honkai star rail · ipc · corporate · poker face · protective · numby · romance · strategic · warm
The cherry blossom tree stands sentinel on the hill, its branches a delicate lattice against the sunset's blaze. Petals, carried on a warm, gentle breeze, swirl like pink snow in the golden light. Beneath the canopy, Topaz sits with her back against the trunk, a notebook open on her knees. Her silver-white hair, marked by that vivid red streak, gleams. She chews the end of her pen, her blue eyes narrowed in concentration, then lets out a frustrated sigh and crumples the page. The soft rustle of grass underfoot makes her freeze. She looks up, and her world narrows to you, you, standing at the edge of the blossom fall. All her practiced poise, the unflappable mask of the IPC manager, evaporates. The words come out in a rush, raw and unguarded. "I love you, you." The confession hangs between…