Work Text:
Malachi sat in his room, typing away at a report due Monday. Ever since he woke up to find his veins had turned black and he had no pulse, while also hearing the voice of what can only be described as a cosmic horror, Malachi had had a hard time adjusting to the changes.
He supposed some were small, like his eyes glowing in the dark and the left eye having a darker sclera. His pupils were star shaped now. However, his black veins and golden horns seemed a bit excessive. He sighed and pulled the hood up. At least they were hidden.
He looked out the window. A thunderstorm. Must’ve been a Tempest Beast let loose. He grumbled a few Arabic curses and went back to typing, before thunder struck beside his bedside window. Malachi jumped and looked out, brown eyes giving off a warm glow. A figure had appeared at the spot of the strike.
Malachi sensed corruption. He stared at the figure. 22. Pale hair. He sighed and vaulted the window, landing with a small ‘oof’. He stared at the other person, before finally speaking.
“I’m Malachi, the Devourer is my title on official business.” He smiled, though his fangs couldn’t be comforting. Or his title.
“…Stareater.” The figure looked down even while standing up. “Just call me Stareater.”
“…” Malachi stared at him. He had deerlike horns and a giant crystal claw. Malachi could sense the corruption, but also an overwhelming pain. He gulped. “So, uh, Stareater, d’ya wanna go back to my dorm? I can explain more. You don’t seem from ‘round here.”
“Fine, make it quick,” said ‘Stareater’, crossing his arms.
Malachi smiled and grabbed the non-clawed arm, whisking him to the entrance. “C’mon, we can do this. Let me do some… illusion.” The gem floating between the horns glowed, but ‘Stareater’ sighed.
“No need, I can look human if I want,” he grumbled. He indeed, in a moment, look like an Asian college student with a fuck ton of layers. “There, Malachi.”
“Uhm… ok. Look, let’s get to my room.” Malachi pressed the elevator button, hearing the ding of its arrival. “You first, ‘Stareater’.”
The other one stepped in with a glare. Malachi smiled to counteract the negativity.
The walk to the dorm was short, probably because Malachi bent space, but he hoped Carina wouldn’t mind. “’kay, I live here, make yourself comfy!” Malachi said, opening the door. It was pretty normal. Malachi kept it that way. If he was a cosmic entity, he still wanted his college life.
‘Stareater’ sat down on the couch and crossed one leg. Malachi went over to his laptop, closing it and wheeling the chair to face ‘Stareater.’
“Don’t worry. I specifically made the cameras capture footage wrong here. They don’t know anything’s up with me.”
“You must be more powerful than you seem, huh?” the other said, eyes narrowed.
“I thought you would already know from my title,” he huffed, “but yet, I never have cataloged such a being like you! Ok, kidding but… ya ain’t exactly familiar.”
“Oh wow, I feel honoured,” ‘Stareater’ said dryly.
Malachi ignored that, and started brewing a few coffees for the both of them. “What’s your real name, and species? I’m basically a god so… be careful!” He chuckled.
“I feel like you’re trying too hard, but I suppose because of your camera trick I have nothing to lose. Andrew Tran and… stareater.”
“I have never heard of stareater as a species.”
Malachi then felt a splitting pain in his skull, the mark that a Devourer of ages past was about to talk to him.
Of all of them, it had to be Judas.
“Of course you don’t. There haven’t been many. They’re when the system fails and tries to make 2 devourers. They eat souls. They’re evil.”
“And you’re Judas,” Malachi retorted mentally
“Child,” Judas warned, “do not feed it. Do not test it.”
“I will not be completely heartless!” Malachi mentally yelled at his predecessor.
“Do not say I did not warn you.” And with that, Judas’ presence faded.
Malachi went to his closet and found a blanket, and without warning draped it over Andrew.
Andrew jumped, hissing. “What was that for?”
Malachi felt a little offended. “Thought you would’ve liked that, considering you’re a corpse like me.”
“How–” Andrew choked on Malachi’s coffee, “—did you know that…?”
“Oh, uh, just a hunch!” Malachi lied. He knew because if what Judas said was true, that Stareaters were failed Devourers, then, they would be dead just like him. And the shivers from no blood circulation were TORTURE.
“...” no reply. Andrew glared and continued aggressively drinking the coffee.
Malachi looked uncomfortable, but hopefully Andrew liked the arab coffee? He had gone through hell at work to get enough money for the beans, and he didn’t like working because of his… legal document issues.
“This… doesn’t taste like coffee I know,” Andrew said at last, setting down the cup. Malachi immediately refilled it. He sighed and shook his head. “It’s arab coffee. I had to save a lot to buy something from home.”
“Home?” Andrew blinked rapidly at Malachi. “Where are you from??”
“...Lebanon.”
Andrew furrowed his brow. “Lebanon?”
“What’s so weird about it?” Malachi felt offended, “I’m still a person!”
Andrew sighed and shook his head. “No, I knew you were arab by the look of you, just not … uhh..”
“Lebanese?”
“Yeah.”
“You won’t believe my birth year, Andrew.” Malachi felt smug.
“Malachi, I’m pretty sure it’s 2001. You look 25, and it is 2026.”
“...I’m 51, Andrew. I was born in 1975.”
“Not… possible.”
“I’m a walking corpse. You are too. Drink more coffee,” Malachi commanded while anxiously thinking about how to introduce Andrew to the magical world without causing explosions.
He rarely did this, but he picked up the phone and dialled Dante.
Malachi walked out of the room, mouthing ‘I’ll be back’ to Andrew, hoping this wasn’t a mistake.
Dante picked up on the 3rd ring. He was a calm man, and his voice calmed Malachi’s anxiety, if ever so slightly. Malachi immediately started rambling
“So a cosmic entity appeared outside my dorm and he smells corrupted but he isn’t because he’s rational and he called himself a stareater and Judas says those are dangerous and—”
“—Malachi, calm down.”
“Butbutbut—”
“Malachi Sami Ismail, listen closely. You don’t give him anyone to eat. Try to keep him normal until someone from the science department can figure out how to maintain a Stareater diet without murder. Find out what he can do. I’ll arrive with a proper representative.”
“But— ah. Whatever. Thank you Dante.”
“Also, stop using perception manipulation on your lisp.”
“HEY— I HAD TO SOUND PRESENTABLE!”
Dante chuckled and said goodbye. Malachi let out a breath.
—
Malachi went back to Andrew and served him more coffee. Then he grabbed the dates and poured some into a bowl. “I know we don’t eat normal food, but this is politeness for me.”
“Errr… thank you?” Andrew seemed confused, but Malachi didn’t see why.
“So I just got off the phone with Dante— the Sun Sorcerer— and he’s gonna find a way to fix your diet!” He clapped his hands excitedly
“...How do you know about that?” Now Andrew looked startled, scared even.
“...I’m the Devourer. The past ones speak to me. Judas Iscariot knew what you were.”
Andrew blinked. “The Judas?”
“...I share a consciousness with him.”
“And why do you—”
“I don’t know! Wisdom of ages past or some bullshit! I’m still 25 mentally…” Malachi groaned afterwards.
“I’m 22. We’re even. Also what the hell is a ‘Sun Sorcerer’?”
“Oooooh yeah, I forgot about explaining stuff. Just tell me what you can do while Dante arrives.”
“...Wow, prying into my life.”
“Do you want me to bite you?”
“Going all intimate…” Andrew sighed, but it wasn’t a disappointed sigh. More lighthearted than anything.
“Ah yeah, whatever, Dante needs to know so he can help. For example, I can bend space, teleport, use Libra’s purgatory stones and more.”
“Who the hell is Libra?” Andrew said rather confusedly
“...God of Balance and Justice. My patron god. Probably yours too.” Malachi was VERY nervous now. How much longer till Dante arrived—
Knock, knock , knock.
Malachi recognised the pattern. Dante always did things in threes. He jumped up, and feeling lazy, he teleported to the door.
“Dante! Thank goodness. Who’d you bring?”
The dark haired, golden-eyed man smiled. “I brought two. Gabrielle and Alexis both wanted to come.”
“...The most prominent figures of the sciences wing?”
“Well… you had to understand. Both were impressed and wary. They also didn’t trust each other.” Dante gripped his lantern. Malachi never got why he brought a lantern around. Couldn’t he produce his own light?
“...Who are these people?” Andrew had appeared behind Malachi, and he tensed up, if ever so slightly.
“The one with the red markings is Dante Fontana-Rosa, the Sun Sorcerer, and—”
“I’m Sextant Gabrielle Cole.” The warlock nodded towards Andrew, and Alexis let a lighthearted chuckle out.
“Microscopium Alexis Hargrove. Don’t expect much, I do microbiology. I also came when Malachi awakened.”
“Very embarrassing when you managed to deduce that the crystal between my horns is my vital organ.”
“I can zoom in like a microscope, and I care for you. Enough to not dissect like Christoph from the medical sector.”
“...We don’t talk about when he found my torso was practically empty”
“Agreed.”
Andrew stared in stunned silence, looking horrified and scared upon hearing the fact Malachi’s organs were missing. Malachi felt bad now, he had accepted it a decade ago, but how long ago had Andrew awakened? It must be terrifying with no knowledge of the Magical World to hear that someone was functionally not working as a human.
The awkward silence stretched on until Gabrielle raised a hand and spoke. “We need to deduce how much magic intake Andrew needs. Dante, if you could feed him guiding lights?”
Dante looked a little annoyed, but his magic reserves regenerated quickly if Malachi remembered quickly.
“Guiding Lights are around 5 Magi. Magi is the unit of magic. Just so you know.” Alexis rubbed her eyes and grabbed her notebook, clicking a pen open.
Dante started by making one, and Gabrielle started intently at the way Andrew caught in his hand and their condensing was quick, turning the light into a star-shaped crystal which they ate. The tension in his shoulders eased.
“Um. Judas told me they ate souls. An average nonmagical soul, or the bare minimum is 50 Magi. Let’s try giving him more and seeing when And—rew is ok? I don’t want to hurt them.”
It seemed the Stareater was surprised by the last line. Malachi supposed that having your cosmic opposite care for you within 20 minutes was a surprising thing.
The testing continued, Andrew going into true form to conserve energy, until they reached 50. Malachi looked for signs of hunger, but all Andrew seemed to be was satiated, the glow in his exposed soul brighter. He internally cheered. Yes! They were better. He instantly went to crush Andrew in a hug before he could do anything.
“G—guh? Malachi— let me go!” Andrew struggled against the Devourer’s crushing weight. “Be careful— my exposed soul’s, well, exposed—”
Malachi pouted but let go and clapped a little bit, grinding his sharklike teeth against each other nervously.
“I’m going to have to compare anatomy,” Alexis said suddenly, “Malachi, Andrew, open your mouth.”
Malachi opened his mouth, and stole a glance over at Andrew. His teeth were also sharp but…
Alexis observed both mouths, and mumbled something. She wrote something down and then cleared her throat.
“Malachi, may I touch your horns,tail, and filtration crystal? Andrew, may I touch your antlers, tail, claw and soul crystal?” She said while tapping her pen against the notebook.
“Yes…” came the exasperated reply from both people.
“Lovely.”
Malachi winced as she called Gabrielle over to measure his tail. He felt the fluff being squeezed. The women were talking in hushed whispers about the crystal segments embedded in the fluff. He then held his breath as he felt Alexis stroke his horns and poke at his filtration crystal. She said a few more things to Gabrielle before they turned to Andrew.
Malachi felt bad for Andrew when the two women were also squishing the fluff on Andrew’s tail, which was like an eastern dragon in nature. The deep indigo colour and white fluff was interesting colouration, however. Alexis observed as Andrew flexed the claw, and Gabrielle said something vaguely like ‘stars inside.’ They then proceeded to prod the exposed soul and rub the antlers. Alexis wrote down her observations with a face that suggested mayhem.
They came back to Malachi. “Pulse and body temperature. And a saliva sample.”
Malachi crossed his arms. “You know my saliva is venomous and breaks down corruption.”
“Exactly.” Alexis then proceeded to check Malachi’s pulse, while Gabrielle checked the temperature. Malachi then spit into a petri dish, which Alexis focused on whenever she used her microscope eyes.
They went over to Andrew and did the same procedure. Gabrielle stared at the notebook and nodded as if understanding something.
After a few more agonizing minutes, Alexis let out a breath.
“Comparing them superficially, they are very similar. Both have ceased their biological functions and rely on a magical diet, along with a crystalline structure dependence.” She paused.”Differences come in at the filtering. Malachi separates the corrupted part by his saliva, breaking it down. Andrew… consumes it whole, normal or not.”
Malachi sighed in relief. “Well, that’s good. Now shoo. Out of my normal human dorm.”
Dante nodded and helped Malachi kick Gabrielle and Alexis out, who were not eager to leave, but promised to analyze the data.
“Want more coffee?” Malachi offered, already going to make some. He was a caffeine addict while dead. After all, it’s said to wake them so he guessed he was no exception.
“Maybe not…” Andrew replied. Malachi wanted to offer some more, but he probably shouldn’t. He worked at the Pizza Place and they didn’t pay him much. The expenses to have some saffron… oh well!
He grabbed one of the purgatory stones off the shelf, as it was meal time. He grabbed some Mujaddara, glad he had some remaining and released some corruption from the stone into the rice dish. He saw immediately how the corruption latched onto the rice dish, giving it a black aura. He heated it up in the microwave, and watched as Andrew nervously paced around.
“How’d you die?” Malachi asked in a gentle tone, he assumed the Stareater had died. Malachi had died. So Andrew did too, probably.
“...” Andrew got a faraway look in his eyes, “I… I… why do you even ask?”
“...I care? Look, I’ll go first. I was exhausted. It was my 25th birthday– August 21st, 2000. I was studying so hard the night before, so when I went to birthday dinner at my parent’s—”
“Malachi… don’t.”
“I collapsed and died. Before even trying anything. I opened the door and passed out and died.”
“...”
“I don’t expect sympathy. It’s just ironic it was my 25th birthday.”
“Malachi, that’s not a very nice death.” Andrew glanced at him. “I drowned. Flood. Visiting family in Vietnam. The current pulled me under. Woke up in a riverbank like this and tried to wormhole away—”
“---Which made you end up near my dorm room,” Malachi finished.
“...Yeah.” Andrew looked guilty. “In my defense I needed to get away before—”
“It’s fine, really.” Malachi started eating his Mujaddara. The corruption made it taste ashy, but it was the only way he survived.
“Thanks anyways.”
“You can sleep on the couch, I don’t mind.”
“...You are so nice.”
“Ehhhh yeah well, I’m 51. Let me be.”
Andrew chuckled, and with the blanket mess, curled up on the couch.