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They didn't have a notable history with the mysterious Almadel, although the name was quite familiar to their ears by now. They had once helped with that little bug infestation, but aside from that, they didn't share the history that many of the others who spoke of him seemed to, so Steins and Hierapolis were a bit at a loss on just how to approach him. Still, he'd always been amicable and helpful, so that eased them somewhat as they approached.

Steins, the more outgoing and extroverted of the two, walked with a light pep in her step as she held something close to her chest, cupped in both hands, and a bright, warm, smile on her face.

"Hello! I hope this Starfest is going well for you! I'm Steins - It's nice to meet you under less crazy circumstances this time!"


Hierapolis, ever the looking, quiet, shadow, followed close behind. Although a ridiculously tall and severe looking visage, he wore a kind expression and exuded no otherwise threatening or edgy vibe. He followed up Steins' greeting with his own.

"Hierapolis. Likewise, I hope your visit is a relatively uneventful one," He ended with a soft chuckle.

Hierapolis' own voice wasn't very loud - not out of an effort to be quiet, but by the restraints of his own vocal chords. The texture of his voice was neither gravelly nor soft, but more gritty like sand, and the very vestiges of an accent loitering on its periphery.

They both came seeking information, more so than trinkets, and aside from a deep space senshi or two, they could think of few others to ask when it came to the past.

Stiens smiled brightly and shook Almadel's offered hand, "I'm sure Earth is rarely a boring stop! There's always something going on!"

Hierapolis, too, shook Almadel's hand, reciprocating the polite greeting, then on mention of the Hollow responded;

"It's unnerving to have it just looming up there, but I almost find a kind of comfort in knowing it is still trapped there, than I would not knowing just where it might be, and if it was still imprisoned..."

It was a conflicting feeling, but one he, as he was sure many others, tried not to think too much on.

Steins had peeped a bit at the curiosities Almadel had on display while talk of the Creepy Slithery was had, but when it came back around to business, she piped up again;

"Oh! I actually found something when we were up there fighting the Big Nasty! I was packing my things back in to subspace after I'd helped splint a couple of my friend's broken bones. and I guess it got mixed in with them -" Steins then held up the spool of sparkling shiny thread, "I think a lot of random little things were kind of just popping in to existence here and there while we were...wherever we were... And! I can't imagine just a mundane spool of pretty thread would get mixed up in it all. Since you are definitely a person who knows a great deal about all manner of space things, I was hoping to get your opinion!"

Steins could be pretty long winded and take a while to get everything out, but she was nothing if not peppy about it.

Honestly, she had actually forgotten about the thread that she had packed in with her stuff until she later went to clean it out and restock on some first aid things. That's when it all came back to her. It definitely didn't seem like a normal spool of thread, but she wasn't getting any of those conveniently helpful bouts of intuition, or even flashes of memory like she would on her homeworld.

So it was convenient that Almadel's arrival with the event of Starfest gave her the opportunity to ask someone who might have some idea! Of course, she felt like she should have something to offer in exchange for the information, and that is when Hierapolis suggested they both go, and he could offer a little something he'd found on his wonder. Make it a two for one deal~

"You could say so," Steins replied, although her much more emphatic nod suggested she was much more the romantic than her words.

Indeed she was - and in the past life Abysmally so. The Steins of that life would have given any classic Disney princess a run for their money when it came to love, romance, destiny, fate~ Her own tale was something of a Snow-White-Meets-Persephone tale that she shared with none other than the squire who stood with her today. Although there had been known Knights of Cybele back in those days. But even so, as someone who was previously just a 'normal' civilian, and even without a string of fate, they had found one another again.

Not that either of them were quite aware of any of that - flashes of random memories being what they were and all. Perhaps not knowing made it all the sweeter that they'd find in this life what had been denied in the previous.

Taking the spool tenderly back from Almadel, Steins listened with wide starry eyes. She had always found the String of Fate trope wonderfully sweet, and had supposed that there might actually be a variety of colors that could bind people, as fate didn't have to mean lovers To her even a soul mate didn't have to mean the person you share romantic love with - the two being the same was just a bonus! - but there was also fated friends, fated enemies, soul sisters, the list goes on. To be bound in such a way, woven together in the miraculous tapestry of fate and time, was beautiful.

Almadel then inquired about the two of them, and it was Hierapolis' turn to jump in, "Together? Very much so."

One hand gently moved aside a stray wisp of lavender hair that danced around Steins' cheek, letting his knuckles gently brush the soft slope of her jaw. Steins couldn't help the little giggle and bright smile brought by the simple action.

This incarnation was a far cry from the person he had been. Tenderness had been foreign to the huntsman's.... list of adjectives. Then again, the head assassin of the Iseirá wasn't a position that screamed empathetic and caring. He had been a huntsman, yes - a huntsman of people. The day a contract made Steins his prey had been his unravelling, but now here he stood, a new creation woven with the same threads, crafted by different means, and stitched together with hope and love.

Hierapolis, despite what fragments of memory he could gather from time spent at his wonder, knew Aidoneus had been a feared shadow and all around Not Nice guy. He also knew that the person he was now had once been that person.... and so even though he often found himself curious about the history of his wonder, he knew what mattered most was what it could become. No matter what darkness once proliferated its existence, it could be made good. He just...wasn't sure what that good would look like, and in some way...he wondered if understanding more of the past could help him see a blueprint for that future.

Steins giggled as she took back the spool, holding it closely, "Oh, absolutely!"

Although neither of them were aware of what kind of interactions others had with Almadel, Steins could definitely see their friendly space man being flirted with mercilessly.

Hierapolis could not help the dismissive scoff - him, handsome? He was under no illusion when it came to what he saw in the mirror. Of course, Steins would just tell him that was just because he wasn't his type. Yet as he shook his head he had a friendly smile;

"I do have something to offer as a thank you for helping Steins, and perhaps any information you might have on the newly minted wonder I serve -" He followed Almadel's hand as he adjusted things on the table and caught something that seemed familiar, "- or those who once dwelled there.."

With that, Hierapolis pulled from subspace a bottle - suspiciously similar to a repurposed glass starbucks bottle, but who are we to judge anyone for recycling? - full of a fine gravelly substance. Now, Hierapolis knew cremains when he saw them, but there was something quite curious about these, and there was trunks and barrels of this stuff in a storeroom on his wonder.

It was clear that the bottle held the offering, but now Hierapolis pulled out a smaller glass jar and a pinch bowl that he had pre-prepared for this purpose, and began the demonstration;

"It's perhaps nothing too special compared to what all you've come across," He shook the small jar until it felt warm, removed the lid, and poured some of the substance into the pinch bowl, where it began to give a warm illuminating glow, "If we back away, it will dim. Get far enough away, and it will go out, but fire back to life when someone is within proximity again. I imagine it was much more economical than candles, torches, or wall sconces, especially in areas that probably did not get frequent enough traffic to warrant them..."

Like the passage that lead from the surface of his wonder, down to the world below.

Hierapolis nodded, "I had gained some idea of what went on down there."

The only real solid and long set of memories he'd gained had been that whole deal with stabilizing the code piece. That had been the first time he'd been able to get down there - before then he'd only been able to tend to the surface structure. The toxic gasses had been too dense to let him in, but after that they seemed to respond to him in such a way that let him pass in and out freely.

That aside, the memory had brought him more questions than answers, but had cemented the reality of the bloody and dark nature of things that had gone on there.

"I have been pondering what to make of the place, what course to set it on for the future. I had hoped that understanding it's past more could help, but maybe not. Still, I appreciate a good bit of lore."

Steins then piped up, "He's something of a planner - setting goals, a destination to reach~" Her tone was teasing as she caught eyes with Hierapolis and gave a cheeky little grin.

"Ah well your methods of floating through life like a feather on the wind is nice and all, and I have learned from them to loosen up on some things, but this~"

His goal-focused and driven nature had made his business what it was today. Now that everything in that area of his life was running according to plan, that energy had to be directed somewhere. But it was true - he had learned to take things a bit easier - not everything needed a plan.

Hierapolis nodded with a gentle smile, "A trade gladly made."

He gently took the folded fabric of the flag, treating it as the antique it was.

This piece had fared better than other textiles on his wonder - eaten away by time and beyond magical repair. It had clearly been removed before the Iseirá or the world of Cybele had fallen. Hierapolis had thought of getting some things to preserve and display what relics could be, though part of him hoped that magic would do its thing, as it slowly seemed to be as he cleaned and explored his wonder. However, it seemed less inclined to repair things that were of human construction - that seemed to be all on him. Luckily much of the underworld structure had been naturally carved out by nature and time before being refined by mortal hands. Nature's ability to reclaim and erase was truly remarkable.

"Thank you."

Steins then piped up again; "I think you've got more visitors waiting - it was nice to see you! Hopefully the next time will also be under less dire circumstances, too."

It was always nice to see a friend, but it was even better when it was something like this where they weren't fighting to survive. Even if that was kind of part of the job description of Senshi and Knight. Maybe she should have been more specific in her childhood longing for a magical life....