figure. He’s not stupid: knowing fully that they want to take him to bed, and he won’t refuse when he wants to get out of his head for a while. 

There’s something satisfying about your reaction—eyelid just about twitching, a tight grip on your Earl Grey as he waltzes into the kitchen with pyjama pants and not much else—that evokes a grim smirk from him. But these girls just aren’t satisfying him anymore. Soiled, tied-off condoms litter the waste bin in the corner of his room—not proof of his enjoyment, but rather the persistence of the people he’s with to get him off.

You’re just some guy Kafka stuck him with—so why the hell is he thinking of how your body glistened in that heatwave?

There’s something wrong with him. 

You notice it too, watching how he brings someone new almost daily with him now—seriously, is this guy trying to get with half the city? He’s lucky it’s summer, but you certainly aren’t. 

Of course, you complain at your next gathering with the Trailblazers—drunken condemnations of the man who’s just a prick. You get so frustrated that Stelle practically shoves Dan Heng into you to take you home; he only really loses the reluctant air when you assure him Blade won’t be back until later. 

And maybe it’s the whiskey you both consumed—or maybe it’s the lingering memories of the last time he kissed you right after a successful concert, warm and sloppy and dizzying—that slots your lips together once more. He’s pressed beneath you on your bed: back arched as you gently stretch him out with your fingers. Like this, with tears leaking down his eyes and a wobbly smile across his face as the seams of your joined lips gather salt and faint pricks of blood—you can’t help but disregard the door you forgot to close properly. 

It could also be the adrenaline—Dan Heng feels so utterly breathless as you pump his weeping cock, getting off to the fact that he’s the one you’re fucking in Blade’s own apartment. 

“Don’t—ngh—stop.” Blade freezes when he hears the distinct sound come from your room: hard, fast sounds of tacky skin-against-skin; a wooden bed frame squeaking ever so slightly; and the familiar sound of fucked-out whimpers. 

He can’t bring himself to move from where he’s stone-still in the small corridor leading directly from the front door. While breathy and high-pitched, it’s definitely a guy—and that’s not you he’s hearing. His senses are sharp, so he does manage to pick up groans that sound much more like you; and for some reason, the back of his neck prickles with a burning sensation. 

His grip on his keys is harsh enough to draw blood—faint, pungent copper wafts up from his palm as he walks past your door to get to his room.

Except, the door’s been left slightly ajar and he takes the opportunity to see exactly who is coaxing your song out from you. 

His breath hitches and his red eyes widen at the sight. A lean, muscular back faces him—busy being split apart on your dick. From what he can see, you’re leaning back on the bed: cradling a mop of wavy black hair while his mouth is latched on your chest. He’s bouncing slightly, while your pelvis angles up to meet the plush flesh of his ass with a sickening squelch. 

The man pulls back with a pop, and it’s then that Blade glimpses from the side the face he most despises. 

Dan Heng. 

And…you. 

You’re fucking a guy. You’re fucking Dan Heng, of all people, with that half-lidded look of what isn’t exasperation (when directed at him, at least)—but what is unmistakably lust.

He grinds his teeth as he spots the slight bruising on your neck and collarbones, and now the bite mark placed directly around your nipple. 

He’s definitely bleeding from his hands now—as Dan Heng shyly lowers his lips towards yours with eyelids that flutter closed, you open your own to meet Blade’s widened ones. Then, you mirror his gesture from about a week ago.

You smirk, tightly gripping Dan Heng’s thighs as you force him deeper onto you. He’s mewling your name down, scratching down the flesh of your back. 

Payback, you mouth when that bastard’s lips slide to your jaw—and suddenly Blade can’t watch any more of this disgusting display. 

A heavy pulse is felt thrumming across his head; lightheaded, he sits heavily onto his bed with shaking hands and a murderous spiral of thoughts in his mind. He hates Dan Heng. He abhors his very existence, but somehow his brain isn’t preoccupied with ways of making his life hell. 

Rather, his mind keeps picturing the look of your naked body. The faint shine of your lips. The swell of your cock pressed deep in his ass. That insufferable look in your eyes as you glanced at him like he wasn’t even worth your time. 

Swallowing thickly, he can feel himself stiffen at the thought of seeing the dips and valleys of your body sprawled beneath him. And as he finishes for the first time with it actually working to block out the static for once, there’s only one thought left in his mind. 

Aeons—he can’t let you move out.