KafHime

KafHime is the femslash ship between Himeko and Kafka from the Honkai: Star Rail fandom.

Main Story
Himeko is the navigator of the Astral Express and Kafka is a Stellaron Hunter. At the beginning of the game, Kafka activates the Trailblazer's receptacle, basically reviving them. Kafka purposely has the Trailblazer be found by and join the Astral Express to fulfil the future Elio foresaw.

Himeko and Kafka first interact when Kafka interrupts a meeting in the Astral Express, appearing as a hologram. While the rest of the crew stares at her in apprehension, Himeko turns away in disdain. Himeko tells Kafka there's no need for the mysterious introduction, identifying her as a Stellaron Hunter. Kafka chuckles and greets Himeko by name. She requests the crew to make a "destination alteration." Tensions high, Himeko tells Kafka that she's seen her bounty on a wanted poster. Kafka takes this as a complement. Himeko then quotes what Herta has told her about the Stellaron Hunters: "wild lunatics in pursuit of the most dangerous objects of the universe." Kafka replies that with the description, the Stellaron Hunters and Astral Expressers are not so different. Himeko still refuses to accept Kafka's request, not wanting to associate with a Stellaron Hunter. She's willing to discuss further if Kafka shows up in person.

Kafka then brings up the Luofu, causing Himeko and Welt to uneasily glance at each other. Kafka tells them a Stellaron burst occurred there recently, and wants the crew to clear the Stellaron Hunters' name and get her companion, Blade, back. As Kafka explains why helping her would be beneficial to the Astral Expressers, Himeko inquires that Blade's life is in danger, to which Kafka chooses not to respond.

Himeko and Welt don't believe Kafka is telling the truth, but can't ignore what they heard. So Himeko holds a vote among the crew, and she is one of the people to vote in favor of going to Xianzhou.

Miscellaneous
For Kafka's "Keeping up with Star Rail" episode, "Kafka: Elegance Unmasked", Owlbert invites Himeko to co-host with him because she is rumored to have several encounters with Kafka. While Owlbert goes over Kafka's gameplay, Himeko will occasionally chime in with critical remarks about Kafka. "If she feels the need for weapons, perhaps her "Spirit Whisper" isn't so great after all?"

- Himeko about Kafka's skill

"For wanted criminals, dealing with unexpected battles is just part of their routine."

- About Kafka's trace

"A classic Kafka tactic — leveraging the DoT effects that her allies inflict on the enemy."

- About Kafka's talent

"All those flashy moves seem like overkill, if you ask me."

- About Kafka's ult

At the end, Owlbert asks what the beef is between them. Himeko replies that Kafka is someone who holds up her train journey, and she also takes issue with Kafka implanting a Stellaron in the Trailblazer, manipulating lives, and speaking in riddles.

Quotes
"You're in the wrong place, Kafka. We're not about to accept your request, and we're not about to get in bed with a Stellaron Hunter."

- Himeko

Fanon
KafHime has been shipped as early as May 2022. However, the ship didn't gain much traction until the release of Star Rail's final closed beta in February 2023, where the two characters interact. Fans noted the tension between Himeko and Kafka in their interactions. Many headcanon them as exes. Fans also enjoy how the two mirror each other, as members of opposing groups. KafHime shippers envision that they have a sad backstory, where Himeko and Kafka were together in the past, but Kafka's duties as a Stellaron Hunter caught up to her so she forced herself to abandon Himeko. In Himeko and Kafka's first cutscene together, their interactions are seen as both trying their best to pretend they don't know each other in front of the Astral Express crew.

While the ship started out as a rarepair, it has become one of Star Rail's most popular femslash ships. It currently has 135+ works on AO3, ranking 7th in the Honkai: Star Rail tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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Trivia

 * On Kafka and Himeko's official art for the countdown to the game's release, they are both holding spheres. Himeko's radiates a purple color similar to Kafka's hair and Kafka's is the bright red color of Himeko's hair.