The scene replays over and over again, and by the time Onyx appears on his side, G'raha is more than sick to his stomach. Drowning his hand in the fur the shade of the darkest night, he barely notices another, much smaller figure materialize on his other side as well, looking up at him with worry on its child-like face.
'Can't change the past,' it whispers, wrapping its short arms around his thigh and watching the scene alongside him.
'I know,' he replies, setting his free hand on top of its head but not taking his eyes off the vision. 'I just wish to understand what really broke you, Senri.'
'Me,' the beast chortle without humor, sitting back on its haunches, and looking at the image without interest. In here, if G'raha looks at it carefully enough, under its dark fur, he can see strings of threads, churning and tangling into a multicolored tapestry – and it's so beautiful it takes his breath away. It's hypnotizing, but he forces himself to look back at the replaying scene.
The shove, the sacrifice, and the downfall.
'Because you were relieved he died?' He asks carefully, running his fingers through the ink-black fur.
'Doesn't that make us a monster?' the child-like figure on his left whispers. 'He was kind and good and cared about us. Saved us when we lost our home….'
The beast utters a short growl toward the kit, the mark of the argument had far too many times.
G'raha considers it, silently watching the scene replay again. It's tinted with threads as well, but those are in ugly, rotten shades that make his stomach roll unpleasantly.
'I don't think having a thought, no matter how ugly, makes anyone a monster,' he finally says slowly, looking between the kit and the beast. 'And especially… Let's say he didn't die here, what then…?'
The child-like mask blinks at him without comprehension, as if that is a wholly new concept, while the beast sighs with contentment, then rubs its triangular head against his side.
'That's my whole point,' it grumbles almost petulantly. 'I did not wish him to die, Rrraha, but his warrrmth was too much forrr him to rrresist,' it nods toward its mask around him. 'He would choke me to be what the knight wanted.'
He sighs, then untangles himself from both, kneels, and wraps his arms around them, pulling them close.
'Perhaps with time he could accept this side of you,' he whispers and feels the beast's patterns shift under its arm uncomfortably. 'Or perhaps not, and with time, Senri would be able to choose freedom over warmth. We will never know… but you must let go of this… hatred, both of you. We can't change the past, but we have to learn from it and be stronger.'
And he doesn't mind when the strings of the beast's patterns unfold and climb his skin, shimmering with a multitude of colors. Through the thick layers of it, he can almost make out the core of it, most beautiful of all in its shades. While both the mask and the beast melt into the swirling sea of threads, he's not scared, but with determination and tenderness, wraps his hands delicately around the small ball at the center of it.
"You need to heal, for me,' he whispers, curling his fingers around it protectively and smiles when the colored threads around him grow even more blinding in their beauty.
Then he feels a delicate tug, and the vision melts away into darkness.
Quite fascinating, Damon's voice rungs all around him, and G'raha relaxed into the comfortable abyss. All those threads… I can't help but be reminded of how Ares described seeing the colors of emotions… Do you suppose it's connected, Raha?
I guess…? He replied with uncertainty. Senri is his reincarnation, after all.
I suppose, the immortal hummed with obvious interest. Then he sighed and chuckled a bit ruefully. But you should be careful when tangling into its threads, my boy. Onyx, as fascinating as it is, clearly has some… motive in allowing you so deep. And trampling around the core of someone's soul is quite risky.
That's what it was? He asked, though on some level, he felt it.
Mhmm, Damon replied, then he felt a delicate push… upward. And since it seems so enamored with you, I recommend asking it what it's plotting at the next opportunity, hm?
Will do, he assured with a chuckle and woke up.
T'senri hummed sleepily when the heat in his arms shifted around, then yawned widely and tightened his arms around it, purring loudly as he buried his nose in the soft, deliciously smelling strands. Feeling a gentle hand smooth up and down his side, he almost dozed off again, somehow feeling so incredibly… soothed and light.
That is until that hand moved down his back and curled with a tantalizing claim around the base of his tail, sending a very pleasant shudder up his spine. And accompanied by the lovely, near-musical purrs… that sounded like an invitation, he blinked slowly, trying to collect his scattered wits.
"Morning, Senri," Raha whispered against his skin, and though his voice was slightly hoarse with sleep, it rang with the lilt of amusement. Still more than a tad dazed, he only purred an incoherent answer, then, when nudged, obediently rolled to his back, sighing with bliss when his mate climbed on top of him. "Though I suppose it's far from the morning, by now," leaning over him, the mismatched irises shone with humor, and T'senri's heart stuttered helplessly at sight.
Gods, but his soulmate was so absolutely gorgeous…
"Probably," he rasped an answer, lazily smoothing his hands over his lover's sides. At this point, he wasn't even particularly surprised by the swiftly mounting arousal… only more than charmed when his mate's pretty, plush lips tilted into a lovely, coy smirk while Raha trailed the fingers of his right hand along his jaw and down his throat to wrap them around his neck. His other hand slowly drifted south of his chest as he lifted above him on his knees. T'senri arched under him with a deep groan when that hand greedily coiled around his dick, tightening possessively while his lover brushed his lips against his chin.
"You're truly blinding, Senri," Raha purred, but he barely heard him over the wild staccato of his heartbeat, able to focus only on the heat of that hand, slowly pumping up and down his length. "Inside and out… Can I have you, my beast?" He cooed shamelessly, and T'senri growled involuntarily, wrapping his hand around his lover's neck and pulling him down into a kiss.
"I'm yourrrs," he rasped after a long moment against his lips, barely registering that his fangs slipped.
"You are," the redhead replied sweetly, making his heart stutter helplessly again, then shifted and slowly impaled himself onto his flesh. And feeling that too-snug, scalding heat, he almost came, shuddering violently as he wrapped his hands around his lover's thighs. "As I am yours, Senri," Raha gasped when he was seated inside him up to the hilt, and the sensation of it was almost as pleasurable as the sight of bliss on his heated face when he leaned over him again, resting his hands around his head. Flexing his fingers on his skin while he fought his body's need to lift him and pound into that impossibly tight ass, he instead focused his whole attention on his mate's gaze, the red-cyan eyes so open and their adoration so obvious… his throat felt too tight to let him breathe.
Utterly mesmerized by it, he barely mewled in bliss when his lover chuckled breathlessly, shakily, then started to bounce on top of his flesh. And despite how difficult it was, when T'senri wrapped his hands around his waist, he only smoothed his thumbs over the tanned skin, drowning in pleasure as he let his mate pick the rhythm. And Raha used that silent permission well, torturing him with a slow, maddening pace, accompanied by his quiet gasps and musical whimpers as he took his time, fucking himself on his flesh. And watching him through his lashes, he was so hypnotized by the display – so enamored with the idea that he was bringing his beautiful mate this much bliss – no matter how soon his skin felt on fire. His whole body nearly throbbed with the need for release, but his shaky fingers only smoothed greedily over the sweat-dampened skin, finding the spots that had his lover shudder or mewl his name.
Greedily learning what had Raha lose his rhythm and nearly a surprised pleasure bloom on his handsome face, he used this lovely lesson well, carefully avoiding touching his cock, not wanting to let it end too soon. And as delighted as he was at the discovery that his mate's sides were quite ticklish, causing Raha to slap his hands away with a gasped, indignant hiss, even better was learning that brushing his thumbs over his nipples had his redhead whimper, eagerly rolling against his dick in an increasing rhythm. And giving them a delicate twist rewarded him with a near-deafening purr and the whip of red tail over his thighs. Leaving one hand busy thumbing the sensitive flesh, he let the other sneak around his lover's hip, and when he wrapped it around the base of the furry appendage, pulling gently… He grinned when his mate choked on a whine and arched above him, gasping incoherent praises as he came in nearly violent shudders.
Gasping for air desperately, Raha fell bonelessly against his chest with downright delicious mewls and deep purrs of bliss, and T'senri rolled them over, gleefully nuzzling against his throat even as he pulled his lover's legs up against his sides, chasing his release in his gorgeous body. That his mate wrapped his arms around his neck tightly and purred his approval and sweet reassurances against his throat was almost as good as the fact that he seemed almost surprised as soon he started to shake and whimper, wrapping his legs around his waist and undulating against his thrusts.
Nipping on the tattoo on his throat, he braced his elbows around him, purring loudly in approval at the scorching trail of his lover's nails across his back, then lifted his head and claimed his lovely, bruised lips into a deep kiss. He swallowed Raha's mewls and whimpers greedily, shifting to pound into him harder, faster, setting a downright brutal, inhumane rhythm without realizing it. But his perfect mate only took it – all of him – and demanded more, soon in hisses, clawing at his shoulders, enticing him to play without holding anything back.
Feeling wonderfully spent and utterly blissed out, G'raha wouldn't be able to stop purring even if he tried, so he didn't bother, thoughtfully enjoying the heat of his lover wrapped tightly around his back. While letting him use his muscular arm as a pillow, while the other held him tight against his chest, Senri seemed utterly content to nuzzle against his ears with loud purrs happily, felt incredible. Running his fingers lazily through the ink-black fur of the tail wrapped around his waist, he could only grin – wide and more than a bit lovesick – almost drugged on their mixed scents.
Being mated was the best, no doubt about that! Even considering all the… quirks, it apparently arrived with. For him, anyway.
That he actually started to really like Damon was one thing, but the newest development still had him a tad… baffled. Because as soon as he opened his eyes, he realized that this… ability to see the threads running through everything didn't seem to be only internal.
And as gorgeous as Senri looked before… now keeping his hands off him felt like a crime! Blinding him with an intricate tapestry of gorgeous shades of blues, dark and light, was almost as mesmerizing as his divine scent.
And reminded of his beast's raspy words about his 'gift'… and after that dream, he was starting to grow suspicious about what it schemed. If he still didn't understand the why of it.
"Senri?" He murmured, rubbing his cheek against his lover's bicep.
"Mmm?" his mate hummed, tightening his arm around him possessively.
"Think I can ask Onyx something?" He asked hesitantly, and not very surprisingly, Senri's muscles tensed up around him. But when he opened his eyes with a quiet sigh, his eyebrows twitched slightly at the sight of the beast's liquid darkness forming into its apparently favored shape. The massive feline yawned widely, then when he lifted his arm, it snuggled up against his chest despite Senri's offended hiss against his ear. Smoothing his hand over the soft, ink-black coat of fur, he more than enjoyed the heat of being sandwiched between them – the beast radiating heat no less than his mate – but carefully pressed his back tighter against his lover's chest in silent reassurance. He really didn't want to make the split between them worse by spiking his lover's instinctive jealousy – no matter how absurd it was. And he smiled when after a moment, Senri relaxed slowly, only grumbling a string of incoherent complaints against his ear.
"At least this time, it doesn't look as unnerving," he finally muttered reluctantly, and G'raha fought not to flinch, only humming curiously even as his fingers stilled in the black fur. "The fur… it looks better than that liquid darkness from before."
"It does," he whispered smoothly, burying his nose into it to hide his grin. He wasn't sure what it meant – that the state of his soul was improving, hopefully? – but he didn't want to spook him by pointing out what he had already told him about his beast's ability to reflect souls. Not to mention… at the moment, he had a tad different priorities. "How did your hunt go, Onyx?"
"Easy prrrey," it rumbled out lazily. "Ate his tangles, and he won't think again to touch kits."
"Huh?" his lover hummed with confusion while he tried to make sense of that statement. Tangles?
"Earlier, it went after one of the men on my list," he said carefully, then sighed and added reluctantly. "That apparently, once upon a time, tried to get his hands on me, according to Damon."
Senri snarled aggressively and tightened his grip around him securely, and he would lie if he didn't admit that he more than enjoyed his embrace, but he sighed and went back to running his fingers through the ink-black fur.
"I don't remember it, so you can relax, love," he said carefully. "Though I admit, I don't know what you mean, Onyx. You ate him?"
It shifted under his arm, turning its muzzle toward his face, and scoffed, funnily twitching its long whiskers. Even its white eyes shone with more than a hint of amusement.
"Silly mate, that would be disgusting," it wrinkled its triangular nose, then buried it against his throat, rumbling with deep, blissed-out purrs. And he saw it again, those threads slowly climbing his arm and shimmering with a multitude of colors… and as gorgeous as it looked… "I learrrned my lesson with Esteem, Rrraha. Aetherrr is poison, twisting my corrre. So I'm not eating the aetherrr-bound. I do what Senrrri created me to do: eat ugly patterrrns. Can't help that some of yourrr kind end up empty without them. Theirrr own fault forrr letting theirrr patterrrns rrrot."
"So… he's alive…?" He murmured with a frown, watching the colorful threads flex over his arm, slowly turning even more beautiful in their shades, growing in scarlet and crimson.
"Alive but empty," the beast chortled. "Not enough of good patterrrns left to make up forrr what I ate. I think beterrr punishment than death. Death is too easy forrr yourrr kind, doesn't clean the rrrot."
"What is it talking about? What patterns?" Senri whispered against his ear with confusion.
"I think… emotions?" He said quietly, closing his eyes and trying to figure it out. "Though, perhaps it's oversimplified that. Damon said…" he hesitated, then sighed and opened his eyes again, narrowing his eyes at the tendrils climbing his skin. "…I think I can see it… the way it really looks like, Senri. And it's… like a giant spool of threads in many gorgeous colors. And Damon said that it apparently reminds him of how Ares described his gift to see souls. Like a tapestry… of sorts."
"Does it…?" his lover murmured with interest, but a slight change in how he felt him betrayed the switch. Not to mention… the beast melted away. The Ascian scoffed with a hint of frustration, and G'raha almost snickered. "Eh… can't see it since it disappears as soon as I take over. But through Senri's eyes, it does look… different. What does my brilliant husband think about that?"
That he's ruining my study of it, Damon grumbled with annoyance, and he repeated that out loud, not even surprised when Ares snorted a laugh at that.
"Ever a scholar, my Damon," the Ancient snickered, then sighed, resting his chin on top of his head. "But if how you describe it is correct, it does sound familiar. If I can see solid colors, not… threads. My mother, from whom Hades and I inherited this ability, said she could see it as… kind of pale shades, but offspring often manifested any skills in a magnified form."
"I see…" he murmured, then cleared his throat awkwardly and added on a whisper. "So… can I have my mate back, please?"
Ares snorted a laugh but then suddenly grew serious and lifted behind him, wrapping his hand around G'raha's jaw and forcing him to turn and look into his narrowed, sky-blue eyes.
"Listen, boy, I do know my husband and how… excited he gets with everything new," he drawled, narrowing his eyes even more, evidently suspicious. "So, I want to make it clear to both of you: it as much as shows an ill intent toward you, I want it gone, yes?"
"I think…" he hesitated, wrapping his hand around his wrist. "…it's trying to… use me – my soul, I mean – as the medium to reconnect with Senri, that's all. To heal. So you can… relax, Ares. It's not harming us, even if it doesn't seem to be especially thrilled with Damon. But you kind of… barged in before I could ask it what I wanted," he pointed out, pulling his hand away from his jaw.
The Ascian rolled his too-bright eyes with a snicker, then blinked, and his expression went slack for a second while his eyes grew ice-blue and feline. Senri sighed and shook his head, then snuggled against his back again, burying his nose in his hair and taking a deep breath.
"It's so… confusing," he complained in a petulant tone that had G'raha snicker quietly, smoothing his hand over his arm in comfort when it wrapped around his chest.
"It is," he agreed easily, though looking toward the swirling liquid darkness as it spilled on the edge of their nest, swiftly climbing into a massive, feline form.
"Rrrude Ascian," it scoffed with annoyance, twitching its long whiskers and waving its long tail. He cooed soothingly and raised his arm, and though Onyx tossed him a long look, it sighed and moved in again, pressing against his front and putting its triangular head under his chin. As soon as he rested his hand in its fur, those tendrils climbed it again, spreading to his shoulder and shimmering with glorious reds.
"What are you doing?" He said quietly, rubbing his chin between its ears.
"Learrrn," it rumbled reluctantly, then resumed its purrs. "Yourrr patterrrns are betterrr, Rrraha. Hot and soothing. And the morrre I change my patterrrns to yourrrs, the less it hurrrts. The less Senrrri rrrejects me."
"I don't…" his mate murmured, but G'raha hushed him with a quiet hiss.
"That's why I can see you like that now?" He asked.
"No," the beast chortled, nuzzling against his throat affectionately. "That's my gift, forrr mating. You'rrre a good mate, Rrraha, so I trrry, too. You help us heal, so I let you see my worrrld. My patterrrns," it hesitated, then leaned its head away and twitched its whiskers. "Dynamis, yourrr Ascian call it, yes? That's my patterrrns. You… don't want?"
Leaving wondering about the implications of that for later, G'raha ran his hand fondly over the ink-black fur.
"I very much appreciate your gift, my beast," he said seriously, stifling a grin when it relaxed and leaned in again, purring deafeningly and rubbing its head against his chest. He almost missed how his lover stilled behind him and grumbled a complaint against his ears. "Something wrong, Senri?" he frowned, pressing his back tighter against his chest.
"Nothing," his Warrior scoffed, tightening his arm around him possessively. "…only now, even that thing is a better mate than me…" he murmured barely audibly.
"Don't be absurd," he chuckled, burying his nose in the beast's soft fur and sighing blissfully. It really smelled wonderful, just like Senri, if his scent grew thicker.
"I'm serious," Senri whined, and G'raha thinned his lips not to snort a laugh, especially when even the beast chortled at his lover's expanse. "Oh, shut up… I'll find something better for him, anyway, you'll see," he grumbled with annoyance.
He chuckled and lifted his hand behind his head, sinking his fingers into Senri's hair and petting his lowered ear soothingly.
"I appreciate the thought, love, but you're already giving me more than I could ever ask for," he said confidently, smiling sheepishly as Onyx melted away, apparently more than aware of his intentions. But he used it to shift around under his lover's arm, and trying not to gush at his pout, he lifted, pressing his lips against the corner of his mouth. Letting his arm smooth over his back, he nipped on his lower lip gently, purring an invitation as he slowly rolled to his back. And the slightly dazed look in his ice-blue eyes as Senri followed him almost unconsciously was almost as rewarding as his scalding heat on top of him. "You're so good to me, my beast," he purred teasingly, wrapping his arms around his neck and shifting under him to spread his legs and accommodate his weight between them. And when Senri complied with a raspy groan, soon taking him with that maddening aggression, purring sweet praises against his throat as he coiled his body around him possessively… Gods, but nothing could equal the feeling of being so wanted, so needed… "You are the best gift of all, my Senri," he choked out with a gasp, losing himself in his beautiful beast's claim.
Alisaie nudged her twin brother down the path, snickering at his scoff at her idea.
"Don't be a baby, Alphinaud," she rolled her eyes, then folded her hands behind her head and whistled under her nose, heading behind him toward the market. "I'll take the asking part on myself, don't worry. I need you to help me buy… stuff."
"I'm not being…" he sighed, then shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants, looking at her with narrowed eyes when she joined his side. "What are you scheming, exactly, Alisaie? If you so wish for breakfast, I can cook just fine… There's hardly a need to bother G'raha to do so, yes?"
"That's not the point," she scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. "You saw how pleased he looked about everyone's praises, yes?"
"I saw the look Senri was tossing around if anyone as much as dared to say anything… unpleasant," Alphinaud said with a smirk.
"It was delicious… so doesn't matter," she waved it off with a snicker. "Anyway, I think it's good to somewhat… help him integrate, you know?"
"By forcing him to cook for us?" her twin didn't hide his disbelief, and she shook her head with disappointment.
"Asking," she drawled with power, leading her brother toward the stall with foodstuffs after they entered the market. "So he knows we want him to be part of our group, okay? Whatever he accepts or not doesn't matter, as long as we show… fortitude and all. After what Krile said about his childhood here, I feel bad enough about not doing that before we left for Eorzea. Or… listening to these stupid rumors."
"We were kids," Alphinaud said quietly, and she winced, pretending to look around. Though it was evening – or perhaps because of that – many groups of students spread around the market, browsing the stalls. Most, predictably, focused on the one offering harder drinks. "People around us kept saying to keep well away from him, so it's hardly something you should beat yourself up over, Alisaie."
"I know," she rolled her eyes, stopping in front of the stall she needed and resting one hand on her hip, waving the other toward it, looking at her twin pointedly. "Doesn't mean that I can't try to… make up for it, yes? Senri's my best friend, and you would have to be blind not to see how he's completely over the moon for G'raha. So, now he's part of the family, and I'll do my damn best to make him feel welcome, that's all."
"As you wish," Alphinaud sighed but complied with a slight smirk as he leaned over the offered products, focusing on looking for what she requested. Since she had no idea but trusted his judgment, she drifted toward the neighboring stalls that looked more interesting. Stopping by one offering weapons, she whistled quietly at the sight of a pretty, sharp rapier, picking it up and looking it over under the lights set up over the market, battling against the falling slowly twilight. Time for an upgrade, perhaps…?
As she considered it, her ears caught a fragment of the conversation of two young Miqo'te girls standing beside the next stall, apparently picking through the dresses.
"…good riddance, as far as I am concerned," one of them, a brunette Keeper scoffed.
"But isn't it creepy?" her companion protested, looking quite distressed as she brushed back her blonde locks. "I don't like professor Sihijard any more than you, Vimha, but they say he's completely… brain dead. Moves, speaks… but my friend said it's like you're trying to converse with a… doll or whatever."
"Pff, perhaps he's pretending, right?" the Keeper waved it off carelessly, then went back to sorting through the soft materials.
"But what for…? And so good they removed him from the classes? She said he walked in, sprouting gibberish about some 'beast with too-many teeth' and then started apologizing to all the Miqo'te students in her class, but I'm telling you, she said it was veeery creepy."
Alisaie was hooked on the mention of the 'beast,' subtly moving closer to the girls.
"So… he's what… insane?" the Keeper tossed her friend a deadpan stare.
"Nobody knows," the blonde Seeker shrugged helplessly. "The Studium's guards apparently walked him off, and no one has seen him since. She said they likely took him to a healer or something."
"Again, good riddance," the Keeper snickered, then sighed and moved away, waving for her friend to follow. "Nothing interesting here, as usual… I'll visit a tailor in the morning."
"You wish to buy this, miss?" the merchant's voice by the weapon stand shook her up, and she looked toward him, smiling sheepishly as she realized she was still holding the rapier. The tall Hyur with dark hair and green eyes smiled back, waving his hand toward the spot where she picked up the blade. "It comes with a focal, obviously."
She tossed a look toward her twin, but since Alphinaud looked busy haggling over his purchase, she turned back to the merchant and smiled.
"Let me see it," she said, making a mental note to ask about this… occurrence in the morning when she planned to knock on her best friend's door and put her plan to work.