Ho Yay / Honkai: Star Rail

As is customary with miHoYo titles, there is plenty of subtext and teasing going around.

Specific pairings and characters

Dan Heng and Blade / Dan Feng and Yingxing

Dan Heng and Blade / Dan Feng and Yingxing

• Due to their shared past in the High Cloud Quintet and their present as archnemeses, Blade and Dan Heng get quite a bit of Foe Yay Shipping, especially since Blade has continuously pursued Dan Heng even after the latter has dealt killing blows on him several times.
  • The "Nowhere to Run" light cone art depicts one of their clashes nearly face-to-face.
  • There's the lore of Passerby of Wandering Cloud relic set, which gives some information about Blade's past, mentions a pair of bracers made by a Vidyadhara artisan, with one bracer belonging to Blade and the other belonging to a certain spear-wielder who "once shared company and drinks with [Blade], the two of them simply gazing at the moon with no words exchanged". ^note The phrase "once shared company and drinks" is also translated from the term "推杯换盅“ in the original Chinese text, which is referencing the idiom "推杯换盏" that describes an extremely close relationship of any nature, but the usage of "盅" changes the nuance into a more romantic relationship as "换盅" is a term for a type of traditional Chinese engagement ceremony.
  • The "Guide to Penacony" describes Yingxing as very self-confident and maintained a close relationship with Dan Feng.
• Blade’s demo also shows him engaging in combat with Dan Heng, with him even laughing maniacally as he gets stabbed by him.
• During the Xianzhou Luofu Trailblaze Mission, it was only after Blade’s sword pierced him during battle that Dan Heng’s Imbibitor Lunae form is revealed.
  • In that same cutscene, they both unwittingly team up to defeat Yanqing to prevent him from arresting them, with Blade even teasing Dan Heng at one point about “being afraid to hurt the boy”.
  • There is also a Vidyadhara Mirage Echo that the player can interact with during the mission which features a conversation between Dan Feng and Yingxing, with Dan Heng even commenting that Yingxing’s voice feels familiar to him.
  Middle-Aged Voice: If your people knew that you had brought me here, there would be great unrest.
  Voice of High Elder: They will never know. Keep quiet, Yingxing — this will make us even. I will give you two hours — research what you can. Remember — two hours.
  Middle-Aged Voice: I'm a short-life species, do you think two hours isn't enough? It will be done.
  Voice of High Elder: Hmph...
• At the the end of “Todd Riordan’s Academic Research” Adventure Mission, Blade can be found gazing at the Imbibitor Lunae statue in the distance.
• Jingliu confirms in her companion mission that Dan Feng and Yingxing were the closest of the quintet and that she was fascinated that they got along despite their personalities.
  Jingliu: Out of all of us, you were the closest to him. It was strange, really — to see someone so arrogant get along with someone so proud.”
  • Her companion mission reveals that Dan Heng has dreams about Yingxing, with him remembering a dream he had in which Yingxing first gifted him Cloud Piercer.
  Dan Heng: ...Yingxing?
  [Flashback] In your dreams, you see a man with an indistinct face, standing arrogantly and irreverently in front of the gun rack where the "Cloud-Piercer" is placed. This spear is sharp enough to pierce dragon scales. Be careful, High Elder, lest you hurt yourself with it.
  • Her companion mission also reveals that Blade's ultimate goal is to for the both of them to die or at least end each other's life to atone for their sins. Dan Heng can choose to tell Blade that he'll help Blade see that goal to the end. Additionally, Blade mentions that he doesn’t mind prolonging his vengeance towards Dan Heng as the outcome might turn out more interesting that way.
    Blade: We have no choice but to continue the pursuit. This is the price the two of us must pay.
    Dan Heng: If you wish, I will see it through.
    Blade: Elio's script still requires you to stay alive... for now. I don't mind prolonging my vengeance... It might be more interesting that way.
  • That same mission shows that as Dan Heng's memories come back to him, he appears to be shaken by what she put Yingxing through as he turned into Blade.
• The animated short "Ichor of Two Dragons" also showed that in the past, Dan Feng and Yingxing (Blade's past identity) wore matching earrings on opposite ears. They were also depicted wearing the bracers on opposite arms.
• In Kafka's companion mission, if the player is truthful to her the entire time and asks her about Blade, she describes them as thus:
  Kafka: Apparently, they used to be good friends... Well, good friends who were bad for each other. Bladie forgot nearly everything, so he doesn't remember well.
• An offhand piece of Vidyadhara lore refers to lovers keeping a jade pendant in their mouths while in their eggs in hopes of finding them in their next lives. Both Blade and Dan Heng's in-game character models have a broken jade piece attached to their belts, and it has been noted that the pieces appear to fit into a single pendant.
• Dan Heng's Imbibitor Lunae model has a voice line that says he has unfinished business with the maker of Cloud Piercer, and that maker is Yingxing, Blade's past identity.
  • He also has another voice line whenever the two are put on a team warning Blade to stay away from his friends. Funny enough, Blade has a voice line sarcastically asking Dan Heng if he needs Blade to watch his back.
• The character stories for the Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae model describes Yingxing as an "exceedingly arrogant craftsman" who was able to create weapons on the battlefield. Another character story describes Yingxing as "covered in blood and wounds as he guarded the dragon with a sword in his hand."
• In one of Pom-Pom’s daily missions, Pom-Pom reveals that when Dan Heng polishes his spear (that was made for his past self by Yingxing) “there isn’t just alertness in his eyes, but a glint of longing too”.
• If you choose to peek into Dan Heng’s dream through one of the Dreampeek Calls in Penacony, you will see him dreaming about Blade being captured and getting interrogated by Jing Yuan, with Blade delivering his line about three people needing to pay the price before the Trailblazer hangs up the call.
• In the “Cosmodyssey” event, one of the Board encounters features the guests of the Reverie Hotel arguing about Blade’s swordsmanship skills, in particular how fast his blade is. If you choose to join their discussion, you will get the highest amount of Trailblaze funds if you ask Dan Heng about the topic and he describes Blade’s swordsmanship skills in detail, thus convincing all of the guests.

Dan Heng / Dan Feng and Jing Yuan

Dan Heng / Dan Feng and Jing Yuan

• Dan Heng and Jing Yuan also get their share of shipping due to the shared history between them and Blade. Jing Yuan even addresses Dan Heng as "old friend" when he sees him with Kafka and Blade at the end of the "Topclouded Towerthrust" quest.
  • When Jing Yuan approaches Scalegorge Waterscape and sees Dan Heng, Yanqing and the Stellaron Hunters, he specifically turns away from Blade to see Dan Heng in his Imbibitor Lunae form and briefly closes his eyes before addressing everyone.
  • The conversations they have before reuniting with the Astral Express seem to imply that the two were also very close in the past, and Jing Yuan still grapples with the loss. Just before the battle with Phantylia starts, he asks Dan Heng to watch his back. At the end of the fight with Phantylia, Dan Heng is the one to end the battle by spearing Jing Yuan in the chest with Cloud Piercer while Lightning Lord spears her and he catches Jing Yuan in his arms bridal-style as he falls and hovers over him as Phantylia leaves.
  • When Jing Yuan and Dan Heng reunite with Fu Xuan and the Astral Express crew, and she brings the two of them up to speed on what's going on, Jing Yuan asks for the Express's help by addressing Dan Heng first.
    Jing Yuan: However, as Lady Fu has explained, the appearance of Phantylia means that the situation is far from under our control. As general of the Luofu, it would be foolish of me not to ask Dan Heng and the rest of you for your strength at this critical moment.
• There is even an in-universe fanfic of them called "Untouchable Lovers", swapping their names into Jim Yan and Denn Fang.
  "Dear Mellow-Golden-Mayor Immersia Club: I love the group portraits you built into Xianzhou Sword Tale, especially when they include those two male characters, Jim Yan and Denn Fang—they keep me up at night… So, I’ve been writing my own fanfiction during the nights, ‘Untouchable Lovers’—and I hope you’ll leave comments on it!" After that, a dramatic tale of love, hate, life, and death twists and turns over the next forty pages. In the end, the two male protagonists die poetically yet tragically in each other’s embrace. You don’t understand why, but [you] feel shocked, as if your first love has been stolen away from you. You put back this manuscript and leave it with the box on the side of the road.
• In the character introduction notes for Dan Heng's Imbibitor Lunae model, Jing Yuan notes that Dan Feng was always regarded as a symbol and not as a person with thoughts or emotions. However, the fourth character story notes that Dan Feng was close enough to Jing Yuan and the rest of the High Cloud Quintet to laugh and drink with him.
• In the character stories for the Imbibitor Lunae model, Jing Yuan is described in Dan Feng's dreams as "the Cloud Knight Lieutenant who used to chat and laugh with the dragon", and would also visit him in prison with the news of ongoing negotiations over his prison sentence.
• The animated short also shows Jing Yuan's voice trembling almost to the point of tears as he reads out Dan Feng's sentencing.
• The "Brighter than the Sun" light cone lore reveals that Jing Yuan was the first thing a reborn Dan Heng saw while he was locked up, with Jing Yuan describing Dan Heng as beholding "a radiance shining brighter than the sun."
• The "An Appeal from the Vidyadhara" readable items have the Vidyadhara Preceptors accusing Jing Yuan of using his personal feelings to intervene and commute the sentence into exile from the Luofu, instead of keeping him locked up.
  • In a similar fashion, during Luocha and Jing Yuan's tense exchange at Scalegorge Waterscape, Luocha asks Jing Yuan if he's also going to defend and clear Luocha's name, implying that he knows about the work Jing Yuan put in to save Dan Heng.
• The "Obsequies Performed, A Long Road Ahead" quest has Jing Yuan personally tell Dan Heng that while his banishment edict has been lifted, there are still some people who are not happy about it, and he cannot guarantee Dan Heng's safety. The moment is compounded by Jing Yuan specifically turning away from the Astral Express crew to look at Dan Heng and addressing him directly.
  • There is also this optional dialogue at the beginning of the quest:
    Dan Heng: I left so determined... Who would have thought that circumstances would draw me back once more?
    Trailblazer: How long do you plan on staying here?
    Dan Heng: I'll be gone very soon. Jing Yuan is still recovering, and the Cloud Knights won't protect me anymore... It remains to be seen how the Six Charioteers will react to my presence. But at least for now, I'm safe.
• During Dan Heng's companion mission, he and the Trailblazer bump into Jing Yuan, who describes their meeting as "a gift from fate" and at the end of the quest, he asks Dan Heng to stay on the Luofu. The player can have the option of suggesting Dan Heng stay, much to Jing Yuan's surprise. However, Dan Heng declines, but he later texts the Trailblazer that he may make occasional short trips to the Luofu.
  Trailblazer: [to Dan Heng] You should stay... but remember to write to us.
  Jing Yuan: You're... asking him to stay here?
  • The climax of the companion mission has Dan Heng and Bailu ambushed by assassins and in the middle of the battle, Jing Yuan suddenly drops in and lends a helping hand, despite still recovering from the battle with Phantylia, with the implication that despite his injuries, he snuck out of the Alchemy Commission to follow them.
• Jingliu's companion mission opens with Dan Heng receiving an anonymous letter and his first thought is to seek out Jing Yuan for advice. When he learns from Yanqing and Qingzu that the General is not there, he tells them that he'll come another day when the General is available. When Dan Heng meets Jingliu, she mentions that when Jing Yuan heard Dan Heng was coming to the Luofu, he agreed to her request and made arrangements for her and Dan Heng.
  • Before Dan Heng bids Jing Yuan farewell at the end of the mission, he asks Jing Yuan if he really should be held responsible for Dan Feng's actions due to Jingliu and Blade calling him Imbibitor Lunae the entire time. Jing Yuan replies that only Dan Heng himself can answer that.
    Dan Heng: Should I be responsible for Dan Feng's actions?
    Jing Yuan: Who you are is a question that only you can find the answer to, even if the Preceptors's interference denied you a true rebirth...
  • Once the companion mission is completed, Jing Yuan will text the Trailblazer asking about Dan Heng and tells them that he'll do everything he can to defuse lingering hostility on the Luofu towards Dan Heng.
• Jing Yuan can appear as a visitor on the Express and in the initial conversation with him, he fully admits that his visit is a personal one to see Dan Heng first.
  Jing Yuan: I forgot to mention — this is a personal visit to see Dan Heng — and everyone else on the Express. If there are any rules that I should follow, do let me know, (Trailblazer).
  • Another one of his visitor lines has him asking the Trailblazer if Dan Heng is happy on the Express. When the Trailblazer replies that he can ask Dan Heng himself, Jing Yuan replies that seeing him safe on the Express is enough for him in a wistful tone. If the Trailblazer approaches him but does not initiate an interaction, a thought bubble appears over Jing Yuan's head wondering how Dan Heng is doing.
    Jing Yuan: He has a new life now. He is no longer the old friend I once knew. When the Vidyadhara are reborn, they are as fish that have returned to the ocean... it is a state of complete freedom. That I may glance upon him from the shore is enough for me. I hope that the Express crew will look after Dan Heng.
• Dan Heng's Imbibitor Lunae model has a voice line expressing relief that he and Jing Yuan are on a team.
  Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae: Good to see you, General.
• The animated short "Harmony Greets the New Year" blatantly parallels Jing Yuan and Dan Heng with the poem of the lion and dragon fighting evil to save the Xianzhou. Jing Yuan is associated with lions and Sushang's dragon even has horns that look exactly like Dan Heng's horns. When Guinaifen slips and falls off the stage, both Jing Yuan and Dan Heng move to save her, but Jing Yuan holds back after he sees Dan Heng use his water powers to steady her feet. The background music is even taken from the battle with Phantylia. The timing of the short is also paired with the rerun of Jing Yuan and Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae's banners in celebration of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon.
  Master Gongshu: Both wind and rain imbue the mountain air, the one without the other, half as fair.
• An official chibi illustration for 2024's Spring Festival shows Jing Yuan smiling as Dan Heng holds a dragon shaped lantern that even matches Jing Yuan's smile.
• Day Seven of Penacony Food Fest event shows Strange Minds Think Alike as the Trailblazer sends Jing Yuan and Yanqing some Dreamlight Mixed Sweets. Jing Yuan will reply that the candy would be more suited for Fu Xuan and if the Trailblazer sends the same thing to Dan Heng, he will text back to the Trailblazer that he finds the candy much more suited for March.
• The Version 2.2 trailer "Then Wake to Weep" has a brief scene of Jing Yuan and Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae in the sky side by side, with Dan Heng's dragon wrapping itself around Lightning Lord.

Aventurine and Dr. Ratio

Aventurine and Dr. Ratio

• The two of them start off with a bit of Foe Yay Shipping from the "Final Victor" light cone, as the art shows Aventurine holding Dr. Ratio's gun at himself, with his normally Empty Eyes having tiny highlights, and the attached lore describes him placing the gun in Dr. Ratio's hand and pulling the trigger three times in a game of Russian roulette while looking him in the eye provocatively. The effect is further enhanced by the voiced version of the light cone, where Aventurine sounds almost sultry as he proclaims himself the final victor. The tension only ramps up as Dr. Ratio accuses Aventurine of incompetence and threatens to report his failings to the IPC once the two are in Penacony.
• The first on-screen appearance of Aventurine and Dr. Ratio, glimpsed in Trailblazer and Acheron's shared dreamspace, has Dr. Ratio address Aventurine as "dear gambler" and call his audacity "charming". The first actual interaction between the two in "The Sound and the Fury" Trailblaze Mission has Aventurine ask Dr. Ratio about the conspicuous absence of his "handsome bust", referring to the plaster head that Dr. Ratio wears to isolate himself from idiots.
• While Dr. Ratio is openly disdainful of Aventurine, as the story progresses it becomes obvious that despite their Snark-to-Snark Combat, Ratio does care about him, as after the two's meeting with Sunday, he almost breaks character to make sure that Aventurine is alright, saying "just tell me if you can't hold on any longer". He gives Aventurine genuine advice on helping to find meaning in his struggles, and the owl shaped trinket he gives him as "doctor's prescription" is a genuine plea to come back alive, which touches Aventurine.
• On Aventurine's side, while outwardly he eagerly participates in the duo's Snark-to-Snark Combat, his internal narration (as seen in the quest descriptions) shows that he genuinely respects the doctor's intellect and cleverness, even if he finds his know-it-all attitude amusing. He's also distraught at the thought that Ratio doesn't trust him and may have betrayed him for real, even if it's just his paranoia talking.
• A special mention goes to the moment where Aventurine finds himself shrunk in Dewlight Pavillion's sandpit and, upon seeing the giant (to him) Ratio, exclaims "Doctor, you're huge!" There is also an interactible spot on a viewing gallery in the sandpit where Aventurine can admire the view - the view being largely comprised of Ratio's chest and biceps - and the dialogue between the two where Aventurine notes that Ratio could squish him with a pinch in his current state, to which Ratio replies that he'd be happy to do so if Aventurine wants him to.
• Out of the game, the "Keeping Up with Star Rail" for Aventurine has Dr. Ratio as Owlbert's guest and being referred to as his friend, which he quickly denies and tells Owlbert that Aventurine is just more tolerable to work with, to which Owlbert points out that it's still high praise by Dr. Ratio's standards. Dr. Ratio then spends the entire runtime of the video alternating between berating Aventurine's strategies as unreliable, and berating his opponents for thinking they can defeat Aventurine. By the end of the program, though, Owlbert tells him that Aventurine specifically requested him to be on the show and even has counter arguments prepared when a flustered Dr. Ratio quickly starts denying why he came on the program. Dr. Ratio is also caught off-guard by Owlbert's claim that the respect between Dr. Ratio and Aventurine seems to be mutual, but doesn't deny it.
  Owlbert: I really can't tell what the deal is between you two.

The Trailblazer (Caelus or Stelle)

The Trailblazer (Caelus or Stelle)

• If the player chooses to play as the female Trailblazer, some of her dialogue can be read as flirtatious towards some of the female characters, like Natasha or Kafka.
  • She can tell Kafka in a text that she misses her. When Kafka first awakens her by putting the Stellaron into her, it looks a bit like Kafka is grabbing her chest.
  • Yukong's assistant Xikui will flirt back with her.
  • The first time she meets Ruan Mei, Ruan Mei will grab her by the chin to examine her.
  • The "Sweet Dreams" trailer seems to imply that Stelle and Firefly went on a date, going by the selfies and sitting down to enjoy a drink.
• The male Trailblazer can tell Screwllum in the Swarm Disaster event that he misses him.
• If the Trailblazer is male, Dan Heng's misguided attempt at CPR at the space station can be interpreted as an attempted kiss. The 2023 Game Awards trailer also depicts Caelus accompanying Dan Heng in viewing a starskiff ceremony.
• Hanya, under her "FRigid_Raven" handle on Ghostly Grove, comments on the group picture that she likes the Trailblazer's expression.
• Argenti has a voice line describing the Trailblazer as "beguiling and engaging now as they were on the day we first met."
• Acheron is under the impression that the Trailblazer is on a date with Firefly when they meet her in Golden Hour.

March 7th

March 7th

• March and the Trailblazer meet Topaz for the first time in the Snow Plains and after introductions, Topaz gives them her contact information and that she's more than happy to chat after hours. She also comments that the two Trailblazers "make a cute pair".
  Topaz: Who knows, maybe we'll cross paths again during the celebrations. Oh, here's my contact information. I don't usually respond during work hours, but I'd be happy to chat off the clock⁓
  March 7th: ...Wowwww, I actually managed to get an IPC executive's phone number without even trying.
• In the "Long Wait for the Blade's Edge" mission, the Trailblazer can ask March for her opinion on the people they've met so far. When asked about Bronya, March replies that she finds Bronya pretty and likes looking at her.
• In the Aetherium Wars event mission in Cloudford, March and the Trailblazer meet Guinaifen and after introductions, Guinaifen comments that she finds March's name beautiful and makes sure she'll remember it.
• March is immediately starstruck when meeting Robin for the first time. And what does Robin say in response to this?
  Robin: I never thought a cutie like yourself would be a fan of mine
• In Acheron's character introduction, she mentions that she likes peaches. March's note is that Acheron can come on the Express and eat whatever she likes.
  March 7th: I've got lots of delicious snacks! Miss Acheron, you can come aboard the Express and take whatever you like~
• When the crew first meets Siobhan in the Dreamjolt Hostelry, the drinksmith compliments March, who practically preens in response:
  March 7th: Did you hear that? She called me "my lovely lady"...!

Other pairings

Jarilo-VI

Jarilo-VI

• Just like in their other iterations, Seele and Bronya. While they start out antagonistic, once they work out their differences and find common ground they grow close incredibly fast. Seele spends most of her time talking or thinking about Bronya while Bronya sees Seele as her confidant and uses her as a source of courage, especially when she has to confront Cocolia at the end of the arc.
  • In the "Space Comedy" trailer, Pela can be seen watching footage of Seele and Bronya on her phone.
  • Bronya doesn't even get her own character trailer, she shows up in Seele's character trailer and the two immediately start bickering.
  • One of Penacony's Dreampeek Calls that the Trailblazer can access is Bronya's. Because the screen is blacked out, the following exchange between Seele and Bronya is loaded with innuendo, but it's really Seele helping her move some heavy boxes.
    Bronya: Ah... that wouldn't work...
    Bronya: Seele, don't...
    Bronya: ...Don't use so much force! That box contains handicrafts Mother gave me, and they could break easily.
    Seele: I see... Why didn't you mention it earlier? Fine, I'll leave it alone for now, and you'll move it yourself...
    The plot takes an unexpected turn, leaving you both irritated and frustrated. You hang up the phone.
• Serval admits in her Companion Quest that she and Cocolia used to be incredibly close to the point that they spent every moment together and shared possessions to the point that it wasn't clear whose was whose. After Cocolia's death, Serval is clearly grieving for her, especially since Serval had hoped that they could reconcile one day.
• The light cone "Good Night and Sleep Well" depicts Pela falling asleep while she was studying. Serval drapes a jacket over her and comments that Pela looks cuter without her glasses.
• When talking with Sampo about Gepard, Sampo will mention that he thinks Gepard is quite handsome and "charming in his lack of charm". Furthermore, Sampo can also say he has come to enjoy being chased around by Gepard.
• Pela and Lynx are described as close as the "Warmth Shortens Cold Nights" light cone depicts Lynx watching Pela enjoy her book while sharing hot cocoa.
  • One of Pela's voice lines has her stammering about Lynx before saying she's her best friend.
  • According to Lynx's character preview lore, Pela will sneak food and snacks into Lynx's gear because she thinks Lynx doesn't have enough.
  • Lynx's voice line on Pela proudly states there are many things only Pela can understand.

Xianzhou Luofu

Xianzhou Luofu

• Jing Yuan and Blade get a bit of Foe Yay Shipping due to their past in the High Cloud Quintet with Dan Heng's past incarnation and Blade's past identity as Yingxing. Blade's character lore refers to Jing Yuan and himself more as Vitriolic Best Buds who often bickered but settled their differences once he gave Jing Yuan his signature weapon. The opening cutscene of the first Xianzhou arc shows Blade in shackles approaching Jing Yuan and shooting him a Death Glare.
  Jing Yuan:...Do you remember me?
  Blade: I remember.
  • In the Chinese version of the 1.2 special program, the chibi version of Blade is introduced saying "Of five people, three must pay a price. Jing Yuan, you are not one of them." Owlbert then pops up asking, "Why did you go to him if he's not one of them?"
  • During Jingliu's companion mission, Blade shows at Scalegorge Waterscape to see Jing Yuan admitting defeat to Luocha on his gambit, and has this to say:
    Blade: You've changed, Jing Yuan. The man I knew would never have admitted he was bested.
• Jing Yuan and Luocha also get a bit of Foe Yay Shipping, thanks to the ending scene in the "Obsequies Performed, Long Road Ahead" quest as Jing Yuan attempts to suss out Luocha's motives and Jing Yuan threatens him with his glaive. They have another tense exchange at Scalegorge Waterscape in Jingliu's companion mission as Luocha insinuates to Jing Yuan that he knows about the efforts to clear Dan Heng's name and snarkily asks if Jing Yuan is going to do the same for him.
  • Luocha has this voice line if he and Jing Yuan are added to a team:
    Luocha: Would you prefer me to reveal or conceal, General?
  • The "Perfect Timing" light cone art and lore show Luocha buying an umbrella and using it mainly to avoid Jing Yuan's suspicious gaze.
• The first time Luocha shows up on the Express, it's because Dan Heng invited him after their journey with Sushang.
  • The official illustration celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival is Luocha making sticky rice dumplings with a rare instance of Dan Heng smiling at him:
    Dan Heng: What are these ingredients for, Luocha?
    Luocha: I got them from a place where the local folks eat these as snacks.
  • If Luocha and Dan Heng are added to a team, he has the following voice line:
    Luocha: Yet another journey with you.
• Yukong's Companion Quest reveals she used to be incredibly close to Caiyi, her piloting partner and best friend since her youth, to the point that she seemed to be jealous of Caiyi's husband before he died. Her death affected Yukong so badly that she quit her dream of being a pilot and has not piloted a starskiff since.
  • The "Past and Future" light cone art and lore straight up calls Caiyi her "beloved".
  • The "Luofu Myths: Moon Impaler Skiff" mission opens with a story of a ghost starskiff and Qingni being concerned that her mother has something to do with it. The ghost starskiff is a heliobi attracted to Yukong's continued mourning over the loss of Caiyi. It was seeking Yukong out because it missed her and takes on the form of Caiyi so Yukong could say goodbye, even referring to Qingni as their daughter.
• If the player talks to Yukong's assistant Xikui and asks her about Yukong, Xikui starts fawning over her and says Yukong has bought her dresses that she's worn.
  Xikui: Madam Yukong? She's the best boss I've ever met. You've only seen what she's like when she's working: strict and serious. She's actually quite adorable in private.
  Xikui: I've even received dresses gifted by Madam Yukong. I have to say, her taste is impeccable. I frequently wear those dresses of hers when I go out.
  Xikui: Also, my looks regularly invite trouble from persistent men who don't know their place. It's times like these when Madam Yukong is so dependable.
  Xikui: "If you ever harass Xikui again, I won't just eject you out of the Sky-Faring Commission, I'll also flush you off the Luofu."
  Xikui: Honestly, when I first cast my eyes on Madam Yukong, my heart skipped a beat.
• Upon learning about Tingyun's death, Yukong is devastated and starts putting together a soul-soothing ceremony to bid her goodbye. She's incredibly touched that one of Tingyun's remaining belongings is a bow that she planned to gift to Yukong. She tells the Nameless that in the thirty years Tingyun worked for her, she became one of Yukong's most trusted subordinates thanks to her advice in helping Yukong navigate the more diplomatic and administrative parts of running the Sky-Faring Commission. She will also swear vengeance on Tingyun's behalf if she finds out what happened to the real Tingyun before she was replaced.
  • One promotional artwork before the game was release is Tingyun and Yukong closely sharing food.
• In one promotional video, in Fu Xuan's dream of being General, Qingque is shown to be her Number Two and devoted to her.
  • Qingque also shows up in Fu Xuan's promotional trailer running late and accidentally interrupting the battle. Fu Xuan even asks Qingque if she has anything to offer after defeating the Malefic Ape.
  • Qingque's signature light cone lore has her keeping sweets on her because she can distract Fu Xuan with them whenever she gets caught slacking off.

Penacony

Penacony

• Aventurine and Sunday:
  • In the Reverie hotel lobby, Robin seems rather amused that Aventurine calls Sunday "the most handsome man in Penacony".
  • Sparkle later catches Aventurine following her and heavily insinuates he's gotten into Sunday's good graces with sexual favors.
  • "Aventurine's Timeline" has Sunday liking Aventurine's magazine cover and the two like a social media post about a limited edition cologne that Aventurine buys out the entire stock.
  • When Aventurine gets shrunk into the sand pit model of Golden Hour and sees Dr. Ratio, he suggests that maybe Dr. Ratio can sneak him into Sunday's shirt.
  • As the main Penacony story progresses, they quickly become Foe Yay Shipping as Sunday curses Aventurine with a Geas and gets called a scoundrel in return.
• At one point the Trailblazer and Firefly end up running into Acheron and Misha. After a bit of trouble has been cleared up and introductions are being made, Acheron calls Firefly "beautiful lady", which Firefly is clearly flustered by.
• The "Masquerade Duet" quest has quite a bit between Black Swan and Sparkle
  • At the start of the quest, Sparkle confronts Black Swan about the latter supposedly following her all around the Dreamscape and asks if she has a crush on her
  • When making your way to the second puzzle, Sampo asks Black Swan why she's so interested in Sparkle's challenge, and then teasingly asks if she's more interested in Sparkle herself
  • After the final puzzle, Sparkle asks Black Swan if she'd like to work with her, and suggests that they dance ballet together, while winking
• Just before 2.1, Hoyoverse released an animated short featuring Black Swan and Acheron intimately dancing with each other, with Black Swan remarking on how enchanting Acheron is, calling her beautiful, and kissing her hand. About halfway through things take step toward Foe Yay territory once Black Swan confronts her about Duke Inferno's death.
• In the Dreamjolt Hostelry, the Astral Express crew meet Siobhan, the resident drinksmith. March mentions to the Trailblazer that Siobhan seems just as cool as Serval. Siobhan hears her and asks if March is going to introduce them.
  March 7th: Look, (Trailblazer)! A lady as cool as Serval!
  Trailblazer: She's cool, indeed.
  Siobhan: Who's Serval? Will you introduce me to her?
  March 7th: Oops, she's heard us...

Other examples

Other examples

• During the 1.4 "Jolted Awake From a Winter Dream" Special Program, after Topaz is introduced, she starts flirting with Himeko. Owlbert then snarks that they should get a room.
  Topaz: I also heard that the train's navigator was a lady of unparalleled beauty and talent.
• Topaz has a voice line calling Asta a "real lady" if she ever saw one and if the two are put on a team, she tells Asta they should hang out more. Asta has a voice line that indicates if their schedules have free time, they should take a vacation together to relax and share IPC gossip.
• One of Argenti's voice lines describes Dan Heng as possessing a "unique form of beauty". If the two are added to a team, he tells Dan Heng that he feels honored to fight by his side.
• Argenti and Velite in the "Night of Universal Hallucinations" quest. Argenti rescued Velite from being eaten in exchange for Velite swearing allegiance to Idrila, which he half-heartedly did out of self-preservation. In a conversation with the Trailblazer, Velite admits that while Argenti is quite handsome, he wonders if he can turn the knight into an IPC-sponsored idol. As the mission progresses, Velite does become concerned for Argenti, especially when Argenti's plan to fight the Giant Sting sounded like a suicide mission and because the knight did promise to take him home. While Argenti is ultimately successful in defeating the True Sting, he does text the Trailblazer that he found Velite again and apparently helped him re-ignite his abandoned dream of being a pilot.
  Velite: Don't die! I'll be waiting for you! After we fix this mess, you've got some spokesperson duties at my company to attend to! Just make sure you come back in one piece...
  Argenti: When I tracked down Velite, he said he saw himself flying, and steering the One and Only. I helped him to defeat the insect boss. However, he seemed a little lost after the illusion faded away.
  Trailblazer: I remember he said he wanted to be a pilot
  Trailblazer: And yet he says he has no obsessions and is immune to hallucinations
  Trailblazer: I suspect he was quietly affected by you...
  Argenti: He thought it over for a few days, but for some reason chose to give up this idea of using currency to spread Beauty... He seemed keen to become a pilot instead, and I showed him my support.
• Lan being on the eternal pursuit against Yaoshi is ripe for Foe Yay Shipping.