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- We must not let down her determination. This isn't me saying we absolutely must win this fight at all costs, but our resolve, it must match that brave girl.
- —Acheron about Firefly in "And On The Eighth Day".
Yotaru is the femslash ship between Acheron and Firefly from the Honkai: Star Rail fandom.
Canon[]
Acheron and Firefly are both Penacony characters who were originally introduced as a VIP Guest invited to The Feast to represent The Galaxy Rangers, and a Penacony native from The Iris Family respectively. However, it was revealed by Aventurine in "Whodunit" that Acheron lied about who she was, with her true identity being an Emanator of Nihility, a Self Annihilator, as opposed to the Galaxy Ranger she claimed to be. Furthermore, Acheron was not even invited to The Feast, and acquired her invitation by stealing the invitation The Annihilation Gang received, and murdering Duke Inferno in the process, her motivation being that she sought The Watchmaker's Legacy. Additionally, Firefly revealed to the main character in "Gentleness, the Name of Nocturne" that she was not a member of The Iris Family, let alone a Penacony local, her identity being merely a stowaway who came to Penacony to pursue The Watchmaker's Legacy. However, this was then proven to be false when Firefly revealed her true identity as Stellaron Hunter Sam to the main character at the end of "A Walk Among the Tombstones". The two first met one another in "Gentleness, the Name of Nocturne" after Firefly and the main character saved Acheron from the Gangster Boss.
Acheron is an Emanator of Nihility, a Self Annihilator, originating from the now destroyed planet Izumo. Acheron is a very serious person, who is introverted to the point of coming off as aloof. As a result of being a Self Annihilator, she possesses an extremely poor memory, which also causes her lack of directional skills. She seems to be a cold and emotionless person, however Firefly's death affected her strongly, prompting her cold and stoic mask to break and bringing out her naturally melancholy and depressive person she is. As a Self Annihilator, she believes her existence is meaningless and does not enjoy living, but firmly believes that the past makes people who they are today, and it is important to try and move forward from the past.
Firefly is one of The Stellaron Hunters, Stellaron Hunter Sam, originating from the Falakor Galaxy. Firefly is shown to be quite an extroverted person with a gentle and kind personality, who cares for others a lot. After the main character helped her, she did not hesitate to show them around, as well as treating them multiple times. As Sam, she is shown to be much more serious and melancholic, thinking very logically and a very talented fighter. Due to being subject to genetic modification, she is a short life species, and is desperate to find a way to combat her limited lifespan.
The two of them are shown to have extremely different personalities, seemingly fulfilling the classic Opposites Attract trope, however in reality they are very alike, both being very talented fighters with similar views on the world, as well as having lived through a tragic past and being condemned to an unfair destiny. Despite only properly meeting once they got along well, with Acheron immediately praising Firefly's looks, and were able to have an engaging conversation. After Firefly died, Acheron was affected quite a lot, with both her expressions and voice portraying the level of sadness she felt, as well as blaming herself entirely, and was the one to hold a short period of mourning where she said goodbye to Firefly.
Gentleness, The Name Of Nocturne[]
Firefly and the main character run into Clockie, who begs them to help save Misha, to which they decide to comply. However upon approaching the situation, the main character notices both Acheron and Misha cornered by the Gangster Boss. The main character uses clockwork to change the Gangster Boss's mode, and he shortly departs. Acheron thanks the main character for their help, remarking that she did not expect to see them so soon, to which Firefly inquires if Acheron is one of the main character's friends. Acheron responds, saying that she only met the main character once, but they were a kind person for helping her back at the hotel. Acheron then tells Firefly it is her pleasure to meet her, calling her a beautiful lady, to which Firefly becomes visibly flustered by her words and stutters out a "B-Beautiful lady..." in response.
Acheron then changes the subject, asking the main character what they did to the Gangster Boss to cause his mood change, causing Firefly to pipe in, agreeing with Acheron that she was also curious what happened back then. If the player chooses to credit Clockie for what happened, Acheron inquires who Clockie is, to which Firefly tells her that he is the famous cartoon character who she believes has shown up in the Dreamscape before. However if the player claims that they used talk therapy, or that he was intimidated by their baseball bat, Acheron skeptically states she does not think it is that simple, and Firefly agrees, asking if it had anything to with the mysterious Clockie only they can see. Firefly then remarks that apparently only kind and honest childlike people can see Clockie, to which Acheron sighs and says she must be too old, but if Clockie exists it explains a lot.
Acheron turns and stares to the right, remarking she can sense the presence of something next to the main character, but it is a shame can not communicate with them like the main character can, despite them both having strong ability to react to memoria. She then remarks that she thought the "elegant Memokeeper" from The Garden Of Recollection had been the reason behind the main character's heightened perception, but she now realizes many beings in this dream are just as special. Firefly asks her if The Garden Of Recollection are the group that serve The Aeon Of Remembrance, and Acheron affirms her statement, remarking that Memokeepers are able to travel between different worlds as memetic entities, with their powers being quite a lot like Clockie.
Acheron then changes the subject, thanking the main character once again for their help and wishing them a wonderful time in Penacony. Acheron apologizes for interrupting Firefly's "date" with the main character, to which the latter becomes flustered again, denying being on a date with the main character. Acheron simply laughs in response and takes her leave.
Should One Awaken At Midnight[]
Whilst investigating the Dreamscape, the main character and Black Swan run into Acheron, and decide to join forces with her given they share the same goal. With Black Swan's assistance, the three of them are able to make their way through the Dreamscape. However they soon meet some complications, forcing Black Swan to resort to some "inelegant methods", which in turn cause her to become aware of Firefly's presence in the Dreamscape. She reaffirms the urgency that they must hurry, as something is right behind Firefly, and the three of them quickly make their way to the lobby.
Upon arriving in the lobby, Acheron warns everyone to be careful, as a dangerous presence lurks nearby. Firefly is shown standing in the middle of the lobby, turning around in alarm when she senses them approaching. Upon recognizing them she smiles gently. Whilst the main character runs towards her, Acheron exchanges a suspicious look with Black Swan. Something Unto Death suddenly appears, zooming towards Firefly and stabbing her through the back. Tears pour down her face as she apologizes, Acheron and the other two's faces having equally horrified looks as they watch the scene. Firefly falls to the ground and before the main character can catch her, explodes into blue goo which dissipates into memory bubbles. Acheron stands in front of the main character, glaring at the Something Unto Death as it vanishes, before both she and Black Swan look down at the main character in concern.
The main character is so grief stricken and shocked that they simply stand there, unable to process Firefly's death. This prompts Acheron to ask if they are alright, with a very solemn and worried expression on her face. Acheron steps forward and tries to comfort them by helping them take deep breaths, which prompts Black Swan to come forward and help them herself. After the main character has calmed down, Black Swan temporarily leaves, entrusting the main character to Acheron. Acheron apologizes to the main character for what happened, stating that she was too focused on Firefly and that caused her to get sloppy, blaming herself entirely for not being able to prevent Firefly from losing her life. If the player chooses not to blame her she refutes that if in that moment if she had chosen to draw her blade she could have done something for her. Acheron takes a shaky breath and apologizes once more, emphasizing that she had no choice.
The player can either choose to remark that the priority is figuring out what happened to her, to which Acheron fully agrees with, but reminds the main character to consider where the true enemies are hiding, or that Firefly did not have a choice either, to which Acheron states she can accept their anger towards her, but right now they need to consider who their true enemies are. Acheron then reminds them to not let pain dictate their thoughts, reciting something someone once told her about not having compassion for the enemy, instead seeing clearly who the true enemy is, and understanding the price you pay with each swing of the blade.
Black Swan returns and informs the two that due to The Family, she has no choice but to escort them back to reality. Black Swan remarks that they can still do more for Firefly as they go, due to her imprinting on the Dreamscape, and Acheron agrees that if they can start investigating it would be good. With no reason to refuse, Acheron and the main character both comply, however Acheron requests that they give her a few more minutes as she has some unfinished business. Acheron turns away and stares down at where Firefly dissolved away, her lips pursed, before bending down as if gathering something in her hands. Acheron rises once more, holding her hand out towards the fireflies dancing around her hand as she gazes ahead sadly. Acheron quietly says goodbye to Firefly, wishing for death to be the end of her boundless dream, which will in turn guide her back to the waking world, and then sighs sadly, remarking the three of them should go.
Whodunit[]
The three of them leave the lobby behind and prepare to start the investigation of what happened to Firefly. Upon traveling to the VIP Floor, the three of them find charred remains of monsters and investigate them, causing Acheron to ask Black Swan if the person who did this could have been behind Firefly's demise. Black Swan is hesitant to draw a conclusion with such little evidence, but Acheron urges her on, as she wants to know what happened to Firefly. Black Swan determines that the person who did this was stronger than an adult male, likely an assassin, and they would have seen everything that happened with Firefly, stressing the urgency that they make it to where Firefly imprinted as quickly as possible.
The three make it to a grand room, and with some help from Black Swan are able to make it onto the ceiling, destroying the chandelier per her request and opening a hole in the ground. Due to Black Swan's help, Acheron and the main character land safely and find themselves in the room Firefly imprinted on. Black Swan draws from the memoria, causing a shadow of memory to appear, taking on the appearance of Firefly which in turn prompts Acheron to inquire if it is Firefly. The shadow of memory speaks, and Acheron remarks that she mentioned the main character. Black Swan remarks that they must have been close and that Firefly seems to be sharing discoveries with a companion, to which Acheron sighs Firefly had no idea she would become a victim.
Along with Black Swan and the main character, Acheron continues listening to what more shadows of memory have to say, and one sadly sighs about what would happen if she could try again, to which Acheron wonders if she is staring at herself in the screens and what she means by try again. Another Firefly attempts to calm down her nerves, causing Acheron to frown that she seems very nervous by her current situation. Black Swan deduces that Firefly had one companion, and that person likely betrayed her and sent her to her death. Acheron remarks that the situation seemingly changed, wondering who forced her to go that way and why. The shadows of memory grow even more distressed, as Firefly fails to find an exit, and Acheron herself becomes more grim, remarking that it does indeed seem like Firefly's companion betrayed her and trapped her, still wondering why they possibly decided to do that to her. Black Swan tells Acheron that the companion was likely after The Watchmaker's Legacy, and could have even been using Firefly as bait. The next few shadows of memory reveal that Firefly eventually found a way out and returned back to the lobby, however Black Swan remarks that it was ultimately there that she met her demise, just like her companion intended, causing Acheron to sigh sadly.
As they return to the spot where Firefly died, they find Sam waiting for them, standing among a sea of burning corpses emitting wafts of smoke. Acheron steps forward, warning the other two to be careful as she stares at Sam. They turn around, instantly identifying Acheron as a Galaxy Ranger and Black Swan as a Memokeeper, before threatening that if the three of them do not leave, they will have to kill them, prompting Acheron to engage in battle with them. Due to the two being very equal in physical strength the main character is unable to find an opening help Acheron, however Black Swan intervenes and forcefully teleports them to a waiting Aventurine, who reveals that Acheron is actually an Emanator of Nihility, who brings death to all those around her and blames her for Firefly's death. Doubting his words, the main character goes to speak to Black Swan about this. When asking her what her thoughts are on the mastermind, Black Swan states that she still believes Firefly's circumstances were related to Sam, and despite knowing Acheron is hiding something she doubts that Acheron could have done it.
The Devil In Velvet[]
After Black Swan teleports away the main character and herself, Acheron's battle with Sam continues. Standing amongst a circle of fire, Sam requests that Acheron unsheathe her blade, gathering a flame in their fist. Acheron gazes down at them, holding her still sheathed blade and asks Sam if they still dream of all the people they killed. Taken aback, Sam freezes, before sighing and clenching their fist, withdrawing their sea of fire. Acheron then maneuvers her blade, holding it to her side. She the draws it slightly, revealing the memory of her at The Ever-Flame Mansion days ago, holding her sword to Duke Inferno. The memory shows her telling Duke Inferno he has the choice to leave the music box, however he tells her there is no choice, and instead tells her to draw her sword, that they will fight to the death. Acheron accepts, and reveals to him that she is not a follower of The Hunt, but an Emanator of Nihility.
The scene then returns to the present, as Acheron sheathes her sword, revealing to Sam that she still sees everyone she killed in her dreams. Sam quietly gaps in surprise, now unclenching their fist and standing straight, no longer on guard. They face each other once more as Acheron tells Sam to stop, because their time has not come yet. Confused, Sam asks Acheron what she means, prompting Acheron to state that she has seen many disguises like this before, and no matter how much Sam conceals their outward appearance, they can not hide from Acheron the person they truly are deep down in their heart. She states that she can tell Sam had no negative intentions towards any of them, especially the main character, and that they were only acting as such in an attempt to drive her and Black Swan away, asking them if Elio made them do it. Sam remarks that Acheron knows Elio, but she simply answers that she assumed it would be written into their script, and does not actually know Elio. Sam remarks that their script has always been brief, and that Elio knows their nature, and the fact there is a single destiny that no one can escape from.
They then ask Acheron who she is, but instead of answering she simply states she is not their enemy. Confused, Sam states that that is not the right answer, as it is not what they asked her, but Acheron simply states she does not deserve curiosity from them, as she is just a loner wandering the cosmos. She pauses, before gently stating that she might be able to help them, to which Sam is visibly confused, asking her why she would want to help them. Acheron tells them that she has a poor memory, finding it difficult to remember things, so she prefers to use feelings and emotions to capture moments. She pauses, before quietly stating that that is exactly how she knows that it is Firefly inside the cold armor of Sam. Sam gasps quietly, seemingly very shocked that Acheron knows the truth, before Acheron speaks again, gently asking them if they are willing to take off the armor and talk to her. Sam simply states that it is not yet the right time, and although they do not need help from Acheron, maybe they can instead help her, informing her that she should look into The Family, as they are covering up the existence of "Death" and the truth behind The Dreamscape. Acheron affirms their statement, telling them she is already looking into it.
Sam hesitates for a minute, before stating that The Astral Express is not her enemy either, to which Acheron agrees, but comments she is surprised to hear that from them. Acheron pauses, before asking them what they are going to do next, asking if they will go look for the main character, however Sam remarks that it is not needed, as long as The Express are still tracking down The Watchmaker's Legacy. They solemnly remark that they tried to settle the matter in a direct and simple way, but were unable to go against the script as they stand before Acheron now. Acheron quotes that "The so-called impossible is merely something that has yet to happen", before asking them if there is anything in Elio's script about her, and what sort of mark "she" will leave in Elio's future. Sam apologizes, stating that nothing like that came up, but Acheron sighs and simply remarks that she knew it, and begins to leave.
Sam asks her to wait, telling her that no, they do not. Confused, Acheron asks what they mean, to which Sam reaffirms their answer to Acheron's first question: Sam explains they have never dreamt, as they were born without the ability to dream, only living in the little light the cold and harsh reality provides, remarking that they really envy Acheron in that sense. Acheron softly remarks that she sees, before taking her leave, leaving Sam with the parting words that they are already living in the waking world.
And On The Eighth Day[]
After formulating a plan on how to stop the Order and destroy Ena's dream, everyone turns to split up, yet the main character is stopped by Acheron. Acheron tells them there is something she has to explain, remarking that the grand festival is almost over, and it the starting point for the end of everyone's journey and the beginning of Penacony's stories. Acheron then reveals that Firefly was the one who first discovered there was a world beyond the other side "death", and shared this information with everyone. Acheron states that the main character should know that everyone was able to locate them and figure out how to destroy the dream because of Firefly's unwavering and devoted dedication. She goes on to say that Firefly awakened from the dream before anyone else and discovered the Express among the stars, bringing important information about the Order remnants to everyone, but she may have had help from the script, which came at a cost. Acheron remarks that as Firefly is a stowaway who entered The Dreamscape in a different manner to everyone else, without help from The Family she is not able to awaken from the dream unless she dies. Acheron goes on to firmly state that because of that they can not let down her determination, and their resolve should match that of a courageous and brave girl like her. Acheron then asks the main character if they are ready, and the two make their way to Acheron's Void.
Quotes[]
- “In her, I see the fireflies like in the forest, dazzling and bewitching, however shining only for a short moment.”
- — Acheron's voiceline about Firefly.
- “At whichever place the fiery giant went to, scorched earth followed. But precisely those who exist burning eternally... after the flames burn out... they hang their heads down, and raise both hands to hold the lonely ashes.”
- — Acheron's voiceline about Sam.
- “I can see... she also once walked in the rain, also once burned in battle, also once held the ashes in both hands- in a completely different way from me.”
- — Firefly's voiceline about Acheron.
- “Unable to escape from the past, both you and me are like this.”
- — Acheron's voiceline when added to the same team as Firefly.
- “Arriving at the other side after the journey, what will they experience?”
- — Firefly's voiceline when added to the same team as Acheron.
- “It's my pleasure to meet you, beautiful lady.”
- — Acheron to Firefly in "Gentleness, The Name Of Nocturne".
- “May death be the end of your boundless dream... Guiding you back... to the waking world.”
- — Acheron saying goodbye to Firefly in "Should One Awaken At Midnight".
- “I've seen many clever disguises like this, you can hide your outward appearance but you can't hide your heart.”
- — Acheron to Firefly in "The Devil In Velvet".
- “...I might be able to help you.”
- — Acheron to Firefly in "The Devil In Velvet".
- “...I know who is inside that cold armor.”
- — Acheron to Firefly in "The Devil In Velvet".
- “What do you think, are you willing to take off your armor and talk?”
- — Acheron to Firefly in "The Devil In Velvet".
- “You should know this matter: At the borders of this boundless dream, we therefore located you, and crucially found how to collapse this dream, it all depended on one person's firmly devoted dedication and effort...”
- — Acheron about Firefly in "And On The Eighth Day".
- “We must not let down her determination. This isn't me saying we absolutely must win this fight at all costs, but our resolve, it must match that brave girl.”
- — Acheron about Firefly in "And On The Eighth Day".
- “Let me share with you a sentence- actually it was Miss Acheron who told me. She said "The so-called impossible thing, it's just something that has not yet arrived"...”
- — Firefly to Trailblazer about Acheron in "A Thousand Bells At Dawn".
Fanon[]
Yotaru is not a very popular in the fandom with a small amount of dedicated shippers. Originally, due to Penacony being an unreleased nation and majority of the fans staying away from leaks, not much was actually known about the planet's characters, therefore ships were made based on appearance. Players began to ship Acheron with Robin, as they found her appearance to be similar to that of Kiana Kaslana, and viewing Acherobin as a parallel to Kiamei. Firefly was shipped with Stelle/Caelus, due to the leaks of the two together, and even more so once scenes of them together were officially shown in previews.
After the release of Penacony, some players began to make the connection that in fact Firefly was more likely to be this universe's version of Kiana Kaslana to Acheron, and instead dubbing Yotaru as the Kiamei of Honkai: Star Rail. Fans were quick to comment on Acheron calling Firefly a "beautiful lady", finding it to be significant fuel for the ship, with some people even joking that it was her "Mei expy lesbianism" coming out. The scene of Acheron saying goodbye to Firefly after her death also helped fuel the two as a ship, as whilst it was not the scene with the most fuel, it made most players pick up the Kiamei association, and think of Yotaru as tragic soulmates.
Since 2.0 the two have gained a slight more increase in popularity, even after Penacony's finale in 2.3, but remain quite a rare pairing among the fandom, not being spoken about much and having very little fan works.
Yotaru is mostly rivaled by both Acheron and Firefly's most popular ships, AcherSwan, and Stellefly/CaeFly, as well as other ships such as Acherobin, Stelleron and Robifly.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Acheron/Firefly tag on AO3
- Yotaru posts on Twitter
- Acheron x Firefly posts on Twitter
Trivia[]
- Their ship name, Yotaru (黄タル), comes from their Japanese names Yomi (黄泉) and Hotaru (ホタル), and is a pun on the Japanese word "与太る".
- The text option "The priority is figuring out what happened." is "我可以为她报仇…" ("I can avenge her...") in Chinese, to which Acheron responds with "会的…我们会的。" ("Will... we will."). The character 我 means I, therefore "我可以为她报仇…" was referring to solely the main character being the one avenging Firefly. However Acheron's answer includes the character 我们, meaning we, which instead refers to the two of them avenging Firefly together.
- The cutscene of Acheron saying goodbye to Firefly is named "静态CG-06-为流萤哀悼的黄泉" ("StaticCG-06-Huangquan's Mourning For Liuying") in the files. "哀悼" essentially means mourning or lamenting over someone's death, typically someone close to you.
- Additionally, in Japanese "哀悼" is also a word, conveying the same sense of mourning and grief.
- When Acheron says goodbye to Firefly, fireflies can be seen floating around her outstretched hand.
- Firefly is heavily associated with fireflies by more than just her name, and it is common knowledge that fireflies love water, and are attracted to it. Acheron is heavily associated with rain, and water as a whole, being shown in rain multiple times, and stating she likes rain because it brings her peace. "Acheron" is also the name of a Greek river, furthering the association with water.
- In Acheron's voiceline about Firefly, all languages feature her voice sounding much gentler and fonder than her usual monotone, highlighting the soft spot Acheron has for her.
- Acheron's EN VA, Allegra Clark, quote retweeted Firefly's drip marketing saying "MY BABY I'M SO HYPE", to which Firefly's EN VA, Anelesa Fisher, responded with a gif featuring the text "Yes, mother".[1]
- Firefly's EN VA, Analesa Fisher, appears to ship Yotaru.[2][3]
- Acheron and Firefly's JP VA's, Sawashiro Miyuki and Kusunoki Tomori, have worked together a total of 5 times currently.
Gallery[]
Official[]
Fan Art[]
- All art in this section is fan made, and must be sourced back to the original artist. It also must have permission from the original artist to be posted here. If your art is here without your permission and you wish to have it taken down, please inform an admin, so that we may delete it.
Variations[]
- AcherKafFly refers to the ship between the two and Kafka
- Acherobifly refers to the ship between the two and Robin
- Achersparkfly refers to the ship between the two and Sparkle
- AcherSwanFly refers to the ship between the two and Black Swan
- AcheStelFly refers to the ship between the two and Stelle
- Mei & Kianas refers to the ship between the two and Frebass
- Penacony Women refers to the ship between the two, Black Swan, Robin and Sparkle
