Old friends meet again

"My old bones can't take much more of a beating" an Old man who's alias went by gramps by his granddaughter and senile oldie by his adopted grandson cracked his aching spine with a series of pops, the two metal arms mounted on his shoulder blades pressing down on the base of his spine.

"Ugh, those blithering old fools always drag these meetings on longer than they need to."

Sending a glance to the clock mounted on the wall, a revolutionary piece of technology created by the founder of the Solari Technocracy and noted that the time had moved three hours since his encounter with his grandchildren.

"At the least my time was used wisely unlike those blind fools high on moon dust." Grumbling away, the old man utilized a large flat headed Warhammer gifted to him by one of the star forgers present at the meeting as a walking cane.

Something the creator of the hammer turned walking stick probably didn't intend to happen but would be fine that it was being used albeit in a manner that wasn't as intended.

Especially since it was perfectly fitted to be used by the metal arms on his back as an aid to his forging.

But ignoring all of that since the old man felt as if his star forging days were long behind him, something that his thick muscles would vehemently deny, the old man continued to waddle through the corridors aimlessly, utilizing the Warhammer as a crutch despite the strange gazes he received as he did so.

"So what's this about us old fools being high on moon dust?"

Sending a glance to his side but seeing absolutely nothing the old man snorted before suddenly swinging his walking stick near the head of a badly startled runner.

But just before the hammer could collide against the head of the runner girl who's eyes reflected the comet glyphed warhammer mere moments from turning her head into the remains of a watermelon, it suddenly stopped in unison with the dropped package.

A subtle white glow surrounding both the hammers head and the package, the runner collapsed against the ground in disbelief that they were still alive as a voice spoke into the old mans ears.

"If I wasn't so beautiful and skilled to cast my weave in mere seconds, you would've been entangled with murder charges old man"

Suddenly appearing on the old mans right, directly opposite of the old man's swing, a figure who's entire being screamed white shook their head of long white hair while adjusting their white cloak and staring at the old man with white eyes while raising his pale white hands.

In other words, white.

"Shut up you narcissistic old fu--"

"Tut tut tut, no swearing in the presence of children my senile old friend." Placing their pale white finger onto the old man's mouth only to get it slapped away by the metal hand, the tall white figure who was a head taller than the already tall old man sent a glance to the runner.

"And you girl, I know that my very presence itself is addictive but it shouldn't hinder your work, chop chop girl."

Moving his fingers in the air as if manipulating a set of invisible strings, the pure white sheen surrounding the package swiftly disappeared as it dropped into the startled runner girls arms.

"Now go on girl, before you fall for -" The shining white man who quite literally shone suddenly bent down to dodge a flying silver colored fist about to make contact with his face "- Me"

Glancing at the source of the fist, the pure white man stared at the old four armed man, ignoring the runner girl who had just as quickly bowed to the duo of old people and ran away as fast as her legs could take her and opened his mouth.

"To aim at the face even after so many solar cycles, you haven't changed your barbaric ways"

"And you still haven't changed your narcissistic tendencies you damnable glorptid."

Snapping his fingers, the white sheen surrounding the hammer disappeared, allowing it to travel in due course, colliding against the wall behind the girls previous position.

Raising an eyebrow at the sight and tracing his eyes across the series of thin cracks newly decorating it, the pale man couldn't help but comment on the hammers effectiveness.

"You really didn't hold back did you, you senile man? What if my majestic self wasn't here to save the day from your destructiveness?"

"I would've held back you narcissist" Shrugging off the recoil of the hammer colliding against the warded walls, he shrugged and placed it onto his shoulders as if he never needed to use it as a crutch in the first place.

Something that the creator would definitely have mixed feelings about.

"I can see that."

Tracing his fingers across the comet glyphed surface he continued to speak. "So who's the one talented enough to think of combining a Comets destructiveness and a supernova's explosiveness without destroying the base material granted it is made of the best material in the world that is able to perfectly reflect my perfect face?"

"Moon Silver ain't meant for mirrors you damn heretic" The old man slapped the white man's hand away with his own pair, tapping the metallic head with a proud look on his face.

"Do make sure to not mention the possibility of heresy to the Starlight Inquisition."

"I'm old, not crazy."

"Your senility says something else."

"Shut up oldie."

They continued to walk along the hallway that subtly went downwards in a spiral, passing by several doorways.

"So do tell me, how did you get that Ancient Relic? It isn't for nothing that they're rare to the point that I can count the number of them I've personally seen on my fingers, and I own half of them, your's included."

"It's an interesting story you damnable Kor, but I'll only tell you if you do something for me." Opening a door and entering the room, an enclosed space decorated with various mundane smithing tools and some not so mundane Aether crafting tools revealed itself.

"A favor for a favor hm? And here I thought you would give it to me out of the goodness out of your heart."

Mockingly speaking, the old man replied with none other than the universal sign of disdain widely spread by Archers in the era where Starborn Empires still existed.

"Shut up and follow me."

Pulling out a gem encrusted amulet and pressing it onto one of the many pillars holding up the Celestial Tower, the several bricks instantly started to shuffle away revealing a large hole that led to a large black crystalline object that flickered with vague starlight.

"Tell me your paleness, what in the Astral Death is this."

Glancing at the object once, the pale man was initially dismissive of the at first glance ordinary piece of Obsidian before furrowing his brows and turning to the object and observing it closer.

And when he did, what little blood in his already pale as snow face disappeared, making it supernaturally pale as a chill suddenly filled the room.

Seriously turning to the old man who had lit a large brazier to get rid of the sudden chill, the pale man stared at the old man, all of his narcissistic whimsy suddenly gone.

"Old man, where in the Stars did you get this."

Tapping the large metal table and pulling out the chair beside it, the old man gave a stare of his own to the pale man.

"Take a seat oldie, it's a long story."

---

A pale white man sat across an old man, holding various papers in his hands in silence all the while the old man crossed all four of his arms in the darkness of the office room, the flickering firelight casting a shadow on both of their facial features.

"…If what this paper is saying is true, you know that the Solaris Technocracy isn't going to stay still."

"Not just the Sun kissing bastards, all those religious nutheads and anyone worth a damn is going to have to move their heavy asses off of their pedestals, and it's not just because of the danger that this damned thing holds."

Snorting, the old man cast a cautious glance towards the wall where the item of their discussion was being held.

"It's because of the value that it holds correct?" crossing his fingers, the pale man rubbed his forehead, cursing under his breath. "Damn it all, why did the architects make people so fucking greedy."

"…Should we tell them?"

"Who? Them!? Void no!"

Slapping his hands against the table agitatedly, the pale man who was previously the epitome of someone who would go with the flow seemed incredibly against telling whoever they were.

And honestly speaking, the old man didn't blame him.

"You already know that it's going to be reaching their ears either way if our theory on who they are is correct."

"Architects above… You're right… Ugh…" Groaning into the palms of his hands, the pale man rubbed his white eyes before glancing around the room.

"I'll ask this again, are you perfectly sure that no one else knows that you have that damn thing in your possession?"

"I made sure to silence all word of its existence when I saw it."

"Did you silence people?"

"Of course I did, what do you take me for?"

"…"

Interlocking his fingers, the pale man groaned into the palms of his hands, rubbing it across his face before staring dead into the ceiling.

"…" Snapping his fingers, a brief white flash filled the entire room followed by the brief shining of various glyphs and signs in the room before they just as swiftly dimmed.

"I reinforced all of the glyphs here, especially the ones surrounding that damned thing, it's shoddy work, but in the time we have it's the best I can do."

"You've done your best, I expect not a word until I contact our collective superior."

The pale man groaned into his palms again "Thank you, but what the void do you want me to do in exchange for talking to them"

"That's why you're my best friend." Flashing a strained smile, the old man got up from his seat, all four arms stretching "Don't worry, it's not as tiring and annoying as talking to that middleman."

"…" The pale man stared dead at the old man with nothing but suspicion

"Truly, all you have to do is just look after at my grandchildren for a while and teach them basic glyphs in the meantime"

"…That truly doesn't seem as trying as interacting with them I shall admit."

"See? Just watch over them and make sure that they don't get into trouble while I'm-" The old man opened the door and watched both Ester and Eva whip past him, one chasing with a hammer all the while the other ran away as fast as they can. "-gone."

The pale man chuckled lightly into his palm "They certainly carried on your lively charm as a child"

"Shut up you glorptid, I'm still pretty damn lively as is."

Rubbing his face, the old man pondered the best way to murder his own blood all the while his old friend watched on in amusement.

'I'll bloody kill them if it's the last thing I do.' Grinding his teeth, the old man stomped off in the direction that the duo were heading off to, the pale man following after locking the door behind him with several glyphs

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