In technical terms, Ares's gift had infinite possibilities. After all of his practice with it after their return to the Source, T'senri couldn't help but be part awed and part terrified by it.
As the whole… experience in the First taught them, he needed to have a specified target in mind when using it – he didn't need to name it out loud, but even as his immortal didn't believe that they could pull something as… impressive as stopping the time again with the density of aether here – and be ready to take the backlash.
He didn't mind that part, honestly – as it seemed more than the equal price for using it. And during his practice on mammets – forcing them to act out whatever his imagination came up with – he never pushed more than necessary, at most ending up with nosebleeds.
What the whole experience with Povitte taught him – controlling people was even easier than things. Ares theorized that it had something to do with will – and his gift bending it in unnatural ways. That woman died with a grin on her face – so incredibly eager to please him… it was beyond terrifying. Intoxicating. Faced with its power, the will to survive – the most basic instinct of all – didn't matter. If asked, as Ares calculated coldly after the whole thing considering their aether output and backlash with her, T'senri could ask a number of people equal to that of citizens of Ul'dah to slit their throats and they would do so with a 'thank you' and a smile before he would feel the difference. And if switched, Ares could do so much more…
Not that they were tempted by such, thankfully.
Though, he would be the first to admit that when he and Raha went back to the First to help Ryne and Gaia with the Eden – forcing its literation of Ramuh to prance about to his mate's entertainment was hilarious – even if it earned him a roll of crimson eyes and a swat over the head for his trouble. But considering the burst of laughter at the sight… he thought it more than worth it.
Anyway, as soon as he thought he had a good grasp on the possibilities of that ability, he was almost relieved to put it away – hopeful to never truly need it as similar to his original incarnation, he treasured the free will of other beings.
Unless faced with those who used theirs to prey on the vulnerable. The predators of the worst kind – who used their power, position, or reputation to force or intimidate others into relinquishing their right to choose.
And considering his own experience, the sexual predators were his prey of choice.
Despite his circumstances, on some level, he was the lucky one. He was big and strong enough that no one ever managed to truly force him into intercourse. But after the few failed attempts he knew enough of the helplessness and hopelessness it brought along. Especially in the case of men – who somehow were seen as those who should enjoy being toyed with or raped. And the unfairness of it made his inner beast rage.
In his opinion, there was enough cruelty and monsters in their world – in any world – without adding that to the mix. There could be an excuse for any other sort of crime, even murder – self-defense to name but one – but not rape. No reason or explanation excused that – the worst kind of trampling the will of others. And throughout the years whenever stumbling upon this sort of a predator – he relished in delivering punishment.
Ares's gift only made it so much more entertaining and brought his creativity up to new heights.
And, oh, but the Old Sharlayan was a prime hunting ground for his inner beast. Between the ambition running rampant and the disproportion of power between the students, professors, and members of the Forum – it bred monsters so much more often than any other place he visited so far.
Though he could have arrived in the city much earlier as he knew now – eventually he decided to bide his time during their group's trip and make it educational for his purposes… and plan. Between immensely enjoying their trips back to their lair with Raha – his prince growing so much more confident and eager in asking for him now that it blew his mind and each time he didn't fail to thank their immortals for their scheme – he spend time creating the list of his own. With most of his friends studying in the city of the scholars and many of their co-passengers hailing from it – picking out the rumors and gossip they were more than eager to share with Warrior of Light were ridiculously easy.
Those who dared to lay their hands or harm his soulmate took the priority in his mind, of course, but all things considered, he knew it would be too suspicious to focus on them alone – even if not for the authorities of Sharlayan, then for his mate. Despite trusting that Raha wouldn't scorn his beast's hunger – he didn't want to involve his beautiful prince in his side activities.
Raha was kind beyond compare and he forgave too easily. And as much as T'senri loved that about him – as much as his soulmate generosity of spirit and selflessness soothed his rage, tamed it with the hope of people like him still present in their messed-up world – he took it upon himself to deliver justice for those too scared or helpless to resist the predators. For him it didn't matter if his target was a man or a woman – he was a man of equal opportunities, after all – and believed with all his heart and soul that those who thought to abuse weaker in a such manner simultaneously discarded their humanity and right to live – and needed to be put down like the beasts he spent the most of his adult life slaughtering in name of less.
Their first night in the city, after diligently seeing to his lover's needs until his beautiful prince – distraught to be back here and faced with those who thought to abuse and neglect him in his youth – fell asleep soothed and sated in his arms, purring his bliss to T'senri delight, armed with Damon's list that put the names to the faces from Raha's memories, the predator of the predators was set loose upon the Old Sharlayan, spreading madness and blood.
Pacing himself carefully not to rise too many suspicions with it starting with his group's arrival upon Sharlayan shore – his first prey was those less noticeable. Those who at most would cause a spike in conversation and maybe a few raised eyebrows.
The first girl brave enough to seduce the red-cyan-eyed outcast with a promise of affection but too cowardly to make it public was the first from Damon's list. Her crime was not as distasteful as the others, so he settled for leaving her alive but plagued by the same insecurities and lack of self-confidence her behavior gave birth to in the lonely, insecure boy's heart.
That she happened to witness a group of male students who mercilessly stoned to death for their twisted entertained certain nagxian cat they witnessed sprawling in the lap of his lover brought him to expand his list. Finding those boys, on the edge of graduating now and leaving the city, he tore them limb from limb – making sure the witnesses would have nightmares of the insane Ascian who cackled madly while doing so.
Leaving the best for last that night brought him to the chambers of the member of the Forum – Katla Gruimair's name on Damon's list was doubly underscored – marking her as that who broke his prince's heart by adding to and confirming the rumors that shredded his reputation and made young Seeker a target of less-than-savory advances. Not only that, but she was the one that taught his lover to please while denying his needs and convicting the inexperienced seventeen-year-old that it was perfectly normal to be used and that asking for his own needs was unseemly. For that reason, he started by convincing her nerve endings that any and every touch upon her skin caused the excruciating pain – and left her to come back once the madness of constant pain robs her of her mind enough for his liking to settle the score and make it worth to put her down.
And all the while between those seeing to others who would prey on the weak, he made sure to leave the bystanders and those left alive but with nightmares for the rest of their life depending on the severity of their crimes, with not the rumors or gossip but the utter conviction that Maran Naylor – one of the most respected members of the Forum – was no more than a cheap whore. He left them with that and the unconscious directive to spread that knowledge to anyone who would listen. And at the break of dawn, reluctantly seeing the end of his playtime, he visited the bedchamber of that female and without even waking her up or making her aware pulled her tongue for the list of her victims currently residing in the city with the goal of the next night convincing each and every boy to come forward to authorities and name their abuser.
Once satisfied with the sown seeds, he returned to the room at Baldesion Annex he was to share with his mate during their stay in the city, and carefully stashed his disguise in the box he compelled all with access to their bedroom not to even think of touching. To the immortal's amusement shining in crimson irises, he relayed his nightly exploits in great detail – eagerly waving his tail at Damon's praise of his creativity. Then, asking the man living inside his lover's skin to keep his soul asleep just a moment longer, T'senri in his own persona left the compound quietly and ignored the many, many curious looks of the first citizens filling the paths, he headed toward the markets with a very particular goal in mind.
"Raha, wake up!" his lover's very excited deep voice tore through the pleasant haze of a quickly fading dream and G'raha blinked lazily, yawning widely as he rolled toward the sound. At some level surprised not to wake up in Senri's possessive embrace – as he usually tended to wake up first – the mystery of it was swiftly explained by the sight that met his sleepy eyes… and stole his breath, making his heart pound unevenly. "I got something for us!" his very, very excited Snark – to the point of ridiculously amusing sight of the wildly waving tail behind him – handed him a tiny ball of fluff of too-familiar coloring and G'raha's heart nearly burst out of his chest when yellow, vertically slit eyes blinked slowly toward his stunned gaze and the ball of fluff meowed at him in an as tiny voice.
"A… kitten?" he finally managed, clearing his throat before daring to look up at his lover's ridiculously wide grin.
"Mhmm," his lover nodded eagerly, moving around him and coiling around his back, resting his arms around him possessively and settling his chin on G'raha's shoulder to watch the nagxian kitten in his folded palms. "Once we arrived yesterday I couldn't help but be reminded of your Azem… and since you already raised one – I thought you wouldn't mind, my heart? And to teach me how to help, too… So… it's kind of like our baby," he chortled at his blush, turning his head to nuzzle against his neck insistently. "It's a female, though… and I bought a bunch of things along with her that seemed like a good choice… but you'll have to look and tell me what we can keep and what I have to return and…"
"Snark," he cut him off, carefully placing the kitten in the safety of the makeshift nest, and after watching for a moment with a ridiculously wide grin the animal as it set to curiously explore its new surroundings, he turned sideways in his lover's arms and without a word pulled him a deep, delicious kiss, purring his bliss at his lover's generosity and thoughtfulness. "I love her already," he admitted after a moment against his mate's lips, sinking his hand in ink-black hair and gratefully petting his lover's ear. "Thank you, my beast," he purred teasingly, smiling when Senri growled playfully at that, then shifted them to pin him down into the nest and express his happiness with his praise in a deliciously addictive flavor of his eager kisses.
Only the quiet meows of the kitten stopped G'raha from drowning in his lover's embrace and led both of them to break apart with sheepish chuckles, then focus on the new arrival. He turned to his side toward the kitten and reached out his hand toward it while Senri settled behind his back, snuggling against him tightly and resting his hand over his hip and his tail around G'raha's thighs while rising on his elbow to watch the animal with interest. Led by his gentle touch, the kitten through the pile of blankets climbed toward them and sniffed at his fingers with interest to soon settle against him into an adorable ball of loud purrs, yawned widely, and fell asleep in seeming contentment with new owners.
"How do you want to name her?" Senri asked, nuzzling against his shoulder while delicately and with a hint of uncertainty petting the soft fur with barely a fingertip. Truly enamored with his beautiful beast's gentleness, G'raha wrapped his hand around his lover's and purring soothingly delicately showed him how to pet the animal without the worry of hurting it. That it had Senri's black tail flick with enthusiasm against his skin… was beyond adorable!
"Ummm… I'm not sure," he admitted, delicately rubbing his fingers against the top of the tiny triangular head. "Any thoughts, Snark?" he asked, tilting his head to grin at the clear adoration in the ice-blue gaze as his lover gingerly petted the kitten.
That his powerful, ruthless Warrior apparently had no less of a weakness than him for a tiny ball of fluff… well, somehow wasn't as surprising as it maybe should be. Behind the temper and the sheer determination to protect and if not possible, punish – there was always an alluringly sweet and gentle heart inside his Snark's chest.
"…what was again the name of that princess that started your bloodline, Raha?" his lover's inquiry shook him out of the reverie and he blinked, then grinned at the suggestion, turning his eyes toward the kitten again.
"Salina?" he asked and snorted a laugh when his lover nodded, oh, so very seriously the placed a kiss on his cheek. "I like it," he admitted.
"Marvelous," Senri snickered quietly, then nuzzled against his neck insistently. "Then… once we're back in Eorzea and done with all this Fandaniel nonsense… what do you think of moving out of the Rising Stones, my prince?"
"Huh?" G'raha blinked, turning slightly to catch his lover's gaze. "I thought you love living with the Scions, Snark?"
"I do, don't get me wrong," his mate chuckled sheepishly. "But… once we're finally free to be together in the open since Damon slipped with the whole 'Fandaniel was out before I'm supposed to meet them,' I've been thinking, Raha. And as much as I love our friends… I would like for us to have a place of our own, eventually – and now with Salina. I do not… think I'll be ever comfortable with letting them know… the worst side of me. And sometimes… I simply grow tired of playing to the persona of the Warrior, my heart. So having a place where I can be truly… myself with you – sounds like one of the seven heavens," his lover sighed dreamily against his neck, wrapping his arm around him possessively.
"I would love that, too," G'raha admitted with a blush, feeling his heart flutter madly at the idea. A place where he could have Senri all to himself – but not only that… A place for his beautiful beast to discard all of its masks and be free.
The people of Eorzea needed the symbol of their Champion to feel safe. The people of their world needed the image of the Warrior to look up to. But the man and the beast behind them were only his – and their beauty was blinding.
Plus it would grant them and their immortals more freedom in switching – and with all they owed them already, Ares and Damon more than earned it.
Aww, that's so sweet, Damon chuckled fondly. I would appreciate occasionally being free to simply lazy about with Ares, I admit. And if we can find a place big enough to allow me a space for my studies… It would be lovely. Oh, and maybe even a room for Hades and Hythlodaeus to occupy during their visits! After they stop pouting about being locked away, I mean…
G'raha chuckled involuntarily, then carefully of the sleeping Salina, turned slightly enough to pull his lover into a slow, lazy kiss – smiling against his lips at Senri's blissed-out purr at that.