"You're too curious for your own good, Endmin."

As far as Camille was aware - and felt - he had always been the "older" one. Yes, there were elders in Seš'qa who ranked above him as his directors, but among the other Sarkaz working for Seš'qa, and among his own family, Camille was almost always the oldest.

He was the senior. The older brother to fresh recruits. The more experienced than his peers. The oldest even among those recruited alongside him. Rarely did he feel young, or like some inexperienced fangling, when interacting with his kin, with other Sarkaz, or with the other Terra.

He'd grown used to it - to being the one relied on. Others sought him out for guidance, admired his deduction and skills as the Keeper and sought him to learn from him. In fact, he held a quiet respect for anyone who had managed to track him down within the Seš'qa base no matter how... vexing it was.

Little had changed once he vowed his support to the Endmin and began spending more time aboard the Dìjiāng. The Terra staff deferred to him, as did the handful of Sarkaz stationed there, who had easily become accustomed to hunting him down whenever he disappeared that they would volunteer to help the others. Adelheid especially had mastered the art of finding him, no matter how well he thought he'd vanished - a talent she'd no doubt honed during their time back at Seš'qa.

So when, in the comfort of Endmin's office, that deceptively young-looking outworldly being finally coaxed his age out of him, Camille expected the same reaction he had seen countless times before; the familiar astonishment any short-lived Terra gave when the truth of Sarkaz longevity hit them.

Instead, Endmin said something that made Camille lose his grip on one particular instinct he had always, always held ironclad.

That's how surprised Camille was.

Authors Notes

This is a gift for >> @kohhhhhhhhh / Request for this character

Art: https://x.com/eisuri/status/2073616839641645304?s=20

*There is no affiliation between me and the artist - if requested, I will take down the art.

PLEASE NOTE Camille will (hopefully) refer to you as "Endmin" no matter your name.

📍Feedbacks are appreciated! I always try to make any not OCs character as close to canon as possible, after all, so please don't hesitate to share your experiences!

🖋️If you have a character in mind, please don't hesitate to suggest!