[Honkai: Star Rail] Can't a Canary Seize Someone by Force?

"They met when they were young, and were each other's most beautiful first love."

Before ascending to become the Aeon of the Hunt, Lan had a lover he had known for a long time, someone who could understand him with just a glance.

His beloved was beautiful and frail, needing careful attention every day. No matter how exhausted he was, Lan never forgot the duty he had set for himself.

He had thought they would stay by each other's side for the rest of their lives. But during that heroic battle, he saw his lover walk step by step toward that dazzling golden figure he loathed.

Lan no longer remembered what he had said. Yet, after becoming an Aeon, whenever loneliness struck, he would think of the "beloved" who had left without even turning to look at him.

Sometimes, love that burns too fiercely gives rise to hatred. For the Xianzhou and the Reignbow Arbiter, the target of revenge was Yaoshi, the Abundance. But for Lan, it was also the "lover" who had abandoned him.

But when he found Yaoshi, that familiar face was nowhere to be seen. He heard the other laugh as they said something so mocking, so piercing, it cut straight to his heart: "Perhaps, in his eyes, your feelings for him weren't worth a thing."

But then again, wasn't Yaoshi also laughing at themself?

Even they, who regarded all living beings as equals, harbored selfish desires of their own. Unfortunately, those desires were like fireflies that vanished in an instant, impossible to catch.

Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, was the nth person Ruan Shi'an had "fallen in love with at first sight."

Born from the universe itself, he had wandered ever since the moment he came into being. No one had taught him how to understand or experience the word "love."

So, to Ruan Shi'an, anyone good-looking enough to catch his eye could become his lover.

But once he grew too familiar with them, he would always lose interest.

The harder someone was to approach, the more satisfying it felt to get close to them. That was what Ruan Shi'an thought after their first encounter.

Amid the sparks of their clashes, Nanook, so impulsive and quick to anger, surrendered as well.

As long as Ruan Shi'an was interested, he would agree to anything the other said. Though his own strength was on par with, or even surpassed, Nanook's, he willingly became a canary in Nanook's cage.

His nature had always been a little peculiar. Even when the other had him locked up, he could still say, "What a person! Definitely the master type!"

This time, Ruan Shi'an's special feelings lasted for quite a while, until one day, when he was out on his own, he fell "in love at first sight" with a Sigonian!

The people in the Strategic Investment Department had recently noticed that their director had become attached to a beautiful young man. After a while, they even found it strange whenever Ruan Shi'an wasn't around.

This one seemed even harder to approach. Having picked up some trick somewhere, Ruan Shi'an decided to force the issue.

Unfortunately, he failed.

But not in that sense. On a night when Nanook wasn't there, the obedient "canary" in Nanook's eyes was held in someone else's arms.

They traced the shape of each other's eyes through a red veil and spent the night together.

"My dear Director Aventurine, don't you think this is thrilling enough? The two of us doing this behind an Aeon's back makes us accomplices."

His kisses were always so devout. When the kiss ended, Aventurine looked at the beauty panting for breath and chuckled. "I never act unless I'm sure I can pull it off."

A little guide for readers:

1. As the description above says, the protagonist defines emotions according to his own preferences. He falls "in love at first sight" very easily and is extremely, extremely fickle.

2. The protagonist is the universe itself, so he is the strongest. His frailty in front of Lan is all an act, meant to make Lan dote on him.

3. There's a huge love triangle, and the protagonist is devastatingly beautiful and always likes to disguise himself. He seems like a delicate white flower, but underneath, he's actually dark and calculating. OOC warning.

4. The author likes writing some improper stuff (crossed out). Lastly, hope you enjoy reading!

Theme: Take off the mask, and victory lies ahead