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yandere-sins · 1 year ago

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Mixed Feelings (Yandere!Kafka x Reader x Yandere!Blade)

Honestly? I got side-tracked while writing my Yan!Himeko/Welt x Reader. Insted I wrote this. Found out Kafka is easier to write than I initially thought. I like Blade but he keeps dying in my team, so he deserves some softness. Bon appetit!

Fandom: Honkai Star Rail Pairings: Yandere!Kafka x GN!Reader x Yandere!Blade Warnings: Yandere, Dub-/Non-Con touches/kisses, Hints at kidnapping/owning reader, Soft yandere, Possessiveness, Obsession, Infatuation, Sexual innuendos, It's not stated but there is a small implication that reader is taller than Kafka but not taller than Blade

Kafka should have been offended at the sight of you sitting on Blade’s lap, but for some reason, she really couldn’t bring herself to it.

She should have been upset and angry at you for being quiet and obedient to someone who wasn’t Kafka. She should have been fuming as she watched him run his hand down your arm, his eyes following the touch with wonder reflected in it, and gripping it tightly when you tried to pull away. But then Blade reconsidered, forced himself to be gentle when you flinched. He had you propped on his leg, only your tiptoes reaching the floor as you sat stiff like a board, your back straighter than a blade, but Kafka had never seen him quite so calm, and neither you. Usually, you’d throw your hands in her face or try to crawl away when she wanted to do similar things with you, but there was something different about how you let Bladie treat you.

It ticked her off and intrigued her just as much at the same time.

It was painfully obvious, but neither of you knew what to make of the other. You were looking at each other equally as perplexed as Kafka felt as she watched you interact. It was strange because she felt like she wanted to say something, never too shy to speak up, tease, and defend you. But this time, she wanted to see what would happen if she kept still. You were both explosive in different ways, and she had the lighter to escalate this moment. Yet, she snuffed out the flame, watching, surprised that Blade hadn’t noticed her yet. Surprised about how deeply in thought he must have been to ignore a possible threat like her, seething beneath her curiosity.

The looks you gave each other were equally as surprising as they were confusing. Kafka knew you. No matter how much you liked to deny it, wanting to stay an enigma before her all-seeing eyes, she knew you better than anyone. You were scared. You braved yourself with your straight posture and gritted teeth, but you were scared of Blade, who had only been ordered to look after you while Kafka went to fetch you a drink. It didn’t help that she had kept you to herself until now, so you didn't know the strange man she left you with; didn't know that Kafka’s 'friends' were equally as crazy as she was—if not more.

However Blade had managed to wrangle you into this position was unexplainable, her little rascal almost subservient now, sitting on his lap and letting his arm support you. But Kafka had to admit that Bladie could be unnerving, and it seemed that once he caught you, he had taken your moody self over completely. But even more of an enigma, perhaps, was the man awkwardly dragging his fingers over yours, trying to gain a hold on you while you dug your nails into your thighs, refusing him that pleasure.

Kafka had seen so many emotions in Blade’s eyes throughout the years. Numbness, mostly. But also anger and ecstasy. So seeing the smallest sparks of affection in his formally dead gaze, adoration, and longing swirling in the mad red, was new to even her. He was like a completely different person, though no less deadly so, Kafka was sure. It was just unusual for him to latch on to anyone, and her heart shrunk in bitterness, knowing it was for her darling.

Blade was her ‘friend’. At least he was someone she could bear keeping by her side. So seeing the hints of infatuation as he looked at you, jealousy began to bubble up in her. Kafka didn’t want him to grow fond of the one person she only wanted to herself, not being someone who liked to share what she felt was profoundly hers. There was a moment of hope for her poor heart, though, your eyes flitting over to her nervously, widening as you found her standing in the door frame holding a sweet, colorful drink for you, two straws sticking out of it.

“Ka- Kafka!” you gasped, realizing your own predicament of being seen like this. You might argue and whine, but Kafka had installed a good portion of fear inside you, and you instinctively knew this was not a good look for you. But as you tried to jump up, Blade gripped your hips, pulling you flush against him and catching you off-guard, forcing out a most adorable “Ouf!” from your lips while your body collapsed in his arms.

“My, my. If looks could kill,” Kafka chuckled, the smile playing on her lips never reaching her eyes as she returned Blade’s glare. Stepping down the few steps into the room, Kafka was undeterred as she made her way over to the both of you. Compared to you, she didn’t fear Blade. Why would she? Kafka knew he would do nothing to upset her. Handing you the glass, you didn’t bother refusing her kindness like usually, a mix of shame and fear forcing you into compliance. You took what she gave you—a delightful change in your attitude for once—and Kafka ran her gloved fingers down to your wrist, wrapping them around it before giving it a light tug.

Immediately, you got on your feet, not needing her to tell you twice. Bladie’s arms slit off you defeatedly as he grumbled under his breath, averting his eyes from the sight of Kafka bringing you against her, with it being her arm now wrapped around you possessively, reminding her fellow Hunter who you belonged to.

“Thank you for watching my precious darling, Bladie. I hope you two played nice with each other while I was gone.”

“Nothing happened,” you mumbled, pouting at the insinuation that you two had been on a childish playdate. Kafka relished in the sight of your wary attempt to defy her, yet you were too scared to look at her and tell her to her face. Lucky for you, you were adorable—and it had obviously been Blade who bent you to his will, not you trying to cozy up to him. She could appreciate that, deep down, you knew who you belonged to, not even trying to soften up someone else to get what you wanted or make her jealous on purpose.

It wouldn’t have worked anyway, considering it was Blade we’re talking about.

“Really appreciate it,” she instead told him, watching his expression grow more glum with every time she addressed him, his eye twitching as he looked at her.

“No problem,” he said, almost a little too monotone. Suspiciously composed. His calmness seemed almost too forced. He couldn't fool her. After all, Kafka knew him better than anyone. But Blade merely got up from his seat, walking past both of you, and with a hunch itching inside her, Kafka looked after him, watching as he stepped out of the room. You twisted further away in her hold, trying to make yourself smaller than you were and avoiding drawing more of Blade’s attention as he passed by you, and she clicked her tongue, feeling offended that he frightened you so. Kafka would have to look you over for bruises so she could be sure, but it seemed like Blade had left quite the impression on you and your subconscious mind. A space that should have been occupied with Kafka and the fear as well as desire you felt for her.

To her delight, she was right to look after Blade. His hand gripped the doorframe, fingers tapping discontentedly against the wood as his movements halted. Any normal person would have missed the glance from the corner of Blade's eyes, first at you, then crossing Kafka’s, the light from outside the room bright and hurtful as it blinded her. And yet, she knew he’d hesitate but needed to see it with her own two eyes so she could confirm her suspicions. Even when he retreated without another second delay, hurry in his step as it echoed down the corridor, Kafka was sure now, the tell-tale signs glaringly obvious.

“Seems Bladie likes you,” she teased, fingers digging into your waist and pulling you flush against her, chest to chest. You took a nervous sip from one of the two straws, avoiding all eye contact. “I don’t mind you two becoming friends, you know?”

“He’s weird,” you mumbled while hiding behind another sip of your drink. “We’re not friends.”

“Now, now, you’re being rude to my friend. Try to get along with him, okay? He seems to really like you.”

You glanced down at her suspiciously. You were wary of her pushing you towards this connection. Wary, she was testing you, or maybe you were wary because you really didn't want to get closer to Blade. The latter amused her as much as it pleased her. “Don’t wanna…”

Kafka couldn’t help but chuckle at your childish antics. You loved trying to gain her sympathy, especially when you were scared, and she loved every last part of your easily readable personality. Even when you hated her, you knew better than to get on her bad side, and Kafka was weak to your pacification attempts. At the very least, you were thinking of her in everything you did, and she was proud of her little manipulator for pulling at her heartstrings with more ease than even her Spirit Whisper could make you compliant and cuddly.

“It’s fine—really,” she reassured you in a gentle voice, feeling your body relax a little in her arms, even if you were still oh-so wary of her. Raising herself to her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to the corner of your mouth, startling you. However, in the dawn of still being scared of having done something to upset her, you merely huffed, turning your head away.

Kafka wondered how you’d behave, knowing who was still standing in the corridor, leaning against the wall next to the door and listening to the conversation, having come back on quiet soles after his exit. Would you cower? Hide behind her? Apologize for being rude to Blade? Poor Bladie’s heart must have been broken all over again, yet he hadn’t left even after you called him weird.

“I don’t mind,” Kafka reiterated, pinching your cheek until you faced her again, her chance to get a proper kiss from the lips she loved so much. Sweetness spread between you two as she tasted the drink on your tongue, a surprised gasp escaping you as she bit down on the pliable muscle. The sound was enough to ruffle some feathers outside the door, the faint sound of clothes moving as Blade finally took his leave for good, unable to endure what he thought was going to happen next.

Kafka grinned.

She had a sudden desire to take you to the room next to Bladie’s, making you whimper and scream to give him an earful of the person he was infatuated with, destroying his idea of you and teasing his broken heart to see just how far he was willing to go to mend it this time. It was a doomed experiment, but it gave Kafka the satisfaction of getting revenge on the person who carelessly laid their hands on what belonged only to her.

“I don’t care what you two do while I’m gone. But I hope you always remember whose arms you go back to once you're done having fun, Darling.”

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hotpinkstars · 8 months ago

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I once started playing Star Honkai and now, remembering the initial moment of the game, I can propose this idea

What if the Reader was a child or teenager who considered Kafka, the Blade, and the Silver Wolf to be family?

The Reader's real family might not be the nicest ones, so they might have run away from them at some point and bumped into these guys. Or maybe their real family is fine, they just happened to become friends with these characters and started to see them as more family figures

Just an idea based on thoughts about Kafka's mother, who I didn't want to let go of when she said goodbye to us at the beginning of the game. I don’t know, it just really got to me so emotionally. That yes, I could be just a vessel with a weapon for you, not a real person, but you are the first person I see and that makes you my parent, right? You shouldn't leave me

Perhaps someday I myself will write something in more detail about these thoughts. In the meantime, a small request for family relationships or communication between the Reader and the characters, yeah

(if you don't write for this game or these characters, that's fine)

🍞 anon

FOUND FAMILY - blade, kafka, silverwolf x reader (platonic)

- you meet these three, and you instantly click!!! they enjoy your presence alot, and start treating you like family...

- HI MY FAVORITE (only, but still favorite) ANON!!!!!! i'm sorry this is so late but i love this request huhuhuhu 😛 so i hope you enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing this!!!!!

- might be ooc for them.... (it's 10 at night and i'm sleepy today was so busy ME AND MY FAMILY ADOPTED A CAT TODAY SHES SO CUTE WHO WANTS A PHOTO ahem anyways...) reader doesn't have a good homelife, wc 1.6k

Everything started when you ran from home.

You’ve always resented your homelife; your parents were always yelling and/or fighting, your siblings have all moved out to fulfill their dreams and career paths, and you didn’t go to school very often, leaving you with few friends.

To say you lived a lonely life was an understatement.

You were running through the rain, not giving a piece of mind to where you were going and where you may end up. You looked through the windows of other houses as you were walking down the sidewalks of the xianzhou loufu, seeing families coming together, spending time together, etc. You didn’t necessarily feel like thinking about your situation right now, so you kept going, focused on the path in front of you.

As soon as you got into the Exalting Sanctum, you sat down and took a break. It felt nice to get off your feet, taking the time to scroll on your phone.

As you were about to get up to buy yourself a cup of tea, you heard someone's voice behind you.

“Psst, you, child with the h/c hair,” a woman had said, looking straight at you when you turned around to see who she was talking to. “Come here.”

You do as you say, thinking about what could happen the whole time. She didn’t look like she was from around here, and she didn’t sound like she spoke the native language.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” you ask, curiosity lacing your voice. She chuckled in response to your question.

“Save the questions for later. I have one for you though,” she took a seat at your table, motioning for you to sit back down. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you since you’ve left home. You seem troubled.”

You sigh, leaning back in your chair, harshly setting your phone on the table in front of you. “It’s a long story that I’d prefer not to talk about right now.”

She nodded, seeming to understand, before she got up and took your hand.

“Do you need a place to stay? If so, I am willing to provide one.”

Your eyes slightly widened at her offer, and you hesitantly nodded.

“By the way, what's your name?” she asked, starting to walk, giving you the hint to start following her. “You can just call me Kafka for now.”

“Call me… y/n,” you grinned, and she grinned back at you. You two stood shoulder to shoulder, despite the slight height difference. She seemed comfortable to you.

“Well, hello there, y/n, it’s nice to properly meet you,” she extended her arm, silently telling you to shake her hand. You do, and she pulls away rather quickly before picking up her pace. “I’m going to take you to meet a few other people, if you don’t mind.”

You stayed silent, and followed her to the destination she had in mind.

You don’t know what you expected, but it sure wasn’t what was presented in front of you.

You must have been slow, you thought, to not know Kafka was an enemy, a stellaron hunter, and she’s brought you back to the headquarters. You didn’t know if you wanted to run and shout for help or continue following her, but your feet kept stepping in the direction she was going.

“Your face makes it look like you know where we are,” she stops at last, turning around to face you. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” You nod slowly, trying to force a small grin. She laughed at your efforts, continuing her path down a long hallway with one hell of a staircase. The first office you popped into was a gray haired womans, wearing a really intricate- maybe cyberpunk outfit with a pair of blue and purple sunglasses balancing on the top of her head.

You step inside to see her feet resting on the table, a game controller in hand. Kafka knocks twice before entering, taking the controller from the woman before setting it down on the bookshelf.

“Kafka, who have you brought now?” she blew a gum bubble, rolling her eyes slightly.

“This is y/n. They’ve run from home, and I feel generous today, so I’m letting them stay temporarily,” she took a seat on the leather sofa on the other side of the room, taking some warm water from the pot in front of her, and plopping a teabag into the mug. “Would you two like any?” You shook your head, and the woman just looked at Kafka.

“So, what's your name?” you ask, and the woman goes a little wide-eyed at your question. She settles before answering.

“Silverwolf. I am Silverwolf.”

“Nice to meet you,” you smiled slightly, and she admired your boldness. Talking so casually in front of a stellaron hunter? Do you even know who she is? Yes, yes you do, and you felt incredibly intimidated.

Kafka soon led you out of the room, taking you to meet one other person, who she claims isn’t the greatest communicator and will likely not speak very much. She told you not to take it to heart, and he might warm up after a few weeks.

“Am I even going to be here for a few weeks?” you tilt your head, and she chuckles once more.

“I don’t know, it’s up to you.”

She stepped right into the other person's office- this person looked a lot different from the other one you just met. Instead of seeing colors and hearing clicking noises, the room was dead silent with a coat of dark paint on the walls. Everything seemed so bland in this room, and a man sat in the grand leather chair behind the desk in the middle of the room, completely ignoring your entrance. He looks up at Kafka, his eyes saying it all.

“This is y/n. I found them outside in the Exalting Sanctum and I decided to bring them back. They ran away from home.”

He nodded.

“Awh, is someone shy?” Kafka lightly teased the man, making him get out of his seat and come over to where the both of you were standing. “Get used to their presence, because I don’t know how long they’re staying. Oh, y/n, this man's name is Blade.”

“Hello,” you say carefully, not wanting to pinch a nerve. This man looked capable of aggression, and he most certainly was.

He nodded back at you, and that was the last communication you’ve had with him that night.

The days seemed to continue that way. You’d occasionally stay with them, but you’d go back home when they were on missions. They’d explain how dangerous they could be, and Silverwolf would provide you with stories from her travels.

“And you’ll never guess what. The Trailblazer had to fight Kafka, and they won! I won’t let her live this one down…”

“Look, I found this in Penacony. It’s a really cool place, I think you’d like it.”

She’d sometimes bring you back little souvenirs. You’d always accept them with so much gratitude, and, depending on how important they are to your or how expensive they were, they’d either stay at your home or your room in the headquarters.

Though, to say it took a long, long time for them to warm up to you in such a way is an understatement. We’re talking around 6 months, or whatever amount of time that adds up to in their universe.

But once they did, they seemed to really enjoy your company. They treated you like they were your biological parents, they’d always have so much adoration and care in their eyes when they’d look at you, and they loved to spoil you.

Considering they’re stellaron hunters, they probably make a good sum of money. Silverwolf has tried to make you take on her interest in video games, so you two could play together and have something in common, and it’s kind of working! She starts you off with a cheaper console, but she ends up upgrading yours when you show more liking and interest into the games she also likes.

Kafka likes to just have little gossip sessions with you!! Or at least I feel like she would. Oh god she so would.

She’d get so into it, especially if you were a girl. Boy drama? She wants to hear every single thing about it! But if you’re a boy and you have girl drama, she wants to hear too! But she’ll try to give more advice on how to get the girl you want (and it almost always works).

And with friendship drama, she’ll always be the one to step in if necessary. She’s not gonna be one of those people who just step into their kids drama (those people absolutely suck) but she’ll get in if she needs to. She wants to hear all about it though.

Blade is a little bit different with his ways of showing his appreciation and adoration towards you. Usually, you understand that even being in his presence is enough, and him allowing you to talk his ear off is a pretty big feat in itself.

He likes to hear you talk, and especially likes to have deep conversations, me thinks. He’s the type of person to not as easily be engaged in small talk, so very deep, detailed conversations pull his attention right away.

Overall, the three of them care for you like you’re their blood. And at this point, they’re more like parents than yours are, so you can talk about them as if they really were your blood without any hesitations. At the end of the day, you’re lucky to have such people surrounding you.

#honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail #hsr #hsr x reader #star rail #star rail x reader #silver wolf #silver wolf x reader #kafka #kafka x reader #blade #blade x reader #platonic

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crguang · 3 months ago

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Okay so I know this might not be your usual ask to receive but I kind of wanted to say something here.

To be clear I am straight.... Or so I thought?

A few weeks ago I discovered a post of yours; the post being the love language fic and at that time I had no idea what Honkai star rail is but for some reason I had to read it.

It blew my mind away.

It was like opening a door that was locked deep inside my brain. I quickly became enamored to the character Himeko. So much so I played the game lol. I don’t know how to describe the feeling but it’s like, my stomach turns and my heart clenches just the thought of the red head. There’s more to the feeling but sadly I’m no writer and English is not my first language…. (I had to pull out an English dictionary.)

All my life I’ve been straight. I dated twice and it was all guys. But they were assholes. I remembered the first guy, he was nice at first but after 3 weeks he wanted someone more prettier. I think I felt a twinge of pain but that was just about it. I thought I would be bawling my eyes out like in romance movies. The second was something I don’t remember clearly. I fell out of love for him and he hated me for that. I felt bad but to be fair he was narcissistic.

Anyways, I read more of your fics and everytime I read a Himeko one, my brain turns to mush. She looks and sounds so gentle and at the same time looks so divine! If she offered me her coffee I will gladly accept it and kiss her. Oh to be loved by a sun goddess.

I’m kind of rambling now. I’m sorry it’s so long. I had to get this out of my chest somehow. I don’t know if this is a phase or not. I’ve never experienced something like this before and definitely not for a fictional character.

Can I ask for some advices please? I’m sorry if it’s too much, you can just ignore this.

this is sooo adorable, i’m so flattered that my writing has made you feel something you’ve never experienced before, even more so that it’s something so beautiful. don’t worry about your English, i understand you completely. i love that Himeko can make you a little giddy, she’s definitely a sweetheart!!! i’m also sorry that the men you’ve dated were such assholes, you deserve better and i’m glad that they can no longer affect you.

i can only really speak of my experience here, but i realized i liked women when i read fics as well. i’d read about natasha romanoff and harley quinn (i was a superhero nerd😞) and it’s after the twentieth fic that i went, “wait, why am i reading about dating girls?” it was done very subconsciously because i never approached the matter again, it felt normal and natural to me despite my upbringing and what was hard was figuring out if i liked men at all. i’d have favourite male fictional characters that i’d tell myself i would marry if they were real (not true) or have celebrity “crushes” that i’d tell myself i would date (nuh huh) but the common denominator— except lying to myself— was that these people were all inaccessible to me. when i was faced with men irl, i felt nothing. when i tried dating apps, i’d never swipe right and only feel icky at the thought of a man touching me.

all that to say that if you imagine yourself kissing and dating a woman, it might mean something more. it’s not a definite answer, and honestly it depends how you feel about women in real life too. you can have crushes on fictional characters and feel nothing irl, i have lesbian friends who swoon over some male characters but they’d never be with a man. for me, reading reader insert fics about women meant that i wanted to date them. for you, it might mean something different. i would say not to panic about it, you can find yourself at your own pace and not to judge the questions you ask yourself or the conclusion you come to. whether you just like men, or women, or everyone— it’s a beautiful thing and you shouldn’t feel anxious or nervous about figuring that out. thank you for sharing this with me, i’m really happy that you wanted to talk to me about it and never apologize for rambling, this is a safe space!!!!

wishing you all the best 🫶🏾

#sat answers

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teaberrii · 9 months ago

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Chapter 6: Reunited

You and Dan Heng are a match made in heaven until fate takes him away from you too soon. Years later, you think you moved on with a mutual friend who shared your grief and stuck with you during tough times until you meet a mysterious man with a striking resemblance to your past lover and a hidden motive. You’re determined to get rid of him, but how are you going to get rid of a god?

Dan Feng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail crossover

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Support my writing

One of your hands is on his shoulder and the other is on the wall beside his head.

You’re staring at each other, and his eyes never wander away from your face. Calm footsteps enter the room, and your head turns slightly to glance at the door. Your eyes widen in surprise when Dan Feng tilts your head back toward him and puts a finger to his lips.

As if you don’t already know.

“...Guess I was hearing things.”

You stiffen when you hear Childe’s quiet voice. Then, his footsteps lead out of the room and the door closes.

You quietly sigh in relief and your shoulders fall just as Dan Feng asks:

“Are you going to keep me against the wall?”

Your hard gaze meets his. “Do you think it’s going to be that easy pretending to be someone else? It’s not just me who knows who you are.”

“You’re right. I should’ve coordinated with you. But, I haven’t said who I am. Carrothead and whoever else is involved in this are still in the dark, which means they can’t plan their next move.” Your hands drop to your sides as you regard him with a skeptical look. Dan Feng raises his hands as if surrendering. “I have no intentions of compromising anyone’s safety, especially yours.”

“If impersonating Dan Heng is our best shot to figure out what happened, we need to approach this carefully. One wrong move can ruin everything.”

“Agreed, which is the reason I haven’t said anything concrete. If I say I’m Dan Heng, they’ll go straight to finding personal records. We may look alike, but you can’t fabricate stuff like fingerprints.”

“I doubt you have to worry about that,” you say quietly.

“Why’s that?”

“It was something I overheard.” You close your eyes and sigh softly. “It's been so long since the accident without any clues, Tsaritsa requested someone to erase anything they had on Dan Heng and his family.”

It was the anniversary of the horrific accident. Despite being no bodies, there was still a funeral room for Dan Heng and his family. You had shown up with Stelle and March to pay your respects, and you weren’t surprised that Tsaritsa and her family weren’t there. Each year, there were fewer and fewer people, something that hurt your heart every time you came.

You were heading to the official room when you heard someone mention Dan Heng’s name in the next room.

“Yes. Those records are gone.”

Records?

You quietly walked toward the door that was slightly ajar. Then, you peeked inside and saw a man and a woman.

“Tsaritsa got rid of them,” the man said. “Ordered someone inside the force, apparently.”

“Is that… Is that even possible? What if they’re still alive and just—”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. It’s been how many years? Do you honestly think they’re still alive?”

“But to get rid of their DNA records and everything… That’s getting rid of our last hope if something were to change.”

“Yes, well—”

The man instantly stopped upon seeing you, He quietly said your name and the woman turned around.

“Why?” you asked, clenching your fists. “Why would she do that?”

Despite your best efforts to remain calm, Dan Feng sees your eyes harden and grow dull.

“Hey,” he says quietly, getting your attention.

You awkwardly clear your throat and say:

“Anyway, I went to verify those claims. And, it’s true. They’re gone.”

“She might’ve thought it worked in her favour, but it works in ours now, doesn’t it?”

You suppose so.

“So, does this mean you’ll be posing as Dan Heng?” you ask as if interrogating him.

“I sense an objection coming.”

“You and Dan Heng have different personalities. People don’t just… change.”

Dan Feng surprisingly smiles. “Listen, I have an idea. Are you willing to hear me out?”

“If I don’t, I wouldn’t be much of a partner, would I?”

◆◆◆

Reaching the end of a wide stone path is a large, three-story, stone mansion that’s reminiscent of the ones you see in fancy wallpapers and movies. Large flower bushes groomed to perfection sit on either side of the stone pathway and stretch as far as the eye can see. Sitting near the grand entrance are multiple luxury cars, and when one walks in, the sweeping staircases, high ceilings, and vintage paintings are just a few of the many details to note about the luxurious mansion.

A pale young woman with long black hair and dark pink highlights is sitting on the couch. She holds her phone and zooms into the photo that Childe sent in the “family” group chat.

“Don’t tell me you’re still looking at that imposter.”

She looks up and sees a young man with short hair long enough to cover his ears.

“What?” the woman asks. “Aren’t you curious, Scaramouche?”

“There’s nothing to be curious about,” the man answers flatly as he sits on another couch. He swings one leg over the other and sips his tea. “It's not Dan Heng.” He shoots the woman a look. “You don’t think that ridiculous family is still alive, do you, Columbina?”

Columbina shoots him a look just as a tall woman walks in. Her eyes are sharp, and her hair is as white as snow with black tips. Without even saying a word, her presence is enough to grab both of their attention.

"We shouldn't take this man lightly," she says.

"It's not like you to worry so much, Arlecchino," Scaramouche says. "He'll probably be gone by the end of the week."

Scaramouche's small sadistic smile doesn't go unnoticed.

“By ‘gone’,” Columbina says cautiously, “you don’t mean…”

“Childe will dispose of him," Scaramouche answers.

"And since when do you believe in Childe so much?"

Scaramouche looks at Arlechinno. "I don't. But at least he’ll keep him away from here.”

“Childe wouldn't kill him… would he?”

Arlecchino regards Columbina with an uninterested look. “That’s up to him to decide, wouldn’t it?”

Columbina rolls her eyes. “He wouldn’t be so dumb, but I don’t know… He always finds a way to surprise us somehow.”

“The kid follows Tsaritsa’s orders like a loyal dog,” Scaramouche says, putting his teacup on the table. “If she told him to kill our mysterious imposter, our loyal dog servant will do it.” A small, sinister-looking smile creeps onto his face. ��Maybe I should raise that suggestion to Tsaritsa.”

Columbina glances at Arlecchino. "Do you have any idea who the imposter is?”

“No," she answers, "but I doubt he's someone we can just ignore.”

“This is the first time in a long time I’ve seen you on edge,” Scaramouche says, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “It’s not like you at all.”

“For once, I agree with the kid.” Now, it’s Scaramouche who shoots Columbina a look. “Any reason why?”

“There’s a possibility that he doesn’t belong here," Arlecchino answers after a brief pause.

Scaramouche and Columbina glance at each other.

“Like… what?” Scaramouche asks. “He’s from out of town?”

Arlecchino isn’t looking at him when she says:

“As in, he’s not human.”

And in that moment, Scaramouche and Columbina know exactly what she’s talking about.

◆◆◆

By the time you return to your room, it’s late evening.

Exhausted and ready for bed, you immediately head into the washroom while undoing your dress. What a night it’s been, and even as you step into the hot shower, your conversation with Childe at the wedding afterparty is playing on a constant loop.

Signora’s afterparty was held outside underneath a bright orange and red sky. Laughter and overlapping conversations were everywhere, and there was no one left alone. The courtyard was elegantly decorated with large rose bouquets bigger and taller than you. The bushes were trimmed to perfection, and as the skies got darker, floating lanterns lit up the night sky. There was live music, games, food, and drinks. It was bustling with people, and you’d just finished a conversation with one of the guests when Childe came beside you.

“Where’s your friend?”

You didn’t bother looking at him. “Enjoying himself elsewhere, I suppose.”

Childe glanced at you. “Looks like you’ve known him for a while… Care to enlighten me on how you met?”

“Not really.”

You were about to walk away when he grabbed your arm, forcing you to look at him.

“You’re oddly calm for someone to have befriended a man who looks exactly like a dead ex.”

Finally, he said what was on his mind.

“Am I?” You shrugged off his grip. “Then, you tell me how I’m supposed to act.”

Childe let you go, swirled the wine in his glass, and took a sip. “I’m just curious about him.”

“Yeah,” you said, almost rolling your eyes. “I can tell.”

“I just think how amazing it would be if Dan Heng were still alive after all these years.” You looked at him out of the corner of your eye, and as if knowing he had your full attention, he turned toward you and smiled. “It would be a miracle.”

“Well, unfortunately, even I don’t know who this man really is.” Childe slightly narrowed his eyes. “He has amnesia.”

“Amnesia?” Childe asked in a tone that clearly stated he didn’t believe you.

You shrugged. “His words. Not mine.”

Childe slid a hand inside his pocket. “And how did you meet?”

“He saved me from a bad car accident.”

“Bad car accident?”

Again, there was that doubtful, condescending tone.

“It was on the news,” you said after a small pause. “Trust me, I was just as surprised as you.”

You could see the gears turning in his head. Was he thinking about whether to believe you? Or, had you already roped him in?

“Guess you got lucky,” Childe finally said. “And is it because of this accident that he got amnesia?”

“No. He had it for a while, actually, and someone told him he looked identical to Dan Heng…”

“Someone?”

You weren’t surprised that Childe wanted to get all the details down.

“Can’t remember who,” you said. Then, you sipped your wine.

"And then what?" Childe asked, after observing you.

"What do you think?" You turned toward the live band. "He started looking up everything he could find on Dan Heng." You turned to him with a little smile. “If you were in his situation, wouldn’t you have done the same?”

Childe regarded you with a skeptical look. “And that’s how he ended up in Xianzhou?"

“Bingo.”

Childe softly scoffed and finished his wine. "So, you're telling me that he's been living as a nobody for what? Three years? Four years? Suddenly he finds out about Dan Heng and decides to come back? You're not lying to me, are you, love?"

“Well, Carrothead, you haven’t asked all the questions,” you said, knowing that you were slightly riling him with your small, teasing smile and a knowing look. “Of course, he hasn’t been living as a complete nobody. But because he didn't have anyone to rely on or any answers, he'd been living under an alias. Dan Feng. Made it up himself because he liked the name. He’s been living overseas for a couple of years before finding out about Dan Heng. Now that he’s here… He wants to know if Dan Heng is the man he’s supposed to be.”

“That’s fucking impossible.”

“Their bodies were never found,” you said, stepping towards him. Childe slowly took a small step back. “No one knows what happened on that plane.”

“He’s not Dan Heng,” Childe said as if trying to convince himself. “He’s too…” He looked off to the side before looking at you. “He’s too bold to be Dan Heng.” Childe slightly leaned closer. “And, people don’t just change, love.”

"Are you sure?” you asked, holding his stare even though it felt like you were sweating buckets.

Just then, behind Childe, you saw Dan Feng a short distance away. He was facing forward, but he looked at you out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

You’re still getting goosebumps thinking about that conversation, but you give yourself a pat on the back for pulling it off so effortlessly without even going by a script. You and Dan Feng came up with the story in that small room, but the execution was another story.

You step out of the bathroom dressed in comfy pyjamas when you hear your phone buzz.

Good job today.

You lean against the table with your phone in your hands.

What? Did you think I’ll rat you out?

In Dan Feng’s room, the man is dressed in black sleeping shorts. He’s running a towel through his damp hair when he sees your text. Then, he drapes the towel around his neck.

If you did, it’s not me who’s going to be interrogated against the wall.

You almost choke on your water.

Glad I dodged that. 🙄

Then, his phone dings again.

I guess we’re laying low now that Childe’s been fed that information.

Dan Feng doesn’t respond right away. It’s no secret that Childe will go straight to Tsaritsa. He might even get others involved. But one thing is for sure: If the Aeons are still with Tsaritsa, they'll know about him immediately, which means…

Dan Feng looks at your text.

They might approach you first.

You’re sitting on your chair with your knees against your chest.

To try to get more information out of me, I suppose.

You’re about to put your phone on the table when it suddenly rings.

As soon as you answer it, you say:

“A heads up would be nice.”

“My apologies. I just couldn’t wait to hear your beautiful voice.”

You almost gag.

“Starting now,” Dan Feng says after a slight pause. “We’ll need to be careful.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” you mutter.

“He'll probably want to verify things, fact-check everything… But it’s also possible he'll tell you a lot of ridiculous things.”

“Ridiculous things?” you ask, almost raising a brow. “Like what?”

Dan Feng sits on the bed. "Dan Heng’s death was thoroughly investigated. They found the plane but no human remains. It’s possible they’ll start telling you that magic and… gods exist.”

“All right.” You scoff. “You, uh, you had too much to drink.”

He’s not surprised at your reaction. But, he can’t rule out that possibility. Perhaps they’ll try to bait you and see how much you know. To Dan Feng, it’s a sure way to know that the Aeons are with Tsaritsa. But he's also considering another possibility: Childe playing along with your story, which means the Aeons are not with them or they don't want to be found. And, if they don't want to be found, it means they have no plan. Not yet, at least. But, if they start approaching you with "ridiculous" theories about gods and goddesses, they've already made the first move.

“Regardless,” he says after a pause. “We’ll proceed with caution.”

“If I get the job, even more so, I suppose.”

“Job?”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier,” you say, “but…”

And then you tell him about the possible collaboration with Lunae.

“I already told my boss I’m interested,” you finish. “Haven’t heard anything yet, but let’s see.”

“Great timing, I gotta say. We should celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” you ask as if unable to believe what you just heard.

“There’s a place I’d like to go, and I can’t think of a better person to accompany me than my tour guide.”

You glance at the clock. “Yeah, well, let’s wait and see if I get the job first.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he says, and you’re surprised at his confidence. “You will.”

◆◆◆

Childe pulls up to the stone mansion where it’s dimly lit both inside and out. During the day, the mansion looks welcoming, but it’s during the night when the lights create shadows on the faces of the many statues, giving them an ominous look. The sound of the doors opening echoes throughout the house and Childe can see a single light from the living room. As soon as he enters, he hears:

“Well, well, look who the cat dragged in.”

The voice is low, smooth, and almost velvety, but it’s as if it’s taunting him.

“It's too early to be seeing your face around here, Nanook,” Childe says without looking at the tall, tan man with medium snow-white hair and gold-coloured eyes.

“Take a seat.”

This time, it’s Tsaritsa's voice.

A woman sits in a large armchair positioned at the top and in between the two couches. Half of her pale face is cast in shadow, but Childe can still see her hollow, light blue eyes. Her long, beautiful silver hair is perfectly parted and reaches her waist. Wearing a long, velvet blue and white dress, her posture is perfect with her hands neatly placed on her lap.

“I didn’t know we’d have visitors,” Childe says, sitting on the armchair across from her.

“Don’t be jealous,” Nanook says, and Childe glares at him. “Tsaritsa requested my presence.”

“The man that you saw,” Tsaritsa says. “He doesn’t belong here.”

“He’s from my world,” Nanook says before Childe can say anything else. Nanook stands upright with a little smirk that Childe wants to punch off his face. “He's not one of us, however.”

“But, he’s a god?” Childe asks, taking on an exasperated tone.

“And I doubt he came alone.”

Childe gives Nanook a cold look. “Why is he here?”

“Let’s not get off track.” Tsaritsa keeps her stare on Childe. “I want you to keep entertaining them. Play along with that story she told you, but"—she briefly nods at Nanook—"keep quiet about them.”

“My”—Childe crosses one leg over the other and leans his elbow against the armrest—”how the roles have changed. I thought it's gods who are supposed to watch over the humans."

“Dan Feng is here for us,” Nanook says.

Childe’s eye almost twitches upon seeing him put his elbow against the top of the chair Tsaritsa is sitting in.

“Fine,” Childe says, not bothering to hide his annoyance. “But, just how long can we keep them a secret?”

Tsaritsa and Nanook glance at each other.

“When the year is over,” Nanook says, “we throw him back to the world they came from. Or—”

“We kill him.”

The moon reaches its highest point, shining brightly in the twilight sky. Childe briefly closes his eyes, letting Tsaritsa’s words sink in, the silence ringing loudly in his ears.

“He doesn’t belong here,” Nanook says. “No one is going to know who he is, and no one will believe his cute, little girlfriend considering he’s been feeding her lies.”

“And what if he gets to you first?” Childe asks.

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, I always say.”

“They’re likely waiting to see how we react,” Tsaritsa says. “Again, I want you to keep an eye on them.”

“Well, it won’t be hard to do that.” Childe glances at Nanook. “She’ll be the artist we’ll be working with for our upcoming collection.”

Nanook grins. “So, that means Lan will also be keeping an eye on them.”

“What about Signora?” Childe asks. “We don’t know whose side she’s on.”

“Signora is a woman of reason,” Tsaritsa says calmly. “She’s on no one’s side but her own. Provide her with enough benefits, and she’ll jump from one to the other.”

“And what about the others?” Childe looks at Nanook. “You said you doubt Dan Feng came alone.”

“It doesn’t seem like they’re together,” Nanook says. “At least, you haven’t mentioned anyone that matches their description. They are a fascinating bunch, to say the least. You’ll know once you see them.”

“Great,” Childe deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Do they also resemble people who are supposed to be dead?”

“It’s late,” Tsaritsa says, glancing at the moon outside. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll talk later with everyone else.”

“This can’t go on forever,” Childe says, standing. Then, he nods toward Nanook. “Eventually, he and everyone else will have to go.”

Once Childe is out of sight, Nanook turns to Tsaritsa.

“Are you not going to get some sleep, love?"

Instead of answering his question, Tsaritsa asks:

“What do you know about him? The doppelganger?”

Nanook sits on the table in front of her, his hands on either side. “He’s not much different from Lan and I. Once human and now we’re not.”

“Then, did you two know each other?”

“No. All of us came from different backgrounds, but there's a degree of commonality to them.” There’s a flicker of curiosity in her hollow eyes. He stands and puts his hands on the armrests and slightly leans closer to her. “We were thrown into hell and made it ours.”

◆◆◆

For the rest of the week, you’ve been working. It's on the second last day that you're leaving the hotel that you're showing Dan Feng around the city and when you tell him the "good news."

“I’ll be meeting their team in the next few weeks.”

You and Dan Feng are—unbeknownst to you—walking in the palace courtyard of his old home. It’s busy but not as crowded if it’s a holiday. It’s late afternoon, and it's the perfect weather for a walk. You've already taken Dan Feng to a bunch of different places, including the library, shopping centres, train stations, and any other place that you think will be helpful to someone living here for the first time. You’d asked about the place he wanted to visit, but all he said was:

“Let’s save that for another day.”

“I told you you’d get it,” Dan Feng says.

“Well, yeah, it’s pretty obvious why they chose me at this point.”

“Regardless of who you are—Dan Feng looks at you—”you’d still need a certain level of skill.” He stops. “I’m actually curious, and if you’re willing, I’d like to see some of your work.”

“Are you interested in art?”

“I used to be a collector,” Dan Feng says. “Started when I was young and eventually had my works on display.”

Of course, this was a very long time ago.

“On display?” you ask in disbelief. “Where?”

Dan Feng looks past you and into a chamber where a large piece of elegant calligraphy is framed on the wall. There’s a small crowd a short distance away as it’s roped off to prevent people from getting too close. Looks like it’s preserved well.

“I’ll show you one day,” Dan Feng says as he continues walking.

You and Dan Feng are walking across the courtyard when you suddenly remember your dream. You stop. This is the spot where you'd felt the breeze through your hand. Even though you haven't had another dream about them since then, you still remember the details of the dream when you stood in the courtyard.

“Something wrong?”

You spin around and see Dan Feng standing in the place his younger counterpart in your dream once stood.

“Yeah… I, well, I actually had a dream about this place.”

“A dream?” he asks with questioning eyes. “What kind of a dream?”

“It was of Dan Heng,” you finally say. “And a young girl and… you.”

And that’s when you see it: something akin to a hungry curiosity. He steps towards you, and you casually avoid his gaze.

“And?”

He sounds almost demanding.

“Why are you so serious?” you ask. “It’s just a dream.”

But is it a dream about his past? Your past?

“A dream that stayed on your mind,” Dan Feng says. “Did it mean something? Trigger something?”

“I… don’t see how it could’ve meant anything.”

Then, you walk past him, but before you can get too far, Dan Feng takes your hand.

You stop and turn, and you’re looking at each other, and you hold his gaze until…

"You!"

As soon as Dan Feng turns around, he swiftly blocks a flying kick by a young girl with light purple hair tied into two braids. She lands a short distance away and puts her hands on her hips.

“You have a whole lot of explaining to do, young man!"

Before you can even understand what’s happening, you see two men approach Dan Feng.

“We finally found you.”

Tag list: @lunavixia @aerithsthingss @boomie-123

#dan feng x you #hsr dan feng x reader #dan feng x reader #dan feng #imbibitor lunae x reader #imbibitor lunae

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thenovelartist · 1 year ago

Text

Life After Destruction - Chapter 6 - Honkai: Star Rail

“You were supposed to die.”

At the all-too-familiar sultry voice, Stelle looked up from where she was sitting to see Kafka. “What a way to greet someone,” she snipped.

“I thought I’d cut to the chase.” Uninvited, Kafka stepped closer and took a seat on the bench beside Stelle.

Stelle narrowed her eyes at Kafka. Even after all this time, she never could fully figure this woman out. The only thing she knew for certain was Kafka never wished any harm to come to Stelle. Though Stelle supposed if there was one thing to know about a person, that certainly wasn’t the worst.

“What brings you here?” Stelle asked, glancing around the crowded plaza of the planet they were visiting. “Out in the open.”

“The place is busy enough for people to notice everyone yet no one,” Kafka answered. “I’m nothing more than a face in this crowd, just like you.”

Well, that was true. Despite Stelle's face having become quite a famous one, no one had approached her. Honestly, for the better.

“I’m surprised that vidyadhara of yours left you alone, though.”

“He’s just across the street.” Through the crowd, Stelle could spot Dan Heng standing beside March as they waited in line at a food stall. The reason for that was March’s phone had broken on the latest mission, and they were currently waiting for it to get fixed at a shop down the street. After meandering the streets for a while, March thought she’d grab snacks for everyone, but Stelle was not up for standing in line. Despite being told her belly was smaller than average for a woman six months along, Stelle was beginning to feel its effects to the point she no longer protested the occasional break. Seeing as March had no phone, Dan Heng had gone with her, leaving Stelle to rest on a bench for now.

“Still,” Kafka continued, “he doesn’t often leave you alone long enough for us to chat.”

“You could approach me when he’s here.”

“That would ruin our girl time.”

Stelle just rolled her eyes at Kafka’s evasive answer. “Anyway, what do you mean? Or am I gonna have to play ‘truth and lie’ to maybe get an answer out of you?”

Kafka chuckled. “Actually, I’ll humor you and give you straight answers today. You deserve it, considering you’re still alive.” She leaned back against the bench, crossing her legs. “In every future Elio foresaw of us winning against Nanook, there was not a one where you didn’t die from that stellaron burst. As cruel as this might sound, we accepted it. A single life is a better sacrifice than a galaxy full of them.”

Considering she was that life, Stelle was inclined to hate that sacrifice more than anyone. But on the other hand, she also understood it. She’d met so many wonderful people, both comrades in arms and civilians who just wanted to live peacefully in this galaxy. She’d come to care for them so deeply that if she could pay a price that would guarantee their future, then she would.

Once again, she caught flashes of a particular green and gold coat as well as a cotton-candy-colored dress through the crowd. Heck, she would have made that sacrifice if only for those two over there, plus the other Nameless, of course. They’d given her everything, and she gladly would have returned the favor, even at the cost of her life.

A sudden jolt to her stomach was enough of a reminder that a very tiny someone was glad she didn’t have to.

“Is that all you wanted to say?” Stelle asked, automatically covering the spot her baby kicked with her hand.

“No,” Kafka admitted. “Actually, there’s quite a bit I want to say, but you’re not the only person I want to say it to.” With that, she stood. “That is, if you dare to follow me for a bit.”

Stelle quirked a brow.

“Don’t worry. It won’t take long. You better text your husband, though. He doesn’t look too happy.”

At the mention of Dan Hang, Stelle looked through the crowd for him, only to see he was glaring in her direction. Not only that, but Stelle watched March’s expression darken the instant she caught on.

She forced herself to give them a smile and a wave before pulling out her phone.

Stelle: It’s okay.

Stelle: I’ll be right back.

Dan Heng pulled out his phone in response, March looking over at it.

“Now that you’ve taken care of that,” Kafka said, starting to walk away. “Follow me. I promise it will be worth your while.”

As Stelle stood, her phone dinged with a message.

Dan Heng: Where are you going?

Stelle: It’s fine.

Stelle looked up to see Dan Heng and March looking at her through the crowd.

Stelle: Trust me. Just get the snacks for when I get back.

And with that, she shuffled off after Kafka.

“Clingy, aren’t they?” Kafka joked once Stelle caught up to her.

“Well, I don’t need to tell you they don’t exactly trust you,” she snipped.

The woman shrugged it off. “Probably for the better.”

As they walked through the ever-moving crowd of people, Stelle didn’t initiate conversation, even though she certainly had questions.

“Congratulations, by the way, for being the first to bear a vidyadhara.”

“Half-vidyadhara,” she corrected.

“Full-blooded, if Elio’s prediction is correct,” Kafka returned. “But either way, a miracle child for the woman still miraculously alive. It makes for a nice fairytale, doesn’t it?”

More on instinct, Stelle’s hand rested on her stomach. Was Kafka right? Was her child a full vidyadhara? It wasn’t like they knew for certain, and there was a chance they wouldn’t know until it went through a reincarnation process. But if it was, then that would be a boon for Dan Heng's people. Even if they could add a single vidyadhara to the population, that was more than anyone could ever have hoped for. Though, she supposed a vidyadhara having fathered a child in the first place was already a miracle.

Not that any of that ultimately mattered in Stelle's eyes. This was her and Dan Heng's child, and she was excited to have them come into her family.

“Do you know if you’re having a boy or girl?” she asked.

Stelle shook her head. She was at the point where she could find out if she wanted, but when discussing it with Dan Heng, she’d commented how it would be fun for it to be a surprise seeing as everything else about the baby was. At the time, Dan Heng had frowned, probably because he’d wanted to know, yet he’d humored her and agreed to wait until the baby was born.

Kafka hummed. “Elio wouldn’t tell me his prediction, either.”

“Does he know?”

“If he does, he isn’t telling.”

Stelle resisted the urge to roll her eyes. In all her travels, she’d crossed paths with the Stellaron Hunters many times, but never Elio. He remained a mystery that Stelle had grown too leery of to want to solve.

As they wove their way through the streets to an alleyway nearby, Stelle caught sight of a tall man with silver hair. She froze a moment, almost tripping over her own feet in the process as she was struck by an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

Beside her, Kafka chuckled. “I know you lost your memories when the stellaron was implanted in you, but do you happen to recognize him?”

They stopped in front of the man who looked down at her with uncertainty wavering in his golden eyes. “Should I?” she finally asked.

“I guess not,” Kafka muttered. “You could say he’s my gift to you.” She then tapped the blue gift tied with a pink bow in the man’s arms. “And then one for the baby. Curtesy of me and Silverwolf. I’m sure Blade would have reluctantly appreciated being included, too, if he’d survived.”

Stelle blinked in surprise. Blade was dead? But… wasn’t he…

Kafka seemed to read her mind, melancholy tainting her ever-present easy smile. “One of the very few ways an immortal can find relief from their curse is to be killed by an aeon. This battle presented Blade with an opportunity he could not resist.”

“Yeah,” the man weakly confirmed. “But he didn’t go down without fighting.”

Kafka sighed. “I suppose you’re right. It wouldn’t have been like him otherwise.”

At the somber mood, Stelle felt uncomfortable, like an interloper intruding on a private moment. There was also the fact Blade had a turbulent past with Dan Heng—er… Dan Heng’s past incarnation, which only made her feelings towards that particular Stellaron Hunter all the more confusing. Should she feel glad that Blade got his wish granted, or glad that he was gone? Was it wrong to feel both ways?

“Er, um…” With a forced smile, the man soon shoved the gift box at Stelle. “Sorry, for bringing the mood down. Here!”

Hesitantly, Stelle took the gift. While she did have half a mind to thank him, the only words that came out instead were, “Who are you?”

Kafka spoke up. “If I said he was your brother, would you believe me?”

Her… brother?

Wide-eyed, Stelle looked the man over. She knew he’d felt familiar in some odd way. Was this why?

His chuckle was strained, and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, I knew you wouldn’t remember, but it’s still kinda weird.”

Words were slow in coming, considering how dry her mouth was. “So… you remember?”

He nodded. “Yeah, kinda.” With an uncertain smile, he extended a hand. “I’m Caelus.”

“Stelle,” she returned, more automatically than anything, before taking his hand to shake.

“He can catch you up on the old times later,” Kafka spoke up. “That is, if he still remembers them.”

Stelle’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“I took a hit to the head in that last battle,” he answered. “The concussion was a monster. A lot of my memories are still fuzzy.”

“If you weren’t so reckless, you could have avoided it,” Kafka lightly chastised. “But then again, that’s to be expected of you.”

Caelus chuckled sheepishly.

“Getting back on topic…” Crossing her arms, Kafka looked over to Stelle. “I’m sure you want to know why I’m here, introducing you two now after all this time.”

Stelle nodded.

“I don’t care to be sentimental,” she said, “nor do I care to go out of my way unless I can see a benefit of it. But… I guess you two are an exception.”

The mood changed then, the world seeming to fade away. It clicked for Stelle that this was the first time she’d ever seen Kafka’s eyes look so clear, except the time Kafka was the Master Diviner’s captive. But considering that Kafka had been a prisoner then compared to now when she was free, Stelle was hesitant to count that as an exception at all.

“Many years ago,” Kafka started, “Elio predicted Nanook would bring about the end of the galaxy. So, he started making a plan. The first step being to produce a human that could be a vessel for a stellaron. This was a process that took a few years to complete, resulting in several babies being created. As they grew, they were constantly being tested for their ability to withstand the power of a stellaron. By the time the group reached the age of five, only two of the children remained viable vessels for the stellaron. We only needed one, but there were only benefits in having a backup, and if both of the vessels made it to adulthood, then we would choose the one that held the most promise. The other would remain a Stellaron Hunter.

“I was put in charge of your training. I gotta admit, I thought you two were going to be real hassles. And while you were in your own way, training you was… amusing. I wish more people had half the raw talent and determination you two showed. But, that shouldn’t be surprising considering whose DNA was taken to create you.

“Then came the day that one of you had to be chosen. Ultimately, both of you were good options to be the stellaron’s vessel, each having your own strengths and both of your bodies physically up to the task. But when it came down to it, there was something in Stelle that made me lean towards her as my choice. Hence Caelus stayed on as a Stellaron Hunter, running errands and whatnot behind the scenes so Stelle’s merry band of Nameless could handle other galactic problems and build alliances along the way.”

At the rush of information, Stelle was quickly growing overwhelmed. It was becoming a struggle to even continue standing when she felt so shaky on her feet. Yet, she forced herself to keep it together. Kafka was never forthcoming with information unless it benefitted her. From all their meetings, Stelle had learned to listen to what Kafka had to say and negotiate for anything more she wanted. But with Kafka dumping this out of her own free will, Stelle wanted to grasp onto every word.

“So… you raised us.” Stelle clarified.

“In a sense, I suppose I did,” Kafka answered. “In your eyes, I must not seem like the type.”

Stelle shook her head.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d be the type, either. And I wouldn’t say I was fully in charge of raising you. You both had a nanny who was actually responsible for you until you were about eight, at which point you were dropped fully into my care. I just taught you everything I felt was important to your life goal.”

“She was brutal,” Caelus whispered to Stelle. Yet, the light tone and slight smile he wore proved he didn’t mind.

Whether it was because she didn’t remember or because the part of her that somehow did remember didn’t mind, Stelle was unbothered by that fact. “So my ability to fight—”

“Came from me,” Kafka finished. “From your bat to your lance, I trained you in both.”

Absently, Stelle looked down at her hands, currently not in gloves allowing her to see the callouses that covered them. Callouses that took on a new meaning now that she knew she’d gotten them due to training with the Stellaron Hunter before her.

“Any other questions?” Kafka asked. “This is the one time I’m answering them freely.”

Clenching her fists, Stelle looked back up at Kafka. “What if I’d failed as a… vessel?” The word felt sour in her mouth. It was hard to grasp the fact she’d been artificially created to be a means to an end. As though her whole existence was, in fact, simply to hold a stellaron.

Kafka hummed. “If ever there was a future where you failed as a vessel, whether it was because you ran away or because you died, we had another stellaron lined up for Caelus.”

“What?”

Stelle glanced over at Caelus, whose jaw was practically on the ground at this point. Clearly, that was new information to him, too.

“Is it such a surprise we had a plan for you?” Kafka challenged. “You know how carefully everything was planned in your time as a Stellaron Hunter.”

Caelus didn’t seem to have an answer for that.

“Thankfully, we never had to implement that plan. It wouldn’t have been ideal anyway as the purpose of putting Stelle on the Astral Express was to help build an army that would rally behind her.”

So even that was planned, putting Stelle on the Express where she’d made a home for herself. Where she'd found a family and even a husband.

But... then what was to become of them if she'd... “What of the Express members?" Stelle questioned, a defensive anger giving a bite to her words. "Did you mean to put them at the heart of the war?”

“Don’t get upset with me. They would have found their way into the war regardless. You just happened to be so charming that they rallied behind you. In that sense, you were an overwhelming success as an intended vessel.”

Stelle didn’t even know how to feel about that. Yes, she found a home on the Express, and she was thankful for it, but she could have led them all to their death, just because someone else had been controlling the strings.

Any freedom she’d ever thought she’d had over her destiny was slowly slipping away.

“Before you get too sulky,” Kafka continued. “Just realize that they would have all died without you. Along with nearly all the galaxy.”

“At cost of my life, right?” Stelle clarified, anger covering the fear that was creeping like ice through her veins.

Kafka frowned. “Yes. Maybe it was the pure determination both of you possessed to be in control of your own destinies that changed the outcome to something Elio couldn’t have predicted, but what happened was truly the best-case scenario. We were prepared to lose both of you in the aeon war.”

“So we were always meant to die?” Caelus snipped, a hard edge to his tone. "No matter which one of us was the stellaron's vessel?"

Kafka didn’t respond right away. Instead, her expression turned regretful. “I’m sorry,” she slowly spoke, those words ringing with more genuine emotion than Stelle had ever heard from her. “I know that this sentiment is far too little too late, and you might not believe me at all, but… I did care for both of you. A future where I lost either of you was not what I considered ideal, but when the existence of the galaxy was at stake… my feelings on the matter were irrelevant.

"But,” Kafka continued, “considering that you both defied all odds and predictions, I thought you both deserved the truth, no matter how harsh it may be.”

Stelle was rendered speechless. As overwhelmed as Stelle was, that sentiment felt genuine, at least, which almost made them harder to process.

Caelus, on the other hand, still had some fire in him. “How can you say that,” he challenged, “knowing you were raising us to send us off to our deaths?”

“Everything I did was to give you a fighting chance to avoid death,” Kafka answered, her voice taking on a growly edge in defence. “Stelle may not remember, but I know you do. You even said yourself I was brutal on you. I had to be because I knew there would come a time when I wouldn’t be around to protect you. Every bloody battle I let you face, where you screamed at me or cried or got hurt, was all to prepare you to face even worse situations that I wouldn’t be around to help you tackle.”

Caelus grew silent at that.

“I was not destined to save the world,” Kafka continued, her voice calmer now. “That was placed on you two. All I could do was give you every skill you would need to accomplish your destiny. But now… you two are all grown up with bright futures ahead of you. That is more than I could have ever asked for. So if you hate me now, I can live with that.”

“Kafka…” Caelus spoke, all previous anger now gone from his voice.

As weird as it was, Stelle felt similarly. Maybe she was too numb to make an accurate assessment of things, but she felt like Kafka meant every word. Like Kafka, her supposed enemy, actually did care for Stelle more than she knew.

“Stelle," Kafka spoke, approaching the two of them, "you have a place you need to get back to, but I need to ask a favor of you.”

“Depends on what it is,” she said, her mind still reeling with information.

“Take Caelus with you.”

Caelus’ brow furrowed. “Huh? Take me where?”

A sad smile flashed across Kafka's face. “I’m kicking you out of the Stellaron Hunters.”

“What?! Why?”

She leveled him with a knowing look. “I know you’ve been sneaking off trying to fix stellaron problems the way the Astral Express does. So it’s better I let you do that instead of watching you get yelled at by the others for not following orders.”

Caelus fell silent at that.

Kafka hummed, amused at winning this verbal battle. “You’ll never hear these words from my mouth again, but…” She reached out, cupping Stelle’s cheek with one hand and Caelus’ with the other. “I’m proud of both of you.”

For some reason, those words hit Stelle harder than she expected them to.

The next second, Kafka pulled away. “Take care, Kiddos.” With a smile, Kafka turned on her heel and started strolling off down the alleyway.

Leaving a speechless duo standing in her wake.

~~~

“Where is she?” March muttered, looking over the busy plaza.

Dan Heng’s fists tightened. He should never have let Stelle wander off alone with Kafka. Nothing good could ever come from it. He’d been about ready to sprint to her side when he first saw Stelle with that Stellaron Hunter, but he’d trusted her and stayed put as she’d asked him to. That had been ten minutes ago, and despite he and March having acquired the long-forgotten snacks, Stelle was nowhere in sight.

He pulled out his phone again, searching for a response to any of his previous five texts, only there was none.

Just as he was about to call her—

“I see her!”

Dan Heng looked up, searching the crowd for Stelle and finally spotting her approaching with someone he’d never seen before by her side.

His feet moved on their own as he wove through the crowd towards her. “Stelle.”

Her somber expression brightened slightly as she saw him.

Before he could ask if she was alright, she threw her arms around him and held on tight. With her safe and sound back in his arms, relief flooded him, though he quickly turned a sharp gaze at the newcomer she’d been walking with. One who, oddly, looked familiar even though Dan Heng was certain he’d never seen that man before in his life.

"Hey!" March said, having caught up. "We were worried."

"Sorry," Stelle muttered.

"Did something happen?" Dan Heng asked.

With a heavy sigh, Stelle pulled away. “Er… I’ll tell you later. But, right now…” She turned around, only to wave the man over to them.

At least the man had the decency to look abashed at his intrusion.

“So, uh…” Stelle gave Dan Heng and March a painfully awkward smile. “This is my brother, Caelus.”

“Brother?!” March cried.

Not bothering to cover his surprise, Dan Heng looked the man over, instantly seeing the family resemblance.

“Yeah,” Caelus sheepishly confirmed. “It's a long story. Uh… nice to meet you both?”

“You probably already know,” Stelle said. “But this is March 7th and my husband, Dan Heng.”

“Uh, nice to meet you, too,” March awkwardly greeted, giving him a wave.

Dan Heng gave a nod of acknowledgment, too surprised to do much else.

“So,” Stelle started. “From here on, he’s joining us as a Nameless.”

“Huh?” March glanced between Caelus and Stelle in surprise.

Dan Heng felt like he was going to have a headache with how fast the surprises were coming. He should have been used to it, considering who he was married to, but this was notably different. “Why don’t you sit down and start explaining?”

Stelle didn’t protest, allowing Dan Heng to guide her back to the bench before heavily taking a seat on it. Dan Heng took a seat next to her, unwilling to let go of her hand quite yet. Before he could ask her to start explaining, though, she patted the empty seat next to her. “Why don’t you take a seat?” she offered Caelus. “That was a lot for you, too.”

The man sighed, suddenly looking extremely ragged. “If you don’t mind,” he said, practically collapsing down on the other side of the bench. He set down the long gift box he’d been holding, leaning it against the bench before bracing his elbows on his knees and hanging his head.

Although his guard didn’t completely fall away, Dan Heng wasn’t so cruel as to not feel some pity for Caelus. Seems whatever happened with Kafka was hard on both the siblings.

Unsure what else to do, March held out the bag of snacks to Caelus. “We got some of the little donuts from the shop over there. Want one? I bet it would be a good pick-me-up.”

Though surprised at the offer, Caelus shyly accepted. “If you don’t mind.”

With a smile, March held the bag out to him. “We got plenty.”

He took a couple with a quiet thanks.

March then held the bag over to Stelle. “You better like these considering you disappeared on us.”

Stelle smirked. “And if I don’t?”

March yanked the bag away. “Then none for you!”

“I haven’t even tried them yet.”

March took a single donut out of the bag and put it in Stelle’s outstretched hand.

Stelle glowered at it.

The interaction was enough to clear the remaining tension in Dan Heng’s shoulders. Stelle was just fine. Everything was okay. Even with the exception of the newcomer who sat with a small smile as he ate his snack, everything felt back to normal.

With March having finished passing out snacks, including giving more to Stelle, Caelus scooted over to the edge of the bench so as to make room for March to sit.

“Thanks,” she said, plopping down between him and Stelle. “So, you’re going to be joining us?”

“Seems so,” Caelus answered, his mannerisms more relaxed now.

“You said you were Stelle’s brother,” Dan Heng prodded.

Caelus nodded.

“He was with the Stellaron Hunters,” Stelle explained.

“Then what brings you here?” Dan Heng inquired.

Caelus cringed. “It seems I’ve been kicked out.”

March frowned. “Huh? For what?”

“Apparently, being too helpful.”

“Do they think that’s a bad thing?”

Caelus shrugged.

“Maybe I’m wrong,” Stelle spoke up, “but it felt more like… an excuse than anything.”

“Seems about right,” Caelus quietly agreed. “It seemed like Kafka wasn’t exactly kicking me out. More like… she didn’t want me to have to be with them any longer.”

“What did Kafka say?” Dan Heng asked, his curiosity growing stronger by the second.

He almost regretted that question as a heavy cloud seemed to settle down on the siblings once again. Stelle answered, “I’d prefer to tell everyone all at once. It’s… a long story.”

“Okay.” Dan Heng rubbed her back soothingly.

“Then, I guess Caelus is really coming back with us,” March said, turning back to Caelus. “So, welcome to the crew.”

Caelus’ expression lit up. “If you’ll take me, I’m happy to be aboard.”

“I think we still have some time before my phone is fixed. So do you want—”

“Actually,” Dan Heng spoke up, having heard his own phone ding with a message notification. “They just finished, if you want to make your way back to the shop.”

March popped up from her seat. “Then let’s go.”

“Wait,” Stelle said, taking out her own phone. “I want to send a message to Himeko saying we’re bringing someone with us.”

“Good call,” March said. “Hey! Caelus, what’s your number, anyway? We’ll add you to the group chat.”

Caelus pulled out his phone, tapping it a few times before offering it to March. “Add your info, and I’ll text you when you get your phone back.”

“Sounds good to me.”

~~~

With their mission of fixing March’s phone completed, they all headed back to the Express. Stelle was beginning to feel the exhaustion kicking in but she had to keep pressing on. She had to properly introduce the newest trailblazer to Himeko and Welt, after all.

Much to their surprise, Welt and Himeko were waiting right outside the Express for them, Pom-pom standing in the doorway.

Suddenly, Stelle grew a little nervous, though she wasn’t sure if that was truly nerves or if it was her baby moving around. Maybe they were kicking out warning her to calm down and stop stressing them out.

Sorry, Baby, she thought, rubbing a hand over her stomach.

Dan Heng’s hand came to rest on her back, calling her attention. She glanced up at him, spying the concerned look on his face.

She just shot him a smile and a nod, hoping he’d understand she was just fine.

“Welcome,” Himeko greeted, being the first to approach them. “Is this the new Nameless I heard about?”

“Yes,” Stelle said, stepping forward to make proper introductions. “This is my brother, Caelus.”

Himeko looked him over in surprise. “Well, I can certainly see the resemblance.”

“Caelus, this is Himeko and Welt,” Stelle introduced, seeing as Welt had come up to them. “And over in the doorway is the conductor, Pom-pom.” Who, by the way, seemed very excited considering how frantically they were waving.

“We meet again,” Welt said.

Caelus nodded. “I guess we do.”

Wait… “again”?

“Huh?” March piped up, confused. “Do you know him, Mr. Yang?”

“Yes,” Welt confirmed, looking back over to Caelus. “In the war, you provided protection for the medical transport, did you not?”

“That’s where I’ve seen you,” Himeko jumped in, realization dawning over her. “You were always such a mess, and you never stayed for long so I never got a good look at you.”

Caelus gave a sheepish shrug. “Heh. Yeah, that was me. Kafka told me not to get too involved, but I couldn’t help it. If Stelle was going to the heart of the war, I couldn’t not follow, stellaron or not.”

“Wait,” March spoke up. “Where exactly were you? Dan Heng and I followed Stelle into the heart of everything, but I don’t recall seeing you.”

“I doubt any of us would have been paying enough attention to recall an unfamiliar face in the crowd,” Dan Heng said. “We had more pressing matters.”

“I started on the outskirts,” Caelus answered. “Just started dragging out the injured and helping them get to the transports. Occasionally, I’d ride with them to be a guard against the tougher monsters. The deeper I followed you guys into the mess, the less I focused on the injured and more on helping defeat the machines. Things get a little fuzzy toward the end, but Kafka said I took down a doomsday machine?”

At that, Stelle felt her jaw hit the ground as she stared at him. Suddenly, hazy memories tainted with vivid fear came rushing back to her. Standing in the middle of a war-torn planet, the acrid smell of burning machinery and the metallic smell of blood filling her nose as she stared up at robots larger than anything anyone had ever seen before. The worst of which was a destruction bot imbued with the power of Nanook himself as the dying aeon tried to hide behind it. It had taken all their strongest weapons and planning to even make a dent in it.

But then, they’d watched the center of the bot start glowing, brighter and brighter like bubbling lava, until it had exploded. It had taken a moment for everyone to realize what had happened, but once the dust had settled, a war cry had rung out. In the middle of the noise, Stelle had led the charge forward to Nanook himself, Dan Heng and March by her side with a roaring army behind her, ready to take on the last wave of monsters protecting the aeon.

“That was you?” Stelle murmured in awe.

“Don’t ask me how I managed to do it,” Caelus said, running his hand through his hair before lifting up a section to reveal a long, curved scar carved into the side of his head. “Cracked my skull open so I don’t remember much. Must have just charged headlong into the fray with half a plan and somehow completed it. Apparently, that plan was taking a stellaron and shoving it inside the core.”

“Wait, what?” March cried, suddenly stepping closer. “You were inside that monster?”

Caelus sheepishly smiled. “Yeah. Somehow. I’ve always been an ‘act first, think later,’ kind of person, more than Stelle ever was. Must have just run on impulse.”

“How’d you manage to survive the explosion?” Dan Heng asked.

Caelus shrugged. “My only guess is that my body, like Stelle’s, was specifically designed to withstand stellarons.” He lifted up the sleeve of his jacket, revealing a spiderweb of angry red scarring. But then took off his glove, revealing how his hand held no scarring and the red ring on his wrist that separated the two sections. “Weird, isn’t it? Kafka’s guess as to why my arm’s like this is that when I stuck my hand in the core with the stellaron, everything outside that core ended up being a mess whereas the inside was protected. As for why I survived at all when I definitely should have died… maybe the core expanded, protecting me? Don’t have a better guess than that. I remember seeing white; that’s it.”

There was a short pause as no one knew what to say to that. It wasn’t as though Stelle didn’t have anything she wanted to say but rather had too many thoughts rolling around in her mind and not a clue which one needed to be voiced first.

In the end, it was Welt who broke the silence. “You did well,” he said, resting a hand on Caelus’ shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Yeah!” March chimed in. “That was amazing! We had no idea how to take that monster down.”

“I second that,” Stelle finally said, giving him a smile. “Guess being a Stellaron Hunter had its perks.”

The mood lightened just ever so slightly at that as Caelus mirthlessly chuckled. “I guess it did.”

“Well,” Himeko said. “With a story like that, I feel you’ve earned a place on the Express. We’re lucky to have you, Trailblazer.”

Finally, Caelus’ smile turned genuine as his eyes brightened. “Happy to be aboard.”

“Here.” Stelle reached for the box Caelus was still holding. “I can take that while the others show you around. Thanks for carrying it back for me.”

With a nod, Caelus handed it over.

March watched with curiosity. “Who’s that for?”

“Kafka gave it to me. For the baby.”

“Oh?” Himeko said. “Baby shower gifts already coming in? Though, one from Kafka is most surprising.”

“No kidding,” March agreed. “Makes me curious.”

That one little remark was how Stelle found herself sitting in the parlor, gift on her lap while her family looked on. She understood why they were curious and maybe even a bit concerned. She felt similarly if she were being honest.

After untying the pink bow, she lifted the powder blue lid off the box to reveal white tissue paper inside. Laying on top was a small baseball bat, complete with plastic balls and a little glove.

Amused, she took out the toys, one clearly meant for a small child. A few chuckles sounded around her.

“It’s fitting,” Dan Heng said with a grin, taking the small glove to examine.

But the box felt too heavy for that to be the end. Stelle lifted the paper, only to see a full-sized bat, complete with baseballs and a leather baseball mitt.

Stelle pulled the bat first, looking over the blue design painted on the gray material. The weight was familiar in her hand, but as memories resurfaced, the weight soon settled on her heart. Kafka had trained her how to wield this weapon, a long time ago.

Suddenly, Kafka’s conversation came rolling back to the forefront of her mind.

“Wow,” March remarked. “That’s really… thinking ahead.”

“Yeah, but Kafka didn’t really want to get a baby item,” Caelus said. “At least she got something nice. She never spent money on toys for us.”

Stelle hummed, trying to ignore the haunting thoughts for now. “That sounds accurate."

“She did let us rummage through the dumpsters behind the toyshops, though," Caelus continued. "We found some good things in there.”

Suddenly, the room went silent.

And Stelle watched as Caelus slowly grew uncomfortable. “What?”

“So you’re telling me that was Kafka’s fault?” March cried.

Dan Heng sighed, suddenly looking very tired. “So that’s where that came from.”

“Uh…” Caelus’s expression turned sheepish. “Did I… say something bad?”

Stelle shook her head, a sudden headache coming on. For as long as she could remember, she'd always had a draw to garbage cans, making her the butt of many jokes and much harassment. She was happy her friends slowly accepted that part of her, seeing as a part of her never wanted to stop. She just got so much joy out of finding something good that nothing else seemed to faze her.

It was just... the last thing she expected was for her favorite hobby to be explained like this. “No. But just… never let them catch you rifling through dumpsters. They will never, ever let it go.”

~~~

With all the excitement that had occurred today, Dan Heng expected Stelle to be in bed by now. When he’d suggested earlier that she retire early for the evening, she’d looked tired with the way her eyes were glazed over and her cheeks had lost some of their color. The most concerning thing, though, was that she hadn’t protested to the suggestion.

However, instead of finding her resting in bed, Dan Heng entered the bedroom only to see Stelle staring at her chest in the mirror.

The scar that had once been so blatant had faded somewhat thanks to Bailu’s medicine. Although it looked slightly less angry than it once had, it would likely take years for it to fade. Even with Bailu’s medicine, Dan Heng doubted it would ever fully disappear. Which was fine. It’s not like Dan Heng cared that she had scars; he had them, too. The only reason he wished it would disappear was because his wife looked completely lost in thought as she ran her hands absently over the mark between her breasts.

Unable to watch any longer, he marched over and laid the small mirror down flat on the dresser, interrupting Stelle’s musings maybe a little too brashly considering that she startled at his action.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She shrugged dismissively.

He hated the way her eyes held none of their usual light, her face having taken on a gloomy gray tint. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

Her gaze hit the floor, her brow scrunching together and lips tugging downward as though in pain. It was an expression that practically ripped out his heart.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. Her abdomen was growing, so facing chest to chest was becoming increasingly awkward, but she was still small enough where it wasn’t too bad.

She leaned into him, clinging to his jacket and nuzzling her face into his shoulder. The way she leaned so fully against him further proved something heavy was weighing on her. But he didn't want to press. He'd just wait for her to respond, or maybe, if need be, not respond at all.

“Kafka said I was supposed to die.”

Her muttered words surprised him for just a second before a wave of anger overtook that feeling. It figured Stelle’s mood had something to do with that woman. He never should have let her go off with Kafka. “But you didn’t,” he reminded.

“No,” Stelle clarified. “Like… I was literally created to die.”

At that, words failed him.

She sniffed, and he held on tighter as she clung to him.

“But you escaped that destiny,” he finally said. “You’re here now.”

“I know,” she said, pushing away and wiping her tear-stained cheeks with the heel of her hand. “It’s just… I don’t know. It’s a lot.”

His heart was breaking as he watched his wife fall apart. Regret for his earlier actions—rather, his inaction—was creeping in as he cradled the back of her head, leaning forward to rest his forehead on hers. “I should have gone with you. If that’s all Kafka had to say, she could have saved it.”

Stelle shook her head, her bangs ruffling against his. “No. It’s not…” She sniffed again. “It’s fine, but…”

“Deep breath,” he gently instructed, rubbing her upper arms now.

She did as told, taking a deep albeit shaky breath.

“What all did Kafka say?” Dan Heng asked, leaning back to look her in the eye.

Wiping away the remnants of her tears, Stelle began. “She admitted that Caelus and I were both created to hold a stellaron so we could defeat Nanook, and that we were both supposed to die. In every foreseen future, there wasn’t one we were supposed to live. But… like…” She made a flailing motion, as though explaining that her foreseen future clearly hadn’t come true. “Obviously.”

“You made your own destiny,” Dan Heng said. “You and Caelus both, it seems.”

She nodded. “That’s why Kafka told us the truth. Because she… I think she felt bad.”

Dan Heng’s brow furrowed, yet he kept all opinions and doubts to himself.

“So… it’s hard because part of me doesn’t want to hate her,” Stelle continued. “Especially since she raised us and taught us so much. She's the closest thing I've had to a mother figure, even if I can't really remember. But I feel like I should be mad because I was just… I was used. And planted here to fall in line with their plan no matter how hard I tried to escape it. Every step of the way, I was fighting against their plans for me, yet… I was in their plan the whole time.”

Her voice was warbly, and her eyes were red as her tears started up again. He hated it, yet he was helpless to do anything but listen.

“And I’ve got this reminder now,” she continued, grabbing at her chest. “That… that their future for me was never something I could escape from.”

“But you did,” he cut in, cradling her cheeks and swiping the tears from them. “That scar is a reminder you made it out alive. That you’re still here, forging your own destiny with us.”

Her frown deepened. “Yeah, but… Caelus could have just as easily been the one to have the stellaron. It was just… as long as one of us made it on the Astral Express. So even being here now… I feel guilty, knowing I was just a plant. It’s my fault you all were dragged so deep into this war. It’s all… my fault.”

He took a moment to carefully choose his words. “Even if that was the intent of the Stellaron Hunters, you yourself were never a plant. You were, and still are, one of the Nameless due to your own choice.”

She finally looked back up at him.

He gave her a sad smile, his heart in pieces for her. “You choose this path. You fought Nanook because you ultimately are selfless. And we followed you because you were our shining ray of hope. The Stellaron Hunters couldn’t have accounted for the fact that you made such strong connections of your own volition and rallied the galaxy behind you to lead the charge for the universe. That was all you, not the Stellaron Hunters. Nothing is your fault.”

His words sparked a little glimmer of hope back into her golden eyes, only for it to fade just as quickly. "But that was their plan, for me to make connections."

He sighed. "Even if it was their plan for you, it was because of who you are that people rallied behind you. But... if that's not enough, then I guess I just have to give them credit for putting you here. It's because of the Stellaron Hunters' plans that I was able to meet you. Whatever opinions I have of them, it was because of them and their decision to choose you that I was blessed with you as my wife.”

Stelle glanced away, though this time, it wasn’t pain that flashed across her expression but sheepishness. “Kafka told me not to marry you,” she admitted. “At the time, she didn't tell me why, though I guess I understand now. That’s why I tricked you into marrying me. To spite her.”

His lips twitched up in amusement. “How many times do I have to tell you that you didn’t trick me into anything.”

“I feel like I did.”

“I knew what you were doing,” he whispered, holding her close. “Although, I wanted to marry you more formally elsewhere.”

“Sorry,” she returned quietly. “I know I messed up your plans.”

“With you, I’m used to it. I just couldn't say no to you when you were so happy.” He could still remember her unabashed smile as he agreed to partake in that ceremonial wedding dance with her on a planet many, many trailblaze missions ago. Several other couples surrounded them, but as they spun around together—likely missing many of the steps even though the announcer was calling them out and allowing their wrists to grow ever entangled by a silk cloth that connected them—Dan Heng felt like it was only him and Stelle in that moment. He could still feel the way the cloth bound their wrists in the end, tying them together in a union that would not be so easily broken.

He was never one for crowds, hence why he’d been planning a private, quiet ceremony elsewhere, but ultimately, he’d never regretted that being their wedding. Though Stelle did humor him later by partaking in customs he was more familiar with, allowing him to formally present her those particular hair sticks she loved more than anything despite rarely wearing them.

“So never feel bad about that,” he continued. “I was happy to follow you.”

“Yeah, but… what if I had died? Then Kafka would have been right that it was better to stay away—”

“But you didn’t,” Dan Heng cut in, reminding her again. “So don’t worry about a past future that’s impossible now.”

“I just don’t want to hurt you,” she admitted on a whisper.

Dan Heng frowned. “I know you never would on purpose,” he assured. “If I’ve learned one thing from my past incarnation, it is that death is not something we have control over. Even with all the power I have at hand, I cannot bring you back. Which is why I need to cherish the days that I do have with you. Scars or no, and no matter what intentions others had for you in the past, I consider myself blessed every day I spend with you, my starlight.”

Her eyes had lost their melancholy now, regaining some of their normal sparkle. Although, that might have been exaggerated by the new round of tears forming.

“And even if I’d known I would have lost you, I still would have married you.” Sweet words, yes, but words he meant. An outcast like him would have gladly taken that blessing even if he’d known it would be temporary. Stelle had taught him the meaning of “better to love and lose than to never have loved at all.”

She sniffed, her lips warbling as the forming tears broke free and rolled down her cheeks anew. Before he could swipe them away, she grabbed his cheeks and lunged forward to kiss him.

“I love you,” she said, her words weak and whispery.

“I love you, too,” he quietly returned before bestowing kisses of his own on her.

And promise I will love and cherish you for as long as we both shall live. Hopefully, for a long time yet to come.

#honkai star rail #honkai fanfic #romance #danstelle #married fluff #hurt/comfort #hsr kafka #hsr caelus #hsr march 7th #hsr welt #hsr himeko

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pinkprimrose05 · 1 year ago

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ARC-V Month Day 26: Action Magic - Crossover

Oho? What's this? Our cast has been given an entirely new script!! Such curious mixes can create infinite possibilities, each more intriguing than the last. Show us how you're crossing over ARC-V with other media, and let's dive into a whole new world today!

Crossover day, woohoo! This one's been a fun time to work on, firstly because I'm six feet deep into a newfound hyperfixation on Honkai: Star Rail, and secondly because the concept gave me enough inspiration to actually write something new, for the first time in... *checks notes* ... one year and a half!

(Oh God)

In any case, Iter Exitium: On Harbingers and Pathstriders is up on ArchiveofOurOwn, but also available to view right below the cut. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the read!

______________________________________

Listen:

You are in a daze right now.

___________

The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. A short, cheerful chime resounds through your room, and the lock screen of your phone shows the time to be 4:01 A.M.

You pick up the phone from its spot on the ground beside yourself, squinting against the bright light of the screen as it buzzes a second time, signifying an incoming message. Curious, you decide to take a look and see who it is that has enough free time to message you at such an hour.

The contact name that appears before you is... ah. Not quite a surprise, but not someone you expected to be up at this time, either.

"The Simulated Universe has been updated once again."

"Meet me in the office for testing when you return to the Space Station."

The messages are short and straight to the point, in typical Akaba Reiji fashion. You let out a cross between a sigh and a yawn, mark the contact as unread for good measure, and shut the phone before settling back down in your small cot.

Little luminescent stars of various colors fill your vision as you gaze up at the ceiling -your first choice of decoration in what was once a plain, empty room- and slowly but surely, as the hum of your thoughts begins to quiet down, and the Stellaron's pulse settles into a steady rhythm, the gentle tug of sleep pulls you down, down, down.

___________

You do not know who you are, why you're here, or what you're going to do next.

___________

The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. When Yuzu -the other amnesiac two doors down the hall, who proclaimed herself your friend after knowing you for exactly five minutes- barges into your room to wake you up with a paper fan to the head, she says it's already 9:30 A.M.

You scramble out of the room immediately after, plastering an easygoing smile as you jog down to the parlor car, saluting Conductor Classikuriboh as you pass by them. Navigator Youko greets you at the breakfast table with a wave and a plate of honey-drizzled pancakes, and it takes everything in you to not hug her on the spot.

(Sometimes you catch yourself thinking that the Navigator and her husband would make good parents in the future. You have no idea where this specific thought comes from -you don't know the first thing about parents, after all- but the statement rings true to you all the same.

Yuzu joins shortly after, all sweet words and innocent smiles, as if she hadn't just smacked you out of bed a short while ago. Conversations start up and veer off, delving into topics of cooking, music, the IPC's newsletter and many others besides, and when breakfast is finished, you look at the empty plates and an idea springs to life in your mind.

"Hey, wanna bet if I can balance these on one finger all the way to the kitchen?"

The suggestion is immediately shut down by an even stronger swing of Yuzu's fan, and you could swear it leaves a little bump on the side of your head this time. You let out a dramatic sniff when no one offers their sympathy and condolences; Yuzu just stares at you like she's judging an idiot (that's probably exactly what she's thinking), while Youko shrugs neutrally and disappears down the hallway.

"Traitors, the lot of you." You huff, voice cracking under the pretense of mock hurt. "And here I thought the Astral Express was a kind and welcoming family..."

"We are kind and welcoming, you're just not using the one braincell you have." Yuzu fires in retort, moving to pick up Classikuriboh and shoving them in his face. "Seriously, Yuuya? You want the Conductor picking up all those glass shards after you?"

Oh, she did not just pull the Conductor card.

As if on cue, Classikuriboh lets out a series of loud squeaks, wiggling out of Yuzu's grip and shooting the pinkette their nastiest glare. They pull up a small tablet and type in an impassioned message, then place it on the table for everyone to see.

"Hey!" The message reads, as indignant as the little furball who wrote it. "Classikuriboh can handle broken glass and stupid passengers just fine, but Classikuriboh refuses to be manhandled like this! Put some respect on Classikuriboh's name and let me clean the couch in peace!"

Yuzu blinks in disbelief, head swivelling slowly between you and the Conductor. You barely manage to suppress a smug grin as she gives Classikuriboh an apologetic bow of her head-

... Hey, wait a minute.

"Did you just call me stupid?!" You yell after the Conductor, who goes right back to cleaning the couch like nothing happened at all. "Rude!"

Truly, you had no one to support you in this cruel world. Hmph, so be it! You'll just leave them and stay at the Station for the day- see how they'll manage without your entertaining antics.

You whip out the phone and check the messages, then send a "Sure, I'll see you there!" to the young Genius's invitation-

"You're going to the Space Station?"

-and were it not for the fact that you're still seated in a chair, Yuzu's intrusion would have surely sent you jumping five feet in the air. As it stands, all you do is flinch and turn to her with your best face of utter betrayal, to which the pinkette just rolls her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, it's not my fault you're so easy to distract." She turns over her own chair to face yours and moves from behind you to sit down. "Anyway, what's this about seeing Akaba? Does he want your help again? Is he pestering you to test his little game? You know you can just block him, right?"

"Sheesh, Yuzu, slow down! It's no problem, really. I don't mind helping him out with the Simulated Universe- I mean, it's actually pretty fun, and I get to contribute to a cool scientific endeavor while I'm at it. Seems like a pretty good deal to me!"

"Well, if you say so..."

"I do!" You grin at her, hoping it comes off as reassuring. "Besides, there's nothing entertaining on the Express when we're restocking supplies, and I really don't want to just lounge around and do nothing all day."

"You could always help Yuuto with sorting the archives-" Yuzu begins, only to be immediately cut off by the frantic waving of your hands.

"Oh nononononono- nope, nuh-uh, no way. I don't know how he's fine with staring at books and words for hours on end, but I would spotaneously combust if I so much as give it a try!"

Yuzu stares at you. You stare right back in desperate defiance.

She rolls her eyes again. "Fine, fine, go out and touch grass or whatever it is you do for fun. Just don't stay out for too long, okay?"

"Yes, mom!" You salute with a sunshine smile, and dash off not a moment later for fear of a third encounter with the paper fan of death. The last thing you hear before exiting the parlor car is "we're not bailing you out if you do anything stupid!"

Fair enough, fair enough.

___________

None of that matters.

___________

The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. The clock at Akaba Reiji's office reads 11:13 P.M the moment you enter the Simulated Universe.

Just like the last few times, the simulation begins with a fizzle of purple, and then the world around you begins to take shape. The plain walls of the Leo Space Station appear before you, and in a matter of minutes, you find yourself standing in the supply zone, just a couple meters away from a small Antibaryon.

"All systems are stable and fully functional." Akaba's voice drones from his post. "You may start the test run now, Trailblazer."

Nodding, you will your trusty bat into existence and approach the spherical machine, resolved to swiftly put the little thing out of its misery. This run is supposed to be for testing a new feature called Blessings, where you acquire one each time you defeat one of the enemies scattered around the map- an easy enough task, considering the many times you've gone up against said enemies by now.

The Antibaryon retreats into the void after a single strike to its core, and the four Baryons you encounter right after are defeated just as easily, though they take a little longer due to their number and the way they keep bouncing out of range. And so, a few minor battles won, occurences and events gone through, and a bunch of random Blessings obtained later, you reach the first stage of Elite enemies, featuring a centaur-like Voidranger... uh, was that the Trampler or the Reaver, again?

Well, it doesn't really matter, anyway. A hit to the ranger's back takes it by surprise, and from there on it's a game of dodging energy beams and distracting the enemy with Imaginary summons of various shapes, until you manage to charge up a strong enough strike to its weakest point, ending the battle in one fell swoop.

You allow yourself a moment to breathe as the Voidranger disintegrates into particles of data, and your own band of cartoonish animals vanishes in a shower of sparks soon after. One last sweep of the stage confirms it as fully cleared, and so, with a confident smile, you step into the portal leading to the next stage...

... and promptly freeze when your feet touch nothing on the other end.

Hold on, what?

Thousands of small lights twinkle as far as your eyes can see, a few opaque orbs and a smattering of dark rocks dotting the horizon alongside them. Stars, planets and asteroids, you notice after a beat- it seems that the new domain is themed after outer space.

... Wait.

No.

That can't be right.

The only time you were abruptly thrown into space was the very first testing session, the one where you came into contact with... an Aeon...

The realization hits you alongside a sudden wave of heat and wind, forcing you to shield your face against the burning sensation. What the hell was that?

Try as you might, you can't even begin to look for an answer. A buzz of static starts in your ears, mingling with the acute rush of scorching air, the harsh crack of rocks breaking, the discordant boom of stars dying-

It is a symphony of ruin all around you; a glimpse into pure and utter annihilation, brought by a force unknown and unseen-

Except, you know exactly who's behind this.

You've drawn their gaze before, after all.

A blinding flash, a literal supernova, heralds the arrival of death incarnate themself. Eyes of molten gold lock onto stunned red, bearing down on you with the weight of a thousand suns-

It is burning.

You are burning.

You cannot look away.

This is Destruction, you find yourself thinking, as the fabric of reality fractures into numerous shards. Your gaze holds the Aeon's against your will, even when the edges of your vision fade into the dark.

This is Destruction, a voice that is not yours whispers, low yet clear above the din of everything, as the universe itself collapses before your eyes, as the Aeon turns their back on you with a sigh.

This is your destiny, in each and every life.

The light around you dims down like a candle, and all sound tapers off into a low hum. You tip your head back and close your eyes...

Then everything goes white, and all is quiet

___________

....However, what you do know is this.

___________

The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. When you come to once again...

... you do not know what time it is.

"Hm, you've regained consciousness. Can you hear me?"

You blink your eyes open at the voice, and sure enough, the pristine space that is the 83rd Genius's office greets you in all its plain glory, its owner leaning on the wall beside your sitting form. Right; you were at the Station to test out Akaba's newest update to the Simulated Universe, and then-

"Something... something went wrong back there." You mutter, pushing yourself up. "You said nothing about an Aeon showing up, so what happened, exactly?"

"I'm afraid the answer to that is still inconclusive." Akaba says, smooth and level, if not for the minute tremble that tails the end of each word, outing his otherwise well-hidden shock. "Nanook's appearance was not expected at all in such an early stage, and even stranger is that their behavior does not quite line up with the expected parameters, which is a curious anomaly in and of itself."

You shake off the ensuing flash of recollection -ruin, death, destruction- and blink, confused. "Eh? How so?"

"A fact you may be unaware of is that, while some Aeons are willing to communicate with others, some are actively averse to any form of contact, and may react negatively to being seeked out. The Destruction falls under the latter category, according to all past records, and forcing you out of the simulation corresponds with that trait... but the issue at hand is the fact that they weren't seeked out- it was the opposite that happened."

Akaba's gaze slips past yours, downwards, and you place a hand over your chest in response. The Stellaron pulses within your form where a human's heart should be- quiet and dormant, yet a constant reminder of what you are, of the danger your mere existence poses, and the reason you stand here to begin with.

"You think it has something to do with all of this." It is not a question, because it needs not be such. You both know the answer very well.

Akaba nods in lieu of saying yes, anyway. "A relatively likely possibility, but one that must be studied in further detail and from several angles before being taken for granted."

"Huh, so you'll need me for more tests soon? Should I expect another message from you, then? Or maybe a phone call?"

"Only if you're still interested in carrying on with our agreement. Remember: you help me gather data to refine the Simulated Universe, and I will help you answer all questions about yourself to the best of my ability."

You smile. It comes out a little sharper than you'd have liked. "I guess there's only one choice to be made, in this case. Well, I'll see you in the next patch update then- for now, good sir, I bid you adieu!"

Not bothering to wait for a reply that wouldn't come, you push yourself off the wall and towards the office door. Just before you pass through, you glance at the little clock lodged at the far corner of the room, and per the message the ornate arrows read, it is now 2:08 P.M.

As the door closes behind you, you allow yourself one more moment to reflect on all you've seen and heard.

This is Destruction. This is your destiny, in each and every life.

The words puzzle you, and perhaps they'd be alarming to someone else, but right now, pondering them gives you no such worries.

Who's to say anything about your fate, anyway? It is a fickle thing; a tapestry woven through one's choices and actions at each turn of life, unpredicatble and impossible to determine...

And as far as you're concerned, yours is only just starting. After all, the one voice that managed to pierce past the fog of your memories had left you with two things to know:

___________

One: Your name is Yuuya.

Two: Your destiny is yours alone to write.

#arcvmonth2023 #arcvmonth #yugioh #yugioh arc v #yuya sakaki #sakaki yuya #fanfic #fanfic prompt #pink's silly aus #pink's fanfics

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melancholic-hues · 9 months ago

Text

line between truth and pretend (where are we?)

posted on AO3

kafblade week 2024: prompt - dinner party / fake relationship

fandom - honkai: star rail

rating - general audiences

warning - no warnings apply

category - f/m

pairings - blade/kafka

tags - kafblade week 2024 ; pretend/fake relationship ; no beta we die like caiyi

word count - 1796 words

Curse the script.

Kafka breathes in the cool night air of the planet they’re on, looking over at Silver Wolf through her peripheral vision.

Silver Wolf throws her head down, letting out a dramatic groan, flinging her arms over the edge of the fence. Her video game console is tightly clutched in her right hand because Aeons know how she’ll react if the console drops down the, what, seventy, eighty story they’re on?

Kafka waits until Silver Wolf is done lamenting about her deleted game accounts. She must say, this little Herta–Silver Wolf rivalry is amusing to watch. Oh, with the addition of the Screwllum robot. She heard it all from the other Hunter. Silver Wolf hates being outsmarted.

“Kafka,” Silver Wolf turns around and leans against the fence, “You got a date yet?” Her lips are twisted into a mocking smirk, and her voice is drawled out and sarcastic. Ah, right. Her new mission.

“I have plenty of those on my calendar,” Kafka counters, unfazed and calm. But she still needs to find a partner for the script. This is one of the few times she curses Elio’s name. Have you seen the script?

“Good luck finding one,” Silver Wolf snickers, “Just so you know, there’s someone who will definitely take up your offer straight away.” She slips her console away, the device vanishing into neon-colored pixelated code.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kafka asks, tilting her head, though she has a sneaking suspicion she already knows.

Silver Wolf yawns and stretches. She brings her arms down and heads into the building. “Imma head off now. TTYL,” she calls over her shoulder, full of mocking sincerity.

After a moment, Kafka heads in as well, a decision formed in her mind.

“Dinner… party?” Blade asks the next day.

Kafka downs another glass of wine, the purple-red liquid dribbling down the corner of her mouth. She sets the glass down with a clink and nods. “A dinner party,” she confirms, reaching across the counter to pour herself another one. It should be in her best interests not to get intoxicated within such a short amount of time before the mission, but it’s not like Elio can stop her.

“And you need a partner for this,” Blade looks down at the script. “Are you sure you want it to be me?” he hesitantly asks.

Kafka nods again. “Sam can’t go because it’ll look weird. Besides, we’ve been partners on several missions already. This one is no different.” Deep down, they both know this one is drastically different. Previous missions didn’t require anyone to pretend to be in a relationship. Previous missions didn’t need her to find someone to be her “husband.”

Will it be so bad, though?

…She shakes off the curiosity. What a pesky little intrusive slip of a thought.

“Of course,” Blade says, slowly, “I will go with you, then.” He shifts from his position, eyeing the wine glass Kafka is holding in her hands. Wine from a planet known for its drinks and culinary arts. The universe is infinitely vast and holds so many surprises. She didn’t even know a planet can manufacture several thousand different types of alcohol.

“Thank you, Bladie,” she smiles, “The mission is tomorrow evening. We have to check into the hotel in two system hours. I wish Elio gave us more time to prepare. Alas, we will have to make do with what little time we have.” It’s unusual for Destiny’s Slave to hand them a script on such short notice; it’s even more abnormal for this to be such an important mission. Apparently, they have to retrieve something that Elio foresees will be an important bargaining chip in the future.

Blade gives her a tight nod. “So I have to call you my…”

Kafka chuckles at the faint dust of red spreading across his cheeks. “Yes, husband ~ ” she teases.

Blade turns an absolutely ferocious shade of red at that.

***

They are to enter the ship, arms linked and as a couple. Kafka is to introduce them, referring to him as her “husband” and her as his “wife.” Blade thinks their marital status, however fake it is, should not be of the security guards’ concern. Kafka disagrees.

“Got it?” Kafka asks him in Xianzhou, their go-to foreign language so no one can understand what they say, placing a reassuring, black-gloved hand on his upper arm. “You don’t have to say anything during the check-in. Leave all of the talking to me.”

“Okay.” Blade pulls at his tie one more time through the camera of his phone. He had to forgo his bandages for gloves that Kafka bought at the last minute, her reasoning being “it’s not proper enough for an exquisite gala like this.” Blade doesn’t think so, but what does he know about being proper? And, besides, who is he to disagree with Kafka?

Kafka looks like a goddess in her outfit: a long black, shoulderless dress exposing her left leg in dramatic layers and laced black gloves; her hair is curled, flowing down her shoulder in rolling magenta waves. “Our ride is here,” she looks at the black limousine that pulled up, Sam in the driver's seat. He is not sure how Sam managed to fit, considering he always wears considerable shoulder armor. “Let’s go,” Kafka nudges him in the elbow.

“Yes, wife,” he says, the word strange in his mouth.

Kafka smiles. “I see you’re getting into the act already, husband ~ ”

Blade clears his throat and walks up to the limousine, opening the car door for her. Kafka winks at him when she steps in like a princess to a carriage. Except Kafka doesn’t need a prince charming, and Blade can never even be considered a prince. The thought alone disgusts him.

He enters the car after her and takes a seat on the U-shaped velvet couch next to Kafka.

Their ride to the gala is silent. Blade isn’t sure if he should initiate conversation, since Kafka is looking out the window, a tranquil smile on her cherry lips. She had spent a long time on her makeup, and Blade wants to ask the universe how someone can, somehow, get more prettier than they already are. Kafka does not abide by any rules, it seems. She never has.

They pull up in the parking lot of the gala next to a lot of similar limos and elegantly dressed patrons, though none of them can match Kafka’s beauty.

“Enjoy your date,” Sam says matter-of-factly as they get out of the car. He does not flinch at Blade and Kafka’s glare.

He takes Kafka’s hand in his when their turn comes.

“Good evening,” the security guard greets. “Names?”

“Good evening, I’m Lily Ming, and this is my husband, Ren Ming.” Something about Kafka’s fake identity taking his pretend last name shouldn’t be as heart-stopping as it is right now. It really shouldn’t, and he’s being delusional.

Kafka hands over their identification cards, and the guard lets them through. “Have a nice night,” they say, stepping aside.

“Good work, Bladie ~ ” Kafka praises.

He is not blushing. He is not blushing. He is not blushing. He did absolutely nothing. Why is he blushing?

Blade inhales and lets Kafka take him to their next location.

“Would you be so kind, husband, and take me up on this dance?” Kafka asks, holding out a hand. They have a period of intermission before they kick-start the next act of the script, and Kafka clearly isn’t going to let go of any chance to have fun.

Blade blinks and looks at the other couples on the dance floor. “Are you sure?”

“Unless you don’t want to. Are you a good dancer?”

There are bits of broken memories that float to him, then. He remembers holding the hand of someone on the Xianzhou Luofu, their grip firm yet gentle, and them two dancing underneath the moon on a clear night, cups of wine long since forgotten on a stone table away from their makeshift dance floor.

That is in the past. He is not the beloved anymore. He is Blade. The steps are a bit hazy, and he is most certainly not a professional; nevertheless, he can manage. He just hopes Kafka isn’t looking for a standard ball dance.

“If you don’t mind me accidentally stepping on your feet,” Blade murmurs.

“As long as you don’t do it excessively,” Kafka replies and pulls him onto the floor.

Turns out, he still remembers a lot of it. It’s mainly muscle memory; although, Kafka is obviously stunned and (hopefully) pleasantly surprised by her expressions.

He twirls her around and bends her over to the beat of the orchestra, smiling slightly. He’s, admittedly, having fun during this. Kafka’s eyes flash with something he can’t name, but she’s smiling. She hasn’t stopped smiling since he took up her offer to dance.

Blade allows himself to feel nice about this, just this once.

He tells himself he is just following the script.

He tells himself this has nothing to do with their relationship. All of this is strictly professional. They are to not speak of this mission ever again after it ends regardless of their victory or loss.

He tells himself this over and over again as they talk to the other patrons as a married couple. Tells himself this over and over again as they ask about their fabricated past. Tells himself over and over again as they awe over how perfect they look and how gorgeous their children could be.

He tells himself Kafka is not into this, that everytime she calls him pet names like “babe” and “dear” and “darling” and “husband” are all part of their plan.

He tells himself he is just really playing the role whenever another man comes near Kafka, trying to talk to her, only to be unnerved by his cold glare.

This is all play-pretend, and they are to shed the personalities of Lily and Ren Ming as soon as they step out into the night air again after the gala ends.

The night ends.

They are yet again successful in their mission. Blade is holding his suit jacket in one arm and his other is looped with Kafka’s.

Maybe it’s the alcohol they both drank a generous amount of, maybe it’s the overwhelming amount of couples kissing around them; but Kafka turns to stare at him, her smile reaching her lovely eyes.

“Promise me something, Bladie,” she says. It’s the first time she called him Bladie ever since he’d agreed to be her pretend date to this gala.

“Yes, Kafka?” he asks.

Kafka leans over and kisses him. Just along his jaw, with her fingers caressing his face.

She whispers into his ear: “Promise me, forget everything about tonight.”

#melancholic-hues #writing-hues #blade x kafka #kafka x blade #honkai star rail #blafka #kafblade #kafblade week 2024 #hsr blade #hsr kafka #sam hsr

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mysteriawrites · 1 year ago

Note

Hello! This is my first time making a request so I hope I don't ruin it-

I'd like to ask for a romantic matchup with honkai star rail, For pronounce, I use she/her. For romantic preference, male characters. I'm an INFG, for my personality, I'm pretty closed off and introverted, my silence and blank expression always gives off the impression that I'm intimidating (that's what people tell me at least) but I'm just shy and silent. I can handle socializing, but once my social battery runs out, I immediately escape to the nearest quiet place to recharge. I like helping people,as well as being productive to finish my work. I'm good at reading people and observing them, to the point my friend comes to me to ask my opinion about other people. I can't stand being in crowds, you will find me hiding in some corner or an empty room on family gatherings. I'm good at comforting and know many ways of comforting different personalities. I tend to be emotional and sensitive to words from the people I hold dear to my heart, I'm nice and easy going once you get to know me, I don't judge on first meeting, understanding and considerate. I'm the supportive mother of my friend group. For hobbies...I love reading, listening to music, drawing and sketching and recently writing stories and novels. What I look in a romantic relationship... stability, loyalty and honesty. I tend to overwork myself a lot without realizing so I need someone to tell me to slow down, I also have a tendency to overthink every little detail and situation so I want someone to stabilize me when I'm stuck in a hurricane of thoughts. I don't know how to express my feelings (ahem, I feel like I'm burdening someone if I talk about my feelings.) and try to give hints that I'm not feeling well, I want someone who can pick up on these hints and comfort me. I take relationships seriously and want someone to be loyal and not run away. My love language (me giving) is physical touch and acts of service (I was never good with words) as for receiving, probably words of affirmation and physical touch. For date ideas...I'm good with anything as long as it doesn't have a lot of crowds, something that I hate... ignorance and cheating, definitely my turn off.

Hello Hello thank you for the request sorry it took so long (why was your description just me in a nutshell *existential crisis activate*). *ahem* Anyway lets get straight to the point. DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

GEPARD LANDAU!!!

(Omg this gif is so cute XD <3)

You and Gepard are very similar, but I think that's why you two get along so well. You both are not the most socially adept people, but you both wish to protect those closest to you in your own ways.

I imagine you guy's love story starts as childhood friends...well sorta. You two are kind of more friends by association then anything. You're Serval's best friend so you two know of each other and have talked a few times over the years, but don't know much about each other besides that. Best friend's brother trope but in reverse.

You guys don't really get to know each other until Serval and her band have an after party for their latest album release. You're there to support you best friend (and be the designated driver) and Gepard is there for the same reason (and to be the security/bouncer). You two bond over childhood memories and your shared love for Serval and start talking (totally wasn't part of Serval's plan to set yall up).

After that night you guys start to hang out more, outside of Serval planning something, when Gepard has some free time. You two mainly spend your time together in the quieter parts of Belobog like the library to read together. He likes to read your writings and sometimes you'll draw pictures of him (which makes his face go a bright pink despite not being in the frosted wasteland lately strange)

It takes Gepard awhile to realize (and help from Serval, Luke, Dunn, and Pela) for him to realize he's been slowly falling for you. He goes through the 5 stages of grief trying to understand his feelings. When he finally reaches the acceptance stage, he starts to plan how he will ask you out. He remembers Serval reading him stories about handsome knights wooing beautiful princesses with their chivalry and gentlemen like nature, so that's exactly what he does.

One day he knocks on your door with a bouquet of roses, gets down on his knees, and asks if you will go out with him. Except it didn't go at all as he had planned given that he kept fumbling with his words, and you were frozen like one of the ice statues he had seen in the wastelands. It was hella awkward for both of you and he was about to turn away in defeat you let him inside to talk things out. and the rest is history.

You guy's relationship is shy, but sweet. You're both pretty awkward baby beans so you guy move pretty slowly, but sure enough you are moving forward. You guys prefer to keep your relationship quiet, not that you lie you just don't do PDA or call each other nicknames in public. In private however Gepard isn't opposed to hand holding and some snuggles.

Serval loves yall's relationship so much, she's glad her brother and best friend have both found good people let alone each other. She likes to tease you guys on how shy and flustered you are. Sometimes Pela uses you two as inspiration for her own writing and you guys compare notes. Dunn is especially happy for his boss/best friend, he had never seen him so happy.

Gepard himself can be a workaholic too, but he understands that you can't protect anyone if you don't take care of yourself. So, he likes to help you live a healthier life like he does. Positive reinforcement talk in the mirror, helps you overthink less by taking deep breaths and encouragement, he makes sure you eat 3 Nutrional meals a day, he makes sure you get decent rest (at least 8 hours of sleep at night), and he asks you how your day was and how you're feeling. he can seem like a bit of a parent, but he just loves you and wants you physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.

Gepard is very busy as captain of the silvermane guards and doesn't always have time to hang out, but you're always on his mind when on duty. He keeps a little picture of you in a locket which he wears at all times. It reminds him of all the things worth protecting.

Sorry if this was a bit short, I ran out of ideas, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless.

Runners Up: No one

#multi fandom blog #multifandom #multifandom account #multifandom writer #multi fandoms posts #multifandom fanfiction #matchups #multifandom imagines #multifandom x reader #honkai star rail #gepard landau #gepard x reader

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justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms · 1 year ago

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Hello! I’ve never done a matchup before, so I’m sorry if it’s too much! Could I get romantic Star Rail, Demon Slayer, and Genshin matchups? ^^

Pronouns/Sexuality: I use she/her pronouns! My sexuality is a bit complex right now, but I know I fall somewhere under the asexual umbrella. I'm not quick to catch feelings, but when I do, I’m whipped. In terms of romance, I'm attracted to masculine presenting people (ex. cis men, trans men, and non-binaries!)

Zodiac/MBTI: Gemini / INFP

Appearance: Brown eyes. Slightly below shoulder-length denim blue hair with blonde ends - my hair is typically swept to the side, covering my right eye. I stand at 5'1" and am slender for my height. I have pale skin with a few beauty marks on my neck and the side of my face. My fashion style leans toward goth/emo, and I have a few ear piercings, along with a septum piercing!

Personality: On a first impression, I come off as intimidating and aloof. I’ve had friends tell me that I looked like I wanted to kill them when we met and was surprised as I'm really just unsure about how to socialize and unintentionally appear unfriendly. Beyond that, I'm a laidback and open-minded individual. I tend to reflect too much, unconsciously psychoanalyzing myself/others. I'd describe myself as a pessimist, and my thoughts can sometimes dwell in dark places that I get stuck in sometimes. Isound monotonous, which I find hilarious because I tend to deliver the darkest jokes with a straight face, leaving people confused. I often playfully pretend to have a god/superiority complex; I'm known for my biting sarcasm, snarkiness, stubbornness, and occasional sassiness. However, I'm also logical and prioritize thinking with my head before my heart. My demeanor can switch between being playfully sarcastic and being timid and awkward, depending on how well I know someone. I have a tendency to be a people pleaser, even going so far as to sacrifice my own well-being for people I don't even know well. I’m a good listener, but I severely lack charisma.

Likes: Drawing, sword collecting, history, playing/watching video games, writing, TTRPGs, rain/thunderstorms, my five cats, metal/rock music, the colors blue/purple/red, the moon, and star-gazing.

Dislikes: People who can’t maintain an open mind, the color green, being in the sun, doctors, heights, and people who are immature, blindly optimistic, or excessively loud.

Extra Information: I'm scatterbrained and forgetful with doing certain things (ex. Taking medicine, eating breakfast, etc.) I also tend to do better with people similar to me, personality, interest, or backstory wise! But also maybe someone who would push me to leave my comfort zone or pull me out of my pessimism.

Thank you! ✨

Hi! Oh my goodness! It's so exciting being someone's first matchup request! Thank you for your request! Sorry it took a while. I hope you like your matchups!

In Honkai Star Rail, I match you with...

Caelus matches your sarcastic nature well. However, while you’re more open about saying those things out loud, Caelus is more the type to keep them to himself, until you’re alone.

Then the sass comes out in full force as you both talk about your days.

Caelus is reasonably mature and open minded, so arguments will rarely happen. He also strikes me as a bit of a people pleaser. But don’t think that will stop him from expressing his opinion.

Video game dates! Caelus loves video games and is pretty flexible about what you play. Whether it’s a multiplayer where you’re on a team or facing off, or a single player where you take turns with the controller, Caelus just enjoys sharing one of his main hobbies with you.

Will take you stargazing. The Star Rail is great for that since there’s stars everywhere you look. But Caelus also enjoys finding good stargazing spots when you get to a new planet.

There’s always a whole new sky to look at and you can learn about it together.

In Demon Slayer, I match you with...

Giyu’s another one who loves your sarcastic nature. He thinks it’s a nice change from the overly optimistic people he’s surrounded by on a daily basis.

Your stubborn streak is something he’s more familiar with. Between Inosuke and Tanjiro, as well as the other hashira, there are a lot of stubborn people in his life.

He can be a bit close minded sometimes but, as shown when he accepted Nezuko, Giyu can open up to ideas that he’s initially sceptical of.

Not a loud person and appreciates that you’re not overly loud either. He enjoys being able to spend quiet time with you reading or watching you draw.

His favourite moments are when you’re relaxing together and there’s gentle rain outside. He can very easily fall asleep like that.

I see Giyu as someone who doesn’t mind cats. He resonates with them. They remind him a lot of himself. So needless to say, he will get along well with your cats; he doesn’t pester them but he’ll give them affection when they approach him.

In Genshin Impact, I match you with...

Diluc enjoys being able to spend time with you. He appreciates the peace and quiet after time spent in the Angel’s Share. Whether that involves watching you draw, reading something you’ve written, or relaxing in silence, he loves every moment of it.

He’s also glad you’re a good listener because after a shift at the tavern, Diluc enjoys talking about all the patrons he encountered. It’s a good method of decompensating.

He likes your cats but he’s not sure whether he genuinely likes them or because you like them. Either way, they remind him a lot of Diona which leads to some interesting interactions.

Like Caelus, Diluc enjoys stargazing with you. He’ll take you into the vineyards where no one will disturb the two of you and lay out a blanket to rest on.

In a house as old as Dawn Winery, there’s sure to be a decent collection of swords. Diluc is more than happy to let you add to it as you see fit. He’s happy with his claymor but it can’t hurt to have a selection at hand.

#writing #fanfic #matchup #matchup request #request #honkai star rail #caelus #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #giyu tomioka #genshin impact #diluc

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kalpasio · 2 years ago

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It's Been One Week

A one shot where Kalpas and Reader happen to interact, no real relationship though

Rip to 1k fic train anon. Hope you're alive out there somewhere <3 I stole this from an ask you sent because the idea still haunts me today. Also this reader is definitely ripped straight from Heart of Stone Heart of Fire (so very few emotions, unbreakable shield) because I thought it would fit well? I do not know

“I don't think Kalpas washes his feet.”

You mentioned this casually while eating lunch with Sakura and Emile one day. The three of you had unofficially made an agreement to meet every so often to compare notes about your favorite chaos causer—not Elysia. Emile wanted to know for the numerous reports he had to file on his subordinate, Sakura wanted to know so she could prepare for the next mission she shared with Kalpas, and you wanted to know because you had unfortunately become his regular sparring partner. If a mission had gone poorly, you wanted to know so you could have the ice ready for after your match.

Sakura was already sitting with you and eating, but froze mid-bite to give you an unreadable look. Emile had been running late, and only just gotten his food (it was just coffee), but he stopped just short of sitting down, unsure whether he really wanted to be a part of this conversation. Your completely blank expression was nothing new to the two MOTHs, but they both still stared at you like you had two heads.

“What do you mean?” Sakura spoke hesitantly, and Emile sat down just as slowly.

“I ended up on the floor--”

“Again?”

“Again,” you confirmed and Emile winced in concern for how often you got thrown around during your sparring sessions. “But there was some of Griseo's paint on his foot that I remember watching him step in last week.”

“Maybe it just hasn't come out yet? I've had to wash some of Rin's clothes for weeks before that paint comes out.” Sakura suggested, trying to come up with an excuse so that she wouldn't have to worry about the topic. Convincing Kalpas to wash his feet was not something she wanted to attempt, nor was it something she wanted to think about.

“We definitely would have noticed if he didn't wash his feet,” Emile argued, taking a rather large swallow of his coffee. “I mean, think about it. He steps in Honkai goop all day, he'd come back reeking. Besides, I know he showers because we have to dunk him in water when he gets too on fire.” The water did nothing to actually put out the flames—the whole tank would just start boiling if Kalpas was angry enough. Really, it just annoyed him being stuck in one place, and the only way they would let him run off was when the base wasn't at risk of being set ablaze. Or at least, was less likely to be set ablaze.

Still, the idea of a very large, very scary man made of fire being hit with water like a pet with a spray bottle had a hint of a smile playing at the edge of your lips. “And wouldn't he burn off anything he picked up?” Sakura added, and the three of you nodded in agreement for a moment before you spoke up again.

“Those both rely on him going off base.” Your friends froze. “He hasn't been on a mission this week.” You watched their faces fall as they realized the truth in your words and struggled to come up with another explanation that would save them from this conversation. Unfortunately, none came to mind, and you could see the exact moment they each gave up. Sakura gave a small frown at her salad, fork frozen in place, and Emile had set down his mug in favor of holding his head in both hands.

“No...” he sighed in defeat. “You make a good point.” The victory did very little to make you feel better.

“I'll talk to him,” the MANTIS spoke while aggressively stabbing a tomato. “Try to get him to clean up after missions.”

The three of you officially started mission: get Kalpas to clean his feet, and boy did you regret.

“No Dice,” Emile groaned and fell into the chair next to you, his legs kicked out so he was completely laid out. “'Why would I wash my feet? They're just gonna get dirty anyway,'” he mocked. “I'm going to kill this man.”

“Do you want me to?” you asked, sounding sincere in your offer and standing up to further show your willingness to follow through.

“No!” your friend nearly fell out of his seat in his rush to stop you from making good on your promise. Kalpas was by no means a pushover, and arguably the better fighter between the two of you, but you were really just trying to wear him out when you fought; he couldn't hurt you if you didn't let him. Quite literally an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object when he ran headfirst into you.

Slowly, you sat back down, with Emile following suit only after he was sure you weren't going to get back up. “Maybe you should just take him off base. Like a dog on a walk,” you suggested and unsurprisingly got a groan in response.

“He'd just break everything. I would rather deal with stinky feet than all the paperwork I'd need to file.”

“You hardly even see him, when are you smelling his feet?” You argued, though it had no heat behind it.

“I try to kill him at least three times a day, thank you!” There was silence as you both tried to think of a solution. “Could you just get him to burn it all off when you spar?” Emile finally asked but you quickly shook your head.

“If he gets that hot, safety protocols engage.”

“So? Doesn't that just mean he gets doused? That would be even better!”

“He knows better,” you crossed your arms and closed your eyes as though in thought. “As hot-headed as he is, I can't goad Kalpas into being that angry. It's also a chemical they spray him with, not water, so he would smell worse.”

“You've really thought about this, huh,” Your friend stared at you in shock when what might barely register as a slightly irritated look crossed your face.

“I can shield myself from damage. Not from horrible feet smell.”

“Kalpas, it has been two weeks,” you deadpanned from the floor. “If you put your nasty-ass feet on me I will throw you through the wall.” As usual, there was no emotion in your voice, despite the angry phrasing. Still, the words made your opponent hesitate for a moment with his foot held in the air above you.

Of course he tried to stomp on you. You really should have known better. And of course you threw him through the wall and into the rest of the gym. He really should have known better.

Everyone had stopped moving and was staring at you both, concerned more for their own safety than either of yours. When the dust had cleared, Kalpas was on the ground, laughing as he stood up, and you were scowling at him as you stepped through the hole you'd just made.

“Finally decided to fight?” Both his tone and the implication of you two properly fighting had most people in the room clearing out rather quickly.

“Kalpas,” you took a deep breath and returned your face to a more neutral expression. “If you do not wash your feet right now, I will drag you to the showers and do it myself.”

“Oh?” he taunted. A taunt from a MANTIS as strong as him should have had you running, but he seemed to underestimate how done you were with smelling week old sweat. The moment he ran at you, you braced yourself, and when you both collided, he was forced to the ground with you standing over him. Kalpas snarled for half a second, before shouting when you grabbed him by the ankle and started pulling.

He was in too much shock—and you were moving too quickly—for him to really try and fight. The most he got was when you tried going through the doorway, his other foot caught on the edge and he pushed backwards so you both stopped moving. You froze, and he was about to gloat that he had won, but when you turned around and gave him a burning glare, Kalpas quickly shut his mouth.

That's not to say he gave up. You still had to yank on his leg, and take half the door frame with you, but you got Fire Moth's smelliest agent into the shower stalls, with only his feet inside and managed to get the water on before he started complaining again. The process was slow, and if you weren't able to protect yourself from the heat, your arms would have been completely burned, but after the better half of an hour, Kalpas finally had clean feet.

Emile and Sakura were shocked to see the two of you standing side by side when you came to lunch that week. The three of you wouldn't normally invite the subject of your chats, but this week you wanted to show off your hard work. As you stepped up to the two, you pointed down to the ground at Kalpas' feet with a calm look that could easily be misread as pride. Emile and Sakura both leaned to the sides of the table to see what you were pointing at, and both of their faces lit up with shock when they saw your achievement. Of course, there was angry grumbling throughout your meal, but you were used to ignoring it by now, and you had promised to let him eat with you as compensation for 'letting' you clean his feet. As though you needed his approval.

Kalpas says like 2 words to reader and they're "what the fuck are you doing" and "fuck you." very short, but it stuck with me (I also was thinking of writing a second one shot this week, we'll see if I'm alive) double also, I was definitely thinking of that scene in atla where they try to clean Toph's feet and they need 4 people to hold her down and then one of them gets thrown through a wall. that's Kalpas <3

#kalpas x reader #honkai x reader #azaryawrites #tamalethebear #cross posted on ao3 #I never know what tags to use #my b

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