𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐥 ✦ 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐢 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐥

𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋: 𝖧𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗄𝗈

One of the best parts about being aboard the Astral Express wasn't the great views of space, the planets, the food, or the new encounters that came with it.

All of those were great things, of course, but it wasn't one of the best. As much as y/n loved all of those things, the one among the best had to be Himeko.

Y/n had been drawn from her to the start, mainly due to her first impression of the fiery haired woman. She viewed her as a very warm and kind person, reassuring and wonderful in all possible ways.

(Die try 💀)

The h/c haired woman wasn't the most chatty individual when she first boarded the Astral Express, but she was always willing to talk to Himeko.

"Do you not want to explore?"

"No, I'd like to stay here."

Y/n and Himek were seated together at a cafe, shielded from the welcoming but still rather hot sunlight by an umbrella while March was dragging Welt around, Dan Heng trailing after them.

She tore her gaze away from the trio, staring at the slice of cake in front of her instead. March had insisted that she order it and try it, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to eat it.

Himeko watched y/n carefully as she stared at the slice of cake before taking a sip of her coffee with a, "Is there something bothering you? You seem out of it. More so than usual."

Y/n looked up with a small, "oh" but didn't reply, seemingly debating on how or if she should answer.

"I just feel a little unsettled." y/n admitted, "I feel anxious, but I'm not sure what I'm so anxious about. I don't like that I remember so little, and it's really unnerving..."

She grasped her hands together on the table, brows furrowing, "Somebody is waiting for me, someone I care for very dearly. I promised I'd return alive, safe." y/n heaved a small sigh, "I broke my promise to them. It hurts."

"Broke your promise? You're alive, aren't you? It isn't too late for you to return home." Himeko pointed out with a small smile, "It may take time for your memories to come back, but you already know a few things. Your job as a Cloud Knight, your origin on one of the Xianzhou Alliance's ships."

Y/n inhaled lightly, "Miss Himeko..."

"One may happen before the other, your memories coming back or us taking you back home." Himeko continued, "Whichever comes first, you'll be able to see that loved one again. And fulfill that promise you made to them." the woman paused to give y/n a smile, "Only if you're open to staying with us on the Astral Express until then."

Y/n opened and closed her mouth, trying to find the words which slipped from her grasp every time she got ahold of them. Instead, she bowed her head as the burning sensation in her eyes increased and tears began to pool over.

"Thank you, Miss Himeko..." she whispered, rubbing the few stray tears away before they had the opportunity to fall, "I really mean it." she met the fiery haired woman's gaze again with a much more determined expression, "I will do my best to be useful to you and the rest of the crew! Honest! My body is your weapon to be used whenever you wish!"

"Woah, Woah, there's no need for that." Himeko laughed, offering y/n a napkin which she accepted and dried the few remaining tears, "You only do what you want to do, we're not going to order you around or anything."

"Mm... still, I'd like to protect you all." y/n decided, "Maybe I could split duties with Dan Heng. I'm Train Guard when he's Archivist, he's Train Guard when I'm Archivist."

"That could work, why don't you ask him?"

"I'll do that! Absolutely!"

"Miss Himeko!" March called from a distance away, waving wildly, "Look at all these cute accessories!"