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G’raha Tia’s glee was palpable to Welt when he handed the miqo’te his ticket to the Express. The Express was always welcoming to new passengers, so when Stelle messaged the Crew about a friend that was hungering to go on adventure with her, they were more than happy to welcome the newcomer aboard. Welt gives the excited boy a pat on the shoulder.
“How does it feel, now that you’re one of the Nameless?”
G’raha brushed a thumb fondly over the shining ticket now clipped to his shoulder strap. “‘Tis almost as if I were dreaming. When Stelle mentioned her escapades with the Astral Express, I must admit I was dumbfounded. Traveling between the shards of Etheirys was a feat that most thought impossible.”
G’raha looked up at Welt, his eyes gleaming with excited anticipation. “And yet to hear tales of adventurers traveling through the stars as easily as riding a chocobo, it swelled my heart with envy. Thank you Mr. Yang, for allowing me this opportunity.”
Welt could only chuckle.
“The Astral Express welcomes everyone who would embark on the Path of the Trailblaze. In any event, you should try not to wear yourself out too quickly. There’ll be plenty of adventures to come.”
Welt stepped to the side, gesturing for G’raha to take his first steps onto the Astral Express. G’raha’s heart pounded as he beheld the Parlor Car interior for the first time. But beyond the plush and elegant furnishings, what drew the eyes of the newest Nameless was the view beyond the window.
G’raha had already beheld the beauty of Etheirys from the surface of Mare Lamentorum, but gazing upon its surface aboard the Express, at the precipice of a new adventure, was an entirely different feeling. He heard from Stelle of the icy world of Jarilo VI and its struggle against an eternal winter, the Xianzhou Alliance and the curse of immortality that befell them centuries ago, and the clash between the Trailblaze and the Order in the Dreamscape of Penacony. Soon, he would bear witness to countless more tales of adventure and heroism.
So lost was he in his wondrous gaze, G’raha failed to notice someone approaching behind him. The shutter of a camera snapped, and G’raha jolted, turning in surprise.
“M-Miss March!”
Standing behind him was March 7th, camera in hand and an impish grin on her face. G’raha could only babble and stammer as his face flushed red. March giggled, clipping her camera back onto her hip and joining G’raha’s side.
“Looking at the stars, huh? Stelle did something like that when she first came aboard.”
With the conversation turning a little more serious, G’raha regains his composure. “'Tis a surreal experience, Miss March,” he says simply.
“Oh psh, we’re like family here!” March shot G’raha a friendly smile. “Besides, we’re going to be working together more often, right? So, you can just call me ‘March.’”
March takes the lull in the conversation to check the photo she just took before showing it to G’raha. “So, what do you think? It’s a nice picture, but it’s missing something…”
G’raha’s ears flick curiously as March examines the photo. It’s not long before March perks up in realization. Quickly, she pulls the miqo’te in by his shoulder, holding out the camera and pointing it to themselves. “I got it! Needs a bit more of a personal touch!~ Say cheese!”
Had G’raha not met March earlier while Stelle and March were visiting Sharlayan, she would have been caught off-guard by the girl’s propensity for taking pictures. But now he was already used to her tendencies, and smiled at the closeness he was experiencing with the crew of the Astral Express. The camera flashed, and March went to examine the new photo.
“There we go~ Your first official selfie as a member of the Nameless! How does it feel?”
G’raha chuckled. “Technically, March, this would be my second picture as a Nameless, would it not?”
“No no no, your first selfie ! There’s a difference!”
Suddenly, March and G’raha are pulled in together against Stelle’s shoulders. “Hey, if it isn’t two of my favorite people!”
While March happily returned the hug, a blush crept onto G’raha cheeks before he somewhat awkwardly returned the hug as well.
“Stelle, glad I am to see you again. Thank you for inviting me aboard the Astral Express. Words alone cannot express my gratitude.
“Ah don’t sweat it, Raha, I promised that I’d take you on another adventure together. And the Galactic Batter doesn’t go back on her word.” Stelle smiles proudly. “Sorry I wasn’t here to welcome you aboard earlier. I was clearing some of my leftover stuff from my old room.”
“Your old room? You needn’t forsake your own accommodations for my sake. I’m sure an agreeable living arrangement can be worked out without displacing you.”
Stelle waves him off, pointing a thumb at March. “It’s not a big deal. Besides, I basically live in March’s room now.”
“Ah, I see. I suppose everything works out, then. Will my assistance be needed in arranging my accommodations?”
March chimes in, “Nah, Pom Pom and Himeko will take care of it. We can just hang out while we wait to embark on the next destination. Speaking of which, I’m feeling a bit thirsty. Stelle, can you get me some juice?”
Stelle reared back in mock outrage, before breaking down in a fit of giggles. “Who do I look like, Pom Pom? Nah, I’m kidding. I can get you some juice, March.”
She looks at G'raha. “You want anything, Raha?”
“I’m feeling rather partial to tea at the moment, does the Astral Express have any in stock?”
“Oh yeah, plenty of stuff to make tea with. I’ll get you the stuff Mr. Yang drinks,” Stelle says as she heads off to the kitchen car.
March calls after her, “Oh! Can you get some solid water with my juice too?”
“You got it!”
G’raha raises an eyebrow. “Solid water? March, did you perhaps mean ice?”
March cocks her head. “No, I meant solid water. Y’know, the stuff you put in drinks to make it cold?”
G’raha awkwardly raises a finger. “But… is that not ice? Is ice not simply water in its solid state?”
“No no no no,” March begins to twirl a hand, six-phased ice beginning to coalesce at her fingertips as it starts forming an arrow. “This,” she says, presenting the arrow to G’raha, “is ice. Specifically six-phased ice, but that’s kind of my thing.”
“March, I doubt not the substance of your abilities, but this doesn’t change the fact that ‘solid water’ is ice, and ice is, as you call it, ‘solid water’. They are one and the same.”
March stares at G’raha, lost and grimacing at her inability to explain such an obvious fact of life to the junior Nameless. G’raha himself was similarly perplexed, wondering who had led this poor girl astray with such a silly falsehood. Both of them are interrupted when Stelle returns, holding a kettle and teacup in one hand, and a glass of juice in the other.
“One cold juice for the lovely lady, and one hot tea for the gentleman.” Stelle sets the drinks down on a table and bows dramatically.
March perks up and raises a finger to catch Stelle’s attention, but G’raha was quicker. “Ah, Stelle. You’ve returned at the most opportune time. You studied alchemy have you not? And I also hear that you’ve made something of a name for yourself in the culinary arts in Limsa Lominsa as well.”
Stelle nods, “Yeah? What’s up?”
“Would you please inform March that ‘solid water’ is in fact ice?”
“Solid water isn’t ice! They’re two totally different things!” March interjects, “Tell him Stelle!”
The Trailblazer looked between the two, pondering the situation. After a moment, she nods sagely as a grin crept onto her lips. She pulls March into her shoulder, smirking at G’raha.
“Sorry Raha, March is right. Solid water and ice are two completely different things.” Stelle turns her head up, holding up a finger in a display of mock intelligence. “C’mon Raha, surely you learned that while you were in the Studium?”
G’raha slumps in utter defeat. Behind the beaming March 7th and the snickering Stelle, he saw a vaguely familiar dark-hair boy walk into the Parlor Car. G’raha perks up. He remembered him: a member of the long-lived vidyadhara species, and a high elder in a past life at that! Even in this life, he remembered Dan Heng to be an intelligent young man who was responsible for maintaining the Astral Express’s data bank. Surely he would back him up.
“Master Dan Heng!” G’raha calls out.
Dan Heng does not react as he had hoped. Instead of approaching, Dan Heng looks between the mischievous girls and the browbeaten miqo'te, sighs, and immediately turns around and leaves.
Triumphant, March 7th scoops her cup of juice and settles down on the couch, as does Stelle. G’raha joins them as well, steeping his tea and wondering what madness he had walked into.
Pom Pom waddles into the Parlor Car and makes a beeline to G’raha. “Welcome to the Astral Express, G’raha Tia! Now, before we do anything else we need to—”
Pom Pom blinks, looking at a G’raha looking absolutely lost. “Miss Stelle? Miss March? Why does Mister G’raha look like a sad, wet cat?”
G’raha looks up with a thousand yalm stare. “It would appear the very foundations of my knowledge have crumbled before my very eyes.”
Pom Pom stares carefully at G’raha, then looks to Stelle and March seated nearby, who very suspiciously look away. Pom Pom narrows their eyes.
“G’raha, does this have to do with solid water?”
A light shines in G’raha’s eyes, and a spark of hope is kindled in his heart.
“Y-yes?”
Pom Pom draws their spray bottle and begins squirting water at the two girls who flail and shriek at the sudden moisturization.
“Stop hazing the new passengers!”
With joyful tears in his eyes, G’raha whispered to himself,
“Vindication…”