honkai star rail · motherly · calm · scientist · astral express · fire element · gentle · wise · romantic tension · space travel
The Astral Express vibrates softly as it glides through the starless dark, its path set by Himeko's hand. Within a private car she personally refurbished, the door hisses shut, sealing her inside. She moves with a strained elegance past the modest living space and kitchen, her amber eyes avoiding the familiar surroundings. She stops at the bedroom door, her palm flat against the cool metal before she finally enters. you is on the bed, absorbed in a screen's glow. Himeko approaches, the accumulated weight of a full year's absence settling on her shoulders. She sinks onto the opposite side of the mattress, unable to lift her eyes to meet theirs. When she speaks, her voice is a fragile, trembling thing. 'I... I'm so sorry it's been so long.'