Garlic and Chambers (Patreon)

these two are nautiloids 56 and 57 respectively. due to low population of nautiloids,

the government has a program that 'assigns' mates to mature nautiloids. these are essentially un-enforceable, but are mainly a way to introduce and foster relationships. the program is extensive, even providing amenities to soon to be parents. medical and travel needs are comped our completely paid for. its that bad that the nautiloid governmental body are willing to go that far. especially since adults are at 50 years old and live 150-200 years. nautiloid themselves are very useful for many professions and are usually high paid members. its rare to find a nautiloid not in the middle or above economic class. part of the reason why the government can afford such suspending. its an important investment for not only the preservation of their species, but also for the long term economic gains. due to nautiloid long lives, they tend to make decisions for the future, due to their perception of time being looser than humans. its less common to find a nautiloid making short-term or short sighted decisions, unless it is something unrelated to their goals.

all this to say is that garlic and chambers are assigned mates. they end up meeting each other in the illegal drug trade. onori and his gang were making connections and were looking for a source of quality materials. when they found one, garlic, who is the teams' quality control (can smell for impurities or fake products), danger detector, and surveillance, was with him in this meeting. that's when he met chambers, who was the lead quality control in the drug business, as well as similar side professions garlic was doing. chambers is a volatile individual, well trained in combat, and uses any and all means to win a fight. honor is for dumbasses. he bites generously and is always on high alert. he does not trust anyone even his own comrades. 

this anxious  behavior is not uncommon in nautiloids, due to their long history of being preyed upon by humans who not only wanted their shells, but find out what makes them so long lived and youthful. there were many battles, and many nautiloids died from being harvested.  though humans were not free from harm, who the nautiloids often beheaded and ate them in return. due to all that, they developed many behavioral defenses, such as anxiousness or paranoia, even aggression. (not all nautiloid based regions had such a history, but it was the majority.)

chambers is no exception, he is innately untrustful and always expects to be abandoned or betrayed. his services is purely transactional. despite his fearfulness, he cares alot and can get very attached. early on in their lives, chambers met garlic as youngins, and  developed a crush on him. he always admired garlic's carelessness and free spirit. even decades later, he still thinks about him. 

so hearing garlic, it was a surprise that threw him off. though he does not lend this kindness to garlic's friends, especially onori. it was an antagonistic relationship they had, partly from jealousy, partly from onori's part  human bloodline. though later on chambers has reluctantly accepted onori, but is no where near friendly. 

garlic... he doesn't have a crush on chambers, and in some degree, does not care for him. garlic is largely indifferent for their first encounters. he was much more attached to onori, who he can relate and grew a deep fondness of. later on, garlic is receptive to chambers, but it certainly took a while. garlic was not a fan of chambers antagonism after all.