“Being the Spokesperson of the Sun. Is that enough for you?”
Haar frowns. “What are you talking about?”
Solaris smiles at him, but it feels wrong to him. He never knows what he’s thinking when he’s like this.
“I’m grateful you know.” Solaris looks up at the sky. “I’m grateful to the Sun for everything it’s done for me.” He looks at Haar and smiles wider. He knows that’s the smile full of love only reserved for him, but under it... It’s almost sad. “I’m grateful to the Sun for getting to meet you.”
“Solaris.”
“If I wasn’t the Spokesperson of the Sun, would you have even looked at me?” He shakes his head. “I feel like the only way you’d notice me would be if I was injured and your need to help others would’ve taken over, but would that be it? Would we have even gotten together at all?”
“…Where is this coming from?”
“I’m curious!”
“Solaris—“
“But it doesn’t really matter right? We’re together now anyway so it doesn’t matter what the ‘what if’s’ are! We love each other! We’re even married!”
“You’re pretty good at that,” Aster says idly as he reorganizes things in the office of the inn.
Haar glances over his shoulder then turns back to the screen, continuing onto the next level of the game. “Once I learn how to do something, I learn how to do it more efficiently.”
“And what you’re doing is called..?”
“Speedrunning.”
“And you do this for the whole game?”
“Yes.”
“I guess this is why you’re so good at strategizing and fighting and all that.”
The character on screen dies as Haar sighs and sets the controller down. “My wife was actually much better at it.”
Aster pauses and debates if he should continue this conversation but Haar doesn’t seem upset. “Really?”
Haar nods. “Yeah. She used to be the leader actually. I had to learn everything and take over after she died because it was so sudden.”
“What did you used to do before?”
“Stayed at home, taking care of Caecus. She was much better at everything else and it was all for our village and family. I think people thought I’d be too soft since I had no experience in governing before it was passed to me.”
“And they learned to respect you?”
“I’m not sure really, but I earned it somehow.” Haar looks down at his hand, his thumb running over the two separate marks around his ring finger. One for his wife and one for Solaris. “I think she would’ve liked to meet him.”
“Are they anything alike?”
“Caecus often says they’re pretty similar. Which is true I suppose, they both love Caecus a lot and…”
“They had a lot on their shoulders but hid it?”
Haar puffs out a fond laugh. “Yeah… Aster.”
“Yes?”
“Is it true that the Spokesperson of the Sun only lives up to a certain age?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Aster.”
“I wouldn’t know, I’ve only known Solaris and there’s not many records of the previous Spokespersons’ lives.”
“Because they’re not supposed to be among the people much?”
“Yeah.” Aster turns back to the shelves.
“So it’s only hearsay.”
“Probably.”
“I see.”
“Besides, I think Solaris would tell you and considering I haven’t heard it either, I doubt it’s true.”
“That’s fair, I suppose.”
Aster sighs and comes down the ladder. “Hey, you’re not gonna lose him. He fought against the Sun a lot to just get here. He’ll be fine.”
“…You’re right.” Haar stands and goes to the window, looking out in the direction of the hill that’s so important to Solaris.
Going against the Sun’s wishes so much has to have consequences and he’s just waiting for the day Solaris has to answer for it.
Nearing the end of the play, Solaris and Haar head back to Solaris’s home village in search of Caecus and Aster, but when they arrive, there’s a festival occuring.
[ID:
Solaris: The festival…
Haar: Is there another path we can take?
Solaris: …
Festival Goer A: It’s the Spokesperson of the Sun!
Festival Goer B: He showed up!
Festival Goer C: Spokesperson, will you stay for once?
Solaris: …
/end ID]
It is implied that Solaris never attends the Festival of the Sun, even though the Land of Sol celebrate in honor of the Sun, and by extension Solaris. There is also another instance where Aster mentions getting snacks to Solaris.
[ID:
Aster: … Get me one of those snacks we used to steal from the festival when you come back.
Solaris: You got it.
/end ID]
When they were kids, Solaris often stole snacks from vendors that he shared with Aster, even though he could potentially get them for free since he’s the Spokesperson of the Sun.
Solaris doesn’t hold any contempt for the festival, though. He’d just rather spend time with his lifelong friend.
Solaris, meaning “of the Sun”.
I don’t have much reason for choosing his name other than he’s the Spokesperson and he was named by the people rather than himself.
Luna, meaning “moon”.
I needed this character to live in Solaris’s shadow and what better object in the sky than the moon so I named him Luna.
Aster, meaning “star”.
Uhhhhh the sun is a star and well, that must mean they’re all friends.
Haar, meaning “a cold sea fog”.
Since the Land of Stratus is covered in clouds, I needed some synonym of fog cause I wasn’t about to name a character fog.
Ros, there’s a lot of meanings here that fit I think.
I don’t particularly remember why I named him Ros, but y’know. He’s just a guy.
Caecus, meaning “invisible”.
Caecus is far from invisible in this story, but when you read the play, you learn that what he’s struggling with is something unseen from those around him.
