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Chapter 10: Intermezzo, Op. 117 No. 2

Summary:

“Joining the Stellaron Hunters, each of us is granted a wish that Elio can help us achieve. All we have to do is follow his scripts and I’ve devoted myself to that cause wholeheartedly. My own reasons being that I want to achieve my wish when the time is right.”

“What is your wish?” They both knew she was going to ask that but it still causes Kafka’s heart to beat a little faster than it should, a strained laugh slipping out of her and Himeko doesn’t like the sound of it.

“Well… would you still look at me the same if I told you I never felt fear in the eyes of my enemies?”

Notes:

what's up guys!! wow everyone really enjoyed last chapter and ngl me too XD ugh it was so great to finally write all of that and even better for you guys to read it. truly makes me happy to see people see reading this and leaving their comments behind on every update, I'm really grateful for that <33

okay! so for this update it's much more dialogue and plot heavy but dw!! I've already planned some much more... steamier moments for the next chapter :) like I've mentioned before I have like 2-3 smut scenes planned out so stay tuned!!

also? really happy to see all the positive feedback on the Italian Kafka hc, akjnsdajdn it was kinda self indulgent on that part but also I did wanna add something somewhat new to her character for me? even if it's just her eidolons the idea was still fun to explore and I'm glad everyone for the most part agrees. bonus points: I also put another hi3rd ref lets see if you guys will find it :)

as always I'll say more at the end, enjoy !! <3

(also word count here is about 16k!)

twt | tumblr

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Himeko, 

 

It pains me to leave you like this, to an empty bed and an even emptier bedroom, but these things are a necessity and time waits for no one. Especially not for us. 

The curtains have risen, the actors have entered and the scene begins for the next act of this play. Your crew will continue their battle with the enemies of the Luofu, the Stellaron’s corruption shows no mercy and they will encounter Phantylia, Lord Ravager of the Antimatter Legion deep in the depths of the Luofu. It will end in a bittersweet victory, if you want to call it that. All else will be revealed to you such as the involvement of the Antimatter Legion and the past of one of your crew members. That is all the pieces of information that I know are true as the rest is still not written for me. 

We’ve entered the climax of this story and soon all will be foretold. Once more, I’m sorry for leaving you like this, but do not worry. Our paths will cross again tonight.

 

Always by your side, 

 

Kafka

 

By the time Himeko finishes her letter, she’s left there sitting in a whirlwind of emotions. She reads it again, once more digesting the elegantly written words on a piece of sheet music Kafka had somehow procured. It certainly doesn’t belong to her which leads her to believe it’s one of Kafka’s belongings, sheet music used for her violin, sentences messily scribbled  between each measure throughout the entirety of the sheet. She sighs slowly through her nose in silent irritation before placing the note on her bed, willing herself to not read it again.

As much as Himeko hates to admit it Kafka is right, time waits for no one as now they’re now harshly brought back to the reality of the situation around them. The Stellaron aboard the Xianzhou Luofu, abominations of the Abundance rising in strength and numbers, then her crew in the middle of all its chaos trying to help those around them. They’ve only just returned having spent another night at the inn they’ve used as a temporary resting place on the Luofu lately, and Himeko already knows there’s much that needs to be discussed.

However, even with that thought her mind wanders back to Kafka as spares a glance at the paper sitting next to her. Although no one has made an official statement yet, she knows Kafka is hers in the same way she is to her, or so she hopes. To think she has crossed such an intimate line with her… Himeko herself still can’t believe that she allowed this, for them to have sex and to continue whatever they have between them. She’d spent the majority of her time around the charming woman and slowly got to know the person behind the mask, has discovered glimpses and pieces of her story and Himeko wants to know more. There’s still much of Kafka she doesn’t know. 

Her past and what her life was in her old homeworld, why she had joined the Stellaron Hunters and what is her goal with them, what else she plans to achieve with this… relationship between them and so many more questions that continue to fester in Himeko’s mind. All she’s gathered so far is that aside from being manipulative and cunning and elusive, Kafka is also kind and patient and endearing, qualities of her personality that she has a hard time ignoring. Is it because of her loneliness? Perhaps, but Himeko also knows it’s because she has truly grown fond of the hunter’s presence and the small impacts she’s laid on her life. She doesn’t crave her coffee as much, her old love for the piano no longer makes her feel bitter or sad, and most of all she finds herself laughing and smiling more than usual.

Even with that though it doesn’t ease the small ache that’s settled in her chest now waking up to a cold and empty bed. Himeko sighs while running a hand through her hair and trying to decipher the many feelings that’s threatening to overwhelm right now, closing her eyes in hopes of easing some of that conflict. She can’t expect too much and for Kafka to tend to her needs all the time, but it does hurt… knowing how she comes and goes with the waves like it were nothing, like she is nothing. The remaining doubt is hard to ignore when Himeko had let her touch, seeing her in such a vulnerable and open state. Yet, she’s also been extremely honest lately and Himeko can’t downplay her efforts just because her own emotions try to pull her back into the very darkness she’s slowly escaping from. There’s much that needs to be discussed between them, but Himeko will wait for Kafka’s return and see what the future ahead will hold for them. For now, she focuses on getting ready and meeting the rest of the crew in the parlor car.

Without wasting another second she slowly stands up from her bed, leaving the letter behind and walking towards her private bathroom. When she flicks the lights on and looks at her reflection, her golden eyes immediately widen as a wild blush immediately spreads across her face and to the tips of her ears. She bites her lip hard while raising one of her hands to her neck where a large portion of it is covered in bright red hickies, all reaching down to her chest, and she already knows it’s going to be a pain to hide. The anger melts into embarrassment and annoyance and then Himeko is groaning to herself as she leans against the bathroom wall, still staring at her body while cursing up a storm in her head.

Why did Kafka have to leave? Why couldn’t she have just woken her up with her by her side and a proper goodbye?

It’s a small detail really but it matters to Himeko, so used to people coming and going like nothing. Then for Kafka to be doing the same hits in a way Himeko had thought she had forgotten. Her brows pinch together softly while reaching for the sash of her robe, body warm and mind a mess as she tugs the knot loose and unveil the rest of her body to her own eyes. Her throat and chest wasn’t the only place Kafa generously decorated with her teeth, seeing a few more marks along the inside of her thigh where her dress will have a hard time covering. Himeko rests her temple against the wall with a small groan, taking in the state of herself, and the more she stares the redder she becomes.

Oh, she wishes for one blissful moment that things could have lasted a bit longer, to have felt the warmth of another and those soft, plump lips and not the harsh emptiness of her bedroom. Himeko bites the inside of her cheek with a silent sigh, closing her eyes as memories from the night before return to taunt her. She let Kafka touch and she loved every second of it, her hands caressing the softness of her body and fingers entering inside her with a delicious stretch. The way Kafka had also showered her with so much praise and attention, all the things Himeko just wanted to hear. She was beautiful and handsome, voice a dangerously dizzying murmur against her ear and pulling her deeper into the heat of pleasure. And still Himeko craves more, wants Kafka to kiss her and touch her again and again– until all that can spill out of her mouth is her name. 

A pang of arousal shoots up between her legs and that’s when Himeko stops herself from daydreaming anymore. She subtly squeezes her thighs together before leaning off the wall and purposely ignoring the reflection of her blushing face as she sets about preparing her bath. 

Now is not the time to get turned on, especially when she’s about to go see her crew. 

//

Soft, quiet footsteps echo down a familiar hallway, the walls around her watching her every move in silence as Kafka continues walking. There is no humming or melody playing in her head, just the unnerving silence that is the calm before the storm. Each footstep seems to grow louder to her own ears, ringing to an unknown crescendo as the begin to loom and grow, towering over her with a kind of unease she rarely ever feels. Her brows twitch and her heart beats a little faster than usual but on the outside Kafka remains the same, carrying that casual easy-going smile of hers as she soon arrives at her destination. Suddenly, the ringing in her ears stops when she opens the door that leads her into a meeting room and sees the very person she’s been meaning to speak with. 

A tall figure dressed in all black stands on the other side of the room, in front of the window that gives a breathtaking view of the galaxy, however Kafka doesn’t focus on the stars. Her cool magenta eyes bore into the back of his skull, drawing nearer to the man, as the faint taps of her heeled boots is the only other sound they hear. Soon she stands by his side while turning her neutral gaze into the great vastness that is outer space, silence blanketing the entirety of the room for a moment. She stands with her arms crossed and mind calm, those short next few minutes pass until finally it is broken by her companion.

“What music do you hear, Kafka?”

She huffs a quiet laugh at the question, head bowing a little as her eyes fall shut.

“Three lullabies to my sorrow,” Her voice is a soft, delicate thing in the silence of the meeting room. “Dreamy and elegant, yet unsettling and oddly melancholic. Beautifully resigned in a way that you feel… unfulfilled by the end of it. That is the work of Brahms Intermezzo Op.117 No. 2.”

A gruff laugh rumbles besides her as Kafka waits. “Quite the mouthful, don’t you think?”

“Such is the way of music,” She continues without a beat while tapping her fingers along her bicep, eyes still closed. “A conversation between friends, a confession to a lover. These emotions cannot be expressed so easily in the same way a poet writes bold proclamations in their letters. Music is just like that.”

“And what brought this particular piece to mind?”

Kafka doesn’t say anything and lets the silence speak for her. She eventually lifts her head, blinking slowly and adjusting to the dim lighting of the meeting room and the view of the stars in front of her. She then turns to the person on her left, meeting his uncanny and omniscient stare with a calm one of her own. Instantly, the hairs on the back of her neck rise while looking at him and her heart beats fast and loud for reasons she can’t quite understand. The more she watches him, the deeper she sinks into the depths of his eyes and just before Kafka falls into the abyss she releases a soft, muted hum.

“Himeko.”

Elio smiles, the corners of his mouth twisting up in a way that would have unsettled her were she not used to the sight of it. He knows what happened on the Luofu, of course he does, and he must almost know exactly how she’s feeling right now.

“I assume you have your questions,” It’s a test. He wants to hear her thoughts and emotions first before saying anything that could influence them, and Kafka willingly accepts. 

“Hmm, only a few,” She says rather indifferently while Elio nods a hum, gaze dropping to the floor for a minute before returning. “But I won’t question too much. Everything happens for a reason, right?”

“Sharp as ever. You’ve been taking your notes on me.”

“For someone with the ability to foresee the future, you’re pretty easy to read at times, Elio.”

“Is it the eyes?” He points to his own face, his stare unblinking as he looks at Kafka who calmly observes him. “Ah, they’ve always been a pesky little thing for me.”

“It is.” 

They both know she has more to say though, a lot more on her mind than what she’s just telling him, yet Kafka remains firm and doesn’t say much else than that. Eventually, Elio backs away from her, a thoughtful expression crossing his features before he nods after a moment.

“A lullaby for your sorrow. I wonder… has the past and present changed you in a way that the future holds a greater value that was never there before? Something that has influenced you for the better or for the worse?”

“Only you know the answers to those questions, Elio,” Kafka simply states in a cool, apathetic tone, however there’s hints of something else in there. Vulnerability, and of course he sees this, already knowing how this conversation was going to unfold.

“On the contrary, Kafka,” He says smoothly while wearing a much softer and genuine smile, and for some reason it both eases and unsettles the waves of emotions she’s feeling right now. 

“You know them as much as I do.”

“How?”

“How, why, when, where.”

Elio begins to walk away from her and to the meeting table, and Kafka watches him the entire time. He spares a glance in her direction and gestures to the other side of the table where a few more chairs lay. She wordlessly listens to his silent command, stepping away from the window and soon takes a seat right across from him. Here, they sit as equals, just two beings with very different mindsets but also very similar goals, and it is Elio who speaks again for them.

“Those are words that constantly make their place known in my mind,” He leans back into his seat with a long, heavy sigh that reaches deep into her own chest before Elio continues. “Such is the curse of this power. The many questions that taunt your every move, and that no matter how many you answer more will form. It’s a cycle that never ends.”

“And people say I speak in riddles.”

“That you do,” He laughs warmly and the corners of Kafka’s lips quirk up slightly. “It seems that’s something we’re both associated with often. But back to what you asked me, how? Well, to understand the question you must retrace your step to the very beginning of when you formed it.”

“The beginning of what?” Kafka can’t help it, she asks before even realizing what she’s saying and Elio stares at her for a moment before tilting his head, the grin never leaving his face. 

“The beginning of these events and that only you will have the answer for them, Kafka. It’s only a matter of time before all is revealed to you.”

‘But I still don’t understand,’ She subtly shifts around in her seat, irritation starting to crawl up her spine the more Elio continues to be vague with her. Another tes. She knows that he’s keeping something from her that will influence her future and that Kafka must accept things for how it is, accept the conditions forced upon her and dip once more into the unknown. He’s done it before, withholding key pieces of information from her all for the script she willingly follows, just like in the Divination Commission this is no different for her. The mystery and following his judgment, however… now with Himeko thrown in the middle of this- of this new mess, Kafka is having a hard time sitting still. Of listening to him, and she slowly comes to a new realization that’s been right in front of her face all along.

“I’m part of another script,” She states the obvious as it is and Elio doesn’t hesitate to speak honestly this time around.

“Everyone is, and this is one you must take alone with little help from me. It’s crucial that you do.”

She almost asks how but holds her tongue at the last minute, knowing exactly the kind of game Elio is playing and deciding best to not entertain it anymore. Her frustration boils then simmers, the muscles in her jaw twitching a little as she takes a deep breath in and takes a different approach.

“My mission for Dan Shu,” She keeps a leveled head while staring him down and Elio doesn’t flinch one bit. “What of it now?”

“Seeing as things are playing out exactly as I hoped for them to be, you will continue your journey through the Alchemy Commission and eventually land in Stargazer Navalia. An opportunity will appear at a very precise moment, I don’t need to tell you what it is, it’s required that I don’t. Instead, it’ll be up to you to decide whether or not you’ll push forward.”

“I’m sensing a lot of the finer details have been left out here,” Kafka mumbles rather lightly, but there’s a bit of a bite in her tone that’s dipping into it, magenta eyes glowing with the same intensity as the omniscient one across from hers. 

“The choice is yours,” Elio says simply, still smiling, before he nods at her. “I am simply giving you a guide– a warning if you will, for some of what the future holds.”

“You know that’s not what I mean, Elio.”

“Then what do you mean, Kafka?”

“Himeko,” Her voice has grown tight now, softening only around the name that she’s dared to mention once more around the powerful man. She doesn’t waver under the weight of his gaze, fingers tapping away to a measured beat on the table as she continues. “This is about Himeko making an appearance in the script, something you never mentioned about before.”

“Me not mentioning her was a necessity. If I did, the outcomes would have been entirely different.”

“And that is?”

“Do you really wish to know, Kafka?” 

Silence fills the room, a tense one, as neither of them speak. She knows exactly what he means, he knows that she knows what he means by the question proposed as more of a statement to her. She knows the best out of the rest of the Stellaron Hunters that waiting is a key part of the game, for the script to work and for their plans to succeed Kafka understands this the most. But no matter how much she claims to be and follows his order, she’s bound to stray from her path every now and then just like the rest. It’s inevitable like how Blade constantly seeks out the Luofu and the ghosts of his past, Kafka does the same now with her… feelings towards Himeko and her involvement in both the Express and her life. It’s a bit of a blow to her pride, causing her tongue to flick against her teeth in gradually rising anger and– 

She’s beginning to crack. Kafka quietly stares at him for a moment, her thumb seeking out the smoothness of her silver ring while releasing a slow, steady exhale.

“No,” She replies a bit curtly, voice soft but firm, the uncomfortable sensation of Elio’s stare never leaving her as her body responds in a way that’s familiar to her. “That’s not necessary.”

“I had assumed so. You already know what I told you about Himeko’s timeline, the nearly inescapable truth that follows her. I have nothing against you pursuing your own… goals, but everything comes at a price.”

“And what of her safety?”

Elio smiles, one full of pity and Kafka hates that it’s directed at her. It makes her feel weak, fragile, and brings the reality of the situation much heavier onto her shoulders.

“You know I don’t ask for much, Elio…” She trails off with a tight chuckle, throat beginning to burn strangely while Elio doesn’t relent.

“You are no different from the rest, Kafka. I must treat you all the same. Each script details each possible outcome at the end of the path, the question of it either being good or bad is useless for us. To ask if someone will survive is to cost the very path to crumble and change its course for something far worse at times.”

“You’re contradicting yourself there.”

“I might be, but that is a taste of what this power does,” He slowly leans forward onto the table while crossing his arms over it and Kafka feels how her heart thumps harshly against her chest, waiting and waiting for a hint. For an answer. 

“I’ve already seen the paths constructed before me since the moment you saw her, orchestrated each move to perfectly align themselves to what it is now, and now I must do the same. Pull the strings required of me and let the rest unfold. The thing is though, I already have.”

Kafka doesn’t say anything this time around, the voices growing louder and beginning to scream at her the more Elio talks. She continues to calmly caress her ring yet on the inside a different kind of turmoil is unfolding, one that she has never felt before– a stronger emotion she’s yet to get a taste of until now. Her eyes can’t seem to look away from Elio, as if he’s put her in a trance and Kafka has no choice but to stare back at him.

“You have approximately two days to eliminate Dan Shu. She will be in Stargazer Navalia well protected by the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, your understanding of mara however will give you an advantage over them and so is your very strength. The entire time this is happening the Astral Express crew will encounter Phantylia and a choice will be given to you, multiple ones really, and the first will happen today after you leave this room.”

“Is that all?”

“Almost,” His face softens and Kafka waits. “When I allowed you to ask me a question the last time we spoke you told me nothing, why? Well, because you already had the answer all along.”

‘That of knowing the right thing at the wrong time…’

“You’re thinking of it again. Good. It seems like everything is unfolding as it is, now it’s time for you to play its leading actor and perform the rest of the scene.”

The curtain rises and there in the middle of the stage is Kafka. She looks out in the audience, seeing that it's empty and so is the rest of the theater, except for one. She hears a melody: graceful, pensive, unfulfilling and it sounds so familiar but she can’t turn around, her body doesn’t let her for some reason and it’s like she’s stuck in another dream again. With an agonizing slow twist of her neck as she looks over her shoulder and Kafka feels how her heart leaps all the way through her throat. 

Red fills her vision. Red and white. A figure sits in front of a piano wearing a long, white elegant dress that reaches all the way to the floor where it delicately spreads out in every direction. A few roses decorates the dress on either side of her hips before Kafka gradually brings her gaze up higher and higher, landing on the crown like headpiece where another rose sits to the side and- again, Kafka forgets to breathe. She turns her head, scarlet waves swaying gently, as a pair of pretty, golden eyes meet her own stunned, magenta ones and then she smiles. 

Himeko smiles at her.

Kafka blinks and everything is gone before she can make sense of it. She looks across from her and sees Elio still there, having watched her the entire time she was experiencing this vision, and his stare is beginning to make her feel uncomfortable now. She swallows hard before releasing a shaky little exhale, trying to pass off her uneasiness with her signature chuckle but even that sounds forced. Questions, so many questions fill her head, and Elio states she has the answer to them all yet Kafka feels as if she’s stranded on some island with no means of escape. It’s just her and the void that surrounds her, Himeko’s face flashing through her memories, her life her destiny her fate

“That’s all I have to say for today.”

Kafka stays silent, too caught up in her own world for a proper response and settling on giving Elio a low hum. She doesn’t waste any more time sitting around in front of him, moving away from the table as the air begins to suffocate her the longer she stays in the room.

“Then I’ll be off,” Comes her terse reply as Kafka soon stands in front of her only exit, reaching for the door knob but Elio’s voice stops her.

“I am not your enemy, Kafka,” She stares ahead while listening to him, his voice an unnerving whisper behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end once more as she listens to him.

“You may feel however you want towards me, but at the end of the day nothing will change the ground we stand on. I apologize that I cannot tell you much about Himeko and what the future will hold for her… however I can assure you that you are very crucial to her journey, and the same can be said of her… to you.”

He’s never outright confirmed that for her and Kafka always had assumed so considering how often they met it was practically already a known fact, but to hear it from none other than Elio… it has Kafka feeling strange. She should be happy- elated even, yet why can’t she shake off the feeling that something is off? That something is coming for them? And it’ll be more than fate just this time around. 

Kafka once more is reminded of recent events, from her mini argument with Himeko to her being led back to the Express and then later asked by the redheaded beauty to stay the night. Of course Kafka accepted, how could she not? To spend time with every person that’s constantly been on her mind, yet deep down she knew it was more than that. In that moment where she had been looking at Himeko’s soft, pleading face and her honeyed amber eyes that never failed to put her in a trance, Kafka knew it was more than just attraction. 

How her heart swelled with an almost painful warmth, how it felt like she wasn’t breathing whenever she looked at Himeko, how her body responded in a way that she never had experienced… fuck, it’s so much more than that. That’s where it leads her into this troubled state of mind, unsure of what to do without the guide of a true script and relying only on her selfish instincts. Kafka clenches her jaw hard before exhaling harshly, rolling her neck a little before fiddling with the cuffs of her dress shirt and releasing a low, rumbling hum as the silence stretches on for a moment until eventually she looks over her shoulder, an imperceptible turn of her head and catching the man sitting in the corner of her eye.

“Don’t fuck me over, Elio.”

//

Oddly enough, everyone decides to spend the night on the Express. They’ve recently spent most of their nights at an inn located on the Xianzhou Luofu for easy travels between missions, but much has happened as of late and both the body and mind has grown troubled for all of the crew. She immediately felt sympathy for the state of her family, especially March and Stelle who seemed to be the most affected out of the rest. Welt is soon the one to inform her that the Luofu’s amicassador of the Sky-Faring Commission had not been herself all along, that the real Tingyun was never here to begin with and how Lord Ravager Phantylia was the host of her body throughout this journey. Kafka had already told her about the Lord Ravager so the surprise didn't hit her full force, but Himeko wouldn’t have guessed that the enemy was right beside them this entire time.

“Miss Tingyun…”

Stelle is silent next to her but her mere presence alone comforts her, Himeko can tell by the way March gravitates towards her. She runs a gentle hand through her pink hair and the sight puts her at ease, a small smile touching her lips, glad to see them relying on each other. She then looks over to Dan Heng who wears an unreadable expression, none of the anxiety from before is present but Himeko can tell that something is still off with him. Eventually, her attention falls onto Welt who speaks up for the rest of the crew. 

“The General insisted that we reconvene at a later time seeing as Dan Heng plays a key role in the fight against Phantylia.”

“How are you holding up, Dan Heng?” It’s March's concerned voice that fills the air next, brows knitted together as she looks at his tired form. “It probably wasn’t easy to perform your ritual and split the ocean in half like that.”

“I’m okay, March,” He manages a small, tiny smile before carefully looking at each of them. “We should rest. There’s still much to do and we’ll need to be at our best for what's to come.”

“I agree. Let’s rest.”

After Welt’s last words everyone part ways and go to their own rooms with Welt himself staying in the parlor car. Everyone seems rather shaken with little words swapped between them and Himeko makes a mental note to check on the younger crew members later on. Just as she’s about to enter her own room, a quiet voice stops her.

“Miss Himeko?”

“Dan Heng…” She sighs around a soft smile, turning back around to see the calm yet hesitant look on his face. “You know you don’t have to be so formal around me? We talked about this.”

“Right, of course. I’m sorry… force of habit,” His brows knit together some as he nods at her. “May I speak with you? It’s about some of the things that have happened recently.”

She’s not unfamiliar with this little routine of his. It doesn’t bother Himeko one bit since she’s glad to see Dan Heng slowly becoming comfortable enough to share some of his worries to her. They’ve been on the Express together for a while and she was hoping that at one point the young man would seek her guidance the same way March and Stelle do. Himeko smiles again at him and opens the door to her bedroom, letting Dan Heng in and closing it with a quiet click. 

“What is it that you wanted to talk about?” She already has a feeling as to where this is going but figures it’s best to let Dan Heng confirm it first. He soon stands in the middle of her bedroom and Himeko watches him from a distance, his back turned to her as she crosses arms.

“I… confronted Blade,” He finally faces her, only meeting her gaze for a moment before dropping it to the floor and Himeko frowns at seeing him still so uneased. “He will stop. For now.”

“That’s good,” She says firmly but for some reason Dan Heng shakes his head and that only serves to confuse Himeko. “That’s not good?”

“He wasn’t alone when I saw him. His other Stellaron Hunter companion… Kafka… was also there.”

Her heart instantly drops at the mention of her name. During the entirety of these visits Himeko did little thinking of what the others may think of her being associated with Kafka. Sure, she had thought about it here and there at certain times but she was too wrapped up with the hunter to even notice the consequences of her actions. One that faces her today.  

“It seems that she was only there to watch over him and do some task for the General. I don’t know why since they are considered the Luofu’s enemies…”

“Do you suspect something else is odd with them?” Himeko asks, trying to see what he knows that Kafka might not have told her. She tries to wrack her brain over the series of events that has happened recently: the crew, the Luofu- and tries piecing together a somewhat coherent timeline.

“Finding Blade wasn’t an easy feat while also trying to meet with the others,” He bites his lip before releasing it with a sigh and looking her way. “Which is why I needed help to find him.”

She blinks at the blunt statement before feeling her blood go cold, heart beating fast as it slowly dawns on her the path this conversation is now headed. Himeko nods and schools her expression into something casual while holding his somewhat pleading gaze which strikes her as odd. 

“What’s on your mind, Dan Heng?” Himeko asks softly because there’s no use in trying to make excuses along with the suspense of waiting that’s starting to make her feel anxious as well. “Trying to find someone from the Express is something that’s limited to even my own abilities, but I feel there’s something more to this.”

“I saw the ring you were holding the other day.”

Oh. Oh no.

“When I went to go get my things and come back… I saw you playing with a silver ring,” Himeko flinches, no longer able to keep herself calm as Dan Heng hits her with something completely unexpected. Her heart pounds harder than ever before, her breathing almost comes to stop, and she swallows around a dry throat while looking off to the side. Unfortunately, he doesn’t stop there.  “You didn’t notice me right away, so I made my presence known after a second or two when you continued to stand there.”

“I… see,” She knows Dan Heng isn’t dumb and that out of everyone else on the Astral Express he is their most observant, Himeko prepares herself for everything he might have discovered.

“And this morning when the others waited in the parlor car and I went to my room…” Oh no, what did she miss? Did he notice something that she didn’t? Himeko continues to hold her breath and this time when he bites his lip he’s no longer looking at her. “I… noticed some blood on the floor and given what I told you guys of being of Vidyadhara descent… my senses are stronger than most, and I was able to detect a familiar scent in it as well.”

“Oh…” Himeko doesn’t even know what to say, face hot with shame, embarrassment and guilt realizing how much Dan Heng has known and discovered up until now. She weakly balls up one of her hands before taking a deep breath in and trying to calm her racing heart. “I…”

“I’m not one to pry and I completely respect your space, Miss Himeko. But…”

He stares at her in palpable confusion, brows furrowed tightly as he shakes his head.

“But what was Kafka doing on the Express? You understood my importance to seek out Blade and this whole time you were meeting with her?”

“It… is a complicated and private matter between us, Dan Heng,” The guilt and shame keeps eating away at her chest as he watches her, his pale green eyes growing indifferent while she continues. “I did request for a… discussion from her.”

“The Stellaron Hunters were never my enemies to begin with. The situation with Blade was something that was forced on me, but I needed to find him,” He tilts his head and that same hurt from before flashes through his eyes. “Nevermind you two meeting. I needed to find Blade immediately to put a stop to his… madness and find the rest of the crew. You could have easily helped me with that given your connection.”

She’s both relieved and slightly sorry now seeing that Dan Heng didn’t really care about whatever that is going on between them and their history and more so the fact that Himeko didn’t help him as much as he needed. The weight on her shoulders lifts a little but not by much as a tense, heavy sigh slips out of her. 

“You’re right. It’s my fault not to assist as promised, especially with your past and everything related to the Luofu.”

“At the same time though, I cannot put all the blame on you, Himeko…”

Her eyes widen at the sentence and the drop of formality while Dan Hend turns away from her some. “Why do you say that?”

“The phone reception on the Luofu wasn’t working, most of the areas were on lock down and… Blade and I once shared a connection,” Now he’s the one wearing a sorry look as he turns back to Himeko, not quite meeting her gaze either. “It was my predecessor really but still, the bond remains, and I cannot look at him with true hate. Before the Stellaron Hunters, he was just a person and he had a life like anyone else.”

“So you don’t see the Stellaron Hunters as our enemy?”

“Not really. As much as she tries to keep it to herself Stelle has a very strong connection with Kafka,” He crosses his arms, pale green eyes dark and solemn. “However, I don’t know the full details. She’s also grown increasingly quiet and doesn’t talk as much as she used to…”

“I’ll have to check on her,” Himeko shakes her head a little, brows knitted tightly. “But that’s something for later… I’m sorry, Dan Heng. At the most crucial moment you needed me I wasn’t there to support you.”

“It was also something I kind of needed to do alone anyways. My past being intertwined with Blade and the burden I carried- still carrying… I also needed to take full responsibility for them.”

“Still…”

“It’s okay,” He manages to send her a small smile but Himeko can see the hurt remaining in his eyes as he looks at her. “What’s important is that Blade will stop… for now that is. That’s why I came here, and that I wanted to speak to you about this situation as a whole. Not only him.”

“Right…”

First, she had let Dan Heng down and practically forgot about his request for help and then he discovered that Kafka was seeing her, things are not looking great for her… Himeko sighs while letting her eyes fall shut, unsure of what to really say or do. She knew eventually that this was going to happen, that someone was going to find out about their very complicated relationship and how she’s seeing someone criminal wanted by the rest of the galaxy. She had shown her distaste for Kafka, her caution and annoyance towards the hunter when she first appeared on the Express. She’s seen her before as well- has met her before, but in that moment Himeko pretended that she was nothing else but her name: a Stellaron Hunter. Of course, Kafka played along with her, smiled and teased like they were nothing more than old, distant lovers who’s fire is once again reignited, and in a way it felt just like that. 

Her patience and charming attitude, the way her voice would often drop into a soft, sensual whisper and lastly her willingness to listen to all and every one of her thoughts. That’s the Kafka she has grown to appreciate and understand, and there’s still so much more she doesn’t know about her, but Himeko is… happy because for one she isn’t so lonely anymore. She didn’t want to feel the way she does now for the other woman, constantly in a battle with both her body and mind to stop these embarrassing urges that grew stronger with every meeting of theirs. Himeko was frustrated, annoyed, and most of all ashamed to harbor such feelings for someone like Kafka. She tried to ignore it for a while but there’s also no point in denying herself something so true and set in stone, that Kafka can be that shoulder she can lean on.

However, in doing so she ignored and almost completely forgot the consequences of her actions that are now coming back to bite her. She’d become selfish in her desires as the warnings were less frequent, the need to remind Kafka to not harm her crew gradually becoming a distant memory and soon enough Himeko ended up indulging herself on the addicting woman. It’s hard not to when you’re constantly alone with no one to turn to but her suitcase and train, and even despite how much she loves her family, they always felt so far away from her. Like Himeko was nothing more than a background character in this journey.

‘But with Kafka… it never felt like that.’

Himeko bites the inside of her cheek at the thought, a storm of emotions running wild in her heart before she speaks again.

“So you saw the blood and was able to detect her scent?”

“Yes…” Dan Heng says quietly, averting her gaze for a moment as he continues. “As said before I had just seen her and Blade recently, with my Vidyadhara background it was easy to put the pieces together.”

“The others saw?”

“I don’t think so and if they did I’ll just say it came from me.”

“Dan Heng-” Himeko immediately shakes her head at him, taking a step towards his direction before she stops and heaves a great sigh. “You don’t have to do such things for me. I am my own person and I should take responsibility for my actions as well.”

“You’ve done much for us in the past, Himeko… it’s the least I can do,” He shrugs now looking at her again, face a bit unreadable but less stressful than what it first was. “Stelle already has a connection with Kafka, it’ll be pointless of me to direct any anger at you when she also speaks with her. Blade and I aren’t very different from that narrative as well.”

“But you’re upset?”

“I was upset that you could have helped me a little on my mission for Blade,” He crosses his arms, holding her gaze while Himeko listens. “I was already spending too much time searching for the rest that any minor help would have been appreciated.”

She can’t help but wince at that, the guilt eating her alive again. “I see now.”

“I don’t know what you and Kafka have, but rest assured that it doesn’t concern me at all…” He taps his fingers against his biceps, considering his next words before nodding at Himeko.

“Perhaps in an earlier time it would have. Most of my own problems stem from the Luofu… returning to the very place that exiled me, the burdens I carry, they matter more than anything else to me. Talking about this now actually lifts some of that weight off my shoulder.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Dan Heng,” Himeko whispers softly with a small smile that he returns. 

“I won’t question anything, I trust you… Himeko, and so do the others. I can’t speak on their reactions if you ever tell them the truth, but we’ll be here. Like we’ve always been.”

“Thank you, Dan Heng, for understanding and your patience. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to face me about this when the facts were so easily laid out.”

“I won’t lie, I didn’t want to come to terms with it either but when I recognized the scent and the ring… when I saw her use her powers and saw those same rings on her hands…” Dan Heng smiles a bit apologetically at her, a hint of betrayal clear in his eyes that has Himeko feeling awful again. 

“I didn’t want to accept it.”

Who wouldn’t? To see the very person who accepted him onto the Express to be fraternizing with the enemy? The same people who are named Destiny’s Slave to suddenly become somewhat of an ally to the Express with their most wanted seeing its navigator? She just knows from the outside it does not look good for her but… at the same time Himeko doesn’t care. Not when Kafka speaks of stunning poetry into her ear and touches her in a way no one has in a long time, Himeko wants more of it. More of her. It’s rather frustrating how the circumstances are but there’s not much she can do except accept things for how they are and hope that the rest will understand her in the same way Dan Heng does. 

“But I’ve already told you how I felt,” He nods at her and Himeko feels like she can breathe a little better now. “I will respect your more private matters, and if you eventually tell the others well… I’ll be there too.”

“You’re too kind, Dan Heng. Seriously. I wouldn’t be mad if you decided to chop my ear off,” Himeko says jokingly and earns a light chuckle out of him but he stands firm in his resolve.

“I understand what it means when someone doesn’t know the full story, when you make assumptions before getting the big picture and that’s the way I feel now. It will just take me a minute to get used to what could have happened and what has already happened now.”

“Of course,” She also nods at him, feeling entirely grateful for his understanding attitude as Dan Heng turns away from her a little. “That’s all you wanted to speak about?”

“Yes. That was all. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Thank you and… I’m sorry again, Dan Heng.”

“It’s okay, Himeko,” He’s quick to reassure her once more with another genuine smile. “We’ll always be here… we’re family.”

Family.

Of course. How can she forget that they’re family? Despite not being blood related to each other, the trust and dependence is there, and it’s something Himeko wants to keep between them. She’ll just have to figure out how to break the news to Stelle, March and Welt soon… Dan Heng’s support helps but inadvertently causing him to keep this a secret while she’s still meeting Kafka will be difficult. She won’t be able to hide it for long and it’ll also be a matter of time before the rest find out.

Himeko waves him goodbye and as soon as she’s left in the emptiness of her room, she releases a long, heavy sigh before sitting on the edge of her bed and finally closing eyes. Himeko won’t lie but she feels her thoughts slowly reverting back to old ways and thinking about what her life would be like right now if she had only pushed Kafka away. The thought is fleeting but it's there, a nasty little voice in the back of her head that has decided to make its presence known and telling her how easily all of this could have been avoided if she had just told Kafka to stop instead of encouraging her advances. An awful, tempting solution to a rather pesky problem, except Himeko knows it would have solved nothing. After all…

She would have encountered Kafka again anyways.

There’s a knock at her door and Himeko immediately straightens at the sound, composing herself quickly while sweeping some of her hair to the side. It’s probably Dan Heng again, he must have forgot to mention something else to her or probably wants to talk some more.

“Come in,” She calls out softly, already preparing herself for the worst.

And she gets a welcoming surprise. 

“Hey there, starlight.”

Of course. Of course. It just had to be the very person on her mind. Himeko can’t help but laugh to herself at the mere timing of her arrival, unsure whether to be relieved or panicked from her visit. She doesn’t look at her yet, listens to the faint foot falls of her boots as she slowly comes into sight. Himeko steadily brings her still very much conflicted golden gaze onto Kafka who greets her with that familiar charming smile of hers. Something hot twists in her stomach but she ignores it for now, putting all of her attention to the hunter in front of her. 

“How did you manage to board the Express with the crew around, Kafka?” She tilts her head a small lopsided grin, magenta eyes raking over her tensed form and soon she’s staring a bit too close for comfort.

“I have my ways. It’s surprisingly easy to get around here,” Himeko’s already tense body shifts uncomfortably under her attentive gaze, doing her best to keep herself calm except Kafka sees right through her. She hums softly while eyeing her up and down. “I would make a comment about your poor security but I have a feeling now is a bad time for something like that.”

“You guessed it alright,” Himeko mumbles with another weary exhale, gaze wandering off to the side somewhere. “A lot has happened just now.”

“Enlighten me then.”

“I…” She’s suddenly reminded of last night, the time they spent together and how she woke up this morning alone in her bed. Himeko bites the inside of her cheek, the frustration and hurt from before once more making an appearance as she turns her attention back to Kafka. 

“First… your letter and how I…”

Her eyes instantly soften and Himeko feels too many things at once: anger, disappointment, distress – all of it is there and more from the conversation she just had with Dan Heng and now with Kafka here it’s overwhelming. She wants to talk about the letter and of last night, where this relationship of theirs is headed and most of all how it will affect the people around here, and there is still so much more Himeko wants to say. She can feel a headache coming from all the thoughts bouncing around in her head and painfully drawing her attention to each and every one of them. It’s confusing and stressful, but at the same time some of the anxiety dies down at the sight of Kafka. To have her here and listen to her Himeko couldn’t be more grateful, but again this tug of war in her chest doesn’t relent and she sits there, utterly conflicted.

‘I hated that I woke up without you by my side. Why did you leave? Why didn’t you let me know? Why didn’t you tell me goodbye at least…’

“It was unfortunate to wake up the way I did but I understand that you have your own life and responsibilities,” Is what Himeko settles on saying and her heart screams at her for lying while Kafka stares at her with an unreadable expression on her face, purple eyes reverting back to their neutral state and to be honest, Himeko doesn’t like it one bit.

“I hurt you didn’t I?”

The question completely takes her off guard, heart jumping to her throat painfully so as her lips part, no words escaping her while Himeko stares. Kafka huffs a small, quiet laugh but it sounds off and unlike her before she shakes her head.

“I didn’t want to leave like that either, I know how painful it is to wake up to the emptiness of a cold bedroom,” She says solemnly with a cross of her arms, leaning her weight from one leg to the other. She holds Himeko’s stunned gaze the entire time she speaks. “I’m sorry, Himeko. You didn’t deserve that considering the night we had just before…”

“Oh…” The rest of her words trail off into an unintelligible mess of noises as she blushes hard, face heating up uncomfortably as she covers her mouth. Kafka laughs again and it’s much softer this time around as she watches her with evident yet guilty amusement.

“Really though, I am sorry. That’s why I decided to visit you as soon as possible,” Now it’s Kafka’s turn to look uneasy, her usual confidence wavering along with the smile she wears. “There’s some things I also wanted to discuss with you about.”

“What is it?” Kafka shakes her head again though and reaches a hand out to her, magenta eyes gazing at her so tenderly but fiercely all at the same time.

“Come, let’s sit on your sofa.”

“Why the random request?”

“I don’t want to dirty your bed with my clothes.”

“Honestly, Kafka…” Himeko breathes a soft, flustered noise before easily sliding her palm onto hers and she notices how they fit so perfectly. 

Kafka just chuckles at her while giving her hand a light squeeze and leading them to her sofa nearby. No matter how she feels towards the end of the woman, she’ll always fall for her charms time and time again. To know she also has her full attention does wonders to her own confidence, reassuring her in a way Himeko didn’t know she needed. Soon they’re sitting together, watching how her thigh brushes up against hers and hand now ending up in Kafka’s lap who just holds it there, grounding her. It’s her silent way of supporting Himeko, showing that she’ll continue to be by her side and just like she asked of her last night… she’ll always come back to her.

“You tell me what’s on your mind first, darling,” Kafka whispers the gentle command to her, gaze heavy with adoration and patience, and how can Himeko refuse? She bites the inside of her cheek, her stomach warm and liquidy though it doesn’t last long as she looks away from Kafka for a moment.

“You always appear and leave whenever you like so I thought maybe this time it would be different but…” The back of her neck also heats up from the confession and suddenly she feels like a fool for expecting or craving such things from her. “Ugh, that sounds so selfish.”

“My dear… I think you should know who you’re talking to here,” Kafka says with a teasing lilt and Himeko rolls her eyes a little at that, silently appreciating the same joke from her. “The word selfish is always a part of my vocabulary.”

“Then I’m being silly aren’t I?”

“No,” Her reply is simple and firm, her gaze subtly intensifying and showing just how serious she is too and Himeko doesn’t say anything. “The moment is just as important as what happens afterwards.”

Aftercare. Himeko’s heart flutters at the very obvious message Kafka is sending her and she finds herself falling that much harder for the other woman. She already apologized to her this morning but that was through the letter and not in person like she is now, and Himeko could cry right now. So long has she kept everything to herself, her thoughts and emotions, and to finally show a much vulnerable part of herself to someone is liberating. Painful, but very much liberating, and Himeko shows her thanks with that soft, gorgeous smile of hers that Kafka easily returns. 

“That’s true…” She hums quietly before squeezing her gloved hand against hers in another form of silent gratitude. “It seems you’re more observant than I thought.”

“Oh, starlight, how can I not? When I have someone as beautiful and brave as you in front of me.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, you know…” Himeko manages to tease back, blushing hard at the bold compliment Kafka gives her and how she leans in closer to her. 

“Hmm, then I’ve been pretty lucky so far, don’t you think?” Her grin is unlike anything she has seen before. Warm, genuine and content, and it’s a sight Himeko can easily get used to, feeling how her heart continues to ache with a painfully delicious throb. 

But she needs to focus.

“E-Enough, Kafka,” Her other hand finds her chest and lightly pushes the hunter away from her, trying to keep a bit of space between them so the fuzziness in her head can go away. Kafka doesn’t protest, but Himeko knows she wants to, seeing how her jaw tenses slightly and smile now seems a bit strained. She clears her throat softly and gathers her thoughts soon after. “About that note you left behind this morning and where you wandered off to…”

“Of course. Believe me when I say it wasn’t easy to leave like that, but I digress,” The tension in her features remain, eyes taking a more passive stare and Himeko can see the mask slipping back onto her face. “I had a very fun conversation with Elio earlier.”

“What happened?”

“The script…” Kafka laughs a bitter sound, shaking her head lightly while reclining into the couch with a low hum. “There’s been another script I wasn’t aware of this entire time and well, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”

“What do you mean?” Himeko frowns at her, confusion etched across her features while Kafka stares, her other hand playing with her rings once more. “Be clear with me, Kafka.”

“It means that the script– my script, Elio is not involved with it. Not directly at least. And whatever happens now it’s up to me to choose which path I want to go down from.”

“You’re saying… that the script is basically empty? That Elio hasn’t told you the entirety of the future?”

“Essentially, yes,” Kafka huffs out tiredly, still holding Himeko’s hand as the other finds itself under her jaw. She hums lowly in thought with a look of concentration on her face, staring ahead, and Himeko simply watches her. “Hmm… but in a way he has also told me about the future in his own convoluted and cryptic version.”

“I… see…” She doesn’t know what to say really, too many questions filling her head again and luckily Kafka senses some of her distress and helps get rid of them. Well, kind of.

“This is where things get a little… complicated.”

“What… do you mean by that, Kafka…”

When she doesn’t look at her right away, keeping her gaze forward, Himeko can feel how her heart plummets because the only time Kafka doesn’t meet her eyes… is when something bad has happened. She tugs her a bit too forcefully, causing her shoulder to bump into hers and Kafka for her part actually looks a little surprised at the action.

Kafka.”

“Hey hey, I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”

A tight laugh escapes her, her smile off and brows furrowed slightly. Himeko bites her lip when Kafka suddenly lifts her hand to place a soft, chaste kiss along her knuckles and that eases away some of her anxiety. Only a little though.

“Guess I wandered off for a second, didn’t I?”

“Don’t scare me like that…”

“Of course,” But her words still sound a bit forced even with her affectionate display. Himeko decides to leave a few of her questions for later and instead listen to what else Kafka has to say now. 

“Continue,” She says simply and Kafka does.

“Your crew has already caught you up on the situation within the Luofu. Soon, they’ll have to fight Phantylia and the rest of the abominations of Abundance that will stand in their way,” Kafka takes a pause, licks her lips while glancing off to the side before exhaling slowly. “That is a part of the script that I’ve already been informed of. However, everything else after that is unknown to me.”

“Unknown?”

“Think of it like this, I stand at a crossroad now and there are many paths ahead of me, each one that I can choose of my own volition, yet with each path there is a fog obscuring everything ahead of me. And that is the unknown.”

“The script…” Himeko tries to piece together what Kafka is telling her so far, the hunter choosing to remain silent for now as she looks back at her. “Why would he purposefully not tell you anything about the future? Why is he letting you walk into the unknown?”

“The same way he lets Blade face his past time and time again, causing the mara to flare up. The same way he lets Silver Wolf do as she pleases and face the consequences of her actions.”

Kafka shrugs at her and that has Himeko frowning a little, however, there’s suddenly an odd smile on her face as the hunter stares at her closely. 

“The same way he lets me chase after you and indulge these selfish desires of mine.”

Her stomach flips at that. Hard. And Himeko feels a wave of emotions hit her, both the good and bad and it causes Himeko’s body to feel hot all over as the weight of Kafka’s words finally dawns on her now. She wasn’t joking when she said she’s obsessed with her and that Kafka means it seriously, and that she very much craves Himeko in a way that should be deemed unhealthy. Yet her actions say otherwise, her kindness and patience too different from this bold proclamation but then she realizes another thing. How she looks at her so possessively, her magenta eyes glowing with a power so thick it puts her in a trance every time, and most of all the way Kafka absolutely praises her to no end all lead to the same thing.

Her obsession.

Himeko swallows roughly as suddenly the air grows a little hot between them, a familiar heat threatening to form down below. She doesn’t let it though and shifts a bit restlessly under Kafka’s intense gaze now. 

“It’s all for the script.”

“So I’m a part of your script, is what you’re saying?”

“You are…” Except she doesn’t sound as happy as Himeko would have expected her to be and suddenly the haze that was settling down is quickly lifted, a distant look painting Kafka’s face. “I’ve only now realized how inevitable this all is and that you are very much my destiny like I am yours.”

“Did Elio tell you any of that?”

“In a way, yes. He knew like I did that we are forever intertwined but it took these words to finally confirm and establish that fact for me. And, well, something told me so the entire time.”

“So where does that lead us now?”

“Us, huh?” Kafka smiles a bitter thing, no longer able to look Himeko in the eye and dropping her gaze to her lap. “It’s an ‘us’ now?”

“Kafka…” She wants to reach out and lift her chin, fingers itching to do so, but Himeko doesn’t and bites her lip instead with a crease between her brows. “I told you don’t have to do this alone…”

“That’s just the thing though.”

Kafka shakes her head while biting her lip as the voices grow louder and louder and- she doesn’t know what to do. For once, in her life, Kafka doesn’t want to mess up anything that she currently has with Himeko and whatever the future may have for her. She’s always felt so indifferent towards such things – the past, present and future – and now those feelings have changed and suddenly Kafka cares. Her little interest over the esteemed navigator has turned into something dangerous and it’s too late to back out now. She has a chance to change things for the better and make sure that fate does not catch her at such a cruel moment in life. Kafka will make sure of it, that she will be there to catch her just like she had promised to herself a long time ago.

“I’m unsure of where to even begin but… do you know why we are called Destiny’s Slaves?” She sighs a heavy breath while watching Himeko, seeing how her amber eyes widen at the statement. “Why we all choose this path?”

Himeko wordlessly shakes her head and Kafka continues, all while feeling a strange tightness in her chest.

“Joining the Stellaron Hunters, each of us is granted a wish that Elio can help us achieve. All we have to do is follow his scripts and I’ve devoted myself to that cause wholeheartedly. My own reasons being that I want to achieve my wish when the time is right.”

“What is your wish?” They both knew she was going to ask that but it still causes Kafka’s heart to beat a little faster than it should, a strained laugh slipping out of her and Himeko doesn’t like the sound of it. 

“Well… would you still look at me the same if I told you I never felt fear in the eyes of my enemies?”

Suddenly, some of the pieces fall into place for her. The way Kafka had let herself get captured on the Luofu, her confidence and otherwise crazed devotion to the script, the disturbing grin that never left her face when she was fighting the Disciples deep in the Alchemy Commission. The evidence is all there and it took until now for Kafka to state the obvious for what it is, her fearlessness. Still, it confuses Himeko endlessly, for someone to have never felt fear? It’s such a basic and honest emotion that anyone can feel, and yet Kafka doesn’t. How?

“I can see the questions in your head, dear.”

“I-” Himeko looks at her strangely, too many emotions for her to process and too many things to have happened in such a short timespan, but she doesn’t let it deter her one bit. The caution she used to feel a long time ago returns and so does her curiosity as Himeko stares at her, unsure. “You don’t feel fear? How is that possible?”

“Tell me what you know of Pteruges-V.”

An odd request, but Himeko follows through it, racking her brain for any information on the planet she’s read about once. 

“Pteruges-V, New Babylon, contaminated by a Stellaron that influenced its inhabitants living there,” The crease between her brows never leave while Himeko tries to search what else she knows about the planet, and Kafka just watches her. “The… people there are also named Devil Hunters, or Pteruges-V Devils. Little else is known besides the corruption the Stellaron has caused and for its inhabitants to change.”

“The Stellaron changed a concept for them.”

“Fear…”

Himeko feels a chill pass through her, the realization of this conversation while looking at Kafka, the woman beside her still and quiet now. She doesn’t know what to make of this confession, nothing could have prepared her for this yet oddly enough she’s not all that much surprised either. The Stellaron Hunters is a strange organization, neither good nor bad and only interfering when necessary but also creating an image that they are everyone’s enemy. For Himeko, she’s now shown a side of the hunter she’s never seen- her true side, and it just goes to show how much trust she’s putting on her. Despite her work and her disappearances, her charming yet playful attitude, the real Kafka sits before her silent and watchful. Her magenta eyes bore deep into her soul, but it’s soft and vulnerable, and Himeko can sense what seems to be a rather somber feeling from her. 

“The homeplanet you mentioned before…” She begins slowly and Kafka hums as a response to her words. “That’s where you’re from? Pteruges-V?”

“Yes,” Comes her simply reply before taking a deep breath in and keeping her gaze low. “When people don't feel fear they are dominated by desire and pleasure – they become ‘devils.’ When Elio found me, I was in the middle of a mission... and the conditions he offered me caught my interest.”

“You want to feel fear?” Himeko shakes her head some, a small frown tugging at her lips and Kafka chuckles lightly at the sight of it. “I don’t understand. Why? Fear itself is a feeling most humans want to avoid.”

“When you feel a constant emptiness in your body and mind, it’s something that you’d eventually want to change. Wouldn’t you agree?”

And in a way Himeko does. Her loneliness is similar in that way, a cold emptiness that you can’t get rid of no matter how hard you try, so she can understand where Kafka is coming from. Still, it’s fear that she’s seeking, and that continues to puzzle Himeko to no end as she tries to wrap her head around it. 

“I suppose but…” She looks at her curiously, the shock from earlier now calming down as well as her emotions. “How will you achieve that then?”

“Changing that part of myself isn't something I can do alone,” Kafka shrugs with a much weaker smile on her face and Himeko feels how her heart aches in sympathy for her. “Elio can help me, if I follow his instructions. Which leads me here to this very moment in time.”

“You want my help?”

“I wouldn’t say that exactly. Circumstances have forced me to make decisions I wasn’t expecting to and honestly if it were up to me, I’d do this alone.”

“What- why?” Himeko sends her an incredulous and annoyed look that doesn’t phase Kafka all that much knowing she’d react like this. “You have intel on my crew and I, have information about me that I don’t know of yet, your script is unfulfilled and still you want to go into this blindly? Alone? Why?”

“The same thing I’ve said time and time again, sweetheart. Your safety is my priority.”

“You can’t expect me to sit around and watch you from the sidelines, do you Kafka?”

“I don’t,” She murmurs coolly with a smile that seems bittersweet. “That’s why I’m having this conversation with you. Me telling you some of my past, my current goals, the situation I’ve found myself in – no matter how hard I push you away it will be all for nothing as you are now a part of my journey, the same way I am yours.”

“My journey for what?” Something waves in Kafka’s hesitant gaze as she sighs quietly. 

“Elio has told me that you play a crucial role in all of this. What is it? I don’t know, but the instructions he gave me were clear. That the power of choice is in my hands and that the stage is mine, you have become an actor on my side and it’s up to us to finish the rest of this scene. I wish it wasn’t like this though.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know what the ending may be for us,” She says barely above a whisper, voice soft and quiet and Himeko can’t help but lean a little closer to her. 

“And if Elio doesn’t tell me and allows me to make choices in the name of destiny, then what will I achieve? What role do I play in all of this? For his script and mine?”

Because at the end of the day, all Kafka can think about is Himeko’s unfortunate fate deciding to make an appearance. She doesn’t want to make the wrong choice that could set off a chain of events that will cause her to meet her untimely demise if she can avoid it. Yet how can she without a proper script to guide her? When Elio allows someone as selfish as her to involve someone like Himeko, sweet and kind, to take part of a journey that could… kill her. An odd sickness twists at the bottom of her stomach, nausea, but she doesn’t know why and soon the feeling is gone before Kafka can ponder on it. 

She knew things weren’t going to be easy as soon as she saw her at the Alchemy Commission, off the safety of her Express and standing right before her. She knew she couldn’t keep her in the dark for long, but Kafka tried, kept certain facts to herself that Himeko didn’t need to worry about which only seemed to make matters worse for her. Once she discovered that note with her name on it and had found her on the Alchemy Commission, Kafka knew it was inevitable then and that Elio’s words were merely the staples to that fact. The butterfly effect of events have carefully unfolded and has led her to this very moment in time- this very choice, and that was what Elio had meant. 

The power of choice is a part of the script and always has been since the very beginning of their encounters.

“Kafka…” 

There’s too much Himeko wants to say, too much to expand on that Kafka has given her, and she settles on being that shoulder for the hunter the same way she has for her. Himeko gently takes a hold of her cheek and Kafka doesn’t hesitate to place her hand atop hers, magenta eyes closing briefly while she looks at her. She takes too long staring at her to speak and soon enough it’s Kafka who breaks the minute of silence, her voice a low, far away timbre. 

“I had a dream the other night. You were in it,” She smiles a painful thing while Himeko just listens to her story. 

“There was a beach and we were both there, holding hands, and the entire scene felt unreal. Too quiet, too calm, and in the blink of an eye everything changed. Suddenly, you were gone from my side and standing in the middle of the ocean- a red ocean, with a giant wave heading our way and I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move or scream, and when I did it was already too late.”

“Kafka…” 

Agony strikes her heart, a lump forming in her throat and Himeko looks at Kafka so tenderly that it hurts them both. Her lips part but no words escape her, uncertainty written all over her face as Himeko tries to find her voice and eventually she does. Her thumb softly caresses Kafka’s cheek, her golden gaze wavering for a moment.

“Kafka, that wasn’t a dream. That was a nightmare.”

“They are dreams to me when I don’t know what fear is, starlight.”

“Still,” She shakes her head a little while looking at Kafka with sympathy. “Those are nightmares, you shouldn’t call it a dream.”

“My body may know it as a nightmare but my mind doesn’t,” Kafka gestures a gloved hand at herself, wearing a neutral expression now. “The cold sweat, the trembling, the changes to my breathing. It’s all a bodily reaction but the emptiness remains in my chest, like a mental blockade of sorts.”

“You seem to have a good understanding of this…”

“It’s my own body, why wouldn’t I?” She laughs at Himeko’s statement but the navigator herself still remains unsure of her observations. 

“Right. Of course,” Opting to drop it for now, Himeko focuses on another topic for them to talk about. “So what will you do next?”

“Well, I have my own mission as well. To eliminate the leader of Sanctus Medicus while she’s weakened. I assume you’re caught up to date as to what has happened lately and for the future?”

“Yes, like you told me the Lord Ravager has been the mastermind behind all of this. The crew had informed me of everything, and… I wanted to thank you for telling me some of that in your letter, even if it wasn’t much.”

“Never thank me for anything, Himeko. Really.” 

Kafka leans in with a soft look in her eyes, turning her head to kiss the palm of her hand and Himeko feels how her face heats up from the affection. Then her ever intensifying purple gaze is upon her and she loses herself in them for a moment. 

“You being alive and well is all that matters to me,” She murmurs lowly, more of a whisper than anything else and Himeko huffs quietly at her words.

“You act as if danger is lurking around every corner for me.”

“You never know what the future holds,” She says quickly, a bit too firmly for Himeko’s liking who blinks at her tone before Kafka exhales a tired sigh, shoulders relaxing some. “Apologies. You just… you never know, okay?”

“I get it,” She tilts her head a little while gazing at her curiously, amber eyes gentle as they look at Kafka. “You really do care about me…”

“Oh, Himeko…” A rich, velvety laugh slips out of her, warm and genuine and causing a small blush to appear on her face before Kafka hums at her. 

“Have I not made that obvious enough for you, my love?”

The crazy thing is that Kafka has, but it’s Himeko who still has a hard time accepting that about her. She’s so used to people coming and going that such promises are nothing except empty promises that only adds fuel to a hope she’d rather not have. However,  Kafka has also proven her word, a bit persistent in the beginning but thinking about it now Himeko silently appreciates that. It shows how honest she is in her approach to her, that no matter how many times Himeko tries to ignore her and dodge her advances that she would always come back, and soon enough she was welcoming every visit of hers. It’s a bad habit, Himeko also realizes, that the constant reassurance she seeks from her is more of an obstacle in the way of their relationship, but Kafka doesn’t seem to mind. She’s ready to tell her again and again whenever she needs it, like now.

“I guess you have,” She mumbles before sighing a breathless laugh, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed as well. “Just hard to believe, that's all…”

“You need just say the word and I’m already there telling you everything you need to hear.”

She’s blushing hard at the bold statement as Kafka kisses her palm again and- okay, she needs to focus. Again. Now is not the time for her to get flustered and swayed by Kafka’s charming techniques.

“Right,” She subtly clears her throat, her hand suddenly feeling much too warm against her face while Kafka smiles. “Back to what you were saying though? Of what to do next?”

“Yes yes, that. I’ve been informed that I have approximately two days to eliminate her and there will be an opportunity I must take advantage of. What is it? I’m not sure, Elio has kept most if not all important details from me so there’s that.”

“Are you going to ask me to accompany you?”

“Naturally,” Kafka says smoothly but still the reluctance is evident in her tone, her smile looking a bit forced now. “I’d like to avoid another surprise if I can.”

“You had me waiting longer than I’d like,” Himeko raises a firm brow at her and Kafka only chuckles at the sight of it. 

“That I did, didn’t I? You’re a rather stubborn woman.”

“Hmm, so I’ve heard.”

“So because of that…” Kafka drags out a bit dramatically and also gives her a knowing stare. “I have no choice but to ask you to join me on this little adventure of mine.”

“Hardly a request when I’m already willing to do so.”

And Kafka laughs at that. 

Something continues to nag at the back of her head but it turns into nothing when Himeko is just… her. So freeing, so honest – a breath of fresh air for her despite their circumstances. She’s still worried and very much against the idea of bringing her along for the ride, yet Kafka also knows that pushing her away will do more harm than good. She might do something reckless again, search her out on the Luofu or anywhere really if push came to shove and she’d really hate for Himeko to appear at the wrong time just because of her selfish decisions. It doesn’t help that Elio has told her nothing and everything about the script, the strange vision she received earlier and his cryptic words. Even without her knowing what the future holds Kafka can tell that everything is slowly playing out as foretold, and that one of these paths will hold an outcome she’ll soon discover.

“You talk about how much I care but look at you,” Kafka teases with a warm, charming grin that also tugs a soft smile out of Himeko. “Seems like you’ve certainly cozied yourself up.”

“Hmm, and what have I always said about that ego of yours?”

“Ah, she’s still got a little bit of fire in her,” And Himeko snorts at that while covering her mouth and trying to hold back her laughter.

“You’re truly awful. The most annoying woman I know.”

“Yes and you’re quite beautiful yourself.”

“Enough with the compliments.” 

Himeko lightly shoves her shoulder, the atmosphere growing a lot less tense than what it initially was. However, soon they both sober up and she manages to keep the small smile on her face, now turning a bit hesitant and bashful. 

“I also wanted to mention… you probably already know this considering your timing but-” She bites her lip while waving a hand to the rest of her room. “Dan Heng spoke to me right before your arrival.”

“I did see,” Kafka hums and leans against the sofa with a tilt of her head. “I hate to pry on private business but I did catch a little bit of it towards the end.”

“How much towards the end?...”

“Enough to know that he doesn’t exactly hate my guts.”

“Ugh…” Himeko sighs heavily, covering the majority of her face with her palm while Kafka chuckles next to her. “As if things aren’t stressful enough…”

“Granted, he does have a connection with Blade so at least that evens out some of the hatred out, right?”

“The rest of the crew still doesn’t know and with him knowing while the rest don’t… it just doesn’t feel right. It’s only a matter of time before they all find out.”

“Are you worried about what they’ll think?”

“Yes… no,” Himeko anxiously chews at her bottom lip, looking away from Kafka now as she replays some of her conversation with Dan Heng earlier. Her brows twitch, squeezing her eyes shut when the guilt comes back to bite her. “I don’t know. I see from both sides of this and I just… I feel so much.”

“You know I’m already very close with Stelle, I’m sure she’d understand as well.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“It’s not much we can do,” Himeko opens her eyes with a couple of blinks before looking over at Kafka, seeing the sympathetic expression she wears that eases some of the guilt. “And if it truly is too much… Well, there’s always another option.”

Her heart freezes at that, panic quickly surges up through her body and Himeko feels sick knowing what she’s about to say. She inhales sharply with a quiet, shaky sound and brows pinching together tightly while her hunter laughs tightly.

“Kafka…”

“You know I’d understand,” She shrugs lightly and suddenly the air feels heavy again. “Your choices matter just as much as mine, and I’d rather you be happy than to live a life full of regret.”

“How can you say something like that?”

“Because it’s the truth,” Kafka looks at her from the corner of her eye, avoiding her gaze and Himeko feels even sicker than before.

“If it becomes too much and your crew grows to hate you because of me, then I’ll leave.”

‘But I don’t ever want you to leave… not again, Kafka…’ But Himeko doesn’t say it.

That’s another thing to them, their differences and how they stand at a crossroad. She’ll take a step forward only to send herself three steps back, Himeko will hope and pray, but again things will always be the same. Perhaps she’s setting her expectations too high, maybe that’s what the real problem is. She seeks out comfort from someone who’s too chaotic and carefree, who doesn’t deserve to be tied down by her pathetic needs and problems. Kafka says she’ll leave if necessary and Himeko doesn’t doubt her- wishes that it’ll never come to that, but she knows she truly must… Kafka will, and it’ll be impossible to change her mind by then.

Her feelings have changed, she has changed, and Himeko wants to enjoy this new chapter of her life. No longer does the loneliness persist and drive her into madness, leaving her empty and cold as she watches the rest of her crew laugh and socialize with one another and the people they meet on their adventures. She’s finally found someone who’s willing to accept this broken side of her as Himeko does much of the same, welcoming her insanity. The connection is there and it’s undeniable, so why does Kafka continue to pull away at times? What does she know that Himeko doesn’t? Soon she might just find the answer for all of her questions, but enough has happened today that Himeko would much rather have this discussion again on a later notice.

“Of course,” She doesn’t want to agree with her, grab Kafka by the shoulders and tell her she’s wrong yet she remains calm while holding her passive gaze. “Sometimes sacrifices need to be made, right?”

“That is the way of life,” Kafka says a bit too vaguely and Himeko really wants to change the topic now, so she does.

“I’ll figure it out,” Her mind screams at her for the curt reply, but she’s too hurt to care now and Kafka can tell, hearing a quiet sigh escape her. “Eventually, when the time comes, I’ll have to make a decision.”

“I understand.”

“So I’m turning my attention to more urgent matters,” She gives Kafka’s hand a weak squeeze, still holding it through the entirety of this conversation and continuing when she gets a hum. “What are we to do now?”

“I have to return to the Luofu, Stargazer Navalia will be my next stop. While your crew is out there saving the Xianzhou from its Stellaron problem, I'll be completing the rest of the script in finding Dan Shu and finally getting rid of her. If you wish to accompany me later tonight, then be my guest.”

“I will,” Himeko says firmly yet softly and Kafka wears a somber smile at that. “I already told you I will, Kafka.”

“Very well,” She exhales slowly while closing her eyes and Himeko watches her. 

“I’ll come back to meet you in a few hours. I’m no stranger to how the Luofu works so getting in and getting out won’t prove much of a challenge for me. The only thing we need to worry about is keeping a low profile. Your name was written on that paper and I have reasons to believe they haven’t only been spying on your crew, but you as well.”

With the discovery of Tingyun and Lord Ravager Phantylia, things have grown increasingly tense on the Luofu and as expected due to the Stellaron, but nobody would have known that the Antimatter Legion would be directly involved as well. The Stellaron’s corruption, the revival of the Arbor, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus coming out from the shadows- it was all planned, and yet nothing would have prepared Kafka for this. Her wanting to protect Himeko while also bringing her along contradicts her very character, and again if it were her choice she’d keep her here on the Express, away from danger and away from her madness. However she also thinks of the many ways this can go south if she were to force Himeko to stay here knowing how stubborn and determined she is. Kafka knows she’s a very capable woman but her fate continues to loom over them with every step they take- every choice is crucial at a time like this when Elio is also withholding key pieces of information from her. 

She feels… she feels…

Before she can focus on the strange emotion though, Himeko brings her back to the present with a gentle tug to her arm.

“Hey,” She looks at her worriedly and Kafka tries to send her a reassuring smile but it’s forced and hesitant. “Where did you go now?”

“My mind is prone to wandering off a lot these days,” Kafka shakes her head with a weak laugh. “Don’t fret over me.”

“Kafka…”

“Really,” Now she’s the one pulling Himeko towards her softly, earning herself some more grumbling from the redhead as she kisses her cheek. “I’ll be okay.”

“You better…”

“Hmm, do you have that little faith in me?”

“Stop playing around,” Himeko says quietly with a firm stare and Kafka relents, not before releasing one more laugh. Her face softens and Himeko looks off to the side for a moment. “I suppose I’ll see you later then?”

“I won’t be gone for long, sweetheart,” Kafka tilts her head while wearing a soft yet teasing smile and Himeko blushes at the sight of it, knowing she’s about to say something funny. “Or will you miss me that much, hmm?”

“Shut up, seriously.”

She remains to be the annoying and attractive woman she’s always been and although Himeko often complains about it like now, she secretly enjoys it all the same. To see Kafka behaving playfully with her magenta eyes bright and warm, she wouldn’t mind the teasing for this instead of her acting strange and quiet or worse avoiding her gaze. She’s able to look at her confidently again and Himeko wants it to stay like that, and perhaps something more as well… 

She bites her lip when a much more dangerous thought enters her head, memories of the night threatening to ignite a familiar heat at her core. Himeko would be lying if she said she wasn’t craving something a little more again from Kafka now, a kind of comfort only she can provide. It’s only natural after everything that has just happened recently and with them seemingly relying on each other- working together like she had asked, well, a little treat would hurt anyone. Himeko’s amber eyes linger on her plush lips, subconsciously licking her own when she remembers how they felt against her most sensitive areas and more. Really though, after the conversation they just had, she’s aching to kiss her right now. Properly. Not on the cheek or the hand, but against her own lips that tingle with need and excitement.

“I should go.” 

Himeko blinks at the sound of her velvety voice, looking up in time to see the hunter adjusting the sleeves of her dress shirt, no longer holding her hand as the cool bedroom air greets her palm. Kafka then sends her a cool, side-long glance and her stomach flips at the sight of it along with the alluring smile she wears.

“Unless there’s something else you wished to discuss with me.”

Does she hate her? Definitely. Does she also want her? Absolutely.

She feels like they’ve fallen back into their old ways, this cat and mouse game that never seems to go away. Himeko entertaining her teases and Kafka wearing that smug awful smirk that sends a wave of heat straight to her stomach. She finds herself having a hard time resisting those temptations after getting a taste of them, a taste of how Kafka touches her, and Himeko hates how she’s always been so weak. She bites the inside of her cheek, face hot and gaze casted down at her lap as she considers her words carefully. She wants to kiss her, not because she’s lustful or desperate or thinking only about the sex, but also because Himeko really really just wants to kiss her. It’s comforting, grounding, and at a time like this she could really use the tender caress of her… person to ease some of that anxiety away.

Even if only for a moment.

“Maybe…” She mumbles quietly, voice raspy and tense before Himeko turns to her with a lick of her lips. “Maybe there is.”

“What’s on your mind, starlight.”

Just like that it’s like a switch has been flipped in her. Himeko watches with wide, golden eyes as Kafka slings an arm over the back of the couch, magenta gaze solely focused on her and the attention has her screaming on the inside. Well, she already has her attention anyway but the clear shift from patient to hungry has her heart racing in nervous excitement. To know that she’s also so close but so far from getting what she wants, Himeko can’t lie but she also likes the back and forth of it between them. And the pet name only serves to make it increasingly worse, in a good way.

“I think you already know, Kafka,” Himeko says a bit breathlessly, cheeks warm and pink as she tilts her head. “I’m sure I don’t need to say it.”

“Oh, but you most certainly do,” Her brows pinch together briefly, eyes narrowing some at her before Kafka bites her lip around an addicting smile. “You know how much I like to hear your voice, Himeko… your thoughts even more.”

She feels hot all over from the intensity of her gaze and her dangerously woven words, squeezing her thighs together at the painful yet delicious throb that settles in her cunt. Himeko squirms a little, a subtle shift of her body, and it would be so easy to just say what she wants but she wants to hear it from Kafka. 

“I want to hear yours first,” She whispers huskily, fingers brushing against Kafka’s leg and causing her to twitch from the feathery contact. Another low, airy chuckle fills the air and Himeko feels a pleasant shiver run down her spine when Kafka leans in closer, eyes half lidded and never looking away. She feels a bit dizzy from the attention, a quiet stutter in her breathing and Himeko looks down at her plush lips just as she smiles. 

“I want to kiss you right now…” Kafka starts while trailing a gloved hand along her thigh, causing them to press together again at another aching throb before she continues, voice soft and sensual. “But I want to do more than just that. You haven’t left my mind for one second, not ever, and I crave to do more than what we’ve already done. If you let me, that is…”

“You’ll have to tell me more about these ideas,” And Kafka instantly laughs at that, high and breathy and a bit delirious as well.

“Oh no,” She inhales with a sharp little noise while holding her golden, hazy eyes with a tilt of her head. “If I tell you I might just act on them and as much as I would love to do that, destiny calls.”

“Kafka…”

“But I can satisfy us with a temporary solution.”

She knew what was coming but still Himeko trembles at the soft sensation of Kafka’s lips against hers and she easily loses herself in them. Smoke and sandalwood flood her senses along with something sweet, just a hint of it that’s barely there, and Himeko chases after it the best she can. Her hands move from her leg to her warm chest where she hooks a finger under the harness there, tugging Kafka onto her and the breathy sound she makes has Himeko groaning quietly. With the crew nearby they have to keep their noises to a minimum, especially after that little scare earlier, trying to swallow down every moan that threatens to escape her. If any escape Kafka is there to easily muffle the noise, breathing growing unsteady and a bit shaky as their little makeout session continues. 

Soft sighs and whispery whines fill the air around them, a needy tug here and a desperate squeeze there, she wants to keep kissing her and Himeko drags it out as long as she can. Her lungs begin to burn but she ignores it, drags her tongue along Kafka’s plush lip before sinking her teeth in a little and- she breathes a sensually sweet moan, raspy and low just for her to hear. Her body heats up painfully at the sound, brows knitting together and letting one of her own slip out, just as quiet before they continue. She doesn’t know how long they stay like that but it’s enough to make her head feel fuzzy and eyes heavy with want as Kafka is the first to pull away. A wet noise of their lips echoes throughout the bedroom and if Himeko wasn’t so drunk off the other woman she’d feel a little embarrassed about it, yet she just stares at Kafka, dazed and golden eyes half lidded in the same way magenta ones are. She isn’t holding up any better than her, face flushed with a pretty red blush and feeling how her chest rises and falls rapidly under her palm. 

“You make me feel crazy,” Kafka whispers huskily to her, voice trembling slightly, seeing how her throat bobs hard from how roughly she swallows before Himeko brings her hooded gaze back up. Devotion and something far much carnally insane fills her eyes, causing her stomach to twist and throbbing to worsen. “I want you, Himeko. Please? Will you let me have you again?”

Yes,” She doesn’t hesitate with her answer, sucking air harshly through her teeth while looking up at her. “Anything, Kafka.”

“So good for me, babygirl.”

Himeko whines a shy sound and grabs a fistful of her dress shirt from her teasing words. Kafka just chuckles quietly under her breath while leaning in and capturing her in another kiss, slow and hot and good- so good like she said, and Himeko indulges for another second or two before that too is gone. She licks her lips and successfully holds back another needy moan when they break apart again, noticing how intense Kafka’s stare has become now and the sight of it sends a harsh shudder through her body. She watches her lift a gloved hand between them, holding her chin between her thumb and finger, and Himeko holds her breath the entire time while Kafka speaks.

“I’ll come find you later,” She murmurs in the alluring raspy voice of hers that never fails to put Himeko in a trance. “And then… we can do everything we’d like. How does that sound?”

“Just don’t keep me waiting long, Kafka…” 

It’s more of a whine than a warning considering how needy and breathless she sounds but Himeko doesn’t care, not now at least. Kafka bites her lip at her plea, brows pinching together into an erotic expression and Himeko can feel her power- her dominance, and she wants to succumb to it again. Another laugh escapes her, strained and high before Kafka slowly nods at her, violet eyes glowing with obvious hunger and also adoration as she leans in one more time. Just one more kiss… 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

 

Notes:

oof so I have quiet a few thoughts here:

1. so I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing to understand plot wise? I'm ngl I struggled at certain parts and rewrote some of the scenes a few times even though there wasn't many. Writing Elio again was a bit tricky (still stuck on he's pretty much the cat in all of the Stellaron Hunters appearances ... lol) so I focused on his eyes once more and other subtle effects of his powers. there is a part where I have Kafka experience a vision!... it'll serve it's purpose for future content and I just wanted to clear up any confusion if anyone had any

2. more on Elio and Kafka: so the main idea I was going here is quite literally the power of choice. I took a lot of inspo from the game life is strange and take the main theme of its butterfly effect and put that into here. well, Elio's power is basically a butterfly effect and that's a conversation for another day but I wanted to touch on it a bit. him purposefully not mentioning certain information such as seen in the luofu story quest, I used that here to serve its purpose of Kafka taking part of the script and as a result also writing it... I hope that makes sense akndsajkdn

3. as for writing goes I've honestly only planned up until this chapter and like 3 more ahead so as I've been writing this lately I've been coming up with new ideas. I mentioned in the last update that we're basically in the second act of this story. When I first started writing this I told myself that I'd finish this around 15 - 20 chapters BUT that was more of like a timeline ig you can say, just to see how far I'd write this and look where we are now! I already have plans for another kafhime longfic but that's still a bit later down the line, I definitely want to finish this first before anything else.

TLDR; with that being said above I will continue writing and see where this takes me and that I might finish this somewhere around 20 something chapters. also would you guys like to see more action/fighting like scenes? please let me know your guys thoughts!

4. one last thing! I'll see this part short akdnaskjd but I want to write other things as well (other ships like: liubai, liukong, bronseele, servalia, etc...) and luckily I've been able to make time for other projects. I also wanna write some kafhime one shots and I actually have one coming out soon!

anyways, those have been my thoughts lately. sorry if it's super long here I tried to keep it as short as possible and if you want to talk to me more about writing, honkai or anything really I'll leave my social medias down below.

love you guys! <33

twt | tumblr

 

references used:

- Intermezzo Op.117 No. 2 by Johannes Brahms (piano - performed by Paul Barton): link here

- Musical Analysis of Intermezzo Op.117 No. 2: link here

(this note is minor but I've been using the pieces to describe the theme of each update instead of explaining them all the time. I'll still do that because I love writing the meaning behind each piece! but just in case you don't see me have anyone explain the meaning then I'm just using the theme)