KafStel

KafStel is the femslash ship between Kafka and Stelle from the Honkai: Star Rail fandom.

Prologue
In the beginning of the game, Kafka activates Stelle's receptacle and seals the Stellaron within her body. When Stelle wakes up, the first person she sees, and also recognizes, is Kafka, hinting of a past they have together that she doesn't remember. Stelle can have the option to ask Kafka who she is, which shocks Kafka, thinking Stelle would remember her. Kafka tells her that people will love her, treat her like family, and she has a long journey ahead of her; This is the future Elio has foreseen. Whether or not Stelle accepts this future, Kafka will say her answer is lovely, telling Stelle that the version of her with a strong will is the "you I like." Kafka also remarks that Stelle will be able to remember her before she's seen. Kafka leaves, though Stelle doesn't want her to go. Kafka's lasts words to her are that when faced with a chance to make a choice, don't a choice she'll regret.

Xianzhou Luofu
Kafka interrupts the Astral Express's navigation meeting, appearing as a hologram. Stelle looks at her as she walks past, though Kafka doesn't acknowledge her. Kafka requests for the crew to deal with the Stellaron in the Xianzhou Luofu in order to clear the Stellaron Hunters' name and save her companion, Blade. March 7th is suspicious of Kafka, though all of Stelle's potential dialogue choices show that she is considering accepting Kafka's request, to which March exclaims not to listen to her. Kafka ends the transmission allowing the crew to decide for themselves. When talking to Himeko afterwords, Stelle can declare her position on whether or not they should go. If she doesn't believe they should go, Stelle can say that they can't trust Kafka as her reason. When interacting with Himeko a second time, Himeko points out that Kafka never mentioned Stelle at all. She warns that Kafka implanting her with a Stellaron hints at a far-off purpose, and that Kafka won't always turn a blind eye.

March and Stelle fill Dan Heng in on the situation. When talking to March, she'll reiterate her frustration with the Stellaron Hunter, asking Stelle if Kafka was always like this. Stelle can reply that she doesn't remember, that Kafka used to be nice, or remain secretive.

Once Stelle, March, and Welt arrive at the Xianzhou Luofu, they aren't accepted to deal with the Stellaron. However, Jing Yuan tells them that they can track down Kafka for them. With Tingyun's help, the trio are able to catch up to Kafka, though Kafka has gotten Cloud Knights to fight them for her. When Tingyun asks what she did to them, Kafka alludes to her ability to control people, saying Stelle should know all about that. After a boss fight, Kafka gets arrested by Fu Xuan. Welt and Stelle feel uneasy about the fact that Kafka seemed to have been expecting Fu Xuan's arrival, showing that Kafka is planning something.

Once Fu Xuan looks into Kafka's true motives, she is shocked. Stelle asks what she saw, but Fu Xuan hurries to report to Jing Yuan, telling the Astral Express crew that they can question Kafka. Welt and March know that Stelle has a lot to ask Kafka, so they let her do the questioning. Kafka greets Stelle, saying she hasn't changed one bit, and apologizes for her sorry state. Stelle can be aggressive, saying not to talk to her like a friend, which Kafka accepts, or express worry, to which Kafka replies she's fine. Alternatively, if Stelle replies that Kafka does not look to be in a sorry state, Kafka is glad, not wanting to affect Stelle's perception of her. She tells Stelle that she didn't talk to her on the train because she knew they'd have a chance to talk alone. Kafka reveals that the Stellaron Hunters have no connection to the Stellaron in Xianzhou; Rather, they are here for Stelle. She explains that they lured the Astral Express crew here because the future Elio chose requires the Astral Express to have the Xianzhou Alliance on their side. Elio foresees that they will face Nanook the Destruction in the future, a struggle they won't have a glimmer of hope in without following Elio's plan. Kafka then tells her that even Aeons can be killed. She tells of past Aeons, like Akivili the Trailblaze, that fell and two ways how. Stelle questions her further, but Kafka tells her to wait, watching in satisfaction as the Ambrosial Arbor resurrects. Kafka breaks free of her restraints. Stelle pursues her, but is blocked by Blade, and the two jump off.

Letter from a Strange Woman
"The fighting was put on hold, but the Stellaron Hunters did not leave. Kafka sent you a request for help..."

Quote
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

- Stelle to Kafka (optional)

""I am your destiny." The woman replied, "It took me a long time to find you and an even longer time to become restrained and patient. I didn't act until Elio found the best of futures. He told me that you will change me." She smiled bitterly, "So, you are my destiny too.""

- Kafka interaction in Simulated Universe, Closed Beta Test 2 (not in final game).

Fanon
KafStel gained interest from their very first interaction, noting their shared history and how Stelle seems to care for Kafka. It is one of the most popular ships for both characters, but not as popular as KafHime or Starch.

Familial
Kafka and Stelle are also commonly interpreted as a mother-daughter relationship, since Kafka technically created Stelle in the beginning of the game, and her caring words could been seen as the guidance of a mother. People with this interpretation like to touch on Stelle's potential abandonment issues due to her mother figure, the only person she remembers, leaving her.

On May 28, 2023, a dialogue from Kafka's companion mission was leaked on Twitter, in which Kafka told the Trailblzer that she is genetically their mother. This dialogue was actually Kafka telling a lie, though this wasn't clarified until hours later. The leak caused lots of devastation to KafStel shippers, since their ship became widely considered problematic during that time. The leaker received some backlash for leaking the initial dialogue without context, seemingly to make KafStel look bad.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION