A/N: Here's my first attempt at writing a fanfic for Honkai: Star Rail. In honor of Lunar New Year, enjoy this oneshot for Year of the Snake.
"Come on, Caelus, just ask her out!" a dark-haired boy said exasperatedly.
"It's not that simple, Dan Heng!" the grey-haired boy sitting in front of him protested, waving his arms in front of him.
"Dude, you've fought countless monsters, traveled through vast planets and helped countless people along the way. Don't tell me you're too chicken to ask a girl out!"
"It's Firefly, man. She's a really special girl."
"Yeah, a Stellaron hunter who tried to kill you," Dan Heng replied as he took a sip of boba. "Yet you survived that fight, and you were able to patch things up after that."
"Okay, well, what do you suggest?" Caelus asked. "What was it like when you asked out March?"
Dan Heng tilted his head slightly towards the ceiling. Caelus was swinging the chair he was sitting on back and forth.
"I just went for it and made sure to be my best self," Dan Heng said. "Once the first move was made, there was no going back. I had a feeling that March was waiting for me to ask her out because of all the times she was really close to me whenever we hung out in groups. Like she was more excited to talk to me compared to others."
"Okay, the Galactic Baseballer can do this," Caelus was now hyped up. "Just gotta act natural."
"You got this! Taking risks may be scary, but it's worth it. Remember, it gets easier after saying the first sentence."
With that, Caelus left Dan Heng's room, feeling slightly more confident, but still imagining multiple scenarios.
The halls of the Astral Express were beginning to be decorated in red and gold for Lunar New Year. A few red paper lanterns already dotted the ceilings. Banners with snakes lined the walls.
Caelus walked down the hallway of the passenger car towards one of the new guest rooms. His heart was pounding so hard that he felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He took a deep breath as he knocked on the door.
A girl with silver hair in a ponytail and wearing a dark blue crop top opened the door, revealing that inside the room, there was a heated gaming session between the girls in his friend group.
"Hey, Silver Wolf, I, uh … need to talk to Firefly for a bit," Caelus said a bit quickly.
"Sure," said the girl, retreating into the room.
A girl with light grey hair and a dark brown headband stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Caelus took a deep breath and stood up straight, preparing what he was going to say. Once he started talking, he had to keep going, and he felt himself relax.
"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" the girl asked.
"Well, Firefly, you know Lunar New Year is in a couple days," said Caelus. "There's a massive celebration that happens every year at the Xianzhou Luofu, and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."
There. He said it, and he felt a little less tense.
Firefly slowly looked up, her lips forming a smile.
"I would love to!" exclaimed Firefly, smiling. "I've always wondered what cool events they have at the Luofu. I know all the cool parties at Penacony, so I'm excited to see what's out there in other worlds."
Caelus slowly let out a breath he was holding in. His whole body completely relaxed.
"Cool! It's a date!" said Caelus, smiling.
"Yeah, see you then!" said Firefly.
Firefly returned to the game room, while Caelus turned around, walked a few steps, then pumped a fist in victory with a grin on his face. He immediately went over to tell his friends.
It was the morning of Lunar New Year, and the Express was fully decorated and hovering close to the massive spaceship known as the Xianzhou Luofu.
Caelus started getting ready in the early afternoon, having enjoyed some nice meals with his friends and crewmates. In the bathroom, he began his skincare routine, then started putting on some clothes. Saying he was excited for the evening was an understatement. Although he managed to have a good night's sleep, he had still woken up a bit early and couldn't wait to take Firefly on the date. Time was going by too slowly for his liking, though he cared less about it because he had amazing food.
Now he was getting dressed. First, he put on a red shirt and light brown pants, his usual first layer of clothing. However, instead of his black overcoat, he put on a red jacket lined with a few gold stripes. He combed his hair one last time, then he walked out.
He went to the parlor car where everyone was gathered. Red lanterns dotted the ceiling, with some banners on the walls. A big plush snake was laid on one of the couches. Some people were standing, while others were chatting while sitting on the couches.
"Hope your date goes well, bro," a grey-haired girl that looked like Caelus looked up at him.
"Yeah, I hope so too," Caelus said to his twin sister, scratching the back of his head. "Hope you have fun back here, Stelle."
"We'll make sure to take tons of pictures!" a cheery voice chimed in.
"Of course you do, March," Dan Heng turned to a pink-haired girl. "You're the type who needs a thousand pics of the same thing."
"Hey, I love to keep the memories. You on the other hand can barely manage 10 pictures on a night out."
"Well, I forget a lot of things."
"I'm looking forward to tonight's party and dinner, for those who will join us on the Express," the conductor walked up to the group.
"I'm also excited, Pom-Pom," said March.
"Yeah, just don't get your head stuck in a trash can, sis!" Caelus joked.
"And don't take Firefly dumpster diving on your date, bro!" Stelle shot back. The siblings laughed.
Stelle and the other girls were all wearing a red qipao, a red dress that was wrapped tightly around the body. It was quite a nice surprise for Caelus. He also saw March and Silver Wolf. He had to admit that Silver Wolf looked elegant with her hair in a bun and wearing the dress instead of her usual ponytail with a crop top and short shorts. He also saw Himeko, their navigator, looking great as usual with her red dress to match her red hair. But there was still one girl he was waiting for.
The doors to the passenger car opened. Caelus turned and was stunned at the sight in front of him. Firefly stood in front of the doors, wearing her own qipao. She replaced her dark brown headband with a red one. His mouth hung open as Firefly walked towards them and he stayed frozen.
"Congratulations, Firefly! You broke Caelus!" March teased, waving a hand in front of him. "Aeons to Caelus."
"Seriously, Caelus?" Dan Heng asked in mock exasperation. "We've fought off scary monsters, tough robots, you were even unfazed by your ghost hunting trips with Guinaifen, Sushang and Huohuo but seeing the girl you like in a nice dress makes you feel weak at the knees?"
"Can't blame him, Dan Heng," Stelle chimed in. "We're all more stylish than what we're used to today."
Caelus blinked and tilted his head downwards.
"You look sharp, Caelus!" said Firefly.
"Girl, you're looking fire and fly!" Caelus said without much thought.
March and Silver Wolf snickered. Firefly giggled. "Thanks a lot! I spent a lot of time getting ready."
"Where'd you learn to rizz like that?" Silver Wolf asked. "That was an epic gamer moment coming from you."
"What are you talking about? Caelus has L rizz," Dan Heng deadpanned. "All jokes aside, good job planning the date, and I hope you guys have a lot of fun."
"Hey, my rizz worked!" said Caelus. "Anyway, we'll get going."
"Enjoy the night!" one of the Express crewmen said.
"For sure, Mr. Yang!" Caelus called back as he and Firefly walked to the starskiff that would take them to the Xianzhou Luofu.
The festivities in the Xianzhou Luofu were in full swing. The streets were bustling with humans, Foxians, and Vidyadharas. Most of the events were held at the Central Starskiff Haven, the city center. Caelus took Firefly's hand in his as they got off the starskiff, feeling a slight breeze as they walked briskly towards the crowd. It had just started to get dark a few minutes ago, and people were flocking from the docks.
Red lanterns floated above the streets, along with inflatable snakes. The last time Caelus had been in a big party zone was back in Penacony, where he and Firefly first met. He briefly thought about the first night they spent out together. They had a lot of unforgettable moments, like the time Firefly offered to pay for his food as long as he ate to his heart's content. They had also taken a selfie at one of the great viewpoints.
Although he liked the parties and games in Penacony's cities, he enjoyed the Luofu a bit more. He loved the architecture, the food, and the people. It was a very colourful place. Despite being technologically advanced, the ship kept a lot of its ancient architecture.
He was still reeling from all the events at Penacony and the Dreamscape. He had gone through a lot, and it was all scary for him. He shuddered at the memory of fighting Firefly in her SAM mech suit, then quickly brushed it aside. He was going to live in the present moment and enjoy it.
The atmosphere at the Luofu seemed brighter in comparison, despite it also being night, only lit by lanterns, fireworks, and city lights. He felt nothing but excitement and happiness as he looked forward to how the night was going to unfold.
As they walked down the streets, they passed by multiple food stalls. Caelus and Firefly hadn't eaten since lunch. They also opted to skip snacks and decided to starve a bit so they could enjoy the food more. Caelus was already eager to try out different kinds of food after getting a good whiff. But he had to be patient and choose wisely. He glanced back at Firefly, thinking about how he could make the night special for the both of them.
There were a lot of food stalls line up in front of the palace. Caelus could see that the path continued towards the right, around the outside of the palace, with the left side being a wall of shops. A lot of people lined up to see all the handcrafted goods.
The tourists were greeted by a pair of stone lion statues that stood tall in front of the palace. The palace itself was lined with red lanterns that lit up the surroundings like stars.
The sky was now a darker shade of blue, with every trace of the sun having completely disappeared. Caelus was now completely immersed into it. He had been thinking about it all day and now he had arrived at the place. The multicoloured decorations and lights bombarded his senses, making him feel overwhelmed as he turned his head to take in all the sights. He told himself that he was going to take it slow, live in the moment, and have a great night out with Firefly.
He could hear chatter and laughter from all directions, as people excitedly rushed to line up at different booths or enjoyed their food. The presence of lively people added to the cheerful atmosphere. Although it was slightly cold, Caelus slowly felt a bit warmer as he immersed himself into the event. He adjusted his grip on Firefly's hand. He felt a bit of sweat building up, but he shrugged it off and they continued walking slowly.
"This is much more colourful than Penacony," Firefly looked up at Caelus. "There's so much to see here. I wanna see some cool crafts."
"We'll get to that for sure," said Caelus. "There should be a lot of nice events here. I'm also looking forward to the food."
"Yes. Food is great. We should try out a lot of treats along with a nice dinner."
"That's the idea."
They continued along the path, going down the stairs to the right side of the palace. On the other side of the street was a wide chasm with a deep drop, with bridges connecting the palace to the rest of the city on the other side. The place was well-lit by streetlamps and paper lanterns. Multiple fires were lit in each food stall as the cooks worked tirelessly to provide exceptional service to hungry travelers. Caelus got a whiff of freshly grilled skewers. His mouth started to water, and he suddenly remembered how empty his stomach was. The empty stomach made him light on his feet and he wanted to walk a bit faster, but he remembered that he was walking with Firefly. Every now and then, they would stop and take pictures of their surroundings using their phones.
"What should we do first?" Firefly asked.
Caelus went over the schedule of events on his phone. "Well, there's a big lion dance that's happening at the Exalting Sanctum in 30 minutes. We can catch it now, so we don't have to wait for the next one. You might see a nice parade on the other side of that bridge, but I want to see the lion dance."
"We should definitely check that out! Then we'll have more time for food."
Caelus and Firefly followed the long stream of people riding massive starskiffs towards a crowd that started to gather around an open circular space in front of a building that was cordoned off by yellow tape and some guardrails. The area was known as the Exalting Sanctum, the busiest area of the city. The people stood on the stairs.
He glanced to his left, where he caught a glimpse of a familiar Foxian waiting for the dance. She had big, pointy brown ears and her brown hair was down. She also wore a form-fitting red qipao with gold patterns on it.
He immediately recognized her. She was Fugue, formerly known as Tingyun, whom he met on his first trip to the Luofu. He had been shaken up when she had been possessed by Phantylia and snapped her neck. Throughout his quests, he had wondered if he ever met the real Tingyun back then. Eventually, they met her, the real her, though she was dealing with an identity crisis and forgot most of who she was.
She was chatting and laughing with a young man in a matching red suit with blue pants. The man was slightly taller than Fugue, with tan skin and dark hair. Caelus had never seen him before, but he hoped they were enjoying the holiday as much as he and Firefly were.
The chatter was quite loud, and Caelus picked up voices from multiple places. The audience stood in anticipation for the event. Caelus tapped his feet as he felt time slow down due to his excitement. A lot of people got their phones and cameras ready.
Within minutes, a group of performers emerged from the entrance of the building. The first was a girl with peach-colored hair tied in a ponytail. She wore an elegant and bright red dress with gold patterns, with black stockings and boots underneath. She held a gong.
"Is that … Guinaifen?" Caelus asked.
"You know her?" Firefly turned to him.
"Yeah, I went on a few ghost hunting missions with her and her friends."
"Sounds spooky."
The girl moved closer. Caelus got a better look and knew that it was indeed her. "That really is her. She's a great acrobat."
"Happy Lunar New Year everyone! I wish you all a prosperous and successful Year of the Snake!" Guinaifen yelled.
Everyone cheered and clapped. Caelus felt himself get more pumped and excited for the show.
Guinaifen then rang the gong and a few Ditings came from behind and ran circles around her. Caelus smiled a bit as he saw the cute mechanical dogs.
The performers in red and yellow lion costumes came next as the Ditings retreated. The lion heads were big, with nice eyes and brightly colored faces that contrasted with the dark background that was only lit by lanterns. Their shoes looked like the lions' paws. Drummers stood against the walls and provided background music, while Guinaifen stood in the middle, continuing to ring the gong.
The three lions started off by running in circles, getting a bit close to the audience. Caelus had taken some pictures and short videos, occasionally lowering his phone so that he could see the dance with his own eyes. Guinaifen then backed up towards the wall next to the line of drummers as the lions prepared for the next part of their routine.
The lions then stood in place, shaking their heads and going low on the ground. Occasionally, the tempo of the drumming slowed down, then sped back up as the lions performed more energetic movements. The crowd watched in awe as the lions reared up by having the dancer at the back lift the one at the front. The fast drumbeats and flashy dance moves helped excite Caelus as he enjoyed the moment, mesmerized by the performance.
The performers started up a new set of moves. The lions walked more slowly and turned to face the audience, who were standing still, watching eagerly and taking photos. The speed of the lions' movements matched the tempo of the musical instruments. After running in a circle again, they lined up and did more coordinated movements, sometimes having the performer in the front opening the costume's mouth.
The performance lasted about 10 minutes in total, but it felt a lot longer for Caelus. He thought it was because he was really immersed in it and saw a mix of fast, flashy, with slow, methodical movements. At the end of the routine, the performers exited towards the big doorway of the building near them. The lions moved first. The drummers stopped playing music as they followed suit, with Guinaifen going last with the Ditings. As the music stopped, the cheers and applause began.
Soon, the crowd began to disperse. The streets were getting less congested as people started moving.
"That performance was awesome!" said Firefly, smiling. "I know Penacony has a lot of nice theatrics, but I also liked this one, especially because they used traditional instruments for the music."
"I really love lion dances," said Caelus. "Some of the moves are simple, yet awesome. Guinaifen's acrobat group didn't disappoint."
"Well, we should get some dinner."
"Yeah, we can browse through the food stalls and see which one we like. And leave room for snacks or desserts."
Firefly took Caelus' hand, and they walked briskly up the stairs, where multiple food stalls were lined up. Each stall sold a wide variety of dishes ranging from meat skewers to snack foods. This street was wider, with most people crowded around different stalls. Caelus was more focused on thinking about what to eat, but he also reminded himself to take more pictures and that he shouldn't forget to take selfies with Firefly. He remembered the selfie he took with her when they first met in Penacony. He often looked at it and thought back to that day.
They walked to an area that was a little less crowded. While walking and taking pictures, Firefly lost her footing and began to fall backwards. Caelus quickly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her to catch her. She then wrapped her arms around his neck, and they stared at each other for what felt like ages.
"Yo, Caelus! Good to see you!" Caelus snapped back to reality and turned towards the voice.
He spotted a brunette girl with two long pigtails, wearing a red dress, and standing behind a food stall with the sign "Sushang Chicken House" on top, complete with a picture of a white chicken on the left side. The stall had glass displaying roasted pieces of chicken and flames in the background.
"Hey Sushang!" Caelus yelled. "I didn't know you worked in food service too!"
"Well, cooking is a good way for me to enjoy myself after long days as a Cloud Knight," said Sushang. "I may not be hunting for ghosts as often these days, but I still want to create content, so why not be a food influencer? You've been a great help promoting our brand."
"Hold on, we need to think about what we want to eat," said Caelus.
"Sure, take your time," said Sushang. "There might be some other customers who are ready."
They stared at the menu from a distance, letting a few customers go first.
"What do you think looks good?" Caelus asked.
"I'll go with the Sushang Classic Combo," said Firefly. "Quite a lot of dishes here have some degree of spice."
"Yeah, I know, but it's also quite good," said Caelus. "I'll get the Kung Pao Chicken Combo."
Most of the people dispersed instead of ordering food, making the area slightly less crowded. The lines at food stalls got shorter. Most people sat down on the steps of the circular area where performances were held. There was also a nice seating area next to the buildings.
They then ordered their food. Behind Sushang, they spotted a Foxian girl with green hair and pointy ears, standing next to a tall Foxian man that was blindfolded and had light peach-colored hair. He was busy preparing vegetables. They were all wearing red, which wasn't something Caelus was used to seeing.
"Hey Caelus!" said the green-haired girl a bit shyly as she turned to face him.
"Great to see you again, Huohuo," said Caelus. "Guys, this is Firefly. We met when I went to Penacony."
"Hi guys!" said Firefly.
"Nice to meet you, Firefly. My friends and I love to do food service on holidays," said Sushang as she grabbed premade food and Huohuo took over the cash register. "Thank you for helping us promote our brand."
"It's my pleasure."
"I started this food stall for Jiaoqiu, an amazing chef," Sushang continued as she scooped fried rice, vegetables and chicken into two boxes.
"I do appreciate you inviting me to take part in your business, Sushang," said the Foxian in the back. "Cooking and healing were my two favourite things. Things are a bit harder now that I'm blind, but I've been managing with my other senses. I'm grateful to help Sushang become a better cook, and I love spicing up people's food, and their lives too."
"Jiaoqiu is a hero," said Sushang. "Us Cloud Knights want to serve when we can and help those in a tough situation. He's a great guide, and I'm happy to give him this opportunity to continue using his talents."
"I was just doing what I had to," Jiaoqiu countered. "I did save Feixiao by getting poisoned."
"Very noble of you, Sushang," said Firefly. "You're very brave too, Jiaoqiu."
"Well, I hope you guys continue to make good food. Happy Lunar New Year!" said Caelus.
"And I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your night. And Happy Lunar New Year!" said Huohuo.
"Yeah, we've been enjoying it," said Firefly. "We just watched the lion dance led by Guinaifen."
"Guinaifen is cool," said Sushang. "Her and her acrobatics team are really talented."
Sushang handed them their boxes of food with utensils as a few other customers approached. Caelus and Firefly found a place to sit down, taking out water bottles.
When they opened the boxes, smoke rose, and the smell of freshly cooked food bombarded their noses. Caelus took in the smell of vegetables and chicken. Firefly's food was similar, though hers was fried chicken.
"I'm grateful and really enjoyed the past year of adventures, despite the struggles that I've gone through at the same time," said Caelus. "I've really grown a lot, and I've gotten a lot closer to the Astral Express family."
"I'm also grateful to have met a lot of nice people like you," said Firefly. "Even though we got off on the wrong foot, we were able to move forward, and now Silver Wolf and I are the newest members of your crew."
"That's true."
Caelus began eating, using his chopsticks to grab a piece of chicken. He immediately felt flames torch his tongue, and he felt the spicy taste in the rest of his mouth. He thought his eyes were going to water a bit, but he grabbed some rice, then washed down the food with water.
"How spicy is it?" Firefly asked.
"It's quite a bit spicier than what I like, but I'll manage," said Caelus. "It's just really good, so I'm willing to keep eating."
"This fried chicken is great! Not super hot either."
After a few bites, Firefly decided to try the Kung Pao chicken. Caelus handed her a piece.
She chewed, swallowed, then had to take a big sip of water, still breathing heavily out of her mouth after that.
"That chicken was so spicy, I could set the seas ablaze with my breath," said Firefly. "How do you manage?"
Caelus chuckled. "You get used to it after eating enough hot and spicy foods. That's the most amount of spice I will be able to handle, though. I don't think I'll be able to work my way up."
"You can have the rest. I'll stick to my fried chicken. The vegetables are great too."
"Yeah, my favourite is the broccoli."
They continued chatting and laughing, sharing stories of what they've done recently and talking about what they were hoping to do in the near future. Caelus felt himself relax as his stomach was slowly filling up. The spicy food warmed him even more.
They decided to order some bubble tea and Berrypheasant skewers for snacks, then Caelus led her to Aurum Alley to check out some handcrafted goods and accessories.
"What do you think looks good?" Caelus asked.
"I like those necklaces over there," said Firefly, looking over at one of the stalls.
"A lot of accessories here are awesome, even cooler than what they sell in most jewelry stores in my opinion, and for a cheaper price."
After they split up to look at different things, Caelus scanned through the stalls. He wanted to get a good souvenir from the Luofu, even though he treasured the photos and the experience more. He was also looking to get something for Firefly.
He eventually settled on a necklace with a pendant of a firefly that could light up. It didn't have fancy jewelry or that much metal, but he still thought that Firefly would love it.
"Hey, Firefly, check this out," said Caelus, revealing the firefly necklace he had bought her.
Firefly immediately lit up like the insect that she was named after. She rushed over to take a look at it.
"Aww, thanks Caelus," said Firefly.
Caelus then put the necklace on her, then they continued browsing through Aurum Alley. When it started getting late, they decided to go back to the area near the palace, going all the way to the end where they could get a nice view of the city on the other side. The palace was on the other side of the chasm, connected to them by a bridge. They then reached the edge, where they could see the night sky with some floating lanterns and snake balloons, with glimpses of a city on the other side.
Soon, a fireworks show began on the other side and everyone who was gathered immediately stopped to watch. Bursts of red and gold painted the night sky. Caelus and Firefly took some pictures of the fireworks before they decided to take selfies, with the night sky in the background lit up by fireworks. Caelus was going to keep looking at those photos in the future. They were much nicer than their first selfie that they took in Penacony.
The night was about to end. Caelus felt like he had a long, eventful, and interesting night, but at the same time it went by quickly. They were exhausted but satisfied and were about to return to the Express soon.
Caelus and Firefly continued to watch the fireworks show. He then turned to Firefly, still holding hands, then he took her other hand in his. He then released her hands. He brought his right hand up to her face, brushing aside some hair. Both of them slowly leaned in and closed their eyes. He eventually felt her soft lips on his, and he simply relaxed at the contact, feeling light, as if he were on top of the world. Everything else in the background suddenly disappeared. Caelus only heard the faint sounds of the fireworks and the thumping of his heart.
The fireworks show ended. He and Firefly began to make their way back. They boarded a starskiff, and within minutes, they were at the station where the Express was parked. Caelus was still replaying the best parts of his and Firefly's date night. He knew he was going to feel happy about it while laying in bed later. Their steps were quick as they walked over to the train's party car.
They opened the doors and saw their friends and furniture scattered. March and Dan Heng were sprawled on opposite sides of one of the couches, unconscious, while Stelle and Silver Wolf were busy cleaning up, moving slowly and lethargically. One of the tables had mahjong tiles scattered all over it.
"Must've been quite a party," said Caelus.
"Tell me about it," said Stelle. "We went crazy here, especially with the mahjong games. Mr. Yang and Himeko had enough an hour ago and decided to go to bed."
"How was your date?" Silver Wolf asked.
"It was amazing!" Firefly yelled excitedly. "We had so much good food, saw cool events, and took lots of pictures."
"Glad you guys had fun," said Stelle. "We had our own fun right here, but going out at night is cool too."
"We'll head to bed now," said Caelus. "I'm exhausted, but I feel great. Seems like the party room's clean now. Let's leave March and Dan Heng alone."
"Yeah, they've been passed out for about 30 minutes now," said Silver Wolf. "We can just leave them here."
Caelus retreated to his room and got changed. He was still feeling all the excitement and happiness as if he were still at the Luofu. After crawling into bed, he closed his eyes, feeling more than satisfied with the date. He felt good about himself as he thought about everything he did earlier. He was so glad that he had the chance to celebrate with Firefly. This was a night that he was going to reminisce about years down the line. He just laid in bed, knowing that he wasn't going to fall asleep that easily as he replayed all the good parts of the date in his head, that culminated in a kiss with Firefly. He smiled to himself as he laid there, having a good feeling that he and Firefly were going to have a good relationship down the line as they go on more adventures together.