Chrysos Kenni

Background
Head Engineer of the Core of Cepheus's capital city. Son of top Cepheus bureaucrat Ronixis Kenni, moved from a smaller town at a very young age; was so impressed by the works of men with their own hands and minds, and without the trickery or mystery of magic, that his budding tinkering hobby was driven into an almost-obsession. Doesn’t remember his mother Iria well; an ethnographer, she went on an expedition to document a little-known tribe in the Orionite wilds and was never seen again. The taunts of kids that she likely got eaten by cannibals or sacrificed in some kind of primitive ritual didn't last for long after a liberal application of boyish fists to their faces.

When he and his adopted brother Red were ten, the Great Fire of Corehaven torched a good fifth of the city, including the old warehouse district, including the old warehouse that the boys tended to use as their secret hideout. And Chrys was dumb and wanted to look for their stray dog friend and so they ended up being in place for the explosion that burninated Red and nearly killed him, GUILT EVER SINCE 8( Since it turned out to be caused by an engineer’s negligence/a poorly maintained section of the steampower network(??) that was also when he decided to become the one to be directly in charge of fixing and maintaining the ENTIRE GODDAMN SYSTEM someday with his own hands, so terribleness would never happen again 8|a

Used a pseudonym during the qualifying exams so no one would know who his dad was, appointed Head position (and entrusted to bear the Master Key to the Core) at 17 years with his own talents and effort and PROUD OF IT.

Has rarely left the capital city since, let alone travelled beyond the borders, save certain special occasions (an excursion to Pavo’s Palace of the Designers, or visiting Allen’s home in Lacerta at last).

Personality
More serious, practical-minded and sarcastic than original!Claude. Workaholic. “When it comes to physics, mechanics, engineering, only they can be trusted over the unprovable or the mystical”-- the Core and the Great Coil at its heart are the closest thing he has to gods. But at his heart truly cares for the people/living things that machines are made for and not the machines themselves. Always searching for the human solution to everything where possible because of this, because he believes earnestly in the ability of people to make lives better for themselves with knowledge and reason and effort without relying on the whims of unpredictable other beings.

Super protective of his territory and job because he is the one who can fix all the things and keep the city’s heart running like a well-oiled....machine. Kind of naive when it comes to the world outside Cepheus and most things other than his line of work (see: girls.) Has had ~etiquette training~ in his childhood, threw that aside in favor of workman’s informality, but he still knows how to call on the formal language and manner when necessary. Strict with his team but never asks them to do anything he wouldn’t do himself.

Existing Relationships:
Red Kenni/Bookman Jr. - BROTHERS IN ALL BUT BLOOD. Called him ‘Red’ to counter the assumed taunt behind the ‘Slim’ nickname at first but he liked it so NOT AS PLANNED. Used to be super annoyed by his getting into all his things and his room and bothering him all the time but eventually warmed up to him :( Chrys used to make a point of emphasizing the fact he was the older so younger brothers should listen!!1 but ever since the Fire incident relinquished any claim he had to that whatsoever because he doesn’t deserve to be it. Secretly cried when he ran away from home and was super pissed at his father because it was clearly his fault 8| Keeps room in the flat for whenever he decides to come back to Ceph again.

Skylos (Syaoran) - Chrys’s assistant and protege at the Core for a couple of years now. Serious determined hard worker, is the one person he would consider trusting with the Key. Found him looking for work in the streets and hired him Eventually persuaded to move in with Red and him.

Ceres Aulus (Yayoi) - Always nagging him about health 8( Chrys grouses about it but is fond of her in his own way, she’s been one of those constant fixtures in his life at the Core ever since he started. Respects her dedication to her work, has had her help bailing his assistant techs out of more than one scrape. Sometimes ends up being forced to sleep over at her place instead of at the Core on nights where Red brings back a little too many friends from Out There.

Chioni Roun (Rimudo) - Mostly dependable but sometimes his inner Pavo breaks out and GOOD GOD MAN AT LEAST LET ME LOOK OVER THE CALCULATIONS FIRST

Miles Sequentis (Heiji) Dusk/Dawn (Celena/Dilandau)

Allen Feramis - One of his few best friends outside of Cepheus, introduced to him when Red brought him back WHAT IN THE FUCKING NAME OF LIGHT IS THAT VINE ARM 8|a;; More on friend-of-friend terms until the day Allen stopped by to see if Red was in town and found Chrys quarantining himself with SRS RARE ILLNESS. And the only way to cure him was to “kill” him with the chance that he wouldn’t wake up at all. But Chrys made him go through with it because there was nothing current Cepheus medical knowledge could do and he wasn’t going to wait till the disease drove him fully insane and do it, Allen Feramis, I don’t trust however you do what you do but I trust you, and then the miracle happen so they never ever had to tell Red about it ever. But from that day on they were (secretly??) dere for each other. SO DERE.

Aeris Feramis

Buttercup

Lady Feathers - One fine day the presence of a MYSTERIOUS CRAZY TRESPASSER triggered all the sirens in the inner Core, sending Chrys on a frenetic Yakity Sax chase after said person which ended in towerjumping and the third most terrifying moment in his life. The only apparent change he managed to confirm later after the first time SCOURING THE ENTIRE BUILDING was the single bolt he’d initiallly caught her swapping out on the backside of an access panel. The following morning said person showed up as one of the visiting dignitaries from Pavo, decked out like nobility, greeting him and pretending like it was the first time they’d met and he hadn’t seen her been prancing around probably TOUCHING ALL THE MACHINES just yesterday-- you want me at a formal dinner? You can’t be seri-- and instead of dinner it turns out to be three hours nonstop of endless discussion of venting systems and electrical conductivity and the city’s network of lights and--- what the hell just happened DAMMIT I DIDN’T EVEN GET TO ASK HER WHAT SHE WAS DOING IN MY CORE Two years of a relatively eccentric long-distance correspondence (schematics, diagrams, a clockwork bird, a music box...) and a third meeting in Pavo later, he possibly maybe just might be in the state of Feeling Strange Feelings for her.

Lady Eve - One of the guards on the diplomatic entourage from Pavo. WHY WAS SHE SMILING TOO WHY WERE THEY ALL SMILING LIKE THAT o9”

Nothaniel Morgan - Got a berth on his ship for the rare time he left Cepheus borders :|a Knows him as a capable sailor?? and someone Aeron knows so they’re mutual acquaintances. (Though if you told him “Oh, I know Ferham” Note would have just... :| and lowered his opinion of you a bit out of spite....while remaining perfectly polite of course) (...???? why does it feel like someone’s giving me dark looks on deck... 8|a )

Raven - Met him at 12 (and Raven himself was 8-9) while being an unwilling teacher’s example in a crash course in Cepheus etiquette/customs for foreign youth. As with all things involving Pyxese facepunchings eventually ensued. And continue on the occasion he goes to visit :|a But they are FRIENDLY PUNCHINGS.

Roshan [Albert] - some Hydra kid who keeps begging to be taken on as an apprentice whenever he’s anywhere remotely near the area :B

G (Scowl) - Was rescued by him and River as a child from the Great Fire.

Alfaet - Was present to overhear the argument between her and Ronixis in yet another appeal for intervention and aid in the beastman invasion of Orion, and met her storming out the door. Some years later, discovered (possibly due to Red) that she had been captured at last and went to his father himself to get him to negotiate her release.