Chapter Text
In the quietness of the express, there is a noise.
No- not a noise, a melody. It’s barely audible underneath the distant hum of the train engine and the white noise that is the outer space of the universe. The song calls to her, beckons her sweetly with its alluring voice like a siren does to a sailor in those old mythology books she once read before, and well…
Kafka follows it.
Her footsteps are silent and precise as she nears her destination, the music growing to a mere whisper to her trained ears. She doesn’t bother with the door, not when she can blend in and out of the shadows like its nothing, and before she knows it the smell of freshly brewed coffee and something sweeter tickles her nose. The room before he is beautifully decorated in reds and golds along with a few beautiful paintings, practically a suite judging by the couch on one side and the bed on the other. While lazily scanning the place further she finds the source of the music nestled at the far corner of that same couch, tucked right between a potted plant, and said furniture where it sits comfortably.
The human ability to bring objects from the past and modernize them is one of the few traits Kafka can admire seeing as she herself leans more towards the vintage side of things. Her fingers twitch at her side, and although she isn’t adept with the piano than she is with a favorite instrument of hers, she still manages to easily follow along without missing a beat. It’s a decidedly solemn piece, a kind of richness that leaves a hollowed sensation in her chest and for a moment- just a moment- Kafka falls victim to its melody, before quickly snapping back to reality to a certain voice.
“You better have a good reason for being in my bedroom, Kafka.”
Ah. How could she forget the woman that’s been in here all along? Breathing and sharing the same air as her as equals for once. She’s visited the Astral Express crew, but those times have been her holographs and Kafka has never had the opportunity to visit in person, until now. A lazy practiced smile graces her lips while closing her eyes and leaning against the wall nearest to her with a light chuckle.
“What?...” She drawls out in that cool, raspy tone of hers knowing that it gets on the navigator’s nerves. Her point is further proven from the exasperated sigh she receives which only serves to broaden Kafka’s grin. “I can’t visit my favorite crew every now and then?”
“Not when your face is plastered on every wanted poster there is by the IPC.”
“Call it a misunderstanding really. The Corporation seems to see us in a different light compared to others.”
“That bounty on your head is quite the price. Anyone wouldn’t hesitate to turn you in.”
“And yet…”
Kafka slowly straightens up while opening her eyes and turning to meet the gaze of none other than Himeko herself, the tension between them steadily rising as she starts walking in her direction. Kafka doesn’t miss the way her grip tightens slightly on her cup of coffee, nor the way Himeko cautiously watches her like a wolf approaching its prey. Instead of causing any harm though, she puts her gloved hands up in a mock surrender while still wearing that obnoxious easy going look of hers. If she wasn’t already infuriated by the mere invasion of privacy she’s breached, Himeko is definitely annoyed by that constant grin she always wears.
Even if Kafka is coming here in peace, she will not be letting her guard down for one second. She’ll have to check later how she’s continuously slipping past their security system and waltzing onto the Express as if she were an actual member of the crew. Something she’ll have to worry about for another time, right now Himeko returns her focus back onto the sly hunter in front of her who stands just a few steps away.
“Here I am, dear Himeko.”
“Do not call me that,” She narrows her eyes at Kafka who just laughs at her attempts of authority. “What do you want?”
“Ever straight to the point I see. I think I remember you mentioning that ‘discussion’ you wanted to have with me.” Another sigh slips past Himeko’s full lips and Kafka enjoys the subtle twitch of her brow at repeating her words not so long ago.
“You could have chosen any other time, you know? Not when I’m supposed to be in the comfort of my own private quarters.”
“Apologies on the infiltration then.”
“I don’t need you to lie to me.”
Whether she’s sorry or not, Himeko doesn’t care, it doesn’t get rid of the uneasiness that’s settled in the pit of her stomach. She places a hand on her hip and observes the hunter for a moment, an odd silence blanketing over them as the only sound that fills the air is the music still playing from the phonograph. It immediately catches Kafka’s attention again, looking over Himeko’s shoulder and then back onto her attentive, golden gaze that continues to watch her every move. She doesn’t let her stare deter her in anyway and instead clasps her own hands behind her back with a slight bow of her head, picking up their conversation.
“Would you say you’re musically inclined, Himeko?”
The question is random and completely out of nowhere, but that’s what she expects out of Kafka. The unknown, a woman shrouded in mystery.
“Is this one of your twisted mind games?” She doesn’t fall for the bait while Kafka languidly walks towards her personal phonograph, a rare gift that Herta had given a long time ago. The hunter simply chuckles at hesitancy, idly tracing the edge of her desk when she steps past it.
“Come on, indulge me a little.” Her persistence to answer her question still has Himeko warily looking at her before she places her cup on her desk with a sigh and follows behind the other woman.
“Fine. I’ll bite,” She raises a perfect brow at Kafka and although she doesn’t see it, she already knows she’s got that smug smirk on her face. “Perhaps once upon a time ago the piano and I were quite close.”
That catches her attention, and Kafka spares a glance over her shoulder at her.
“And now?”
“The admiration is still there, however my skills lack the confidence it once had.”
“Ah, a lover of the arts,” She smiles at that while gazing out the window nearby and letting her eyes travel over the vast openness of the universe. “It seems we have one thing in common.”
“A bit too hasty for any comparisons between you and I, Kafka.”
“Oh… I think we’re more alike than you’d like to admit, starlight.”
“You’re beginning to waste my time.” The barely concealed anger flashes in her tone now, finally making its abrupt appearance from the annoyance she’s been feeling since her arrival. Kafka simply hums at her words, gazing out the window a moment longer before facing Himeko once more.
“The Gnossienne, or Gnossiennes, were composed by Erik Satie and it differs from the traditional tempo and chord structures so much so that some have quoted it musical poetry. His works were monotonous, simple, practically cyclical in nature with a loneliness that harbors deep in every one of his songs. It was repetitive with no beginning or end, the kind of complexity that intrigued the human mind and later many grew to appreciate its eccentricity. Music translates the feelings that we cannot even understand to put into words…”
Kafka trails off for a second checking to see she still has Himeko’s undivided attention and sure enough she does, and that spurs her on. She dares to take a step towards Himeko, testing the waters to see if she’ll run away, slowly closing the distance between them that she’s barely on the cusp of intruding her personal space. Kafka reaches a hand out but pauses, her eyes never leaving Himeko as she boldly twirls a piece of her soft, crimson hair around her finger.
“Erik Satie endured a life of solitude and ended with his death in solitude. He didn’t have many friends, probably none really, and watched the people around him converse and socialize. As if he were looking from the outside in.”
“Kafka…” Her brows knit together in both confusion and wariness, and if she stared hard enough, she could see the hint of curiosity shining through those amber eyes. She glances down at the finger idly playing with her hair which she has yet to push away before looking back up at her.
“What is the meaning of all of this?”
“Starlight, I know how lonely you are. You watch the rest of your crew laugh and have fun amongst one another, exploring the outside world to their hearts content all for you to sit on this desolate train with nothing other than your sanity and absurd amount of caffeine.”
“Mr. Yang-”
“We both know he doesn’t count.”
The harsh truth of it all hits her in the face hard, enough that Himeko starts glaring at Kafka. It shouldn’t bother her the slightest which only adds insult to injury, who is she to tell her how her life is? A Stellaron Hunter who’s devoted to their leader like a servant is to its Aeon, Kafka who has probably killed more people than Himeko would like to know, a woman of compromise and destruction that all clashes together dangerously so.
And someone who has managed to read her like an open book.
She grabs her wrist firmly and finally pries it away, the strands of her hair curling slightly from her touch and Himeko will remember it as Kafka’s doing. The irony of it all is that Himeko can’t deny it, the evidence is basically in front of them with what her music choice and the fact that she knows how much time she spends by herself. March, Dan Heng, Stelle- they are all young people who are excited to explore the world and the rest of the unknown but her? Himeko?
She doesn’t have anyone to fall back onto, and like Kafka said, Welt is a different case. He has his own business to attend and is like that of a guardian, making sure that she’s okay and no harm has fallen onto her. There’s no one she can relate to, no one she can talk to, no one to ask how she likes to take her coffee or why she has such a deep rooted love for the piano. The thought of Kafka- fucking Kafka- being the one to ask her these types of questions and have these kinds of conversations sends a strange feeling to her chest, and Himeko doesn’t like it.
“I think I’ve indulged you long enough.” Comes her answer, quiet yet stern as she stares back at Kafka.
She regards her passively with a practiced neutral expression that came from the burden of path she’s destined for. It’s a battle of who’s stubbornness can outweigh the other and Kafka attempts to win.
“I come to you as myself, Himeko,” Her voice sounds a bit softer around the edges, somehow finding the will to give her the smallest bit if a smile. A dangerously beautiful one.
“Not as an enemy, not as a Stellaron Hunter. Just Kafka.”
“You’re being ridiculous. You’re considered a criminal by the IPC and who knows how many other people want your head, you want me to believe you have no hidden intentions here?”
“If I wanted you dead, I would have done it long ago. We both know that.”
Another blow of the truth to her face. With all the blood Kafka has left behind, she knows just how formidable of a foe she must be. If they were ever to truly fight… only one of them will walk away and Himeko doesn’t want to think about the ‘what ifs’ in those scenarios. She snaps out of her thoughts when Kafka effortlessly twists her wrist so now, they’re holding hands which Himeko should pull away and stop this madness but… for some reason she can’t.
“You’ve intrigued me since the first time I stepped onto the Express. Although it was only a holograph of myself, I’ve already had my eyes on you for a while before that, Himeko.”
“There is nothing to gain here, Kafka, and I’m sure you already know this with the script you follow of your leader. Elio, isn’t it?”
“Perhaps…”
She trails off while glancing off to the side, then back to her as long fingers slowly stroke over Himeko’s knuckles and the touch has her body feeling oddly warm. Her deep, magenta gaze stays on her the whole time and along with the continuous attention she’s receiving, the feeling only seems to intensify for Himeko.
“Outside variables have always known to change the trajectory of a story. Maybe…” Kafka’s grin turns a bit wolfish, that infuriating charm of hers threatening to break through her resolve but she’s stronger than the hunter and only shakes her head lightly. “The same can be said here.”
“You’re impossible.”
Kafka laughs airily at that while leaning away from Himeko some, seeing the barest amount of amusement on her face. “Have I wormed my way in yet?”
“In your dreams.”
She easily slips out of Kafka’s hold, yet the warmth from her hand lingers between Himeko’s fingers and leaving behind a buzzing sensation under her own glove. She ignores it before crossing her arms over her chest and giving her a firm stare, that stupid grin of hers never leaving its place. Himeko watches Kafka closely for any tricks she might have and then sparing a glance to the rest of her room. Although she’s confused as to why the hunter stands before her with her guard down Himeko knows this isn’t the case, she might seem calm but one wrong move could send them into a different situation. It's a lot to take her words all at once and so Himeko settles on a proper response.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, whatever you’re playing at I don’t want to be a part of it,” She watches as Kafka simply nods at her words before continuing. “I’m not here to entertain any of your silly games you might even think about going for, so I advise you take your leave.”
“But I offer you a compromise, one that we could possibly both agree on. I’d say the percentage is pretty high.”
Himeko raises an eyebrow at that and not at all pleased by Kafka’s persistence. “Did you not listen to a word that just came out of my mouth?”
“You know what? Alright.”
Kafka finally relents while holding her hands up and seeing she’s only aggravating the navigator further, opting to stop for the time being. In this battle of who’s stubbornness can out do the other, she must give the cake to Himeko for this one who won’t budge the slightest. She wasn’t expecting an immediate response anyway and instead was aiming to plant the seed for what’s to come. The script knew their paths were going to cross eventually, and Kafka ever the opportunist doesn’t hesitate to find out what the rest of the future has for them.
“I didn’t come here with high expectations anyways and it’d be awfully rude of me to force an answer out of you so early.”
“You already broke into my room uninvited, Kafka.” She sends her an unamused look, but the hunter shrugs off her glare.
“But… we at least got to have this aforementioned discussion and who am I to keep a lady waiting?”
Kafka. Always twisting and turning her own words for her favor, Himeko wonders if she ever gets tired of speaking in that convoluted way of hers (riddles as she likes to put it). She rolls her eyes at the sentence while the hunter chuckles at her, moving in a little closer which causes Himeko to tense up out of habit. As controlled as she might seem, she knows Kafka can still sense how heavy the uneasiness sits in the pit of her stomach and it’s only now that Himeko is beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“I hope you come to realize how truthful my words are. It’s just you and me, Himeko. The choice is yours,” Her voice drops into something quieter, too soft for it to belong to Kafka, and for a moment Himeko almost believes her. She watches the purple haired woman respectfully bow her head some before that signature lazy smile of her returns, albeit not as smug as before.
“Sleep on it, will you? Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
And just like that she disappears. Not literally, Himeko listens to her footsteps become ever fainter as she nears her bedroom door and take her leave. She’s left there standing with a feeling that nags at her chest and has Himeko sighing deeply for what seems the umpteenth time. It’s one thing to be involved with someone and it’s another when that person also happens to be a part of an organization who are quoted to be “slaves of destiny” and a leader who can foresee the future. It’s one thing she’s a criminal and it’s another that Kafka is a Stellaron Hunter, an irrefutable fact that will not change any time soon.
Perhaps in another life things would have been different, but the thought disappears as quickly as it came. Himeko shakes her head and mentally reprimands herself for even thinking of a possibility between her and Kafka. Who is she kidding? It’s impossible for them to even be considered acquaintances, Kafka’s just lucky that the incident on the Xianzhou Luofu didn’t harm the crew as she had expected. They were merely pawns in the hands of the Stellaron Hunters and probably still are now, however she can’t deny that they didn’t turn out to be as expected. When Welt had informed her of what transpired there it was hard for Himeko to believe at first and the appearance of Kafka tonight did not help that uncertainty one bit.
Himeko does her best to ignore the nagging feeling in her chest and instead focuses on the music still playing in her bedroom. Except the feeling doesn’t leave her, the tightness in her throat worsening as she tries to swallow around the irritating sensation. She takes a deep breath in before picking up her coffee cup and taking a small careful sip from it, letting the richness of it coat her tongue in a warm embrace like that of a lover…
But all Himeko feels is the cold loneliness surrounding her.
//
It’s a few days later that the crew is off on another adventure. As navigator, she doesn’t have any problems staying behind on the Express while everyone else leaves and attend to their tasks. She knows how antsy people can get stuck in one place, even Welt gets fidgety the longer he sat on the express couch during their stop at Jarilo-VI. So she lets him act as their guardian once more while Himeko and Pom-Pom wave them goodbye, wishing them all the best and to return to them safely.
“Pom-Pom will stay here and clean!” Himeko looks down at the cute, little one with a fond smile on her face at they start walking with a purpose. “Sweep the floor, water the plant… many things for Pom-Pom to do.”
“It sure looks like it.” She says with a giggle, watching the conductor hop around and start working.
Himeko takes this as her cue to also leave and heads towards Dan Heng’s room where she looks for her next book to read. She’s already finished the last one not so long ago and needs a new bedtime read that’ll match splendidly well with a cup of coffee. The concept of time has always been a bit wonky, and she wouldn’t say she’s an insomniac, it’s just usually harder to fall asleep when there’s nothing but the stars and the rest of the universe staring back at her. Somehow, Himeko still manages to find rest when the caffeine isn’t running as rampant through her body and her book off to the side on her bed.
Most of the items on the shelf are journals and data entries but nestled in a nice, little corner are the more “fun” kinds as March likes to put it. There are a few newer novels from their trip to the Xianzhou Luofu that Stelle had brought in and organized which had become Himeko’s favorites. A lone finger runs along the stem before she’s plucking it off the shelf with a smile and reading the brief description. She can’t help but giggle to herself at how silly the writing is, the kind you wouldn’t find at the space station with all its research and maybe even Belobog from the way the people their preserve their history so much. Himeko flips to the next page of the light novel, slowly immersing herself into the story to the point that she almost didn’t feel the presence next to her.
She jumps back with a gasp and heart soaring to her throat only to realize just who it is. Himeko closes her eyes while clenching her jaw and feeling the peaceful environment around her shatter.
“Kafka…” All she gets is a hum, opening her eyes now and facing the other woman who’s leaning against the wall right next to the door. “You have a seriously problem for sneaking up on people.”
“Oh, my apologies, dear. I forget how easily frightened you get.” Kafka says with a smooth smile and a slight tilt of her head.
She stands there in all her glory, coat snugly fitted around her shoulders and signature glasses sitting atop her bangs. It’s almost like clockwork the way Kafka sneaks back into her life whenever Himeko let her guard down thinking she’s all alone only for the Stellaron Hunter to make her grand appearance. She leans off the wall and starts walking in her direction just like she had done the other day, one of her hands fixing the ruffled cuff of her dress shirt as she peers down at her book. Something twinkles in her dull eyes, mischief, and before Himeko can open her mouth Kafka has already beat her to it.
“What’s this? I didn’t take you for the rom-com type,” Himeko frowns at the playful tone and tries to hide the novel away from her curious gaze. “Come on, share it with me.”
“I’d rather not actually.” She grumbles under her breath, but she presses closer into her, enough so that she can feel Kafka’s body brushing her back.
It sends alarm bells ringing in her head and immediately Himeko turns around, placing her ungloved hand on her chest and keeping a good distance between them. She’s met with a wolfish grin and a pair of magenta eyes glance down at the palm lying flat against her crisp white dress shirt and then back to Himeko.
She ignores the way her stomach flips under her searing attention.
“My, my…” Kafka hums in that seductively, raspy voice of hers and her fingers twitch against her chest.
“You’re sending me some rather suggestive implications, starlight.”
Starlight. Out of all the nicknames in Kafka’s book, that one seems to be her favorite for Himeko. She bites her lip with glare and lightly pushes her away, but the hunter doesn’t budge one bit and she sigh knowing that she’s choosing to still be so annoying.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Kaf-”
Two things happen after that.
First, the book that she’d been holding for dear life onto has been easily plucked right out of her hand. Himeko can only watch in horror as Kafka’s grin widen into something devilish while reading a random sentence from the novel and uncovering the truth of its contents. Second, a huge wave of embarrassment and shame hits Himeko hard enough that her cheeks grow hot with a bright blush. Her arm flies forward but it’s swiftly halted by a strong grip on her wrist and all she can do is grit her teeth and seethe under the heat of frustration that’s practically got Himeko in a choke hold. Out of all people- out of anyone else in the galaxy… why did it have to be Kafka?
“She feeds me the Rainbow Aster in a way I’d never dare to imagine…” Kafka reads aloud followed by a velvety laugh and causing the blush to reach the tips of Himeko’s ears. “Oh. I like this one already, shall I share the rest?”
“Stop it…” She makes another attempt for the book and again her efforts are futile. Kafka leans in a little closer, still firmly holding her wrist as she softly clears her throat and Aeons above Himeko wants to die.
“I wake with a start, my head still reeling from the sheer shock of the scene just now. Masako is probably still mad at me for slacking off. It’s just… why does it feel so sweet at the corner of my lips?”
Himeko succeeds in snatching the novel back all the while Kafka cackles up a storm, the corner of her eyes crinkling in honest amusement from both the book and her embarrassment. She’s too upset to focus on the fact that Kafka has never once laughed like this around her, a sound that’s so genuine that it almost distracts her, but her anger blinds her. Himeko puts the book back into its spot on the bookshelf and faces the hunter once more, now merely chuckling at the sight of how flustered she’s become. This isn’t like her, not one bit, she hates how Kafka manages to throw her out of her element again and again without a care in the world.
“Leave. Now,” Himeko grits out while crossing her arms and staring daggers into Kafka’s soul. “I seem to never get a moment of peace with you around. Quite literally a thorn in my side.”
“Ah, but it’s all in jest, my dear,” Kafka just shrugs her shoulders like she didn’t just humiliate her by exposing her book. “Lighten up a little and have some fun.”
“Your definition of fun is different from mine. Get out.”
“Don’t lie and say you didn’t enjoy yourself at least a little.”
The reply is already on the tip of her tongue except Himeko remembers the way Kafka had laugh, a sound so sickly sweet that she wouldn’t mind hearing it again or how the corners of her eyes had crinkled slightly in the middle of Himeko’s anger. What is happening to her? Has it really been that long that she’s considering the company of a wanted criminal? No, no, it can’t be. She’s been so starved for proper socialization that she’s accepting the first person that walks into her life, that being Kafka only complicates and makes matters worse.
“I didn’t,” Himeko stubbornly responds with a shake of her head and a frown masking her pretty face. “Leave before I throw you out myself.”
Kafka is quick to put her hands up, trying to ease the tension with a much smaller and still very much confident smile.
“Let’s not get too hasty now… I come bearing gifts.”
“The kinds of gift you give are horrible. I heard about the little treasure hunt you sent the crew on at the Xianzhou Luofu.”
“A different situation for a completely different purpose. This one I’m sure you’ll enjoy very much.”
Himeko sighs at Kafka’s annoying persistence that she’s having the displeasure of enduring again. Maybe she’s gone insane, maybe she needs help, in the end she walks past the other woman and towards the door, not even sparing her a glance.
“Hurry up before I change my mind.”
She hears that chuckle follow her to her room along with their quiet footsteps echoing in the emptiness of the Express. Himeko doesn’t waste a second at tugging Kafka inside because although they are very much alone, she still can’t help but feel exposed with the hunter by her side. In the comfort of her bedroom she’s able to gather some of her wits together, taking a deep breath in while holding Kafka’s unwavering gaze. The lingering sour taste of what transpired earlier remains heavy on her tongue, but Himeko ignores it for the time being and gestures a hand towards the hunter in front of her.
“This better not be a trap, Kafka.”
“Have I done anything to harm you?” Comes her smooth reply as magenta eyes stare deep into her golden ones. Himeko shakes her head and subtly pulls her long coat a little tighter around her body.
“Not yet.”
She counters back and she swears something flashes through Kafka’s face, but she blinks and only becomes a part of her imagination when that signature laugh greets her ears.
“So hostile… isn’t that supposed to be my job?” Kafka adjusts the collar of her shirt before turning around and walking to her desk. “I’m sure what I have for you will brighten that little mood of yours.”
She beckons her over and Himeko doesn’t have any other choice than to listen, the sound of her heels muted against the carpet of her bedroom. She stands by Kafka’s side now, also making the small realization that the hunter is a bit taller than her that her chin reaches those same broad shoulders. Their arms brush as she drops her attention on the desk and Himeko goes entirely still at what lays before her.
It's a vinyl record for her phonograph, the outside cover of it decorated with a painting of a man and next to him his name. Himeko instantly recognizes it, but the rest of the words is in another language she doesn’t know recognize. She turns her head, eyes still locked onto the cover, before finally moving them onto Kafka who’s been carefully watching her reaction this whole time with a neutral expression and a lazy smile. Himeko receives gifts all the time from her companions but it’s never those that fit her interest like a stuffed plushie from March or another research entry from Dan Heng. No, this was acquired with Himeko in mind, and knowing that she’s been on Kafka’s does something strange to her stomach.
The silence is beginning to kill her, and Himeko clears her throat softly while looking at anywhere else then the hunter besides her. She runs a thumb over the foreign lettering and takes in everything that is happening, the plethora of thoughts running through her mind like crazy. It’s not even that big of a deal, it’s just a piece of music that she can enjoy, so why is it affecting Himeko so much? Maybe it’s because she wouldn’t have suspected something nice from the likes of Kafka, a Stellaron hunter, and yet she proved to be somewhat of an ally back at the Luofu. She has her own goals to achieve but it doesn’t seem any of them involve with bringing harm upon the Astral Express or the rest of its crew.
That and… Himeko hasn’t tried to get rid of her completely.
“I took a peek at your collection the last time I was here,” Her voice has grown a little softer in the serenity of her room, like Kafka is whispering a dangerous secret that has Himeko leaning in a bit closer out of instinct. “And saw you were missing this gem.”
“This is unnecessary, Kafka…” Himeko mumbles while turning her attention back onto the other woman.
“And this is… you’re not supposed to give me gifts. You’re not supposed to…”
“Because I’m a wanted for the IPC?”
“That and so much more,” She squeezes her eyes shut for a moment before giving Kafka a hard, conflicted stare. “You have so much blood on your hands, left a trail of bodies behind that I couldn’t possibly imagine. Yet here you are.”
“Not everything about me is bad. Everyone must get by somehow, starlight, it’s just the way the galaxy works.”
Himeko chews the inside of her cheek knowing that Kafka is right. She can’t exactly paint a perfect picture for herself and the rest of the crew, they all have had to make hard decisions in the past that still haunts them to this day. However, that’s another conversation for another day, Himeko instead focuses on the present wanting to see what else Kafka has to show and get her off the Express as soon as possible.
Secretly though, she’s not in a hurry for the latter.
“I still don’t feel comfortable around you.” Himeko randomly blurts out and judging by Kafka’s hum, she isn’t surprised by her choice of words.
“Then let’s build that trust, yeah?” She cocks her head to the side and gestures towards her phonograph that’s been waiting for them this whole time.
Himeko doesn’t say another word and watches carefully as Kafka strolls over to the device, sets about placing the vinyl properly and they wait in a few more seconds of silence.
Then the sound of a piano tickles her ears pleasantly and it’s almost a natural reaction the way Himeko sits atop her desk and letting her body relax under its soothing caress. She remembers her days before the Express, before she began traveling between the stars and Himeko was nothing but a young girl with a small dream. She spent those day playing to her heart’s content and full of young energy, spending her every moment sat on that piano bench and letting the music do the talking. Then came the days when she found the Astral Express and began its grueling process of repairing it, and just like that Himeko dropped one of her favorite hobbies.
Her fingers twitch along the chords- Gmaj7, Dmaj7- but her brows knit together trying to pinpoint its tonal center. It fluctuates in a way she can’t tell which of the two the piece to focusing on, and it seems Kafka picked up on her little dilemma from the rich chuckle she hears.
“Gymnopédie No. 1, part of Erik Satie’s Trois Gymnopédies which compose of three separate piano pieces formed into one.”
Her raspy voice along coupled the piano in the background has Himeko feeling even more relaxed. Still, out of habit she watches Kafka with a cautious eye as the hunter slowly walks to the center of her room and in front of Himeko. Her body begins to say to and fro in an elegant manner, her arms placed in the air as if she’s dancing with someone and Himeko continues to observe her.
“No. 1 is his most popular from the rest. He maintains the repetitive odd nature throughout all his work and this one is no exception, and somehow, he makes it work contrary to what other musicians believed at the time. It showed that there was no need for a direction or an intensity that had people holding their breath, instead it served more as a lover…”
Kafka turns to her, eyes a darker shade of purple and a few strands of her hair swaying from her gentle movements. She dares to step closer to Himeko, causing the tension in her chest to rise and amber gaze staring deep into hers.
She can’t seem to look away.
“Tenderly, with intimacy, don’t be proud- was his way of describing how to play,” Kafka leans into her with a suave smile that had Himeko’s heart beating a little faster. “Softly, be gentle.”
“I get it, Kafka.” She says in a petulant tone, but they both know she isn’t truly that annoyed. “Thanks for the history lesson.”
“Oh, but that’s not all I have to say to you.”
“You already got my full attention,” Himeko crosses her arms while Kafka takes a step back with a quiet hum, her dancing coming to a halt as she lazily stares down at her. “You better take advantage of it while you can.”
“Have you considered my offer, starlight?”
Her stomach flips at the name again and Himeko bites the inside of her cheek with a sigh. “Remind me again.”
“I told you I’ve been watching you for a while. Things have gone rather quiet for me after leaving the Luofu which gives me the opportunity to focus on something more important.”
“Really?” She drawls out with a raised brow as Kafka chuckles at her skepticism.
“You intrigue me, Himeko. You’re free to do anything you want almost whenever you want, you even have your own train all for yourself. That sense of freedom isn’t so different from mine.”
“I’d say there’s a clear difference between you and I.”
“Yes, we both already know that, but…” Kafka politely clasps her hands behind her back with a slow incline of her head, effortlessly holding Himeko’s gaze.
“I can’t seem to tame this curiosity named you. Everyone else is too serious, too heartless, and yet you’re the only one that burns the brightest in this sea full of chaos.”
A blush begins to form on her face at the poetic way Kafka is talking to her and Himeko finds herself clinging onto her every word as the hunter sends her a charming smile.
“The first time I stood before you on the Express, I knew I just had to get to know you. I think you’re beginning to see me in a better light, correct?”
“Only because the incident at the Xianzhou Luofu turned out differently from what we expected,” The navigator crosses her arms while looking the other woman up and down, subtly biting her lip some.
“Perhaps my view of you has somewhat shifted.”
“Oh? Now that’s something I like to hear.”
“Shut up.” That earns Kafka a light shove to her shoulder and for Himeko a much louder laugh.
In that moment, she forgets the rest of the universe, it’s just her and Kafka right now. Himeko stares at the woman with her own small smile as she noises die down to a chuckle and the only other sound that fills the silence is the music from her phonograph. It’s still a lot for her to unpack and Himeko doesn’t completely believe her just yet, but she can’t deny the certain pull this dangerous hunter has on her. She withholds that small piece of information; the uneasiness Himeko has been feeling ever since their first encounter lifting a little. Still, she remains honest despite the tranquil environment that’s surrounding them and gives Kafka a firm stare.
“I still don’t trust you. No matter how much you try to convince me right now, Kafka, it’s going to take a while before I can look at you differently. You’re still a Stellaron Hunter and you are still a wanted criminal for the IPC.”
Himeko exhales through her nose when she’s suddenly hit with the reality of their situation that the universe is already against them.
“I’d rather not get myself tangled up in one of your messes and for something… unpleasant to happen in the future, one that you can foresee through Elio. Even if you ‘helped’ us in the past, your definition of doing so is not exactly the smartest.”
“A morally grey area then.”
Himeko shrugs her shoulders at Kafka’s words. “I suppose you can say that.”
“You can also say you’re not against my company, hmm?” She adds smoothly and leave it to Kafka to ruin a completely serious moment. Himeko rolls her with a shake of her head, brows knitting together out of familiar annoyance.
“I’m not about to inflate that massive ego of yours,” She points a single gloved finger in her direction to which Kafka holds her hands up in mock defense. “With that being said, don’t expect me to cozy up to you any time soon. It’s already enough that I’m sparing you and allowing your very presence on the Express.”
“You know… I enjoy when my women play hard to get,” Kafka jokes with a raspy chuckle and dropping her arms to her side while Himeko glares at her. “Makes the chase worthwhile, don’t you think?”
“How can you get even more irritating than you already are…”
“You don’t seem to hate it too much if I’m still here.”
“You’re making this more difficult than it already is, Kafka.”
Himeko stands up from her desk, not missing the way her magenta eyes flicker down her body and then back to her face. She chooses to ignore it for now, pausing their conversation as her mind wanders for moment
“If… I ever find out you’re using me… that you’re taking advantage of the fact that no one has dared to even get this close to me in a while… I’ll never forgive you, Kafka.”
No matter how silver tongued the hunter might be, the truth of it all will come back to bite one of them. Himeko doesn’t want to think about what would happen if that day ever inevitably came, but just thinking about sends her mind into a painful spiral with no end in sight. Kafka for her credit goes quiet her words and seemingly mulling them over, processing it, as dull eyes stare deep into her soul. There’s a very, very small part of Himeko hopes that she doesn’t persist because she’s been alone for so long that the mere thought of letting someone close to her again is more agonizing than the painful solitude she’s endured.
However, she’s proven wrong, and Himeko doesn’t know if she should be relieved to worried when Kafka steps a little closer, crowding her space until she’s the only thing Himeko can focus on.
“It’s hard for me to make promises…” Comes her soft, low reply and her heart clenches with anticipation. “But I can try.”
For you. Himeko imagines Kafka adds that part for them before she’s slowly nodding at her as her answer. The hunter watches her a little longer with a sober expression until a small smile graces her pretty lips and Himeko finds it hard to breathe when she’s this close, the tension practically choking her alive. She thought Kafka isn’t as affected as she is, but then she notices the way her electric purple gaze wanders over her face and body, a hand twitching subtly at her side and then just like that all those indications are gone. The only thing that remains is the practiced mask she wears and that’s always been so unreadable for her. Himeko watches her when she raises a gloved hand and just like she’s done before, Kafka takes a piece of her red hair gently twirls it around her finger and then she feels her stomach flip almost painfully so at her smooth voice.
“Until next time, starlight.”