After 'they' were introduced to the newest arrival, Raha – though pouting a bit funnily – took his lover's required absence in stride and dutifully focused on the many tomes provided by Y'shtola… whilst Damon in the back of their shared head scrambled to find a solution to the newest snug… trying to curb in his gushing at the absolute adorable-ness of their son in a Miqo'te version.
He was somewhat hesitant about Hades's motives behind this charade – and frankly – was dying to consult the situation with Ares… but while Senri gleefully went off to show around his 'brother,' the evening meal arrived before he had an occasion to run his ideas how to salvage their plans by his husband. So, resigning himself to wait until their hosts turned in for the night, he settled in, observing silently.
With only few Scions present at the compound at the moment, they settled with their meals around the big table set in the Dawn's Respite alongside Thancred and Y'shtola, with Minfilia making only a brief appearance to share the news about the Banquet: making most cheer while Damon winced, realizing how short their time was running before the 'showdown.'
Through Raha's eyes observing his son's manners and behavior throughout the meal, he couldn't help but be insanely proud of his boy: as Hades played the role to perfection. He somewhat figured that by now, he had to be a master of blending in with the mortals – and while the present bombarded him with questions, Damon got an impression that at some point since his 'visit' to his appearance in that 'disguise,' he wouldn't be surprised to hear that the boy traveled to the camp Senri came from and 'prodded' some unsuspecting mortal for the fitting 'backstory' with the ability that the mortals came to call 'the Echo' over the eons.
By the end of the meal, and when their boys said their 'goodnights,' he was almost ready to give his son a round of applause… if not for the wrench this put in his plans!
Right after their hosts closed the door of their bedroom behind them, he pulled Raha's soul back and woven the cocoon around his unaware soul, nearly instantly 'feeling his husband do the same… and for a moment, they just stared at each other – with near identical frowns… before Ares snorted a laugh and walked across the bedroom to drop into their hosts' nest with a resigned sigh.
"So… what now?" he asked, looking at him as he leaned back on his elbows. Damon pursed his lips, undressing absentmindedly before he joined his husband, and without a hint of typical for Raha self-consciousness or shame, planted himself in Ares's lap, setting to unbutton his black shirt slowly while considering the question.
"Why do you suppose he's doing this?" he asked after a moment with a frown, pushing the soft material off his lover's shoulders and leaning back to let Ares discard it somewhat carelessly outside of the nest – just like Senri would do. Then he moved off his lover's lap, letting him get rid of his pants, before Ares quite gleefully pulled him back, smiling broadly while Damon straddled his waist, leaning against him and running his fingers through his dark hair. He did very much enjoy the fact that Senri carried his hair quite a bit longer than Ares used to – also more than enjoyed the warmth of his lover's hands when Ares settled them on top of his thighs, rubbing his thumbs over his skin while he fell back against the blankets.
"I'm not sure," Ares sighed, freeing one hand to put it behind his hand while Damon sat back, with a snap making his schemas and diagrams bloom in the air all around them. He didn't really need those, easily remembering everything they learned back in Elpis, but he knew that Ares found it easier to navigate his 'ideas' with the 'visuals' for reference. With a light twist of his fingers, he made the text-filled schema about the Banquet move and grow between them, narrowing his eyes at it with consideration while he lifted his hand, rubbing his chin. "I don't believe that he suspects our presence… He might be skilled at acting now, but I really think if he did, he wouldn't be subtle about letting us know what he thought of that."
"Mhmm," he agreed easily, then sighed and dropped his hand, looking at his lover through the hanging between them schema, watching his husband re-read it while he bit his lip with some uncertainty. "Well… I might know how to fix this… but I think you won't like it, Ares."
"Oh…?" his husband met his gaze, then lifted his dark eyebrows in question as his sky-blue eyes lit up with amusement. "Let me hear it, then, my brilliant scholar."
"Eh…" he sighed, then with a wave of his hand, let the diagrams dissolve, creating a new, empty one in the air between them. "So… According to what we decided so far, we're letting the Banquet go pretty much without changes…" he started, letting the visual fill with a matching note in their native tongue. "We know that Senri would get invited to Nanamo's private headquarters, eventually resulting in him being accused of the regicide after she's poisoned, yes? Beforehand, you would set a compulsion for both not to get an idea of Raha's joining him there – leaving my boy accompanying the other Scions in the Banquet hall… And if all goes off without a hitch, we would spring our 'tweaks' when they would run through the canals – after Thancred and Y'shtola leave… Snatching up Minfilia and caging her up like Hyth, so she's safe, but out of the game until it's okay to let her out…." He rubbed his chin again, pursing his lips. "Now, however, with Hades around… I think that's not going to go as planned, as unaware as he is and prone to… ideas. So, the way I'm thinking… and that's the part you're not going to like, love… We should give him exactly what he playing at with this charade," he said, keeping a carefully neutral expression when Ares's eyes shot wide open.
"You don't mean…?" he murmured, then scowled, narrowing his eyes at the schema, then at him. "You want me to make him think that he's what he's pretending to be, don't you…?"
"Correct," he nodded solemnly, pushing the diagram aside as he leaned in and rested his hands around his lover's head. "If he thinks he's mortal and – preferably – doesn't realize his capabilities, he's less likely to try to affect the outcome, plus… think of it, Ares. Like this, we can keep our eyes on him, too – while allowing most of what will happen to proceed. If he's awake but allowed to wander about willy-nilly, he's as much danger as Minfilia would be… so the only other option I could come up with was caging him as well… but I like that option even less."
"But…" Ares hesitated, then sighed and wrapped his hands around his back, pulling him to rest on top of him fully. "…powerful as he is, Damon, I don't know if I can pull it off. Not to mention you're forgetting his ability to see souls, love, as it is a conscious effort for me – and him – not to see them. With a compulsion complicated like that to account for it – and especially on him – even if you help me along, the backlash would most likely be so bad it would put me out of commission for a while… which I really don't like, yeah…" he sighed with resignation when Damon nodded. But with the shift of his chin against his hair, he knew that Ares looked toward the schema over his head. "Are you sure… it's the best option?"
"That or caging him and wiping his appearance from everyone's thoughts," he said carefully, moving against him a tad higher to bury his nose against his throat and closing his eyes when his husband wrapped his arms around his back tightly. "And if it would make you feel better, we could put a 'keyword' into the compulsion, don't we? That way, if something happens while you're… unavailable, I can use it and break the compulsion – as no matter how pissed off he is at us, I know that if there is some threat bad enough to make me do so, he would help without hesitation, yes? Let's be honest, love, I could do so myself, shifting the reality to literally make him what he's pretending to be, but I think going with a compulsion is a safer option. You do know that with my gift… well, the reality shifts are far too unpredictable, and with already this many changes in this timeline… I rather avoid them."
"Mhmm," Ares hummed with an agreement, then sighed with resignation. "I guess… you're right, like always. When do you want to do this?"
"Umm… Do you need to be near him for this…?" he murmured with consideration.
Ares stayed silent for a long moment, smoothing his hand over his back slowly, then finally replied reluctantly. "No, I don't think so. If we use our Bond to boost my gift, I can set up the compulsion into the very aether, diluted as it is here… and considering the backlash, I would even prefer us alone for it so that you can heal our body… because it's going to be bad, Damon," he fought not to wince at that, curling deeper into his arms. "If you want to do this now… Beforehand I have to tweak Senri's and Raha's memories of the time after they entered the bedroom, too, plus set up the compulsion for Hades with a delay, preferably for the moment when he falls asleep – which would make his mind more… malleable. Basically, he would fall asleep as our son and wake up as the persona he created to fool Senri… that's optimal for our plans, yes?"
"Yes," he whispered, then sighed softly when Ares nodded, then tightened his arms around him securely. "I'm sorry for asking you for this, Ares…."
"No, love, I know you're right," his husband said slowly, pressing a tender kiss on his throat over the edge of the collar. "And once I'm back on my feet… I think it would be better, like you said, to have our eyes on our boy… plus honestly, when I think about it, I can see why it's the best option… I only truly despise the idea of leaving you alone, Damon, especially when I don't know for how long I will be out. The aether here is so diluted… it may take a while before I can restore my reserves enough to peek out again… and considering all that's supposed to happen after the Banquet…."
"Don't worry… I won't let Senri get anywhere near Fray's corpse," he chuckled ruefully, rubbing the tip of his nose against his lover's skin. "We have enough on our plate without letting him develop… Esteem-issues."
"Yeah, that…" Ares sighed. "I suppose with Raha with him… it wouldn't be as bad, but even then – and especially if I'm not around to run damage control, I rather skip that part," he chuckled sheepishly when Damon nodded along. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Okay… If you're sure, love, I'm ready to give it a go."
"Mhmm," he hummed, then lifted to take his lover's lips into a long, tender kiss, delighting in his flavor. Pulling back after a long, long moment, he rested his forehead against his and closed his eyes, easily letting their souls connect and entangle with each other's, pouring the massive amount of his aether all around them for his lover to control. "Love you, Ares," he said, pushing their Bond wide open and letting him drink into his eternal devotion.
"Love you, too, Damon," his lover replied, wrapping his hands around his face. Then he took a deep, steadying breath and whispered, churning the aether around them into unrecognizable forms. And as he did, Damon whispered his spell, concealing his husband's use of his gift from their son.
When his lover fell silent, he thought himself ready… but when the aether 'uncoiled' into the expected backlash, he felt Ares snap the connection between their souls close brutally. While his senses reeled at the sudden separation, his husband arched under him without a sound, his beautiful body wrenched with shudders and his breath heavy and labored.
Lifting off him as he fought to catch his breath and collect his scattered wits, he whimpered seeing blood pouring out of his lover's eyes, nose, and ears, then instantly scrambled to heal the damage using the knowledge acquired from Y'shtola's books and in thought sending a silent thanks to the Seeker, swearing he would find a way to repay her for that…
"You silly, overprotective idiot…" he whispered when done, brushing his lips against the corner of his lover's mouth tenderly. "…you could have let me share some of it…" he sighed, smiling ruefully as he settled down against his husband's body and closed his eyes, knowing he couldn't hear him.
Well, the trap was set… now only to wait for results…
During the last few bells, Hades revisited the thoughts about the insanity so many times… Well, he was half sure that somewhere between laying his eyes on his brother's mortal reincarnation and this… stupid idea springing in his head, he had to lose his mind to go along with it.
But standing there, at the edge of the crater caging Zodiark – and the only man he ever loved that chose to leave him for it – he couldn't help but wonder about the question the sight of the Warrior brought to life in his head.
Just how much of his brother's soul the Seeker inherited…?
And the more that thought bothered him, the more he wanted to know the answer… he wasn't even sure why.
After the talk with Elidibus knowing of the Seeker's animosity toward their kind, it was what made his mind come up with this… ridiculous scheme. Finding where the mortal came from was easy enough, with his name indicating which of the Seeker's tribes sprang about Source he was part of. They weren't very happy about an intruder… but he had literally eons of experience in dealing with mortals and bending their ideas to whatever he wished them to believe. And with the Warrior's uncanny appearance, there were more than a few who still remembered him – including the man's mother.
And the female, T'rhasa Mali, the seamstress of that tribe, was beyond grateful for the information about her wayward son – in exchange, easily and eagerly sharing many, many stories of the boy's childhood. Apparently blown away by the fact that 'her Senri' was the famed Warrior of Light, the blonde even introduced him to the Seeker's younger sister, T'ralla, a tiny kit who was born after T'senri left the tribe – and perhaps that was what made him create the 'persona' to use to find the answer to that question that wouldn't leave him alone.
Choosing to instead of possessing a mortal to change his appearance instead… well, was a tad of a nod toward the Warrior's uncanny similarities to his brother.
Despite the extreme difference in their coloring, with Ares heavily taking after their father's famous beauty and Hades's looks apparently leaning more toward their mother's, growing up, he very swiftly learned to imitate Damon's scowls to cover the fact that they both shared their grin… mostly because whenever he did grin, Ares's doting would grow beyond ridiculous. Even his brilliant Father would look quite… dumbstruck in such moments – leaving Hades utterly embarrassed by their behavior.
So, with the goal of learning more about the man who carried his brother's face, he created 'Hades,' the Seeker designed to make the best possible impression on the Warrior – somewhat shamelessly using all he knew of his brother's weaknesses, quite… curious if T'senri would respond to him the way he suspected his brother would. Giving himself a 'backstory' to a tad match the Seeker's – more than aware of why the man would choose to abandon the camp after hearing about it from the tearful T'rhasa, he pushed through his insane plan on an impulse basically, not stopping to think… until the night fell and he was left alone in the bestowed upon him bedroom – next to his brother's… Senri's, apparently – and pacing it furiously as he swore at his stupidity!
And again… felt more alive than in eons…
It didn't take him long – throughout that few bells and during the tour Senri gave him, somewhat gingerly probing him for news about his mother – to figure out that, yes, the Seeker's behavior very much took quite a bit after his brother. The seeming friendliness and easy-going attitude were very remindful of how Ares would act between those who were smart enough to appreciate his behavior… if he still somewhat wondered if he also inherited his brother's temperament that Ares was infamous for between their peers back in the day.
G'raha, however, was an enigma – he swiftly decided after being introduced to the man that carried an uncanny resemblance to his brilliant Father. Apparently, none of the Scions recognized what his Allagan-red eyes marked – and he did wonder if the man himself and the Warrior were aware of the connotations of the man's inheritance. They didn't mention it, and he figured that asking about it would be far too suspicious - even as the proximity of the Crystal Tower to the Scions' compound and the suspicious blue-red collar the redhead wore gave him some… ideas. He was even half-tempted to warp to the Allagan palace he once helped to design and check if it truly was as 'dead' as it appeared on the outside… but for now, decided to leave it for later.
G'raha himself appeared to miss his Father's… well, more than a bit of his typically cold demeanor – that few back then realized what it hid. His crimson eyes looked up from his Father's face with empathy… and kindness that Damon would be hard-pressed to display, even in an act. They also missed his… ah, snobbish look, as Ares used to call it in teasing – if they both knew that it was far more than that.
Damon, as brilliant and aware of his infinite capabilities, enjoyed entertaining himself by predicting the behavior and thoughts of those around him… and more often than not, he found his peers lacking. Other than those he deemed interesting – their family – and for them, there was no friend or a father more dedicated than him. Hades remembered somewhat wistfully that he, Hyth, and Themis used to joke behind Damon's back that if Ares wouldn't occasionally put his foot down, his Father would literally spoil them rotten. And as amusing as it was to watch… they learned not to abuse Damon's far too-obvious care, considering the clashes it caused between him and his husband.
Ares, with his ability to see souls – he shared in – had a very strict moral code that he insisted on installing in them, openly stating that he refused to let their souls rot like their peers' tended to. Hades knew from experience that his brother couldn't see his soul – as he couldn't as well – but looking at Ares like that… Well, taught him to strive to match his ideals… mostly. For him, the beauty of his brother's soul was near as blinding as that of Hythlodaeus's… and perhaps that was what made him fall for Hyth at first sight – as Ares once did for Damon.
But he missed his brother's bravery, and though he literally could see that Hyth returned his… attraction, his… denial of it was as obvious – and he hesitated until it was too late. Hythlodaeus choose to play the hero, breaking his heart in the process. To spend eons regretting that he didn't force him to discard the silly idea that he was somehow unworthy… and lose him, for good.
Hythlodaeus, becoming part of Zodiark, could never be reborn, now a mere fragment of the first Primal's mass consciousness… and even now, millennia later, Hades mourned him every time he forced himself anywhere near that infernal prison.
Ares and Damon, struck down by Venat's hit, did appear throughout the ages, unintentionally luring him in – as even as fragmented they were… he couldn't help himself. They were the reason behind his existence – and as much as it hurt to witness, as pathetic as it felt… to see the brilliant shades of their souls soothed his endless yearning for them, steeling his determination to bring about their Rejoining. He could have woken them at any time… but seeing how really that brought back the true memories of their past selves in the others, he couldn't bring himself to do so – and end up with the eternal punishment of their reincarnated selves instead of the men he was born for.
Who loved him… with endless abandon when love itself was so scarce in their world. Who swore to be always there for him… a promise Venat robbed him of.
And he was… so tired of being alone.
There were only two of them left in existence – he and Lahabrea, as the fragmented Themis could be hardly counted – and he despised the Speaker. His 'naps' were growing longer and the breaks between them shorter… because he was so tired of watching this miserable, broken world... especially when he caught himself sometimes thinking how much Ares and Damon would enjoy it if they could.
He wasn't blind and could see how much his brother would fit in with the fragmented mortals more than he ever did with their people, and the idea he was… robbed of that, his existence ending in the world that rejected him so… was so painfully unfair.
Hades sighed and stopped pacing, sat down on the edge of the bed, then let himself fall back against the mattress, staring at the ceiling numbly.
Senri, himself, seemed only to confirm that notion – so painfully similar to Ares and as obviously adored by those around him. And watching that wasn't… unpleasant.
Once he's bound to go back to his games… he's bound to clash with him… right? He didn't yet know how to bring about the next Rejoining and likely should travel to Garlemald to see what become of his latest creation during his nap… But whatever he comes up with would inevitably lead to the need to face Hydealyn's Chosen…
Yes, if this was a trap designed by her… he really was inclined to admit that it was working.
Perhaps… he could spare a few days, watching some more, though...? It's not like he had time in short supply…
"…pathetic," he sighed with resignation and rested his arm over his eyes. "It's not them…."
But he was so tired… He sighed again and let himself drift off to sleep – leaving agonizing over this ridiculous situation for the next day.
…and the trap sprung.
"Rise and shine!" Senri's cheerful voice was accompanied by a loud knocking on his bedroom door, and Hades groaned loudly, blinking toward them lazily.
What the fuck…?
Scowling darkly, he sat up with a sigh and grimaced, seeing he had fallen asleep in his clothes. Considering he didn't have much left after the travel… Well, that sucks…
"I'm awake!" he called toward the door, running his fingers through his messy, white hair. He had this… insane sensation that he forgot something… itching at the back of his head, but when the knocking only grew louder, he growled with annoyance and stood up, swiftly crossing the room and pulling the door open. "What?" he snapped in his brother's face.
"My… but are you cheery in the morning," the black-haired Seeker snickered, dropping his arm to his side, then grinning his ridiculous, goofy grin – he refused to acknowledge he shared. "Breakfast, brother, then we will start your training, okay? Minfilia picked me to be your mentor after all."
"Yeah, yeah…" he grimaced, then looked at him with speculation. "By the way… Any chance that you have some clothes you don't use that you could spare…? We're pretty much the same height…." He waved between them, feeling his face heat up unbearably while Senri's eyebrows shot near his hairline. "I… well, I didn't take much with me…" he admitted, looking away from ice-blue eyes and clearing his throat awkwardly.
"Ah, sure!" his brother said in an easy tone, then motioned for him to follow as he headed back to his bedroom. "Come on, I have plenty of things you can pick from."
Hades sighed, then followed, silently closing the door behind him.
Perhaps… it wouldn't suck to be here and find out what kind of person was his older brother, whom he heard so much about growing up… Who knows…? Maybe even he could like him… eventually?
Well, time will tell.