SWEEPING NOISES. . .

and friends sat sadly around the fire and talk about the past  and drink a bitter glass of wine in memory of me —— wait ! no rush to drink with them !  tell them to wait and see !

[bunaapom]

@ BUNAAPOM ∎ CONDUCTOR POM - POM, a major NON - PLAYABLE CHARACTER of HONKAI: STAR RAIL, closed & affiliated with GNOSTIC HYMNS. written & cherished by ELIX or BARELY [ EIGHTEEN + ANY PRNS + EST ] ! notes on portrayal, rules, & official story continuity under the cut, with important links here: [ RECORDS ROOM + CONDUCTOR'S PAGE + TALENTS ]

notes.

i. MORE ABOUT ELIX & BARELY: an english lit college student that was once, and still is, sporadically online. can be contacted through TUMBLR IMS or DISCORD DMS, with a small preference for the latter, though i am both in the server as 'elix' and open for private messages.

∎ A MAJOR NOTE, briefly, but i do not, and likely will never, touch another hoyoverse game for a few reasons [ mainly, the lack of storage space & burn - out from said games ], so to stay updated, i tend to cling to recorded playthroughs, watch my sibling stream, or turn to written records. basically, varying forms of osmosis. and because of this, i want to apologize in advance for any lapses in memory or information. so far, i am caught up on HONKAI: STAR RAIL, and am still catching up on smaller storylines in GENSHIN IMPACT and HONKAI IMPACT 3RD.

ii. MORE ABOUT POM - POM: the small but mighty conductor, and ▇▇▇, of the astral express, serving as a major npc for the events of honkai: star rail. while their origins and background are unknown, they've proven to be a necessity on the express, unmistakably cherished by both it and the crew of nameless that board it. usually, can be found fussing over small tasks in the parlor car, or dancing in front of the phonograph.

∎ A MAJOR NOTE, despite the wealth of portals mysteriously appearing in and outside of the astral express, POM - POM IS STILL BOUND TO THE CONFINES OF THE TRAIN. this has not, and likely will not, change until something or someone crazy happens in the main storyline of the game. so, unfortunately, this vastly limits the interactions pom - pom is able to have on the dashboard. [ which caters this his overwhelming loneliness, so i'm game! ] ALL THREADS AND ASKS HAVE TO BE SET IN THE ASTRAL EXPRESS, or near it, for it to be considered canon. which also means that pom - pom cannot participate in any events hosted by GNOSTICHYMNS unless certain lengths are taken on my side for inclusion. [ EX. parking the astral express, doors open, right outside of whatever festival is being held so pom - pom can be handed street food :thumbsup: ]

iii. POST FORMATTING: small, double - spaced text. colored, bolded dialogue. little to no icon usage due to laziness. will always match a partner in length but not formatting, unless it is their preference that i change the font size and reduce the spacing for accessibility. never be afraid to ask this of me! i'll do my best to remember and check pages beforehand though, just in case.

iv. INBOX & INTERACTIONS: always open, no matter the content! if you’d like to turn an ask into a thread, please do, and do not worry for approval. i welcome all and any interactions, especially impulsive and random ones. the astral express will always open its doors for a hello!

v. CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNINGS: no serious content warnings, only vague inclinations to GRIEF, DEATH, and an all-encompassing, unrecognized LONELINESS. i can do my best to lessen the extent of any aforementioned themes upon being asked. however, on behalf of my triggers, i ask for IMAGES of SPIDERS, HEAVY GORE, and EYE TRAUMA to be tagged, please and thank you.

[bunaapom]

[TOUR GUIDE]⠀/⠀wow, the sights were truly different this year compared to the last. this magnificent locomotive hadn't been here, for one——or she certainly would have remembered it. it doesn't pale to any of its likes to come out of fontaine, either.

though, she does find herself somewhat bewildered ; very little of it resembles what she's come to glean as liyuean, whether the decor or festivities, or even the lack of anyone aboard. if this were part of the attractions, there would be many more tourists flocking around such a marvel, no? well, regardless, gawking isn't what she'd come here to do——at least not here in this particular spot. she'd been told to look for a friendly lantern rite mascot wearing a tall hat at this hour to lead the tours. . . and though she'd imagined that the ' mascot ' would be something more distinctly in line with the festival, and that hat isn't quite what she'd call ' tall ', the figure waddling about in the distance couldn't be anything else, could it?

"excuse me. is this where i'm supposed to be for the tours of the stone forest?"

but then, she couldn't be the only one who'd signed up, could she??

ASTRAL EXPRESS' NEXT STOP — LANTERN RITE ! ╱ accepting

𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓'𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐁𝐎𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐒𝐎 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘, and pom - pom, as the conductor, happily met each one in the middle, answering questions and rationing off snacks from the meal cart whenever prompted to. however, none of them were lost, and this rare happenstance nearly startles them out of their routine, padded feet stilling to a halt as a head of hair, the palest blue, poked through the open entrance. she is a low hum amidst the quiet of the astral express.

tours, they hadn't heard anything about those, besides the impromptu walk - ins they had hosted earlier that night. . . but is that really surprising when they didn't know much about this world, lest it be the sweet stickiness of snuck - out street food and the polite, albeit reckless rowdiness of the port children?

❝ no, sorry, ma'am, ❞ pom - pom begins with a small shake of their head, before waddling closer to diminish any chance of misinformation, droopy ears twitching limb at their sides, ❝ pom - pom doesn't know anything about a stone forest. ❞

and truthfully, it sounds quite dull. nothing that the nameless would scout ahead for.

but they do not voice this, simply pausing with a paw raised to nudge at their snout, deep in wandering thought, before they continue, ❝ you ought to ask around the port, miss. there has to be a guide nearby if a tour's up and about. . . uh, were you given any instructions on where to find them? ❞ probably not, if she managed to stumble into the express for answers, considering its awkward parking and all. unless it was normalcy to seek out guides near the docks of the port. hrm. . . well, this capital truly does seem to be a large harbor, wholly unproportioned by the body of water bridging it.

another, curter pause.

❝ the only tours pom - pom's holding are of the astral express, but i can try to ask around for the stone forest's guide. or ask some of the passengers that departed earlier. ❞

yelling from the ledge of the train would be their best bet, as only a few of the passengers had promised to revisit before the night concluded. ( and, of course, pom - pom took their word, as those who promised to be back always did, whether impossibly whole or not. ) so, obstinate in this newfound duty, they nodded to themselves and gestured the lady closer with a flick of their ear, ❝ come on, over here. we'll try to get someone's attention and ask for directions. ❞

[bunaapom]

POM - POM HAS ARRIVED AT THE LANTERN RITE, WITH THE ASTRAL EXPRESS IN TOW !

◘ AFTER DROPPING OFF THE CREW MEMBERS WHO WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LANTERN RITE, pom - pom has decided to watch the lights from the confinements of the express. while they cannot leave the train, they’ve opened the doors to allow others in, hoping to learn a bit about the festivities and origin in the meanwhile. YOUR MUSE can swing by for a hello, or question where the funny looking train and the even funnier looking conductor spawned from! all pom - pom asks for in return, as thanks for their hospitality, is a souvenir or two. . . or a treat, they aren’t very picky.

PEACE TALISMANS ACQUIRED: 0 / 5 INBOX & THREAD STATUS: open & accepting, whether it be based on the reblogged prompts or simply lantern rite themed. though let me know beforehand if you’d like to turn an ask interaction into a thread so it can be logged prior.

DISCLAIMER ! ALL INTERACTIONS WILL HAVE TO OCCUR WITHIN OR NEAR THE ASTRAL EXPRESS! THUS, ANY SENT ASKS WILL BE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOUR MUSE HAS WANDERED CLOSE TO THE EXPRESS, OR WILLINGLY STEPPED INTO IT. THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED BEFOREHAND TO AVOID ISSUE.

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐋  𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒  𝐇𝐀𝐃  𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍  𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐑,  or messier.  a  broom  gripped  taut  in  one  hand  and  a  pamphlet  held  open  by  the  curl  of  their  ear,  the  conductor  shuffled  around,  tailed  curiously  by  a  few  citizens  of  the  harbor  the  express  was  currently  docked  at.  or.  .  .  as  docked  as  it  could  be,  set  to  a  stagnant  hover  near  the  first  empty  space  they  could  find.  and  parking  had  taken  a  minute!  an  effort  had  to  be  made  in  order  to  safely  descend,  lessening  the  chance  of  accidentally  snagging  onto  any  string  lights  or  hanging  lanterns.

pom  -  pom  covered  as  many  bases  as  they  could.  from,  ❝  would  you  like  any  juice!  the  meal  cart  is  right  over  there,  ❞  to,  ❝  please  do  not  put  your  feet  on  the  sofas!  and,  yes,  that means you  can’t  jump  on  them  either.  ❞

the  older  folk  were  patient  and,  simply,  curious,  which  could  not  be  said  about  the  children,  who  ran  about  the  parlor  car,  zipping  between  the  legs  of  their  parents  and  constantly  nagging  pom  -  pom  to  join  their  game.  (  what  game  was  that?  they  couldn’t  keep  up,  as  it  had just been  hide  -  and  -  seek,  but  this  much  running  wasn’t  possibly  needed  to  play  that  game,  so  it  must  have  shifted  midway  into  tag  -  you’re  -  it.  )

❝  conductor  pom  -  pom,  ❞  one  of  the  passengers  had  began,  politely  declining  an  offer  of  drink  with  a  raised  hand,  ❝  have  you  had  the  chance  to  visit  the  xinyue  kiosk?  ❞

the  conductor  blinked.  ❝  uhm,  no.  ❞

❝  what  about  the  fireworks  show?  ❞

❝  nuh  uh.  ❞

❝  .  .  .  the  kamera  booth?  ❞

their  silence  must  have  been  enough,  as  the  passenger  sighed,  shaking  her  head.  ❝  well,  that  just  won’t  do.  .  .  would  you  like  to  join  my  family?  my  husband’s  mother  wanted  to  walk  the  streets  together  once  she  finished  helping  my  daughter  at  the  kiosk.  you  ought  to  take  some  time  for  yourself.  ❞

hah,  only  if. the idea was nice though,  and  pom  -  pom  laughed,  awkward and stiff,  before  clearing  their  throat.  ❝  pom  -  pom  would  love  to,  but  really,  i  can’t.  thank  you  for  the  offer,  though,  ma’am!  ❞

she  hadn’t  blinked  at  the  gratitude.  ❝  why  not?  ❞

❝  uh.  .  .  well——  ❞

[gnostichymns]

✰ LANTERN RITE 2025 ! – reblog & send to earn Peace Talismans.

[XINYUE KIOSK] - Back again, Xinyue Kiosk’s keeping up the competition, offering sweet treats, savory dishes, and even refreshing veggies for all those looking to share a snack.

[TEA TASTING] - Third-Round Knockout is once again bringing the new year on with plenty of new tea options for all those caffeinated connoisseurs that want to branch out. Including, for the first time in quite a while, specialty imports all the way from Natlan!

[DRAGON DANCE] - Uh-oh! It seems like the main crew that would lead the dragon dance are two members short, and need two sets of hands NOW! Grab someone and help keep this dance from falling through.

[KAMERA BOOTH] - Liyue is as scenic as it is busy. Several Kamera’s are set up on the docks, surrounding mountains, and some of the best balconies in the area. Make a memory with someone important to you, or keep the lens' attention for yourself!

[LANTERNS] - Like a sea, lanterns float up and flood the night sky. Meaning often dictated by color, they contain our hopes for the new year. Gather with those most cherished and wish for blessings.

[FIREWORK SHOW] - While noisy, fireworks are an incredible display of beauty and color. Make your mark on the new year with a bang!

[JADE HEARTS] - A popular shape for a popular stone in the land of Geo, these Jade Talismans sold quite well. Now, they’re made as a profession of love and desire to ring the New Year in with the company of another.

[BURNING INCENSE] - Even with all the raucous celebration, it is always important to find a quiet moment and remember those who now belong among the stars.

[TOUR GUIDE] - With as many sights to see as Liyue has, join up with a group of strangers to garner the best sights across the city and countryside!

[GIANT JENGA] - While not necessarily a Liyue classic, a recent uptick amongst the younger generation has brought this classic game to the port, and with blocks bigger than ever! Will you best your friend, or will all the pieces come crumbling down? 

[RED ENVELOPES] - Customize your own envelope as a gift to those most cherished. Whether you slip in some mora or a confession of love, even the smallest of envelopes can be life-changing!

[SNAKE PETTING] - As the mascot animal of the year, an exhibit has been set up with several non-venomous and super friendly snakes, if you’re not afraid of these scaly babies.

[JADE MYSTERY] - Shitou is running a special promotion! Guess the correct Noctilucous Jades to find out what it is, just don't gamble all of your mora away...

[bunaapom]

hey conductor? what would you do if someone set the kitchen ablaze? theoretically of course- asking for a friend

𝐀𝐓  𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓,  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑  𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒  𝐍𝐎𝐓  𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑  𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑.  until  they  do.  until  it  sinks  in.  until  round  eyes  widen  impossibly  and  their  snout  twitches  at  the  agape  of  their  mouth.  the  reaction  is,  of  course,  warranted.

' warranted ',  heh,  which  the  astral  express  is  NOT !

❝  ABLAZE?!  ❞  pom-pom  shrieks,  droopy  ears  now  raised  to  a  hitch,  wholly  trembling  above  their  head.  ❝  caelus——  oh  aeons——  pom-pom  turned  away  for  one  minute!  no,  not  even.  .  .  not  even  one  second!  you  couldn't  have  possibly. . .  well,  pom-pom  wouldn't  put  it  past  your  abilities,  you  do  have  a  record  of.  .  .  nonoNO  what  am  i  saying——  ❞

abrupt  and  distressed,  they  turn  on  their  feet  and  shuffle  away,  nearly  tripping  over  themselves  in  a  haste  of  running,  (  ╱ IN  WHICH,  yes,  does  takes  forever  because  they  are  not  that  tall!  LONGER  LEGS  EQUAL  LONGER  STRIDES,  but  if  pom-pom  strides  too  far,  they'll  trip  and  tumble  and  roll  like  a.  .  .  wait,  this  doesn't  matter  right  now——  )  though  not  before  justice  overcomes  purpose,  and  they  return  to  caelus'  side  only  to  loop  an  ear  around  his  wrist. 

the  first  tug  is  gentle.  firm  yes,  but  only  that.  the  second  tug  is  anything  but.

❝  you  better  be  joking,  caelus,  ❞  they  tut,  in  the  same  tonal  click  of  a  disappointed  guardian,  cheeks  puffed  out,  ❝  because  that  friend  of  yours  will  have  a  lot  of  damages  to  pay  for!  the  astral  express  isn't  some  science  laboratory  you  can  mess  around  in.  and  it  definitely  isn't  a.  .  .  ❞

small  feet  pause.  whiskers  twitch  and,  for  a  moment,  pom-pom  does  not  move.  another  twitch.  wide  eyes  glance  up  at  caelus.  ❝  is  that  smoke  pom-pom  smells.  .  .  ?  ❞