Three days later…
Callistus raised his head in the shower, eyes closed, feeling the cold water pouring down his body— tracing his unnatural protrusions, and caressing his visible skeleton.
His medium length hair stuck to his skin, the dark circles under his eyes became more prominent.
Clop~ Clang~
He opened his eyes, his lips curling into a slight smile. He reached up to turn off the shower, and a sudden wave of dizziness hit him.
Callistus staggered forward, supporting himself against the bathroom wall. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the bathroom wall.
After a while, his uneven breathing calmed down, and the tightened grip of his bony fingers around the shower handle eased.
Soft fog seeped out of the toilet as Callistus walked out. His eyes immediately trained on the small humanoid figure moving about his room, before scouting the room itself.
A small single bedroom with just enough space to barely escape being cramped. A small bed laid in a corner, a chair and table in another. A dresser hung between the bed and the window.
Beside the table was a standing fan, and on the table was a desktop arrangement.
Various items were sprawled out on the bed, items Callistus didn't recognise. He stood in front of the toilet, staring even as he wiped water off his body.
"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice came out weaker than he thought.
"What does it look like? I'm setting up our channel. I could only get the most basic things but it will do for now." Fnipper replied without raising his head.
Callistus nodded. He headed for the dresser, taking gentle steps.
"Take this." A shining object flew at Callistus. His reflex kicked in and he caught it easily. Fnipper raised a brow,
"Nice catch."
"Courier fingers." Callistus shrugged, his voice sounded clearer. "What's this?" he examined the object in his hand, it was a simple looking silver bracelet.
"That is a fluct-light bracelet. Think of it as the mobile phone of the cosmos." Fnipper tinkered with items, occasionally typing something strange into Callistus' computer.
Callistus waited for a moment before asking, "What am I to do with it?"
Fnipper paused. He raised his head to look at Callistus with a questioning expression. Then he put on a sarcastic smile,
"Well, you can shove it where the sun doesn't shine if you like, but it would be optimal if you wore it, you know, because it's a bracelet, and bracelets are meant to be worn."
Callistus rolled his eyes. He wore the bracelet; it slipped easily into his skinny wrist.
"Place a drop of blood on it." Fnipper added in sync, even though his attention was back to whatever gadgets he was building.
"A whole drop of blood?" Callistus gasped with a playful smile, "Look at me! A drop might as well be a pint."
"Don't be a baby. Soon, your lack of blood will be the least of your worries. This would have been easier if you had essence."
Callistus winced as he bit his finger. He placed it on the silver bracelet, smudging crimson on the surface. His eyes which were squinted in pain slowly widened to one of marvel as he watched the blood vanish.
Like it was never there.
Beep~
Immediately after, a pulse ran through Callistus' body, like a gentle wave of warmth. The loose fitting bracelet tightened and a beeping sound came from it.
Callistus brought his hand to his face, examining the bracelet with curious eyes,
'I wonder what this does…' he thought.
Beep~
As if listening to his thoughts, a floating icon appeared before his vision, just above the bracelet.
Callistus read through the contents,
[ Bureau of Interstellar Streaming ]
[ Streamer Registration Complete ]
[ Name: Callistus Sinclair ]
[ Streamer Nickname: — ]
[ Channel Name: Pending ]
[ Handler: Fnipper Thumblenik ]
[ Tier: 9 ]
[ Cosmo-coin: 0 ]
[ Essence: — ]
[ Status: Active ]
[ Fill in Streamer's Information ]
"Woah… this is cool." Callistus commented absentmindedly. Fnipper raised his head, he saw the thin boy staring at the floating window in awe. He smirked.
"Fill in your information. Leave the unknowns, we'll get to that later." Callistus nodded in acknowledgement. He was about to begin when he realised he didn't know how the panel worked.
"Your mind." Fnipper added without looking up.
A few minutes later— more time than it should have taken because Callistus got cold and had to quickly dress —Callistus showed the floating window to Fnipper.
Cosmic Stream Profile
[ Streamer Name: — ]
[ Occupation: — ]
[ Patron: — ]
[ Handler: Fnipper Thumblenik ]
[ Streamer Rating: Not Enough Activity ]
[ Channel Tier: 9 ]
[ Essence: — ]
[ Techniques: — ]
[ Cosmo-coins: 0 ]
[ Inventory (Locked) ]
[ System Store (Locked) ]
[ Metaverse (Locked) ]
[ Accepted Requests Pocket Code ]
"You did nothing." Fnipper said in a deadpan voice.
"Well, I figured I need to know my occupation to pick an appropriate name so I left both out. Decided to wait till 'later' to know about the unknowns.
"Sigh…" Fnipper placed the things in his hand down. "My job is to handle the channel. I can give you suggestions and advice, but I won't meddle. It's going to be all you, understand?"
Callistus nodded vigorously. He quickly stopped, wincing as a bout of dizziness hit him. Fnipper waited for a few moments before speaking.
"Streaming isn't a job. You need something to stream. Cooking, fighting, exploring, law, entertainment — that's your niche. That's your identity. Without it, you are basically just kidding around."
"Ahhh…" Callistus agreed.
"You'll need to think of an occupation, a pseudonym as well as a name for the channel. These things are important so don't half-ass them. They have the power to decide the success or failure of this thing."
Callistus turned silent, sinking into his thoughts. He coughed occasionally, pulling Fnipper's attention. After almost an hour, by which time Fnipper was done with whatever he was creating, Callistus raised his head.
"Courier, Lazarus, The Warehouse."
"What?" Fnipper asked, eyebrows raised.
"I will be a courier, delivering things all around. It's something I have prior experience in. I love moving from place to place, experiencing new things and knowing that there's someone waiting for me. I'll deliver anything anywhere if it means adventure." Callistus spoke with an innocent smile.
Fnipper nodded in acknowledgement. "What about the nickname? And the channel name?"
"I've never believed in religion, but I know that if this endeavour is a success, I'll be reborn. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten my past. I used to be dead, until I found you. And soon, I will walk again. Just like Lazarus in the bible."
He paused for a bit before adding,
"The channel will be named 'The Warehouse', a place where dreams and messages and hope is stored. So that those out there would know that I have something for everyone in here, and soon, I'll get to them."
"No matter where they are... I'll deliver."