Chapter 6: Perks of Magic

Summary:

6. If able, always use your skills to your human mate's advantage and bliss.

For Senri, magic was something natural, as – he thought of it later – arguing for humans. If for him – and his brothers – the matter was a tad different than for their clanmates, obviously.

When he was still a kit and even before his first Shift, his older brothers taught him to avoid using the skills granted him by the Keeper side of their nature, for obvious reasons. Growing up among Seekers and with their uncle fermenting the moods against their 'nocturnal' cousins, any remainders of their dual nature were quite frowned upon, and if Senri slipped – as temperamental youth tended to do – it cast poor light unto his caregivers.

Barred as they were from leaving the lair – due to their uncle's 'care' for their well-being – they also missed a proper tutor in that particular set of their inborn skills. Ares did what he could – in secret and leaning on what he remembered from their mother's lessons – but himself being youth when they lost their parent's guidance, the effects were poor.

And to say Keepers' magic was dangerous was an understatement. Pure destruction by its nature, the wrong move could unintentionally maim and kill, so other than teaching him to control it when his temper spiked, they generally avoided touching it.

Even if the temptation to do away with their uncle with it was palpable, his eldest brother later taught him that there's need to be an order to these things, otherwise they would cast a poor light on themselves and on the hybrids in general. They were considered 'precious,' and teaching their clanmates to fear them would be suicidal in the best case. Not to mention, it would make them no better than volatile humans: and as the stories they taught him proved, their creator wished for them to coexist with Tail-less, not imitate them.

Once Ares took over the rule of their Clan, he set to smooth the moods between it and the Clan of their mother, Cassiopeia's, trying to fix the rift in the truce their father achieved, and their uncle ruined. The promise of their nature hugely helped with that, as both sides couldn't help but see their very existence as the will of their goddess and the hope of regaining Her favor. His eldest brother used that sentiment shamelessly, and soon they were welcomed in the Keepers' lair and treated as part of the family.

Appalled as their aunts and uncles on their mother's side grew by their lack of commanding 'their' magic, they eventually petitioned the current 'Alpha' of their Clan, Erebus, to set a proper teacher for the trio of hybrids and to make a show of his goodwill – and perhaps to somewhat shame the Seeker Clan, as well – the male went as far as to design his own son and future leader of their Clan, Hythlodaeus, as their tutor, sending him alongside them when they had to return to now their lair.

Senri, barely more than a kit at the time and barely past learning to Shift, swiftly came to adore the youthful Keeper for his cheery attitude and, alongside Ares, didn't see anything wrong or baffling in the fact that Hades very, very quickly got utterly swept off his paws by the violet-haired male. Sadly, their clanmates weren't as tolerant – treating the boy with suspicion and wariness – and once decided that the hybrids learned all they needed to know, the relief Hyth felt at being able to go back home was hard to miss – even when it was obvious that he fell no less enamored with their brother than Hades did with him.

In a way, it became one of the reasons why Ares grew even more determined to bring their Clans together, and for a while – when set against the threat of humanity and later, brief strife their emergence caused – it seemed well on its way for a better path. But once the threat passed, humans just weren't enough of a challenge for their naturally aggressive species to keep the peace between them in the long run. The Clans who rouse up to Ares's call soon split off again, closing off their lairs and returning to their communities. The freedom to wander among humans their emergence brought was hugely tempered once the shapeshifters came to understand a tad more of the Tail-less customs and grew quite appalled by them.

To take an especially cute human lover was something that was well understood, but after a few of such matings ended with the human mate cheating on their Miqo'te partner – their kind came to abhor such matings. It was Allagan Clan that was meant to serve as the bridge between them, they would reason, as their inborn magic allowed – according to the stories – the 'two-sided' Bond. Not to mention that for Miqo'te, the drive to procreate was potent, and with humans, it was obviously impossible.

And – as Senri heard growing up many times from Elders of his Clan – to bring an unfit mate into one's lair was a recipe for trouble and to be avoided. To serve as the example for the youth, the older shapeshifters would recall a tale from the past – a horror story for their kind – of a whole Clan slain because their 'Alpha' brought in an unfit human mate into the fold of their lair. Using their mate's naivety before even their kind emerged, the human female played on his feelings. Using sedative and under cover of the night brought in more of her human friends into their lair and slaughtered all, sparing none – not even kits – and costing their species an immeasurable loss of the whole Clan.

"…God, seriously? There's like… At least a few hundred of yours in your Clan, right? If that's the case in the others, too… And the kits…?"

"That's why this story serves as the warning, babe. And why Ares, when he fell for your brother, left our lair instead of bringing him in, too. The Clan would never accept Damon as his mate if they would be too hasty about his introduction and all. And I bet, even when they do finally move, your twin will have many eyes watching him carefully, and he would have to prove himself by his deeds before he's fully accepted. Luckily, he does seem to like a challenge and isn't a shy type, either."

"Damn… I'm kind of… glad that I'm not in his shoes. Honestly, I didn't even consider that part of it, Sen. I guess you're right constantly saying that I should stop thinking like a human. Especially whenever it concerns your… our people, and all."

"For you, babe, it's going to be different than for your brother, and I think that your upbringing will actually serve you well in our task. All in all, I can't help but see the hand of Bast in your and your brother's appearance… and quite can't wait for your audience with her to find if we were right in our assumptions."

"I, for one… I'm glad that there's still time until that. Freaks me out like nothing else… How do you even address a goddess…?"

"Don't worry, last I heard, Ares and Hades are busy searching all the possible records for a proper protocol… If I'm inclined to think She would be far more 'receptive' to you and your brother than to any of us… You are the last representatives of her favored children, after all, not to mention She has to be aware of your 'human' upbringing."

"I guess… we will see, hm?"

"No way around it, love. One does not refuse an invitation from a goddess."

"Mhmmm…"

While staying with Raha, first as his pet and later, during their miserable 'dating' period, Senri scarcely used any magic at all anywhere near his lover. For obvious reasons, as 'Ink,' but later he was a tad… too nervous to remind his mate that he wasn't human while his redhead already seemed so torn about his gender alone, as baffling as the shapeshifter found it.

Not even daring to point out that if Raha found his gender so offending, he could easily change it – he hugely pretty much stepped on his toes around his mate, concerned that with one wrong move, Raha would demand him to leave.

That time, as already stated, was difficult for him, especially since he had a very poor idea of what was causing his lover's behavior in the first place. In mating, his redhead was eager but balked at any point Senri would attempt to shower him with affections – as his brother taught him his mate appreciated – and during the days or 'dates' would even avoid his touch or hiss angrily… and the confusion it caused for the shapeshifter was palpable.

Yet, despite his misery with the situation, he… couldn't bring himself to leave as long as, at least in those scarce moments that his lover did seem to want him were far too addictive to let go of easily…

"…I wish now Damon smacked me over the head sooner."

"…did he? Literally, I mean?"

"Mhmm, started with it, pretty much, then didn't spare insults for my stupidity… Honestly, for the first time in our lives, too, and I guess that's what… shook me up and really made me pay attention, you know? And he was right, too, because I definitely was a dumb asshole not to see how miserable you were."

"Well… water under the bridge, right? And considering how deliriously happy I am now, it doesn't matter."

"…if you say so."

But he wasn't without a fault, either (in his opinion) because similar to Keepers' magic earlier and perhaps due to the apprehension taught him toward the human world, Senri, even living in it, hugely abhorred anything that pertained to his lover's surroundings.

To put it plainly: he wanted Raha but was too blind to see that he couldn't really have him without the 'humanity' he and his habits represented. And only once the redhead unknowingly Soul-Bonded him and he could see the situation from his point of view, he understood his biggest misconceptions about it. And the fact that his lover struggled with his upbringing as much as he did with Raha's.

After that 'lesson,' it got much, much easier to resolve their misgivings about each other's worlds and behaviors they had earlier found confusing.

Of course, finding the right balance in their relationship was something that took time and even more… well, talking mostly, but eventually – and reassured that his redheaded wonder did love him – Senri was able to relax and soon found himself, when allowed, 'tweaking' their surroundings up to both of their comfort. With his lover's – at first – somewhat ginger approval and careful explanation of his… needs, pretty much, using the mix of his inborn abilities, he remade their lair to incorporate both of their natures and habits eventually.

The proper nest was a must, obviously, and the first of his 'tweaks' that baffled his lover, but Raha agreed that it was far more comfortable to sleep in than his previous bed. Considering that by itself, his mate's apartment wasn't very big – far smaller than Senri's 'nook' back in his Clan's lair – and after some negotiation, he was as well allowed to do away with most of the kitchen – useless when he gleefully preferred to prepare the meals for them himself – and keeping a few appliances that his lover liked. Turning the freed space into a fitting for his needs – if smaller – posts, Raha had a good laugh at, that he didn't mind knowing that eventually – when he does Shift as hoped, his redhead would understand the necessity of such in their true form.

And later, Ink II clearly also enjoyed having a massive – for him – scratching posts, too.

In a similar way adjusting the rest of his lover's apartment while keeping whatever he enjoyed, it soon turned into a comfortable enough lair, if Senri was aware that it was a temporary setup at most – as earlier stated – because once his mate is ready to have kits, they would need far, far more space than they had now. There was a reason why the… nursery, as Raha called it, at Senri's lair was the biggest cave of them all: serving both the kits and their caregivers more social tendencies and gatherings.

Then, to keep him occupied when his lover was working, Raha taught him about the internet and how to use it on the phone Hades gave him when Senri left their lair, and surprisingly enough, with it, he found quite a few… nice new uses for his skills, too.

Despite finding the humans' tendency to argue over the most hilarious things – from his perspective – he soon discovered that they also had many more ideas about procreation than his kind did. As stated before, Miqo'te tended to focus on the procreation aspect in mating… while apparently, humans had more of the tendency to see it as the source of entertainment.

And, Bast, but were they creative when it came to sex! Funnily enough, he thought that his goddess, a patron of pleasures, had to be surely pleased that humans worshipped Her with such… dedication and could somewhat more understand her wish for their kinds to coexist!

Soon he spent literally hours learning all kinds of new, fun ideas to later entertain his mate with – and despite initial resistance in Raha's bashfulness and after a long and very open talk about boundaries and limits, he learned that, like with them – Miqo'te – so with humans, if in a tad different way, the consent was the most important thing to take under consideration. And Raha learned to beat against his ideas of what was 'shameful' or not, to let him know what he did enjoy in their mating and what was 'too far.'

Considering that, in general, Senri had very little idea about shame, he took it as one of the most important lessons he came to learn from his mate: to recognize when to push and when to pull back, all to his lover's pleasure. It took time and work, and quite a few stumbles on the way, but eventually, as with every other aspect of their relationship, he found that putting the effort in paid handsomely, especially when gradually his mate came to trust him enough to know that all he wanted was his love and pleasure, and didn't hesitate anymore to let him know what was that he found especially pleasing.

Between his skills in creation and ability to Shift, he found the whole process beyond entertaining and fun, too! So, yes, there was definitely something to be said about the perks of magic in mating, especially when waiting for your lover to come into his power, too.

He, opposite to his mate, had no doubt that eventually, his redhead would Shift, and if asked, he would admit – shamelessly – that he waited for that impatiently. The knowledge they had about Allag's inborn skills was quite scarce – other than Damon's theories – but he, personally, believed that there had to be something more to it than what the older redhead suggested.

If back in the day – among the Seekers and Keepers and magic they commanded by themselves – it was still the Allagan Clan that ruled them all and claimed so much of their goddess's love, he knew – instinctively – that there had to be something that they were missing in that picture. Something that perhaps upon that upcoming audience his mate and his brother were invited to, was the reason why Bastet's message demanded them to attend it alone.

"You really think so, Sen? That there's some kind of secret…?"

"Like I said… my gut's telling me that, babe, especially whenever I look at you, to be quite honest."

"…?"

"I can't really explain it… But at some level, it feels like Damon was just… designed to be a perfect match for Ares, yes? To lead our Clan at his side… but you, love, you are… different. Your… attitude and skills, I think… Well, I don't ever want to stress you more about it than you already are, babe, but whenever I look at you and think about it, I can't help but believe that you're meant to be that bridge between us and humans. Your… how you call it…? Emotional intelligence and ability to read people is uncanny, and if you think about it… so is your appreciation for your human upbringing, too. Can't miss the way how eager Damon is to leave the human world behind, while you tend to… see the best in both…?"

"I… well, never thought about it this way, to be honest."

"But that's just my guess, love. We don't know until that meet-up what Bast have in store for you two. And perhaps it's naïve of me to say… but I like to believe – opposite to what your twin is claiming – that she doesn't see you as her… 'whores,' to manipulate the rest, but there's more to that, that's all."

"Eh… I sure like the way you think better than Damon's, but as you said, won't know until we get there."

"Mhmm. Well, anyway, let's end it here, I guess. The next one is… 'Time and Place,' right?"

"Yeah, and I'm still in the dark what that one is supposed to mean, Sen."

"Heh, you'll get it when we get to that, babe, no worries."

"…why are you smirking like that, my silly cat?"

"You'll see."