Hello there. Guy here again and I bring ye another chapter of this sweet, sweet fanfic. Have I ever mentioned how much I live Honkai Impact? No? If not, I suppose it might be clear by the story itself, right? Hehehe, anyway, here's another chapter, enjoy~

The Simple Violet on the Window

The dark-haired girl looked at her friends again and then at the journal, sighing and then slowly moving to pick the book. Bronya hugged it but Mei insisted on prying the book from the hands of the short emotionless girl.

"If we're doing this, I want to at least read my part" Once assured that they would keep reading, Bronya let got and then took a seat next to Mei. Kiana did the same on the other side. Mei took in a deep breath and opened the journal again, flipping the pages until the found her name written in bigger letters. "Well then, let's see..."

And so the curious trio proceeded in going through the inner thoughts of their Captain.

Aaah~ I will tell you journal. If Kiana is the person fate brought up to get on my nerves, Mei is the one to counter this. I guess the Universe does find a balance. From the first moment we have met, she has been nothing less than polite with me. Unlike that white-haired brat. I got to say, though, Mei looks so more mature than her age would suggest. I wonder if her parents are too demanding… well, a little bit of work doesn't kill anyone.

"As expected from Mei-neesama. Captain's first impression of her is perfect" Bronya added, glaring at Kiana with cold eyes. Once you spent enough time around the little girl, you would notice the small signs of smugness that normally flew under the radar. Mei, and Kiana in special, were all too familiar with it.

"What are you trying to say?!" Kiana pointed an accusing finger.

"Nothing much. The Bronya just finds amusement in the vast distance between Mei-neesama and Kiana Idiotka. Fufufu" She said slowly shaking her head while Kiana ground her teeth in frustration. The only thing preventing the two of them from getting into another fight was Mei's presence. As usual.

"Now, you two, keep quiet" She wouldn't admit out loud but Mei felt a little more interest in learning Captain's thoughts about her. Okay, maybe more than just a little.

Journal, is it possible to fall in love in just two weeks? I guess I want to marry Mei.

"W-what?!" Mei shouted in surprise and Kiana quickly grabbed the book, her eyes glued on the words written on the page.

"The heck?! Captain, how dare you?! You know pretty well I'm going to marry Mei-senpai and-"

"Give me that!" Mei took back the journal, doing her best to conceal the flush in her cheeks.

I'm joking~ Hahaha, as much as I would like to marry a girl so amazing as Mei, I cannot do that.

Both Kiana and Mei sighed, one out of relief and the other to vent off the embarrassment.

Don't get me wrong, she would make the perfect wife, in a sense. Mei knows how to cook pretty well, even more considering her age. I don't like to brag but I'm something of a cook myself. We had a few lessons on the matter back at the academy, you never know when you'll need to make food. Although it was only the basics and focused on survival and practicality, I got the hang of it pretty fast and started to learn on my own. But journal, I can barely compare to Mei's skills in the kitchen. Everything she prepares has such a rich taste, yet it seems so simple. Well, that's a way to describe Mei too. She is very talented, you know? But she won't brag about it. In fact, she mostly doesn't bring that up and she will say that her work is nothing much. Hmm… maybe I could help her work a bit on that self-esteem. Humility is nice but you gotta know to recognize your gains when you earn them.

. . . . .

Ne, journal? Did you know that Mei is the daughter of the CEO of ME Corps? Well, of course you don't know, why would you? Anyway, I knew the name was familiar but only now it rang the bell. Her father, Raiden Ryoma, was accused of fraud and sent to prison. I was casually talking to her about her grades and overall performance at school, which is nothing less than excellent. I said that her parents must feel proud of her, for being a model student AND a valkyrie, and then she told me a little about her father. I made some research and… oh journal, I think I've made a mistake. The whole thing is suspicious but it happened so fast that no one bothered to question the legitimacy of the accusations. Poor mister Ryoma ended behind the bars without the right to defend himself. I can only imagine how much that affected Mei.

It also explains a lot. Being the daughter of the young CEO of a multi-billionaire company of the electronics industry will take you to places. She learned from the very beginning to be dedicated to anything she did. Did you know she is a sword master, journal? I'm not kidding, I saw her training alone once and I asked Himeko why, so she told me no one was in her level at the school, at least with a blade in hand. What is her skill level, you may ask? Master. You heard- read it right, journal. Master, at the age of 16… what am I doing with my life? Playing games? Binge reading manga? Well, I have my fair share of martial arts knowledge but… nothing anywhere close to this. However, there might be another reason for that…

You see… Mei is a special case. When she entered for Schicksal and St. Freya Academy, it wasn't all her idea. Principal Theresa came to her after a certain incident. Mei, she is… she is the host of an entity known as the Third Herrscher, the Herrscher of Thunder. While trying to find any clues that could lead to her father's innocence, Mei ended awakening her herrscher powers. Fortunately, Theresa was able to appear in time and take her under her protection. Perhaps that's why Mei keeps that subtle distance from most people around, her, and why she can look so cold sometimes. I wish I could do something to make her feel better, but why? Get her father out of jail? Hah... have you ever felt impotent, journal? Umm, scratch that, you literally can't feel.

"... Does Mei-neesama want to keep reading?" Bronya asked with a hidden hint of concern in her voice and behind her neutral silver eyes.

"Senpai..." Kiana also looked concerned at Mei. They knew Mei's past was a sensitive topic, even if they had already talked about it.

The dark-haired girl simply nodded, her face devoid of the usual softness or even the embarrassment from a few moments ago.

I think I know now why Mei never says anything about her achievements. Today we had a simulation and Mei passed it with flying colors. However, just when the simulation ended, Mei went under a honkai reaction and her herrscher powers overloaded a bit. She seemed pretty excited before it happened, probably because she was the first from her class to completely clear the B tier simulation, making her the first B rank valkyrie. The principal acted quickly with Judah and prevented any damage, but Mei still took all the blame for herself. I went to talk with her later on, but she wasn't very responsive. I might even have seen a little of the second personality lying underneath. She kind of blew up and said a few mean things… and there were the purple sparks too. Anyway, maybe I should… I should give her some space.

. . . . .

Sigh~ That's it journal, I can't take it anymore. A week of brooding is enough. Not even Kiana managed to cheer Mei up, and I'm starting to feel that it might affect Mei's performance at school and during missions. No, I don't think that's more important than her well-being but… look, consider that Mei doesn't take pride in anything she does. This state of hers right now will only make things worse. I gotta do something!

Now… what exactly should I do?

Hmmm…

Ah! I know, reading you again was really useful, journal! Off to the city I go! Why going out late in the night, you may ask? Well, to get the best and most fresh ingredients, of course! Operation Cheer Up Banket is a go!~

"Huh? What is Captain talking about?" Kiana asked with a puzzled face. Mei read a little further and her neutral face slowly opened up in surprise and realization.

"Oh, it was that time Captain prepared a huge meal for everyone..."

"Oh, I remember that! He gave me a bucket full of chicken wings for my scores on the tests. Ahh~ just remembering the taste makes me hungry~" Kiana said while drool pooled in her mouth.

"Subject Kiana violates the laws of Physics. The stomach does not have a pit"

"I'm in a growth phase, okay?" She said indignantly.

"What is subject Kiana? A kid?"

"Says the pipsqueak"

"Come talk to Bronya when Kiana Idiotka can solve her math problems alone"

"That's not fair, Auntie Himeko makes my questions harder on purpose!"

Mei sighed and shook her head. Right now she felt more interested in the contents of the journal. She remembered that day clear as crystal, after all, it was on that day she decided to open up to people around her. Rather, she had a little help from a certain person.


She was on her corner, brooding and trying to drone out the voice in her head that told Mei to give up on everything, flip the table, grab her sword and take her father out of jail, all by herself. She could do it, but not exactly Mei. That… thing inside her. It was dangerous, so she kept it concealed and under control, most of the time. But what if she let it loose? She could solve all her problems and then… to hell with everything. The world wasn't kind to her, it didn't care about her feelings.

People around her were all false, insignificant humans that only knew to latch on the most influential person and leech any benefit they can from it. Once that person was no longer useful, pit them in the trash and search for the next one. It went that way with her father, who worked so hard and raised the company from simple energy business to a giant multinational. All it took for the others to turn their backs at him a faint accusation. With her wouldn't be different. Her father tried his best to help her with her powers, she even volunteered to the exams so he could use her data to further advance the company. They were a team, only them against the world, and the world took her father from her. So why should Mei care about the world?

And so, in midst of the almost literal thunderstorm rumbling inside her heart, a thin beam of light pierced through the dark thick clouds. She snapped back to reality, attracted by a faint sound and the smell of something. Something delicious. Mei turned to the side and noticed a person with a gentle and warm smile. That person held a box in hands and pointed it towards her.

"Here" He offered the small gift and Mei stood confused for a minute or so, What was she supposed to do next? Feeling a little uncertain, and having the inner turmoil still going on in her heart, Mei absentmindedly opened the box and the smell of food his her none again.

"Egg rolls…?"

"Yep" The person next to her said in a cheerful tone. "I tried the recipe you gave me the other day. So, what do you think?" Captain asked, still smiling kindly at her.

Mei looked at him, then at the egg rolls, then at him again and back to the rolls. Still feeling lost, she picked one with her delicate fingers and took a bite. Her once brooding face blossomed into surprise and then joy. This egg roll, this warm, fresh from the kitchen egg roll…

"... it's surprisingly bland" Her awed tone completely betrayed the comment, which made Captain feel an arrow pierce his chest.

"Bland, you say? ah haha..."

"It is just a detail, the pork could have a little more seasoning, and the cabbage is sogging a bit- ah, s-sorry, Captain, you had the work to make this and I'm here criticizing you" She said apologetically.

"No no, it's fine. I don't mind a constructive critique. I'm sure you would nail it perfectly, though" Captain said, his smile never wavering.

"I… I don't know about that, Captain. I'm not that good at-"

"Stop it" He raised a hand, cutting her words.

"Heh?"

Then, Captain adopted a surprisingly stern expression, mixed with some annoyance.

"You know, I had a few lessons on cooking and one thing is for sure, I know when I eat a good meal. And your egg rolls are the best, Mei"

Mei flinched a bit at the rather blunt compliment. It was almost like being lectured.

"Well, it Captain thinks so..."

"Not only me, Kiana and Bronya, even Himeko and Theresa. Everyone likes the food you make Mei. You have a great talent for this"

"It's nothing special, Captain. I have been cooking since I was little and-"

"That doesn't make it less special, not for me. Look, Mei, I can't think of a better way to say it but… you have to take pride in what you do. You're an extremely talented person. I was in an elite group during school and half of the students there couldn't even compare to you" He said, now in a more gentle tone.

"But… Captain, I can't let it go over my head… if that happened, then..." Mei looked down and she felt like crying, but she fought back the tears, as she did many times before. Then, she felt a hand rest on her head. She slowly looked up at the source of contact, the young man sitting next to her.

"If you're so worried about it then let's do it this way. I'm proud of you, Mei. Be it your cooking skills, your swordsmanship, your grades, or anything really, I'm proud of you. It's not much coming from me, I know, but..." Captain looked aside, apparently feeling troubled, while Mei kept looking at his face. She didn't feel that bad vibe whenever someone was nice to her, rather pretended to be. Captain meant every single word he said.

"No, I… I'm glad you are proud of me, Captain" She managed to slip a tiny smile in her lips.

"I see… I see. Not only me, Kiana and Bronya, and Himeko, and Principal Theresa. Everyone here believes in you Mei, so please don't think you're not worthy or something like that, okay?"

Mei let his words sink a bit, then she slowly turned to the box of egg rolls still in her hands. It was surprisingly bland but now that Captain said it, she found a new taste within. She could almost sense the meaning behind this dish, simple as it was. So Mei took another bite of the one egg roll she had in hands, savoring it as best as she could. Then she went for the next, and for the next one, this time offering one to Captain, who gladly accepted and joined her.

"You know, Captain. A good point about bland food is that you can try a lot of different sauces and mix with many things. The flavors might not contrast much but it gives a lot of possibilities~"

"So my attempt wasn't a complete failure in the end, huh?"

"Far from it. I would love to help you out next time"

"Well, I'm looking forward to it~"

They shared another roll happily, looking through the glass panels of the Hyperion. That day was mostly cloudy but in the end, the heavy grey clouds opened up a small window so the sun could grace Soukai City with its last yellow and orange beams of light. Just like the turmoil inside Mei, slowly but surely dissipating as the light began to pour through the heavy clouds of her mind. She was glad that she got to know persons that really appreciated her for who she was. Even better, people that cared about her and would go out fo their way see her doing fine. Mei would have to go to Kiana and Bronya and apologize for worrying them. They tried to cheer her up but she was stuck in her mood.


Mei remembered that day and she could still make out the flavor of those bland egg rolls, for they meant the moment she decided to be more open with those around her. Her eyes followed along the lines of text, each word leading to the next in a curious chase. She didn't mind the two girls bickering next to her, neither her previous stance on invading Captain's personal space. Mei simply had to know.

I think I call that a success, journal! Mei is looking much happier recently. Sure, I can't take the credit for it, I just gave her a little push in the right direction. It was Kiana and Bronya, Fu Hua, Himeko, Theresa, they all gave Mei the support she needed. I wish I could actually do more, but I'm a little too old to hang out with the girls normally, I suppose. There's also the chain of command. Would it be too weird for a captain to spend some quality time with his subordinates? Well, 'subordinates' is a strong word. I kind of see myself as the leader in a reliable team. I just give the general direction...

Whatever, if Mei is happy, then I'm happy, and I'm sure Miss Bottomless Pit is also happy.

Oh, journal, I passed through a flower shop today and I saw something. A vase of violets. I got curious and I did some research. Apparently violets can mean nobility and respect, but also modesty and loyalty. I think it fits Mei pretty well, you know.

Also, did you know there's a legend about violets? So, there was a king that had his heart frozen, and because of that, his kingdom was a constant winter. His court was distant and no one really cared about him. So the lonely king sent men to search for a woman so he wouldn't feel lonely anymore, and they found one! Her name was Violet. The young woman was caring and dedicated, just like Mei. She accepted and married the king, and he became a better man. But she missed her home and her family, so she asked the king if she could see them. The now happy king allowed, as long as she came back on the warm days, hence why Violets bloom at the end of winter and beginning of spring.

Again, I find it pretty fitting. Who thought that book about flowers would be so nice. Maybe I will borrow it from the library… Yeah, violets fit Mei. She is dedicated, caring, and skilled, yet she keeps it all concealed by her modesty. If you get to know her better, then you notice just how beautiful and amazing of a person she is.

. . . . .

Hmhmm, Mei is definitely the person singlehandedly keeping this team together. She has been cooking a lot more lately. It is like she is the older sister for the other two, which I wouldn't doubt if I didn't know them. It is good to see her more confident and positive about life in general. She is just as perfect as before, if not more.

Again, I wish I could marry a girl like her one day… Am I asking too much, journal? Or am I fated to end as a lonely captain with a frozen heart? Pffft, such a drama, hahaha. Now, seriously, Kiana would either complain nonstop or remove me somehow if I actually married with Mei. I don't know if it is just an infatuation or if she really means it but Kiana never misses an opportunity to declare her goals. And Mei never denied so I guess I'm out of the game…? Ah, why am I worrying about it? It's not like they would see me in that way. I think I'm more like a brother figure at best. And not a cool brother, even!

I don't mind much, this Captain is happy by making sure his valks are in the best mental and emotional condition as well. I just wish the HQ would raise my payment just a bit. Scraping through with noodles is getting harder, even more after that last event. I swear MiHoYo will lead me bankrupt…

Okay, journal, it is my fault for spending so much money on the event gacha, but it was a special skin! I couldn't call myself a true Kallen Fantasy fan is I didn't have it! ... Sure, spending my hard-earned crystals in skins rather than 5-star equipment sounds like a dumb thing to do… but it is also about aesthetics! And don't even try to pay the 'skin doesn't mean skill' card, I'm doing my best as a f2p. You won't see me wailing for rare drops.

On the bright side, Mei said she could cook larger portions if I wanted so I win in both ends… kind of? Look, I'm not rejecting good food when I can get it. And no, I'm not abusing of her goodwill, I'm already going to buy the ingredients anyway. And I help sometimes too… Congratulations Captain, you made yourself feel guilty…

Hah… I'm so glad I have a reliable person like Mei to help out…

"Well, that was something, don't you think Mei?" Kiana said with a smug grin and wiggling eyebrows while Mei slowly covered her face with the book.

"Captain s-surely knows how to express himself..."

"Based on behavioral patterns, the Bronya concludes Mei-neesama is quite embarrassed"

"Aw, you don't have to be shy, senpai. I'm sure Captain meant everything he wrote in there~" Kiana further poked fun at Mei. It wasn't like she wanted to be mean, but as she said before, the white-haired girl didn't want to be the only one going through that. Plus, she totally agreed with Captain that Mei was the best, so there was that.

"Does it also include the part where subject Captain mentions Kiana as an annoying brat?"

"Sure he does- Hey!"

"Baaaka~~"

"Girls, stop fighting already"

"But Mei, she started!"

"Correction. Kiana Idiotka is the starter"

"You two..." Mei shook her head lightly, sighing once again. She liked that Captain found her to be very dependable and some sort of anchor for the team. Scratch that, Captain made it clear she was the whole boat. But sometimes, the only thing Mei wanted was… "yare yare..."

"Oh, that's right!" Kiana spun around on the bed and snatched the book from Mei's hands, surprising her. She flipped through the pages furiously.

"Kiana, don't tear off the pages"

"Where is it… where is it..." While the white-haired girl glanced at the lines, looking for the cue she wanted, the emotion laking loli of the group slowly floated away in the direction of the door, but she stopped dead on her tracks once Kiana shouted.

"Aha! Stop right there, Bratnya!"

Bronya turned around with a face that would look slightly more bored than usual. In Bronya's body language, this meant she was either bored or annoyed, and considering Kiana was present, it could be both.

"What is it?"

"I found your part in this! You'll not escape, Bronya!"

"The Bronya has better things to do rather than sit and invade Captain's privacy"

"Like what?"

"Grinding Homu Fantasy VII, there will be an important event soon. Now, the Bronya excuses herself-"

"Bronya-chan, why don't you take a sit?" Mei looked at the gray-haired girl with a smile, but it wasn't as warm as usual, and her polite tone had a silver line of 'not asking'. So Bronya did the only reasonable thing and returned to her seat next to Mei.

"Fufufufu~ I wonder what kind of embarrassing things Captain wrote about you, Bratnya~"

"Unlike Kiana Idotka, the Bronya is not one to be in embarrassing situations very often"

"Well, some things are bound to happen at least one time, right?" Mei asked in a sweet tone that somehow betrayed her words. If she had to go through this, Mei wouldn't go alone.

Bronya remained silent for a moment as Kiana held the book to her. Still sporting her expressionless face, Bronya picked Captain's journal and her eyes gravitated towards her name in bigger letters.

"Ahem. The Bronya shall read..."

End of Chapter

Aaand cut. The thing about writing these is that I can do in one sit if I'm motivated enough. Of course that implies skipping a few hours of sleep (its 5am) but that's worth it! Oh well, I hope you all enjoyed it. I got a good reception from the first chapter, which is good because I was honestly worried about only being able to write NSFW stuff. Also, I'm happy to add some content to the fandom of one of my favorite franchises. Thank you for your time and for reading, and as always, leave a review if you feel like. That's about it. Guy's out.