alright ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on THIS critter.
His name is Coke, which is based off of [ not the pop brand ] but an actual mineral similar to coal, that released little to zero heat. He’s Drossel’s little shoulder buddy, always hitching a ride on his owner, or just walking quickly on his tiny nubs.
Most people don’t know what he is on Popstar, but in-universe, Coke is a very rare species of flame spirit, prized for the single feather that grows on its back. In ancient times, these feathers held properties to control fire, and, according to rumor, can be used to create immortality in the user. Because of this, they’re a prized target for thieves that may want to sell these precious things. They aren’t really hurt when plucking, but they can be treated rather harshly when in possession.
Of course, Coke emits fire constantly, and also radiates a warm temperature. The fire from the body doesn’t hurt anyone or spread, unless he gets upset, defensive, or by his own will. Anything that is flammable or can melt from his sheer heat is considered edible to him. Notably, beeswax is the most appealing, but it probably isn’t good to feed him too much.
When meeting new people, he tends to sniff or take a nip out of anything he’s curious of, whether object or person. If he gets startled, he will shift defensively and emit showering sparks or an even bigger flame, but for any people he deems friendly, Coke lets out lots of chitters and accepts petting. Most people expect his body to be hard like coal, but it’s actually comparable to soft tissue on someone’s body. Kind of squishy too, and very warm to the touch.
Drossel keeps Coke around for his ability to melt metal, [ since he uses a forge ] and just for the sake of company. Living inside of a giant machine can get a little tiring, so it was pure luck that Coke happened to be a stowaway who came hiding in his pouch. Coke loves his owner and constantly asks for attention or pets, accompanied by an assortment of chittering and tiny biting. On a side note, Drossel collects a variety of wax stamps and waxes of all colors as a hobby. What he’ll do is melt the wax on top of Coke and press it to get the desired pattern. Of course his tiny companion gets to eat free wax when the seal doesn’t work out, so it balances everything in the end.
