✦ STAR EATER.

indie original character

[screenshotsofdespair]

[starsdevour]

kazimehz​:

Platinum spins around, her bow already drawn before her mind consciously considers the motion, the arrowhead pointing at someone, something.

A being of sand and wind. Platinum’s keen eyes see it so clearly, how the rapturous gusts of air stir thousands of tiny grains of sand in just the right way to create a form — the shell of a person. And even here, after so much time has passed and she’d drifted into an entirely different world, the apparition’s shapes are painfully familiar, a face she won’t ever forget.

“…Platinum.” It requires unusual effort to keep her voice steady, and the bowstring stings against her fingers as she tightens her grip a little more. “Tch… What do you want?”

Unimpressed with her posturing, the figure flickers, seemingly gliding across the sand in the direction of the wind. No, not quite. It’s just a fraction to the right of it. Is that why it chose that form? Because where Platinum goes, she will follow? What a pain in the ass. The direction firmly memorised, she lowers her bow and turns around, only to spot another of those desert phantoms.

“Altair. There’s one right behind you, too.”

What Platinum sees in the apparition is beyond his understanding, so Altair merely watches her make sense of its movement and existence.  But, little did he expect there to be one at his side, too.  Upon her warning, he turns to witness the ghost shifting and manifesting, ultimately meeting face-to-face with a near-mirror image. 

A runaway homunculus from Lucent, still wearing the same uniform, the same features, the same lopsided smile since the ill-fated day they had scarred his face. 

“Oh,”   Altair mutters, bitter recognition coloring the single word.  What more is there to say?  Even through a projection, he didn’t expect to ever see this nameless being again.  Or at all, for that matter.  He casts his eye onto the dune in ignorance, barely catching the fading edge of their boots sauntering ahead, leaving no footsteps behind.

“Should we continue?”   Altair asks abruptly, sending a quick glance in Platinum’s direction.  It seems like the obvious thing to do, and yet, he finds himself rooted in place. Their phantoms have joined together in the distance, wavering in the wind like a hand beckoning to be guided.  

“You see, that one is a traitor——”  He points ahead, though immediately hesitates.  That was poorly spoken.  With all things considered, he may as well consider himself one, too.  Altair presses his lips together, then starts again,   “I don’t feel it right to follow either of them.”

[starsdevour]

alchemistwhosurvived​:

Mariela’s hands begin to shake as her companion’s tone changes. It sounds distrustful. It sounds like rejection. But she had to remind herself that this isn’t the Altair she knows that welcomes her back to the shop warmly. This Altair was not standing under the glass oculus, bright and early in the morning with sparkling eyes, impatient to show her the newest trinket that amazed him. That childlike wonder…she missed it.

“Hey!! I am an alchemist! Just…just not fr-from Lucent, okay?!” She stumbled over her words. “And I’m not a spy either–er--okay. I know how it sounds!” Fishy. Really fishy. Regroup, Mariela! 

She was backing up after he started cornering her. He could…actually be kind of scary, huh? It was easy to forget that he was a soldier.

“When we first met I asked if you would be my friend. We were at a food market, in some strange world. I promised you that I’d make you food with the power I had because you couldn’t eat what they were selling! Don’t you remember?” She was starting to sound desperate, moving her hands around erratically to illustrate her story. “Then you became my assistant in my shop, and…we started making other friends too!  We woke up someplace different and I thought I’d lost you but– you were right there. You found me passed out on a bench covered in ivy in the cold and gave me your jacket!” she blabbered on.  

“…Is it really…just me?”

The frantic explanations and histories spilled from Mariela forces Altair to a stop.  If there is one prominent fault in the conception of Lucent’s homunculi, it’s their very need to follow directions.  And in this case, this girl, this alchemist not from Lucent, has asked him to recall shared moments between them——don’t you remember?

He cants his head slowly, studying her with a seafoam eye as he tries to draw upon what frankly should have been impossible.  The homunculus has never set foot outside the border of this queendom;  they couldn’t have met outside of their first meeting on the fringe.  And yet, the retrospection strikes a heated match in his core.

“Gh——!”   Altair grasps his chest with an intensity as if struggling for air, his claws threatening to tear through the uniform.  The fragmented star there——his heart, mind, and self, all at once——aches with sudden recollection,  a pain beyond physical that clearly reflects on his expression.

How could these flooding memories, previously recorded with perfect integrity, have been lost?

“Mariela … I …”   he hesitates, cautiously managing two steps away from her.  Then slowly, Altair peels his hand away, leaving his shirt and tie disheveled in its wake.  “I’m sorry——It’s not you;  I … I don’t understand how I forgot.”

Perhaps it was an errant spell or a mishap with magic, a potion he unwittingly drank.  But neither would not explain why they are both within the walls of the land and atelier he was born.  His eye begins to roam over the streets, unfocused, as Mariela’s previous distraught bleeds into an eruption of wild emotions.

“We need to leave.  Go … very far ——  I can’t be here!”

[starsdevour]

WHAT IS PECULIAR ABOUT YOUR SOUL?

Your Soul is … Warm.

It draws those nearby closer to it, like a pleasantly crackling fireplace...  It leaves some enamored, others delighted, but everyone leaves having been uplifted by its momentary presence in their lives.  They speak of you for days to come- of the way you've changed them...  You can not figure out what to make of that...  Of the fact that, even in death, others are still placated- enlightened- by your very presence...

tagged by: stole this ! tagging: @reipasento, @meowtlaw, & anyone else who wants to give it a shot

[starsdevour]

kreidegenie​:​​​

“Good day, I heard your footsteps. How may I assist you?” It was quite a surprise, that an unannounced visitor found his campsite that wasn’t the traveler or Timaeus. It wasn’t someone he was familiar with at all. Yet the individual already showed interest in his setup. 

Oh? Was he perhaps…? “Hmm… how peculiar, so I assume that means you’re familiar with alchemy? Are you perhaps studying it? Then, am I right to assume that someone informed you about my stay here?”

Another closer look at the stranger, made him already guess that his assumption was wrong though. “Hmm… you don’t look familiar, I’ve never seen you around Mondstadt but you certainly don’t look like an academic from Sumeru either…”

There was no particular homeland he could allocate this person to. The young man looked unique. His body seemed different. Almost like he wasn’t… Well, if his calculated guess would prove to be right… No matter! As curious as he was, he shouldn’t forget his manners. Introductions should always come first:

“Apologies for my previous rambling. Allow me to rephrase my question if you allow my curiosity: Where are you from? And what brought you here?”

“Ah, well …” 

Where does he begin?  The questions poured like a font, too many to follow, and spared not a moment for interjection that Altair simply settled on listening.  Some questions have even raised new ones ( such as the names involving Mondstadt and Sumeru ), but nevertheless, he nods thankfully for the consolidated query in the end.

“I am from the land of Lucent,”    Altair begins, listing his answers individually with abandon.   “Although I’m unsure how I ended up on this mountain, I followed a sense that led me to your atelier …”   There is an additional fact about a second pull that leads somewhere below and how the one he followed was purely out of whim than reason.  But, for now, it remains unspoken. 

“And also, yes, I’m very familiar with alchemy.  I was created through synthetization and thus have a personal understanding.  However, I am not an alchemist.”

Briefly, Altair wonders if this individual is one, an alchemist.  They speak of the subject with veritable confidence, and the books and tools scattered about would be enough to prove so.  It’s exciting, it’s unnerving——it brings an instinct that threatens to overtake his demeanor as it burns on the edge of his thoughts.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know who you are.  I didn’t expect to find anyone living in the mountain besides those creatures either …”   He angles his head, trying to get a better look and sense of the man clad in white.   “My name is Altair.  What’s yours?”

[starsdevour]

Snow!  It’s just as many articles have described it: tasteless and fluffy, easily yielding beneath his touch.  And here, it blankets a crisp white layer as far as his eye can see.  Yet, despite its cold beauty and the creatures that scamper about, this mountain has an inexplicable loneliness.  

It feels like an extended note that echoes across its landscape and deeply resonates as Altair continues wandering in pursuit of a source of magick.  He slides down snow-covered slopes and stone-colored steps, following its magnetic pull to find himself led to a dimly lit alcove on the mountainside.  He can sense the weaving of magick here, one trail ending at this point with visible signs of recent movement.

Spurred on by curiosity, the homunculus drifts inside to discover sheets of bizarre diagrams, books, and familiar implements under the spill of lamplight.  Alchemy, no doubt, he thinks to himself as he unwittingly reaches for a unique tool to inspect.  However, he only manages a cursory glance before a snap resounds from the entrance, tearing his attention away to unexpectedly find a figure there.

“Oh, hello,”   he greets, setting the curious instrument back onto the table.  Then, with a smile, Altair turns to the other.   “I apologize if I’m trespassing, I happened to end up here—— is this your atelier?  There are some alchemical materials that I can recognize …”

@kreidegenie​​​

[starsdevour]

alchemistwhosurvived​:

When Altair asks his question, Mariela looks to him like a deer in the headlights. She frowns and stares down at her feet, shuffling them across the ground uncomfortably. The alchemists had the power to free homunculi. Were they all just waiting around with the hope that they would be useful enough to become Doll-types? 

Mariela reaches out and catches her companion’s sleeve once they stop walking. Her eyes nervously dart over to the golden palace-looking atelier, leagues away in opulence and splendor from her own. She should feel at home here, surrounded by her peers in a place where medicine and magic came together. A place where her craft was revered. But…something about the gilded exterior weighed down her spirits. 

“W-wait– don’t go yet! Altair…” Mariela closed her eyes tightly and eventually looked away with guilt. “I asked you that…because…because…I think that homunculi should be able to make their own choices…It shouldn’t be our decision. Is that so weird?” But how naiive or idealistic she must have sounded. There was no way that he wouldn’t know she was an imposter now.

Clearly overwhelmed, Mariela held onto his arm with more pressure. She had all the intimidation of a cornered hamster. “I’m serious. What…do you really want? Have you ever thought about it? If you could go anywhere…uhm…do anything?”

This whole time she had been trying to find a way to ask him that. The truth is, even though they work together and they’re friends, there was so much that she didn’t know. Maybe he couldn’t answer her question at all. 

Mariela’s grip halts him just as he wraps a clawed hand around the atelier’s gilded handle.  Altair stills with uncertainty, before turning his attention to the hand on his arm.  After that, he merely stares at the trembling curves of her fingers as the questions pass through him, seemingly unfiltered.  But then comes the inevitable cinch of his brows, a single green eye flicking upward to meet hers.

“I don’t … understand,”   Altair laments, a hand still clamped around the golden door.  “What are you … saying?”   An alchemist shouldn’t ask these things—these are rules drilled into their creations, even if it’s a fancy that might have crossed his mind once, twice.  Tools remain tools, weapons too.  And after a dizzying moment of detachment, he finally repeats the timeworn answer. 

“Homunculi don’t have —— we don’t want.  We only follow orders and duty.” … Right?

Nevertheless, the dots come together to paint an unfortunate realization:  this girl is no royal alchemist.  She is too … different, too kind.  Altair releases his grip from the handle and fully turns to Mariela, his expression hardening to unusual aggression.  Then, compelled by his responsibility as an Executor, he advances to corner the false alchemist toward a wall. 

“You … tricked me—you’re not an alchemist.  Who are you exactly?  Where did you come from?”

[starsdevour]

alchemistwhosurvived​:

Mariela swallowed a lump in her throat. She knew she was bound to say something wrong, and so she broke out into a cold sweat. She had to think about what she said next very carefully, but lying to him just made her feel so grimey. Maybe this time saying nothing was the best choice so she didn’t dig her grave any further.

What he said next only made her worry more. Calibrations and repairs…how was a homunculus repaired? What would happen if Altair ever got hurt? All this time she was thinking that maybe one of her potions would work on other types of organic matter…but what would happen if he could only be healed by technology? She knew nothing about that. Her head just kept on spinning and spinning. But then Altair tried asking her something, and she was so in her own head that she barely heard him.

“Huh?” Mariela nervously fidgeted with her hands. Did she hear him right? What the heck was a Doll-type? Something about that sounded even worse than an Executor. Something…empty. “What do you think you’re going to become…? A Doll-type? Is that…something you want?”

But a voice down the street interrupted them before she could get an answer. “Lucky? Uh…being an alchemist isn’t so…” But she bit her lip. When she was growing up alchemists were a dime a dozen. It wasn’t until the Labyrinth City that she was rare and celebrated. Altair did always make it sound like Alchemists were really high in society.

Quick Mariela… you have to act important!

“Ahaha…a free sample? Thank you…thank you! I do love sweets. I’ll be sure to tell my colleagues.” She accepts the offer, bowing her head politely. This was how Carol acted, so maybe it was right? She looks back at Altair, looking for some sign of approval. 

——Is that something you want?

The question swims in Altair’s mind as Mariela attends to the merchant.  And in its wake are a set of indistinguishable feelings that cannot be put to the name.  Of course, if there was a choice — any choice at all — he would refuse it.  But homunculi don’t get asked for their opinions, just as no one questions their tools before working. 

Mariela, as an alchemist, should already know that.

His eye unwittingly wanders toward her direction, quietly catching the baffling expectant look she wears.  Could a singular alchemist indeed be so different from the rest?  Altair tries to battle the urge to avoid that gaze and fails, maintaining a fixed stare with the russet cobblestones at his feet, even as their route resumes.  

“Why did you ask me that before?  Isn’t that a choice you make——”   He finally mutters after some time, tightening his grip around the golem’s heart that thrums with temptation.  “This luxury should not be given …”   Altair goes silent again, holding the rest of the words like lead in his mouth as the filigree entrance to the Lucent Atelier of Royal Alchemists comes into view.

The pull of magic and authority is irresistible, so much so the homunculus is compelled into a routinely distant poise.  

“We are here,”   he says, slowly.   “I believe we should part ways now?  I must return this core without further delay. ”

[starsdevour]

sylvarantichosen​:

reipasento:

alchemistwhosurvived:

Mariela heard alright, even if she wished she hadn’t. At first she was content to just stay in the back room finishing up making her transmutation vessels to anchor her last potions. She could always find another task to do to keep herself occupied while a curse lingered around the shop. However, when Altair called attention to her absence she started to feel like she had to show herself. 

Mariela cautiously cracked the door open to the building in back of the shop, only allowing one eye to be visible from behind the frame. She looked like a vengeful ghost hovering there more than the manager. 

“I’m right here…” Mariela mumbled. “He better not be here to harass my employees.”

@reipasento

Sou did cringe a little at the memory of Colette and Mariela wanting to force a shirt on him that had the letters MILF on it. Luckily, before he could even comment on that, Altair came forth, greeting him all nicely.

“How you’re doing, Alatir? Hope miss Mariela doesn’t make you work too hard behind there?”

And like an evil spirit he just summoned by saying her name too many times, there she was in the back. And unlike the other two she seemed not too happy about his presence here.

“Hello, miss Mariela!” He waved at her with a fake smile. Knowing she knew exactly it wasn’t a genuine one as well. 

“Ahaha, how rude! I wouldn’t ever harass any of your employees!” Mariela herself however, was another story. “My bad, am I disturbing your business?” Another polite sounding question with some rather dissing intention behind it. Then when looking around the shop, it was pretty obvious that it wasn’t busy at the moment. 

“Oops, well! Hey, if you guys are bored, why don’t we play a game? Miss Mariela can join too once she’s done hiding behind that door for whatever reason.”

@sylvarantichosen

“Sou doesn’t harass us!” The accusation surprised Colette. When had he done that? It was strange seeing her look so gloomy.

“Oh, a game! That could be fun.” It was true that the shop was rather… empty at the moment. It wasn’t always like this, this time of day it was always a little slow. 

Colette turned towards the back where Mariela was still standing, peering apprehensively at the scene in front of her. Why was she nervous? Colette’s lower lip jutted out in a very slight pout. “Mariela, don’t you want to play, too? Altair, a game sounds fun, right?” She was already getting very excited at this idea. 

“I promise if a customer comes in while we’re playing, I’ll go and help them right away!”

@starsdevour​

Is there some kind of exchange he’s missing here, an enmity?  His eye looks between Sou and Mariela, brow creasing exponentially until Colette addresses him again.  But with games being set on the figurative table, maybe that was just an imaginary thing.

“Oh, a game does sound fun,”   he says.  It should be, right?  Frankly, Altair has not played many games before.   “What sort of game is it?”

Likewise, a helping hand will be given should a customer request assistance.  But for now, he offers his own hand toward Mariela.  “Please join us.”

@alchemistwhosurvived​

[starsdevour]

graveresemblance​:

She looks down, and sure enough, those are some claws. But Deunan huffs, rolls her eyes playfully.

“Worried about little ol’ me after I brought you into this trouble? I’m tough, don’t be.” 

But the blonde does release him.

Upon release, Altair brings his hand close to his person in case she should change her mind.  She may be tough, as claimed, but he will worry, anyway. 

“No, the trouble is all mine,”  he corrects, looking over his shoulder once more for good measure.  The crowd does help to blend in for a moment.  But for how long?   “What will you do now?  Perhaps it’s best to return home.”

[starsdevour]

daxnedscul​:

“I didn’t expect you to have all the answers, so it’s okay.” She understands that some things are going to be unanswered, and to her that was fine. Maybe one day she’ll find out. She feels, in a sense, that the stars are watching. She just wishes she knew what they were thinking. What they thought of her. 

“Thank you for sharing.” She finally says and finds herself allowing gravity to pull her back. She’s laying on the grass now. Legs propped so her feet are on the ground. “I don’t understand a lot of things either.” She admits. What a strange feeling. 

“But we learn as we go…” That was what her father had told her. That it was okay not to understand something as long as you were willing to learn. 

Altair hums in agreement.  What are one’s days if not spent in some form of discovery?  No matter how small or insignificant the detail may be. It’s why Altair is out at this hour, speaking to a stranger about the conduct of stars. 

However, the next moment passes in silence as the homunculus watches the space between himself and the girl.  He has been trying to phrase a set of words following their initial conversation.  

“Maybe ...”  Altair starts, alluding to the stars again. “Maybe the answers can be found in a book or a library.  So many stories hide a piece of truth in them—— I’ll be sure to bring one next time.”  

[starsdevour]

reipasento​:

Sou was somewhat surprised to hear that Mariela really had nothing to do with Altair’s creation whatsoever. Then again, multiple worlds, multiple alchemists… Perhaps in a place like this, it wasn’t as unlikely after all. 

Once his new friend even commented on how he doubted Mariela could alter him to taste foods, he couldn’t help but laugh. Quite amused he was patting the other’s back now: 

“Are we dissing Mariela right now?” He couldn’t help but release another snort. “I think we’re gonna become even closer friends than I first thought!” 

Of course, Altair quickly tried to fix what he said about her abilities. But that didn’t matter! It was just a joke anyway. After all, that guy didn’t seem like the kind of person who would gossip about anyone. 

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! Your secret is safe with me. You know, it’s a shame you were created with alchemy… Because if you were built with technology instead, I’m sure there would be a way for me to change your coding so you’d at least know what the food you’re curious about tastes like. It’s too bad I can’t help you with that though…”

Now he finally did get more serious again, crossing his arms while thinking more about what Altair was and how real of a person he was. Was he comparable to the fake Reko that was made purely out of a doll and AI? Perhaps emotions really were all that was needed to make something ‘alive’. Unlike an AI though, Altair seemed even more real, even having his own nutrition source…

“Sorry for getting your origins wrong, by the way. I didn’t mean to insult you or anything.”

Altair shakes his head to deny the accusation but then releases a thankful sigh after.  At least Sou understands his intentions in having said those words.  Or it’s hoped so.  But, for now, he focuses on another crucial piece of information.

“You could’ve?  Wow, I didn’t know such a thing was possible ... or that there are homunculi created by technology.”   From that, he assumes it’s akin to the endless machines that can be found in prominence in Techno Solar. And if that is the case, then Altair would like to meet one someday.  “I wonder if there are some in this world ...”

A homunculus powered by electricity rather than stars and magic.  What would they be like, and how different would they be?  So many possibilities to consider. 

“Ah, but you don’t need to worry.  No harm done,”   Altair assures. He mimics the action from before and lightly pats his friend’s back, too.   “In fact, I learned several things today.  So thank you, Sou.”

[starsdevour]

alchemistwhosurvived​:

“N-no…I’m not upset.” Mariela shuffles her feet through the grass. But she couldn’t exactly explain why she was acting weird either. Altair wouldn’t have known why she was embarrassed, but now she had to scramble to make sure he knew she wasn’t hiding anything. When he stepped forward she couldn’t help but get more self conscious, though.

“I’m actually happy! Really happy!” she exclaims. She starts flailing her arms to illustrate her response. “I guess I’m still just a little out of it! My brain’s still all foggy from passing out! Ha…ha…that’s all.”

Yeah, right. Hopefully that was a suitable enough answer for him. It wasn’t entirely wrong either, even if she felt guilty for being evasive. “I uhm…I was really worried that you’d have changed your mind to go…do something else since we’re in a new place and all. I guess I didn’t really have anything to worry about.” Mariela scratched the back of her head. She really wasn’t doing herself any favors by talking so much. “But of course we can still study! And whip up a lot of cream–er–Potions.” 

She slams her face in her hand. Stupid, stupid! “Maybe I should head home to take a real nap.”

The question in his expression remains as Altair observes her sputtering, tilting his head ever so slightly.  But if there’s one thing he catches, it’s that Mariela claims to be happy, and he believes her.  So Altair nods in understanding and steps back, restoring the space between them.

“As long as I am myself, I will always be happy to help you.  You are my friend, Mariela,”   he quickly adds in earnest.  That’s right.  Although she is not just a friend but also his first—— Mariela has shown that there is more to alchemy than ever, coupled with her immense kindness and charm.

Does that make her a best friend?  He’s heard of the title floating about in conversations before but isn’t aware of its qualifications.  Frankly, there is no word known in his private dictionary to affirm how much the alchemist matters.

“Hmm ... although, I’ve never heard of ‘creamer potions’...”   He briefly assumes a thoughtful look before shaking his head to dispel that line of thinking.  That is an excitement to be shelved for another time as Mariela seems fazed.

“If that is what you’ll do, allow me to walk you home.”   Altair extends a palm and a smile forward in invitation.   “To Waypoint.”

[starsdevour]

kazimehz​:

“Meh. That's—”

Fwap.

Platinum’s oversized sleeves hit her square in the face. Just as she pushes the many layers of fabric aside, the wind whips her ponytail across her eyes. It requires more than one attempt to position herself in a way that doesn’t end in further graceless displays.

Clearing her throat in an attempt to brush the awkwardness aside and pretend nothing happened, Platinum lifts an arm to shield her eyes from the many grains of sand mixed in with the gusts of warm air.

“We don’t have much of a choice here, anyway. Going against it sounds like a hassle.” With the wind behind their backs, at least moving forward feels a bit faster than it really is, as every step on the shifting sands beneath could lead to an abrupt fall and thus requires the appropriate caution. After a short time, Platinum risks a glance over her shoulder, hoping to gauge the distance to the hotel — but the building is already out of view.

“What the hell… That’s one messed up scav—”

She stops cold in her tracks, a hand reflexively snapping to her left cheek. After getting whipped with strands of her own hair for a while now, the feeling of it has become a familiar one. And whatever just brushed Platinum’s skin, it wasn’t hair. She turns towards Altair.

“Did you just.. touch my face?” But wouldn’t she have noticed him coming closer then?

Altair raises a hand to his mouth and laughs lightly.  Not at Platinum’s plight—— he’s too busy enjoying himself to notice her struggles——but at the sensation of the wind sending his own hair into wild motion.  And with the guiding force at his back, the scavenger hunt feels less daunting, more solid. 

The weather has never been this turbulent in Lucent, and he doesn’t fight the reddish curls that gather over and obscure his vision.  Instead, Altair closes his eyes and focuses on the feeling for the short span of a breath.  Yet, in that exact second, there is a strange tug on his head.  

Like hair being pulled, and certainly not by the currents of air.

Altair snaps his attention to Platinum, only to find her already looking at him— which comes off as a shock.  But her question nearly being the same on his mind is an even greater one.  

“No... I thought you ...”   he finds himself saying but unable to finish at the sudden manifestation of a ghostly figure.  Altair abruptly stops in his tracks.  “Platinum——”  He points at the apparition beside her,   “... Who is that?”

[reipasento]

“Excuse me, miss Colette!” Sou cleared his throat to make himself noticeable, getting the attention of the girl working here now. “Ah…. it’s been a while, huh? I remember back in that other place, you also worked for Mariela in a café… Ah and I heard Altair works here too, is he in the back?” Come to think of it, the first time he visited the café back then was also the first time he met Colette, but this also brought up some other memories…

“As you know, I usually drink my coffee black, but for today I uh… “ He did bring the exact same excuse last time, to get a milk-coffee. But as if it was anyone’s business that he couldn’t handle the black kind!! “A cappuccino, please. And… whatever beverage you want, it’ll be my treat.” A pause before he added in a quieter voice: “…As thanks since you helped me with my injured ankle last time.” 

But of course, Sou couldn’t do such a nice gesture without distracting from it right after. Which was why he mischievously smiled at her and added:

“Oh and by the way, do I have to pay extra if I want it in cups instead of spilled all over my jacket, or will a tip be enough?”

@sylvarantichosen​

[sylvarantichosen]

“Oh, S… Sou!” That name felt weird for Colette to say, now, knowing it wasn’t Shin’s name; but, she honored his request to continue using that name in public. 

It was a slow day in Sunlight’s Canopy, and at the moment, Shin was the only customer. She gave him her warmest smile in welcome. 

“Yeah! Altair’s in the back. I can call him up too if you wanna say hi.”

At his request, she laughed a little bit. “Hehe, I remember.” Though, last time he’d made almost the same exact order. Her blue eyes widened at the addition to his order; he’d buy her one, too? Really? Her smile softened, touched at the gesture. “Thank you, Sou. I’ll make one for me, too!”

Colette had turned to start the order when Shin got that final comment in. She was surprised for a moment; then laughed again, only a little embarrassed. “If that happens again, I’m sure we can find another shirt for you to wear instead.”

After collecting a cup for each of them, Colette called into the back of the store.

“Altair! And Mariela! Sou is here if you want to say hi!”

@starsdevour​

[starsdevour]

——He thought he had heard a familiar voice coming from the front.  And after being called by name, his suspicions were confirmed.  Of course, he’d like to say hi to his friend!  Altair stops midway through his duty and emerges from the backroom, moving toward the pair.  

He then smiles in greeting,   “Hello, Sou.  It’s nice to see you.”

Though, it seems someone is missing from their little meeting.  Altair turns his head left and right, before angling it ponderously.  It wouldn’t be fair for Mariela to miss out on seeing a friend.

“I wonder if Mariela heard you, Colette?  Perhaps I should go get her ...?”

@alchemistwhosurvived​​

[starsdevour]

reipasento​:

“Ahaha… that sounds like a good good plan, Altair.” He agreed with a smile. Still, missing out on soup? That did sound like it would be quite painful. Especially because somehow, he had a feeling that his new found friend would actually quite enjoy them, if he’d had the ability to try them.

“Actually, you know… Miso Ramen’s too good to miss out on, even in your case! You were created with Alchemy you said, yeah? Miss Mariela must have had something to do with it then, am I wrong? I just thought that maybe you could ask her about creating something that would make you able to digest and taste human food? I mean, she’s the one bragging about how powerful the stuff she makes is all the time…” 

When thinking of Mariela being asked that though… He realized how that probably would turn into Mariela talking badly about him to Altair. If possibly he’d like to avoid that, so he added with another innocent smile: 

“Just don’t tell her I gave you that idea. I’m sure it’ll be fine then.”

“Oh ... uh, Mariela did not create me...”   Altair smiles shyly, idly scratching at his cheek. Something in the thought of being formed by Mariela’s hands makes him want to shrink away.   “Neither do I think she would be able to alter me enough to taste human foods?”

He assumes a thoughtful pose, almost entertaining Sou’s idea in its entirety.  But maybe saying that might’ve harmed Sou’s opinion of Mariela, which Altair scrambles to fix. 

“Of course, I don’t doubt Mariela’s abilities!  It ... It’s a matter of understanding my blueprint and needing to change that into something more complex...”   He tries to assure.  Without his actual creators within the Chronolium, trying to revise the general make-up of a homunculus may be near impossible.  Besides, Altair doesn’t want to experience being poked and prodded beneath a glaring light again.

“Um... In exchange, please don’t mention this to her.”

[starsdevour]

graveresemblance​:

“Absolutely NOT,” she insists, tugging him a little harder as if to reiterate that. Her attention isn’t so much on Altair worrying, and she’s more worried about where they’re gonna go to lay low for a bit.

In a crowd? In a crowd. People are the best place to get lost in.

“They’ll arrest you, idiot,” Deunan chides him.

The stern response silences him from further suggestions on that matter.  Although, attempting to hide with a homunculus in tow is bound to backfire.  They were constructed to stand out amongst humans, despite the resemblance.  And Altair’s uniform naturally sticks out like a sore thumb. 

“... I still don’t know what that means,”   he finally says, unsure of her point.  Whatever is behind the word ‘arrest’ must really not be enjoyable.   “In any case, if we’re done running ... Would you please let go?  My hand might hurt you.”