After their 'party' broke apart and his best friend asked him for a favor, Senri very carefully herded his mate toward their nook to pick up Raha's laptop, then to the one Rahm shared with Shtola. More than glad that the Wolf left them to check on his pups, it still took him a good moment to get his jealousy under control.

He always knew that he tended to be possessive, but the way it felt when his sensitive nose picked up on the scent of arousal and he noticed how Fenris looked toward his mate… was intense. He still strived not to offend his lover by acting unreasonable and by it suggesting that he in any way believed that Raha could be unfaithful… but it didn't mean that he wouldn't erase the asshole out of existence if he as much as dared to touch his adorable kitten.

…and he definitely bristled when on the way to Rahm's nook, his lover absentmindedly remarked that the Wolf apparently would be his and Damon's teacher for a while.

"But… why?" he whined without shame, pouting as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and glared daggers under his boots. He liked being dressed now constantly in humanoid form, even if it wasn't exactly as comfortable as before, just because it reminded him that his kitten was as possessive of him as he was of his cute self. "What can a frost wolf teach you?"

Raha hesitated visibly while he shifted his laptop to one hand, then wrapped the other around Senri's arm, leaning his head to rest against his shoulder as they turned into the corridor leading toward the guest nooks. That recently was quite a bit busier than before.

"I'll tell you later," his redhead said, smiling soothingly when he scowled at that. "But, Sen, you have no reason to be jealous, you know that, right?"

"I know," he muttered under his nose while glaring at the ground. "I trust you, kitten, more than I can ever express in words… but him, I do not," he growled softly and freed his left arm to wrap it around his lover's shoulders, delicately pulling Raha into his side when they stopped by the plate of their destined nook. "And I do not like the idea of you – and your twin – spending time with him alone, Raha. He is not a Miqo'te, we scarcely know frost wolves' customs, and how can I believe that he would treat you with proper respect, love? Were he one of us, already I would be in the right to skin him for how he regarded you at that meeting."

"Huh? He didn't do anything, though…" his redhead frowned when Senri knocked on the plate with his free hand. He was stopped from answering immediately when Rahm right away pulled it open and invited them in.

"Thank you, syid," his best friend bowed with proper respect toward Senri's mate, then at him grinned toothily after straightening. "And you, Sen, thanks a lot. I know it's probably too soon and far too optimistic…"

"It's no trouble, Rahm," Raha smiled at him when they walked in, and after the blonde closed the plate behind them, he frowned with consideration and asked. "Ah, tell me… You were there with us at the meeting, and now Senri tells me that the way… ah, Fenris acted is somehow very rude… Is it true?" while speaking, he moved toward the offered seat, sat down, and set his closed laptop in his lap while Senri and Rahm exchanged looks before taking seats with his redhead around the small, round table. He next to Raha, obviously, while his best friend was opposite, looking between them with a confused frown before answering.

"I mean… In the same situation, if we were talking about Shtola being in your place, Raha… I was quite awed by the restraint Senri showed," he said seriously, then sighed at the lack of understanding on the redhead's face. "It is considered extremely rude to openly express a desire for someone mated, syid, in normal circumstances but with you… and your kin… it's even worse. In the old days, before the Allagan 'extinction,' to do so would be considered a grave sin, Raha. To suggest with it that one believed that they had a chance to sway an Allag from their mated partner was and is an insult to your mate's honor and ability to meet your needs and keep your heart. To touch you in any way untoward… would cost one the offending hand, syid. And that only when your mate would feel generous and while then we were immortal… according to the stories his brothers told us," he shrugged slightly and smiled sheepishly at Raha's considerate expression. "So, yeah, like I said… I don't think I would manage to be as forgiving as Senri was throughout that meeting, Raha. Especially when Fenris isn't one of us, and by it… unpredictable. And I'm a Seeker, not a half-Keeper hybrid. I heard stories about Keepers' customs in that regard being even harsher. After all, none of them would want to get wiped out of existence for a senseless word or gesture that could be… misread, all the while, they do tend to be far more possessive than Seekers."

"I see…" Raha sighed, then tossed him an apologetic smile as he set his hand over Senri's thigh. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't, kitten," he sighed, resting his hand over his while leaning in to brush the tip of his nose against his. He loved that it still made his lover blush beautifully while he returned the affectionate gesture. "I always try to consider the fact that you were raised human, Raha, and what Ares taught me about human… dating," he chuckled at his mate's surprised look. "Yeah… I did very much intended to court you properly… before it was taken from my hands," he couldn't help but still pout about that even while his best friend tossed him a sympathetic smile. "The day I found you and gave you the ruby… I spent the rest of it learning from my brother about what to expect from human customs when courting a human mate, and he did mention that they tend to like to make the potential mate jealous so that they prove their dedication toward their mating…" he trailed off with a frown when that made his lover snicker.

"I never heard it put exactly this way… but it still sounds surprisingly accurate," Raha chuckled, then with a fond smile in place, freed his hand and pulled the lid of his laptop open, turned it on, then looked across the table at Rahm. "Okay… tell me exactly what you have in mind?"

"Ah…" his best friend crossed his forearms at the table's surface, biting his lower lip as his mismatched eyes grew a distant look while he considered it. "…I'm not exactly sure, syid. I asked Hades for permission to claim the next nook over, but… despite its lovely decorations, it's hardly one that looks to be good for a little girl… and two dragons," he shrugged somewhat helplessly, then tossed him a pleading look. "And… I would like to have an extra door between them, Sen… and all that assuming that Noru would like to know me… and all."

"I'm sure she will," Raha smiled at him again, then lowered his crimson eyes toward the screen while tapping away at the keyboard of the laptop. Senri watched over his shoulder while his lover swiftly filled the screen with various designs of differently decorated bedrooms in many schemes and color themes, then set the laptop on the table and turned it toward the blonde, whose tail instantly went wild with enthusiasm matching his grin. "I think you can just pick one you like the most, right?" Raha tossed him a wink, and Senri grinned, smoothing his hand over his back gratefully. He loved his enthusiasm for helping his friend and even more that it gave him an opportunity to work with him on it… and perhaps a little to prove – again – that they were the best match! "We can go with whatever we find here at the start while adjusting it along the way that feels right, yeah? I'm not exactly clear on dragons' needs, though…" his redhead trailed off, rubbing his chin with consideration while Rahm pulled the laptop closer to himself, carefully looking over the images.

"Um…" he hummed, leaning back in his seat as he tried to recall the details of his brother's stories. "If I remember right what Ares told me about meeting both Fire and Water dragons… they would have like exact opposite needs. Later I can ask Gabe to give us Yugiri's number to confirm it with her, but if I'm not mistaken: Fire Dragon would like heat… while Water Dragon always have to keep their scales damp, or it gets unpleasant for them. Ares said that the ones he met… Well, the Fire Dragon's nesting ground was inside the active volcano while Water Dragon's in an isolated lake deep in the mountains."

"Hmmm…" Raha leaned sideways, and he greedily wrapped his arms around his shoulders, taking a deeper whiff of his spicy scent for his reward as his mate visibly considered it. "…yeah, it's completely opposite, but I think we can easily make up for both. We'll have to fix plumbing and electrical grid if that nook is one of those we didn't get to yet, but if it's the same size as this one… we can think of an aquarium for the Water Dragon and some good electric stove or blankets for the Fire one. I'll show you all of that after we pick the theme for Noru's part," he added with a chuckle when they exchanged confused looks. "Since we have some more free time, we can also think and pick Ares's brain for what would the other… Others need for their stay."

"Sounds amazing, thank you!" Rahm grinned, so obviously hopeful that Senri's heart ached for his best friend for a good moment. He really hoped that whatever they'd come up with would make the little girl pleased and that by that time, she'll be open to the idea of living here, especially next to her brother and his blessed mate. He knew that in his shoes, it would be heartbreaking if Noru would be scared of him or didn't want to have anything to do with the blonde.

"Again, it's not a problem at all," Raha grinned back at the blonde, by the flicks of his red tail, honestly excited about upcoming projects… and Senri couldn't resist but kiss the top of his head, instantly falling for him all over again and only so much deeper.


A soft knock on the plate of their nook made Damon wince and stop typing, instead quickly standing up from his desk and heading toward the entrance while tossing a careful look toward his still-sleeping lover. He pulled the plate open and looked with offense at the tall, white-haired hybrid outside of it.

"Ares is asleep," he said pointedly with narrowed eyes. He didn't intend to let anything short of the end of the world disturb his lover's rest, especially knowing how much his gorgeous male was through and what was still ahead of them.

"Thought as much, but I have quite urgent news," Hades replied softly, backing away, and Damon scowled, stepping out of the nook and pulling the plate close behind him. He was busy noting all the needed information he pulled from Diazem's mind for the Coalition, but his mate brother's expression was serious enough to warrant a break… though Hades was hardly the type to have many more cheerful expressions. Not that he had an unpleasant character in any way, but he just seemed much more serious than his brothers. He scowled a lot, but considering their upbringing, Damon often thought that it was no less a mask than Ares's or Senri's grins. And that under that, he was no less caring than his brothers, if in a more subtle and controlled way… which he understood a tad better than other hybrids' somewhat wild attitude. "Hyth called," he said softly, and Damon's curiosity was instantly more than engaged. He thought it would be more about their prisoner and his… state, but it seemed that the guards down in that nook didn't think to share with the white-haired hybrid the information… yet, at least.

He fully intended to tell Ares what he did when his mate woke up… and likely no one else. Ares might not like that, but he believed he would understand his need to protect him. And looking at Hades now – and his similarity to their beautiful mother… he was even further from regretting that. He – cold as he was by nature, or how he thought himself to be – was still quite… upset about how their parents' last hours played out in Diazem's mind. Would his lover realize that he literally had their killer on his hands, there was no way that he – or any of his brothers – would resist tearing him to shreds in an instant. But they had a deal with the Coalition, who wanted to make the fucker's execution public, hence they had to keep him alive. His carcass, at least. As far as he cared, the Coalition could pretend he was mercifully sedated, but making sure he paid his due as he did… was his unquestionable right. Same as protecting his lover's heart from knowing how his beloved parents were… mistreated in their last moments.

Neither Ares nor his brothers needed that knowledge. Not as far as he was concerned anyway, and Diazem… well, he hoped he enjoyed his stay in and with Tartarus – the very primogenitor and epitome of the worst hell imaginable. The very literal personification of pain and suffering meant for the very worst sinners… the title the fucker very much deserved, in his opinion.

Even that didn't feel like enough of a punishment for all the suffering he wrought for fucking entertainment, not even profit or necessity.

And as far as Damon was concerned? Set was next on his personal list for simply being Diazem's inspiration, not to mention that the motherfucker protected those Keepers and apparently kept them hidden from Bast's assured rage. He didn't yet know how to make him pay – exactly – and to make it a permanent sort of thing… but, hey, no one ever accused him of a lack of creativity… especially when he felt inspired.

Making a mental note to create that list of Primordial Gods he earlier discussed with Raha, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Hades expectedly.

"…and? What's the news?" he prompted.

"He notified his father about… well, everything," the white-haired hybrid made a wide gesture between them and scowled darkly. "And apparently… Well, Erebus doesn't quite believe it. I mean, that the Keeper Clan would step so low… not to mention he's convinced that the news of his soulmate are… fake. Hyth didn't think he would need a prove," he added with a helpless shrug when Damon scowled even darker than him at that. "Neither did I, but his father is being… difficult to convince, he says. And that if we do manage to convince Erebus that we have such… obvious favor of our Lady, he would be our greatest ally, but… yeah, perhaps that's why he's being so cautious?"

"I see…" he hummed, tapping the fingers of his right hand against the bicep of the opposite one as he considered it looking at the gold-plated floor between them. "And I suppose you might be correct in that assumption, Hades. From what I heard of the man… he has more than a good reason to be careful," he agreed if keeping to himself his other conclusions. Erebus was one of the few that knew about Hades's feelings for his son, and Damon had no doubt in his mind that the male wasn't above using it – and likely stocking Hythlodaeus's interest over the years – to one day 'suggest' for his son to take over their Clan and that when doing so none less than his very revered hybrid lover would be the only correct pick for his mate. So long it was all consensual, on all sides, he didn't really mind if that was the male's scheme. And considering Hades's skills and experience in helping his older brother ran their Clan… he would be a highly pursued match by any sensible parent among the leaders of the other Clans.

That it fit their own plans… Two birds, one stone, right? And one would have to be blind not to see how devoted was his mate's brother to his violet-haired lover. Likely, was he not that concerned about his brothers' well-being, he would have already mated to Hythlodaeus a long time ago.

Honestly, Hades was half a reason why Damon was so determined to become a successful partner for Ares so that his younger brother knows that his wild siblings and their Clan are in good hands if he chose to follow his heart. And he honestly admired him for his dedication to his brothers, too. Understood it on multiple levels because would someone threaten his twin…

Well, there were few back in their town that learned over the years that Damon was nothing but conniving and merciless whenever it came to punishing those who thought to pick on his younger brother. And now, when he had so many more tools at his disposal? He would have little scruples to feed the next fucker who would try to raise his hand at Raha to Tartarus!

Another mental note: consider his options for dealing with Brett when they'll get back to Gatesville. He at least owed the bastard a beating, right? Though might be more satisfying to ahead of it pull Senri aside and share the details of that… So far he knew, the youngest hybrid didn't know that the situation he first met Raha in wasn't the first time – and he doubted that his ridiculous twin would think to tell him about that, either.

"Umm… Can you give me Hyth's number?" he asked absentmindedly, looking up in Hades's frown. "I'll organize a proper set of evidence for him to show to his father, okay? Some pictures of both Nemesis and our… guest should be enough to convince him to visit us and see for himself, don't you think?"

Hades considered it for a moment, then nodded briskly and dictated a number, already quite aware that Damon's memory was quite unusual. He nodded gratefully, easily memorizing it, then sighed, looking at both sides of the corridor.

"Hades…" he started, with a frown, dropping his arms to his sides.

"Don't worry, syid," the hybrid cut him off. "I made sure that unless absolutely necessary, no one else is allowed near here until Ares has a good time to rest. I posted guards at both ends of this particular corridor with the directive to steer anyone away or to me with whatever issues may arise meanwhile."

"Thank you," he smiled, nodding toward the male gratefully.

"It's literally the least I can do," Hades sighed, frowning over Damon's head toward the closed nook as his voice grew softer. "I was there when Cael woke up, Damon, and… I suppose I didn't really know before how much Ares is… pushing down, you know? He's so confident and dependable, and I was more focused on Sen after our parents died… but I could always count on him. I guess… I didn't really think about how much that cost him. And seeing the pain he was in when Cael confused him with our father… hurt. But I'm glad that he has you now to help him through this. Whatever you may need… say a word," he nodded toward him, then turned and Shifted to his true form, heading in him only known direction.

Damon looked after him for a moment with a smile, feeling strangely warm inside, then he shook his head and headed back inside their nook silently. His heart stuttered unevenly at the sight of his lover's form, making him grin stupidly to see that when he was gone, evidently Ares Shifted, sprawling in his humanoid form in their nest and looking so absurdly gorgeous… he was too weak to resist the temptation of nearing him and stealing a quick, tender kiss while pushing the messy, ink-black strands back from his beautiful face. Pleased with the picture he made like this, he laughed at himself softly and went back to his work.


DAMON'S LIST OF PRIMORDIAL GODS

CHAOS – (apparently not really a God, but the raw energy of creation and destruction). 'Creator' of humans. Potentially involved in the evolution of Seekers and Keepers – for obvious reasons).

NOX (or Nyx) – Queen and Matriarch of PG – Goddess of the Night. Created the tapestry of fate (according to F.) Mother of Pyre.

EREBUS – Husband of Nox (King of PG?). God of Darkness. Sounds pretty fucking scary, too. (pros unknown) (1 favor)

ANANKE & CHRONOS – 'mated' pair of Gods of Necessity and Time, spanning the creation. Can move time, duh, if asked nicely. Though it seems that none but the petitioner (and his mate) are aware of it.

EROS – God of Procreation (Love). (pros unknown. To be tested? If we dare:/). Father of Unicorns.

GAIA – Goddess of Earth. Wife of Uranus. (pros unknown). Mother of Dragons [literally, don't think GoT :p]

URANUS – God of the Sky. Husband of Gaia. (pros unknown). Father of Dragons.

HEMERA – Goddess of the Day. Daughter of Nyx and Erebus (like them all). (pros unknown)

OCEANUS – God of Water. (pros unknown)

OUREA – Goddess of the Mountains. (pros unknown, potential if we wish to expand the lair further in the future)

PONTUS and his female counterpart, THALESSA – God and Goddess of the Sea. [Somehow different than Oceanus]. (pros unknown)

TARTARUS (Tartaros) – God of Hell. Feral and dangerous – and very hungry. To be treated with caution. (useful for dealing with fucker's deserving the worst kind of punishment).

ONEIROS – God of Dreams. [I have my suspicions about his involvement in creating Allag] (pros unknown)

NEMESIS – Goddess of Retribution. (pros unknown, but potentially obvious)

MOROS – God of Doom. (pros unknown)

KER – Goddess of Destiny. (pros unknown)

THANATOS – God of Death. (pros obvious, to be treated with care [potentially also involved somehow in creating Allag])

HYPNOS – God of Sleep. (pros obvious)

ERIS – Goddess of Discord. (pros unknown)

OIZYS – God of Pain. (pros obvious)

STYX – God of Hatred. (pros obvious)

DEIMOS – God of Fear. (pros obvious)

/

[I think Bast might have got quite a number of blessings from those when creating both Miqo'te and Allag. Not clear on the details – might ask Her if given occasion. List to be potentially expanded as I go through the various mythos surrounding the PG, but I think by now you get the idea, yeah? Might be smart to experiment with asking them for favors in the future, but be EXTREMELY careful about that. [No joke, they literally are parts of reality, and messing that up is a BIG NO!]


Raha swallowed thickly as he closed the file sent to him by his twin and went back to the picture of the design chosen by Rahm, hoping that his expression didn't betray his apprehension about Damon's list.

EXTREMELY careful… Yeah, no shit… He wondered briefly if he should nudge his brother to include the list of potential cons of inadvertently insulting one of them… but he figured that Damon was smart enough to take it for a given. Though… He made a mental note to ask about that '1 favor' by Erebus's name because it sounded more than unsettling.

"So…" he exhaled softly and sent Rahm a slightly strained smile, taking comfort in the heat of Senri's hand resting on his thigh. "…purple?"

"Yeah… to fit her eyes," the blonde replied cheerfully, and they went back to planning.


Notes:

* List of PG gathered from various sources [plus I did take some creative liberties with it, obviously]