I often read about a completely cold and detached Albedo, especially in a relationship, viewing his partner like some sort of experiment. As much as I think he may certainly be interested in all the various aspects and dimensions of a relationship, for Albedo it is such a new thing that he would likely to explore it in depth, but I don't think he is really that cold and calculating.
Probably, at first he would act a little more tense and reserved, as he would still need to get used to the idea of being in a relationship and opening up to his partner, but I think that once he got over this initial stage, Albedo would become a very sweet partner, yet in his own way. He would certainly be busy with his work, but he would always try his best to make time for his partner. I think that over time he would become more and more committed and devoted, especially if the other person taught him how to be loved.
Furthermore, I like to be a proud supporter of the touch starved albedo hypothesis✨ Having never openly received love and affection, he would not even realize that he secretly craves this things, having always been accustomed to being alone. Upon discovering the sweetness of love and affection, Albedo would find himself addicted to it, not thinking that he desired such a thing so much. He might hide it well, but it would be obvious to his partner that all our dear alchemist really desire is to feel at home in someone's arms.
As for the more intimate sphere, I believe that he would certainly approach it with reverence and curiosity, but also with extreme respect. Albedo would NEVER do anything that might make his partner uncomfortable, nor would he do anything without their consent. His goal is to make the other person feel loved and cherished, so his top priority would be to focus on their pleasure with the sole aim of making them feel good.
His nature as an alchemist in this case would drive him to assiduously seek out what would help them feel good. But Albedo would never dare to make his partner feel like an experiment. The last thing he wants is for them to feel unappreciated by him, and knowing that he can be absent at times due to his work, he tries his best to compensate and learn new ways to make them feel loved. I believe that in a moment as intimate as sex, Albedo can become even more vulnerable and romantic, showing sides of himself that no one would ever imagine.
Albedo is an alchemist, but his approach to life is not cold, calculating or methodical. This is more of a view that his master would have, but he's not Rhinedottir; his soul seems to have a more poetic and profound nature. Albedo can tend to be very ruthless, but within a deep respect for everything around him. He has a chivalrous spirit and always tries his best to open up to others and helping people.
Let's not forget that Albedo has definitely made progress since his first appearance in game. He is still an introvert, but it's as if he has warmed up and learned to accept his nature and getting more along with others. If Albedo had a partner, this process would certainly would have been much faster and evident, especially if they tended to be more extroverted than him.
Albedo’s debut episode is called Good Copy, Bad Copy. Just by the episode title alone, it immediately gives away that there’s supposed to be someone who plays a role in being a clone of one of the main three and is causing trouble for the trio. Albedo is seen demolishing all of the Forever Knights castles as Humungousaur, in order to find Ben and maybe get his attention by destroying the castles.. Shortly after doing the job, he goes to Burger Shack where he walks in complaining that the whole idea about Chili Fries is disgusting. When he reaches the counter, he declares that “Everything human REEKS” This obviously gives off the suspicion that the Ben we see currently, is not Ben at all and is definitely not human by the way he’s reacting to everything. This also proves that Albedo has an entirely different view on Earth and humans as a whole.
As soon as Kevin and Gwen arrive to find that Albedo had destroyed yet another Forever Knight castle, Albedo instantly grabs their attention and asks if they’ve seen Ben Tennyson, the tone Albedo uses when he asks Gwen instantly sounds like he’s in a hurry to find Ben. However Gwen and Kevin brush past that as they believe that Albedo is actually Ben since they look exactly the same. With Albedo finding out that the two think he is Ben, he decides to have a completely different approach to the matter at hand and tries to act like Ben, saying that they should transport Albedo to his domicile as he is Ben Tennyson. Albedo is showing off his true behaviour in that moment, as he is trying to play off the fact that he isn’t Ben in order to trick Kevin and Gwen as he has the exact DNA as Ben and is trying to take advantage of them, that is obviously shown when he asks if they could take him to where Ben lives.
When Ben arrives at the scene, Albedo switches up his behaviour ever so slightly and introduces himself to Ben, informing him that his name is Albedo and he is a part of the Galvan species. Albedo tells the trio that he is the builder of the Omnitrix however that is blatantly a lie as if you watched Ben 10: Secret Of The Omnitrix, you would have already learned that Azmuth was the one who actually created the Omnitix, not Albedo. He orders Ben to give up the Omnitrix as Albedo said that he needed it back urgently, the sentence “Your days as Ben 10 is at an end” shows that Albedo knows that Ben has been using the Omnitrix for saving people and the world, etc. Albedo wanting the Omnitrix back urgently suggests that he has no time to mess around and wants to get off Earth as quickly as possible. When Ben tries to say that Azmuth built the Omnitrix, Albedo instantly cuts him off from talking by saying that Azmuth is a liar. By what Albedo just said, it’s shown that by his suddenly raised voice, Albedo has some sort of hatred or a form of disdain for Azmuth.
When Ben doesn’t comply with what he ordered, Albedo decides to resort to violence in order to throw the three off his tracks. Albedo says that Ben isn’t worthy of the Omnitrix and that Albedo has the exact same aliens and a superior intellect than Ben, This only furthers my point on how Albedo believes that he is far superior than anyone else, even Azmuth.. When Azmuth arrives after Ben and Albedo fight over the Omnitrix, Azmuth explains that he has told Albedo numerous times that there should be only one Omnitrix. Albedo then tells Azmuth and the trio that he wanted the Omnitrix to himself so then he could get out of this human form and back to his Galvan body, also he firmly believes that Ben is not worthy of the Omnitrix because he is a human and is thinks someone who has smarts, should wear it instead.. By what Azmuth has said about Albedo making another Omnitrix, he could have doomed the whole universe by creating another one despite there being one already in existence.
With how Albedo has acted, Azmuth ultimately decided to punish Albedo because of his rebellious and foolish behavior. Taking the Omnitrix core off of Albedo, Azmuth expresses that having Albedo trapped in a human body should be punishment enough as Albedo clearly despises it. Azmuth then calls Albedo a lesser being, basically stating that Azmuth doesn’t see him as an intelligent Galvan anymore and has reduced him to just a human which prompts Albedo to scream that he’s absolutely hates Azmuth, most likely even more than before this whole thing happened. At the end of the episode, Ben expresses that he isn’t sure about how he feels about Azmuth permanently trapping Albedo in a body that isn’t his..
I will wholeheartedly agree that Azmuth’s punishment for Albedo is a terrible form of punishment as there was no justifiable reason for Albedo to be trapped in that human body expect for the fact that Azmuth wants him to suffer instead of turning Albedo back to his original form. Vilgax has done far more horrible things than Albedo but no one seems to be punishing him for his crimes. The only justifiable reason for Albedo to being trapped in a human body is because if Albedo wasn't being arrogant about having the Omnitrix then maybe he wouldn't have gotten himself in this situation in the first place, however Albedo wouldn't have known about Ben's DNA already being embedded into the Omnitrix, 😭 but if he asked for help then Azmuth probably would have helped him but then again, Azmuth is a dickhead so he most likely wouldn't have helped Albedo with the situation anyways.
Albedo is probably one of the misunderstood characters within the whole of Ben 10, between the first episode he appeared in Alien Force and the second to last episode of Ultimate Alien when Albedo appears, It clearly shows that in “Double or Nothing” that Albedo wants nothing more but to get back to his Galvan form and get off Earth to avoid Ben once and for all. Plus in that same episode, It seemed like Albedo was kind of getting used to being a human as he even did a theater play where he acted as Ben even though his true motive was to get the money in order to get back to being Galvan. I honestly feel like Omniverse kind of ruined Albedo’s character in a way… like since when did he want to take over Galvan Prime and steal Azmuth’s brain in order to be smarter?? All Albedo wanted to do originally was to return back to his true body, The writers of Omniverse decided to make Albedo absolutely mental and make him have a completely different motive altogether..
Yeah I know that being trapped in prison, having nothing go your own way and struggling to get the things that you need in order to get a body that’s rightfully yours back can definitely make someone go off the rails and insane but still, I feel like the writers of Omniverse wanted to make Albedo just an evil Ben who wanted nothing more but to beat Ben and Azmuth up for the things that they’ve done to him. I just personally like AF/AU Albedo WAYY more because of how calculated he was and he actually had motives towards what he wants instead of going absolutely batshit insane.
Sometimes I remember that Albedo is a knight as well as an alchemist, so I like to imagine him in the Knights of Favonius's official uniform, taking care of matters concerning the investigation team, and I'm like... Imagine kissing him while he's still wearing his armor, with his hair tied back in a ponytail or braid during combat. Imagine him riding a horse to go on a mission, or returning back to city with his team, as they get acclaimed by the citizens. I imagine how he would use his knightly honor to serve the person he loves. Yes, my knight...
For me, Albedo is just like that. Even if his s/o was a person perfectly capable of fighting and defending themselves, even if it meant fighting tooth and nail to defend their honor, he would always be there, resilient, ready to be both sword and shield. No matter how many times his partner, perhaps out of pride, would remind him that they are able of fending for themselves, he would always be by their side, when tired to support them and when everything is fine to look at them proudly.
I headcanon that Albedo has a really dry, sarcastic humor that comes really naturally to him. I mean, he accidentally roasts someone without even trying to be funny. his sense of humor is quite unconventional, somehow dark, the type that settles you off when you least expect it. however, he rarely catches up on some types of jokes and doesn't always react with more direct types of humour, but when it comes to dark humour... well, this actually makes him laugh.
some Albedo's physical headcanons I like...𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅
note: there are also reference pins! I've put them because I can't add more than 10 photos here and also because I don't want to have copyright problems.
✧ I know his in-game model looks like a gremlin (still beautiful to me), but he's actually pretty handsome. I mean, Albedo canonically is (Lisa even confirms this fact). people might think that all alchemists are nerdy people who roughly neglect their appearance because experiments always come first, but Albedo actually looks like a high fashion model without even trying (thanks Rhine😋😋). he'd somehow cure his looks, but not so obsessively, like, he tries to be at the least presentable considering his social position, but he slays nonetheless.💅 bro's so pretty that sometimes even random people try to flirt with him, but alas, Albedo would totally be aloof to their advances- unless someone actively makes him notice (then this little shit would outright complain about their terrible flirting--)
✧ bro has got dark circles under his eyes, considering how little he sleeps + he is pretty pale. he somehow looks like not someone entirely healthy but in a sort of low-iron way. totally anemic, tho.
✧ I like to think that Albedo has little freckles scattered all around his body, especially on his back and on his shoulders. however, they are pretty light and hardly noticeable unless you don't get closer enough. he even has some on his face, most visible during spring/summer.✨
✧ his eyelashes are quite long and, most especially, incredibly soft!!! you'd probably feel the urge to brush them when facing him. they are light but not exactly like albinos, but more pale blonde. they are this pretty that even women envy them.. 🙁 his eyebrows are darker and thicker than his regular hair, tough.
✧ since Albedo spends most of his time researching and reading, his eyesight regularly worsened over time. that's because he keeps working even after he's physically exhausted and only with dim lights on. so now he needs to wear glasses, and he does, sometimes! :D (especially when he's resting). however, he prefers wearing lenses because it is more practical to him and they don't fog up when he goes to Dragonspine, where he spends a lot of time in.
image found on pinterest, credit to the respective owner. however, I see him wearing a similar frame: round and with golden temples.
✧ Albedo would have a slim and petite body type, but not too skinny either. he'd be toned in the right way; his arms are the most muscular zone in his body, at least in a visible way. his legs are quite toned too, but no abdominal muscles.
✧ knights are obliged to wear uniforms for every occasion. Albedo's usual attire is the one he has to pull whenever he works in the lab or needs to conduct experiments. however, since he is also the captain of the investigation team, which is especially a combat unit, whenever they have to go on a expedition he wears the typical knight armor. I even found a couple of fanarts that features him in this attire:
this amazing masterpiece is made by @/shiishiou
this one is made by @/hanapen. probably the one he'd wear since it's the official armour of the knights of favonius. look how beautiful he looks
✧I don't think Albedo has a canon height but I believe he'd be somehow between 162-166 cm, like 5'5.5 feet? at the least, that's all the estimations I could find online. consider he also wears thick boots with a light heel, so he definitely looks a bit taller than he actually is. probably falls just a couple of cm under normal height for someone around his age. let's consider that homunculus are supposed to be "petite humans" so it's actually kinda reasonable that he's not just as tall as a Kaeya, for example. however, besides his in-game model being the 'medium male,' Albedo would much resemble his official arts, where he looks like a man fully in his 20s.
✧ A lot of people theorize that, since Albedo was made out of chalk, then all his body is chalky. however, his skin is not cold or weird at the touch, like he might crack suddenly or anything, but it's totally normal and even warm!! (Albedo might get cold because he spends lots of time in Dragonspine, but he still has organs and a cardiovascular system yk...) well, Rhinedottir might have used chalk to create him, however, he is supposed to be totally human-like, besides his synthetic nature. being an artificial human doesn't make him any less human, because he was designed to be like one. Albedo is not a robot or anything, just a synthetic being created through alchemy; this means that he needs to breathe, eat, sleep, and use the bathroom like any other living being to survive. this implies that he can get ill, injured and potentially die. maybe the only difference is that he has a longer lifespan than a normal human, aging slower than them. if I'm not wrong, originally, homunculus weren't supposed to reproduce either, so Albedo is likely sterile and can't have children of his own (unless he doesn't use alchemy just like his mother did.)
✧ his hair is pale blonde and really fluffy! especially after washing, it looks even puffy and soft to the touch. it has a slightly wavy texture, tho. sometimes Klee insists to style his hair with weird hairstyles (like her pigtails lmao) and he cannot bring himself to say no to her cute face. so albedo ends up with wearing really silly and questionable hairstyles which he has to keep until the end of the day to not make Klee mad. sometimes he even went to work like this-- anyway, since he kinda has shoulder length hair, it can be uncomfortable when working, so he tends to style them in a way that won't end up on his eyes (like his usual hairstyle) but sometimes he also opt for things like a high ponytail or a bun. the sides he use to braid are actually longer than the rest of his hair, this is why he ties them. excessively long hair can be a nuisance during experiments. he also tends to gel his locks to keep them in shape, like his fringe or his upper strands (the ones pointing backwards) so that they don't fall out during the day and end up on his face. it's something that bothers him quite a lot when it happens, so that's why he takes ultra care of his hair. however, he still likes his hair and undoubtedly it is really nice.
✧ he smells like lavender, patchouly, musk, floral ozone and iris (basically like his official perfume). I would describe him as having a fresh, powdery scent with a lingering sweetness. It evokes the image of a soft winter morning, like flowers blooming in a field of snow.
