Sex God Saga

Sex God Saga 2

Magic Awakening & Boys To Drool Over

Still THURSDAY:

Keith was back at the chapel, sans baseball cap but with a biker jacket in white with black accents.

He let his fingers run through his hair as he walked up to Theo. The smooth black strands fell too perfectly – just out of place enough to look casual but with not a single hair standing oddly.

"Is your hair enchanted?" Theo asked.

Keith paused. "Mel, did you... Yeah, Melisandre fixes it for me. Instinct, I guess." He grinned.

"Is your smile enchanted, too?"

"Nope," Keith said. "At least not right now. Try not to crush too hard or this'll get awkward."

"I w-wasn't. So, what's the plan? The council decided my fate?"

Keith shrugged. "You're still interesting to the Watcher, it seems, so we can't just put you back into Baseliner life. The good news, we got practically everything from your old apartment. Juniper is putting it into storage. The bad news, you really can't go back. We'll make you Knowing. Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Ivory Haven, initiating you to the Mysterium."

"Magic school?"

Keith's smile put butterflies in Theo's stomach. "Close enough."

Godrick was outside, raking leaves in an area around the Refugium's only birch tree. Gardening didn't match his leatherjacket aesthetics. He nodded as the duo passed.

The Porsche was gone, replaced by a white Yamaha motorbike. Keith put on a white helmed and handed Theo a matching black one.

"Ever rode one, Theo?"

"No."

Keith sat on the cycle. "Hop on, hands around me, don't let go. Don't worry, I'm an excellent driver."

The biker put a key - from the jumble containing Biscuit the sprite - in the ignition. He grabbed Theo's hands and put them around his frame.

Theo's heart beat faster. Keith was boyishly lean with his muscles hard and all around beautiful to touch. The jacket was open, which somewhat defeated the point of biker clothing but Theo wasn't going to suggest otherwise – he got to feel the ripple of Keith's abs as the driver took off.

###

Theo had expected another hidden location at the edge of the city but they drove to Harpersfield downtown's Elmwood Square, a pedestrian block, half park, half mid-rise commercial, bordering the high rises of central downtown. The usual throng of locals and tourists was enjoying the midday warmth under yellowing fall foliage.

"Let me check," Keith said, his helmet stored on the bike, his hair immaculate. "Entrance is... over there now."

Theo let himself get led to a public library, an abstract shape of glass and concrete.

"Is this Ivory Haven?" Theo asked.

"Just the way in." Keith reached out. Theo took the offered hand. A thin `blanket' brushed over Theo's face.

The Asian with dangly earrings stepped to a blank wall area and grabbed at nothing. A door opened, swinging inward. A white antechamber lay beyond. Marble floor, paneled walls, the lighting bright but well adapted to the pure white surroundings so it wasn't blinding.

Keith let go once they had both stepped inside. Theo looked back. Even though pedestrians were close, nobody was looking at the impossible door.

Theo turned a corner and stopped in his tracks.

"Welcome to the demiplane we call Ivory Haven," Keith said. "Also known as the Mage Tower if you're feeling quirky."

The white hall could have comfortably fit a basketball court. Art lined the walls, mostly oil paintings and aquarelles in various styles, more moderns than traditional. Below the paintings were... Shrines? Altars? Candles and incense burned next to jars and trinkets on low tables.

The hall's back half was open to above, stairs spiraling up the sides. At the center of that open space stood a picturesque lilac tree.

And below that tree stood a deer, not just white but radiant. It had a unicorn horn and was a bit bigger than Theo thought deer should be.

It came for the new arrivals, passing the few people lingering in the room.

"A god?" Theo asked.

"Ascelin," Keith said. "Starts with A-S-C, pronounced `ash'. Powerful enough to keep this place going so don't, like, be an idiot in front of her."

They met Ascelin halfway. The deer bowed lightly. Keith prodded Theo into giving the deer a pet on the head, near the unicorn horn.

"H-hello, Ascelin?" the blond said, gently feeling the fur.

A woman approached. Dark hair down to her hips, a crown of flowers, a flowing dress. She was barefoot. "Hello hello there. I like your hair, young man."

Theo didn't see much to like about his towel-dried, helmet-crammed mop and wasn't sure how to react. "Thanks. I'm Theo."

"I'm Avena. Muse of spring." She sounded kind, almost saccharine." If you feel like learning about herbology, I charge the usual rates. Oh-" Her gaze snapped to Ascelin. "He's new huh? Theo, the goddess would like to bid you welcome to the community. Adapting can be a process but you're safe here."

Theo looked between Avena, Keith and the deer goddess. "Thanks. Really."

"Gotta go now." The woman ascended a small altar like a stair and... stepped into a portrait of herself. She merged into the canvas.

Keith slapped Theo's back. "Maybe I should introduce you to some of the human folk around. Here come the shamans."

Three people assembled as a welcoming committee.

At the center was a middle aged woman with brown skin, her frizzy hair close cut. She wore pure white, matching the surroundings, a crisp and simple robe.

"Kenya Linwood," Keith said. "Plus `Aura', the muse of asceticism, who she's bound to even if you can't see her." He made it into earshot of the group. "Kenya, did you clean up the demon burns on that car?"

Kenya smiled. "I did. Nothing too troublesome. So you're the one the Watcher finds so interesting."

"Guess so," Theo said.

His mind was elsewhere as Keith and a girl practically fell into each other's arms. She had to be his girlfriend, with the way they kept touching as the hug broke.

She was pretty enough, white, with shoulder long hair, perfect makeup and a formfitting, violet dress. A stalk of lavender was tucked into her hair above the ear.

"This is Coralline," Keith said. "Outside the Ivory Haven, conjurer society is somewhat sex segregated. Old system and kind of whatever. Haven't seen you forever, Cor."

Not girlfriend then. It was embarrassing how much that meant to Theo. He blamed that fact he'd lost his old life a few hours ago. He exchanged hellos with Coralline.

Last was a Latino in dark clothes, hip-hop style with baggy pants and a much too-long print shirt. Red earphones rested on his neck.

"Cristiano White," the young man said and handed Theo a business card. "If my old man is too busy to hear you out, talk to me."

"Son of our convent's leader," Keith explained, "the Hierarch Greyson White. But don't hold that against Cristiano. He's usually at Pinerise Manor." Keith paused, looked ahead and beamed. "I see the kids are in."

Coralline followed his gaze to pairs of small boots by the lilac tree. "Mrs Lee wanted them stowed here with what's going on."

"Hey Theo," Keith said, "I promised to introduce you to humans, but you should meet those guys, too."

Kenya, the brown woman in white, huffed. "They're not inhuman, Keith."

Keith waved her off. "Bad phrasing. Not trying to reheat that debate. Deepest apologies et cetera. Come on."

Only Coralline followed as Theo and Keith walked past the blooming tree and up to the second floor of what appeared to be four total. It was less open here, more areas sectioned off.

They entered a play area. Three Asian kids, which was enough to make the room bustling. They were being wrangled by two adult Asians - a woman and a stupidly hot muscleboy.

Theo had trouble focusing on anyone else even though the hunk was only visible from the back right now.

He was a bit shorter than Theo, maybe 5'6''. His muscles were popping. He had a broad frame holding a classic bodybuilder physique, sculpted to perfection.

He wore an olive muscle-tee that let his back muscles play, his thick arms bulging with every motion. Dark shorts hung over calves that most bodybuilders could only dream of, ending in sock-less sneakers. His hair was shaved down to a millimeter, only a gray shadow on his round head.

He was one of those guys who could have walked past Theo once and would have stuck in his memory forever, along maybe a dozen other men who felt `made for Theo' as stupid as that sounded out loud.

"Gracelynn, no drawing on the walls for fu-iddlestick's sake."

Even mildly angry, his voice was much too gentle for the body.

He turned around, at last. The face was puppy-like – round with a flat nose, puffy cheeks and strongly slanted eyes. He had a small, almost subtle septum piercing.

His muscle-shirt covered so little of his pecs, he flashed his nipples when he leaned down.

Theo jolted as someone touched him. Keith was pushing him at the Asian woman.

"Everybody, this is Theo."

"Luna Huang," the woman said. "Just Luna will do. Sorry, I'm busy this second. Jerico Lee, if these pens aren't back in the box by ten, there will be no ice cream. One, two, three- That's right."

Keith leaned in and whispered. "Jaw on the floor?"

"What?"

"You're staring at our resident puppy-dog, Tank. Yes, his name is really Tank."

Theo wanted to defend himself but the broad, beautiful puppy-hunk finally approached them. He reached out with a hand that was appropriately mid-sized for his body but wide and thick. A tattoo was on the back of each hand - Yin on one, Yang on the other. His grasp was firm, of course.

"Fulin Wang," he said. "Call me Tank."

"Oh," Keith said. "Your name isn't actually Tank. I feel silly now."

"It's `Tank' to my friends, and we're all friends here. I'm the Alpha and Broodguard of the Green Dawn."

Fulin `Tank' Wang flexed his biceps casually and Theo wanted to worship, cry, or both.

"Theo's newly Knowing," Coralline said. "Those terms won't mean much."

"He's the top dog," Keith said. "He likes to flex his status. Let's everyone know he's a very good boy. Aw, why are you making those puppy eyes? Ruff day?"

Fulin/Tank gave Keith a light shove. "Heard every one of those too many times."

Theo willed himself not to stutter or otherwise mess up. "So do I call you Fulin or Tank?"

"Whatever rolls of the tongue, but probably Tank," Tank said. "Fulin means `blessings arrive' and that's more one for the ladies." He flexed again, more purposeful now. "These blessings arrive long and hard." With a jolt he glanced behind himself to check if any of the kids had been in earshot.

"If you need a babysitter," Keith said, "Tank is your man. Or watchdog. Or emotional support cuddle puppy."

"Can you stop that?" Coralline asked, not sounding too annoyed. "And pretty sure he's your elder."

"Twenty five," Tank said, pointing at himself, then pointing at Keith.

"Twenty three."

All eyes were on Theo. "Uh, twenty eight," he said, feeling on the spot.

Luna Huang put her hands on Coralline's shoulders. "And it's rude to ask a lady her age. Now if you're not helping with the little ones..."

"Right," Keith said. "Theo's initiation."

They left for a sitting area but Theo couldn't stop thinking about Tank, for multiple reasons.

"Are those kids... magical?" Theo asked. "I mean, are they gonna go to normal school or..."

Coralline waved him off. "They'll forget what happened in here when they're back outside, until they start manifesting and get initiated in however many years."

Theo lowered his voice to ask. "Are they... Is Tank a werewolf?"

Keith and Coralline were both highly amused.

"Werewolf's aren't real," Keith said. "Anymore."

"You're not that far off, though," Coralline added. "We should start your lesson. Just an hour of having everything laid out by Horkos. If you have questions later, we'll be around."

"Make an oath," Keith said. "A tiny oath. Not important what it is, just that you stick to it. Like, having lunch after."

"With us," Coralline said. "At the Fifth Season."

Theo tried not to physically recoil as he imagined the prices. "I have no money on me."

"Our treat then," Coralline said. "Now, make the oath. Dramatically."

"I vow... to join you for lunch after my lesson? Uh, upon my soul, so shall it be."

"By this binding oath," Keith said, "we call on the one we name Horkos."

It stopped feeling silly when a bearded guy in a toga stepped out of an oil painting of himself. A muse willing to teach about the Mysterium.

"Horkos, at your service."

"Sit here, Theo," Keith said and pointed at smooth, black floor. He reached for chalk and marked out a circle for Theo to sit in. He kept drawing on the ground.

Coralline handed Theo a notebook and a pen. "If you feel like keeping track."

###

Theo's notes:

Earth is parallel to Ephemera - a home to beings called Outsiders or a dozen other names. Visit earth sometimes (alien invaders, basically).

Immaterial but can take on a Visage (form they are naturally drawn to) and can get bound to Vessels (like items or locations). The more the Vessel fits the Visage, the better.

They come to earth to feed off humans (not as bad as it sounds, except demons).

The weakest Outsider type is the wisp. Animal-like or inanimate, won't stay long unless it finds a power source or gets bound.

Wisps can do small magic like cause or fix rashes, hide this notebook from Baseliners, make you sleepy...

Preferred Vessels include bugs, flowers, gusts of air, spider webs, a common cold, a meaningful symbol, a persistent temptation, strong faith...

###

The trio sat outside, under the sunblind of the Fifth Season restaurant, enjoying a meal that had Theo feeling vaguely guilty. He'd rather have taken the money and stretched it for twenty courses of instant noodles.

"Want to try summoning?" Coralline asked.

"Here?" Theo said.

"Just summoning, nothing else," she responded. "To have a look at what Baseliners can't see."

Keith finished his sip. "I have three wisps. Melisandre bound them for me, but I keep them fed enough they'd stay loyal without her. Dash' lives in the glints of my earrings – wisp of, well, dashing, big leaps and gestures." He raised a finger, showing off a subtle copper ring. "And Coco' is a wisp of... Fondness? Affection? Never had to put a name to it. They both like sunlight and having their vessels polished."

"I thought you're a night owl," Theo said. "Sunlight doesn't sound like it synergizes."

"Smartass," Keith said and gestured at Elmwood Square. "I'm not a vampire, I can be out in the sun."

"Are there vampires?"

Both shamans chuckled, which indicated no, but they also shared a telling glance.

"You remember Damien?" Keith said. "The black hunk who wanted to help you?"

"Crown prince of High Onyx, you called him. Yeah."

"I did. It's that Onyx, by the way, if you couldn't tell."

The shaman in white pointed at one of Harpersfield's biggest towers. 30 floors or dark glass, rising in postmodern geometry. Known, in fact, as the Onyx.

"Don't get on his bad side," Keith said and leaned in. "Or he might drain the life out of you."

Coralline gave him a slap on the biker jacket. "Don't scare Theo and don't trash talk my childhood crush."

Keith threw his hands up. "Aight, back to the topic. My third wisp's `Nyx' but it only exists at night, living in the scent of my perfume. Or my body odor, in so far as I have any. So do you want to play medium for Dash or Coco?"

Coralline pulled the lavender stalk from her hair. "Actually, I'm carrying a wisp right now. Coaxed it out of a houseless woman's knee pain on the subway. You can experiment with this one. It doesn't matter if it escapes."

Theo took the stalk with a thanks and held it in front of his face.

The easiest and most basic ritual. Summoning aka becoming a medium, to reveal present Outsiders.

The slim blond unfocused his eyes and `let the world fade' as Horkos had taught him.

There it was. A streak like the flicker of air above scorching hot asphalt, constrained to the lavender blossoms.

Theo glanced up and saw another streak dancing in the shine of Keith's inverted cross earring. But there was more. A presence overlapping Keith, like a person Theo could only see in the corner of his vision hovering around the pretty Asian, always elsewhere when he focused on it.

Melisandre, who allowed herself to be revealed by mediumship but kept details to herself. Theo felt he should respect that choice.

"I see it," he whispered, eyes back on the lavender wisp.

"Try transferring," Keith said and pushed an unlit candle toward the blond. "Atlas Glyph saying `come here'."

Theo grabbed a fork with his free hand and scratched into the wax.

Atlas Glyphs were any symbol a shaman imbued with meaning and power. It didn't matter what you wrote, drew or engraved, only what meaning you gave it.

Theo carved a circle around the wick, trying to make it mean go in there'. He leaned back and read' his glyph with the sight of mediumship. Seemed to say what he wanted it to, his own voice from a second ago whispering into his subconscious.

He held the lavender up to the candle and the wisp poured itself into the wax.

"It's malleable enough to be a wax wisp now," Coralline said. "You could bind it by lighting the candle for example. It would like that."

"I... there aren't any lit candles. It would be weird."

"You could command it to keep the flame dim."

Keith's phone buzzed. "Ah, great news. Knox figured out your living situation. Knox is our Omen of the Wake, basically internal affairs. He's an officer. You'll know, he looks like an officer. Walrus-y with a `stache and dressed in blue. Should we order dessert?"

`Figured out' just like that? Keith was so casual about moving heaven and earth, it was irritatingly sexy.

"Uh, thanks," Theo said. "Thanks a lot. And apropos dessert, I don't know if this is rude but... can I see Biscuit?"

###

Theo's notes:

The next level of Outsiders are sprites (sometimes categorized into pixies, fairies, imps, spooks...). They can assume human intelligence and even speak but that takes more power. By nature they're closer to animals.

They grant powerful magic like mimicry, tainting and resistance.

"Don't worry if those random words don't mean much yet." –Keith

"But feel free asking." -Cor

Examples are underwater breathing and keeping someone from lying (guessing that's what Keith did to me).

Preferred vessels can include a bushel or small tree, hummingbird, rat, monkey, nest or burrow, a fire, a skull...

###

There were three different desserts on the table but they shared between them. It was so delicious, Theo couldn't even feel guilty.

Keith's key bundle was on the table, too. Above it hovered Biscuit.

Sprites were more substantial, the air flicker baseball-sized.

Theo tried the ritual called conjuring, or invoking, to create Biscuit's Visage. In a way it was the simplest kind of Vessel. Muses and gods could assume visible shape by their own will, wisps and sprites needed a push.

Theo raised his empty glass and looked through it, seeing Biscuit distorted through the material, a spectral vessel in the reflection, naturally forming but barley keeping together.

"He's a porcelain... jester?"

"Harlequin puppet, yeah," Keith said. "Sprite of entertainment, as mentioned. Keys aren't a perfect fit for that Visage but both are crafted artefacts and I'm not carrying a clown puppet around."

The creepy, spectral jester in the glass reflection grinned at Theo and poked his porcelain tongue out.

"Don't stare too long," Coralline said. "You don't have V storage so you're just draining yourself right now. Nothing too serious but don't get reckless."

Theo lowered the glass. "Okay, thanks. For taking care of me and everything. I forgot to ask, where is my new place? I hope it's not too far from Ground Up cause I work the morning shift and-" Theo's eyes went wide. "My job! I didn't show up. I'm screwed."

Keith flinched. "Maybe give them a call. You did have an accident after all. `Dash' can probably make it more convincing – a little bit."

"We'll see you home after," Coralline said.

A pigeon landed on an empty table beside them, fixated on Theo.

"The Watcher's still watching, huh?" the female shaman said. "That's also something to figure out."

###

At the corner of Chinatown, just besides its oriental gate, was the Smiling Panda Asian-fusion restaurant.

Its owner Seiko Yoshida was a minuscule woman in a kimono that served as restaurant uniform. She seemed to beam at all times, as if her whole face was only made to smile.

Theo got a tiny apartment on the second floor. It was crammed with cardboard boxes full of his stuff that someone had hastily grabbed from his old place. Nothing seemed missing, even if it was chaotic.

Seiko Yoshida had gone back to her restaurant – tail end of the lunchtime rush – evading all mentions of rent.

Before Theo could start sorting, someone knocked on his door.

He opened to a 5'5'' Asian man with a gym bunny physique. Not excessively muscled like Tank, just a freakishly ideal boy next door body. His broad face helped make him look buffer then he was. His hair was messily pulled back into a small top knot, sides shaved.

He wore a sleeveless hoodie in striking blue and stark red sweatpants. Neon pink headphones hung on his neck.

"Hello neighbor," the stranger said. "Mako Yoshida. You met my mom."

"Ah, she mentioned. Theo Travis. Newly Knowing."

"How much do you know about us yet?"

"Horkos gave me a minute's worth of your history. I met Tank and Luna. That's about it."

Mako's polite smile turned into an honest grin. "Just those, or the kiddie gaggle, too?"

"Yeah, I didn't catch any names, though."

Mako nodded to the ceiling. "The Lee fam lives upstairs. Fox and Yon with their moody teen and four kids. They usually don't trample but if you get woken up at night by someone running overhead, that'll be them."

"Okay. Um, I'd ask you in but..."

Theo gestured at the boxes everywhere.

"Want to come over?" Mako asked. "I'll tell you all about us Primals."

###

Mako's apartment was bigger than Theo's but darker. Some walls painted black, see-through curtains drawn. It was lit mostly by wall lights and neon signs in various colors. There was a massive TV screen with multiple game consoles underneath. The centerpiece was a desk with several monitors. Computer parts were scattered around. Some gym stuff like elastic bands and protein powder, some brightly colored clothes over a chair. Glow-in-the-dark spray art.

"Cold or hot beverage?" Mako asked. "Or a protein shake? You look like you could use one." His shoulders briefly sagged. "Ugh, don't meant to be such a `bro'."

"It's fine," Theo said. "Bro out all you want. I'll take something warm if you don't mind. Your place is a little..."

"It's too cold?" Mako asked, jolting. "Dude, I forgot. I literally can't get cold. I'm the Forgedancer. That... doesn't meant anything to you, huh?"

Mako pulled his sleeveless hoodie off, setting the headphones aside. His pecs and abs matched the `boy next door but a little beefier' aesthetic his arms had promised. "See? Literally can't get cold." He tossed the clothing at Theo. "My body heat's still in there, put it on."

With his throat dry, Theo slipped into the warm, sleeveless attire. It was just long enough on him. It only really smelled of detergent but Theo breathed it in deeply when the owner wasn't looking.

Mako had walked over to a minifridge and smirked. "I was kidding about putting it on, you know? Nah, leave it. I don't want you to be cold. Coffee for you?"

Mako opened the fridge and let a Labrador out. A living, black Labrador that had been in the cold, crammed box. It held an iced tea in its snout which Mako grabbed as the dog wandered over to Theo.

"I'm Everest," the Labrador said in an older woman's voice.

"...I'm Theo."

"I'm the muse of an icy mountain top."

"I'm just some dude, I think? The Watcher watches me."

"Then you must be quite some dude indeed."

The dog walked past, followed by a whiff of chill air.

"Your familiar?" Theo asked.

"Not the term we Primals use," Mako said. "But essentially. So, any questions?"

###

Theo's notes:

Primals once were shape shifters living in packs. Werewolves and such. Creatures of strength, labor and sport. ("The guys are meathead bros but the chicks are cute" –Keith)

Hunted to near extinction anywhere but Asia. Their metamorphosis ability has weakened over the generations as their numbers dropped.

They have a third eye' that can spot lies, illusions etc. They can scent' someone to subdue them. They have ancient roles like Wild Mother and Broodguard that have inherent clout with some Outsiders.

###

They sat on gamer chairs by the desk, which held paraphernalia of various shooter and platformer titles with some Minecraft thrown in.

The Watcher was present, a pair of eyes reflected on the computer screen that didn't belong to any person in the room. Theo tried to face away from the screen.

It was hard to keep his gaze wandering naturally. Mako had stayed shirtless.

"There are two Primal circles in Harpersfield," Mako said, "not counting the Lunar Tempest. There's the Green Dawn and the Howling Dusk. Technically, the Green Dawn has the old folk and the children, with the Howling Dusk consisting of the youth so we got somewhere to go and be rebellious instead of feeling constrained. Then the young become the old and the Green Wild kiddos are the new rebels. Theoretically." He pointed at himself. "I'm thirty six so obviously there's a lot of intermingling. I'm the Forgedancer for both circles."

"What's a Forgedancer?" Theo asked.

"Oh, right. A handyman, a repair guy, a smith. At least originally. Now it's computers. I'm the tech-wiz. Everest would have been useful in a forge, but she's also good at keeping computer's cool."

"And you... can shapeshift?"

Mako shrugged. "It's nothing like turning into a tiger and shit how it apparently worked pre-Edo period. It's costly to make small changes last more than a day. And permanent changes require a whole different level of dedication – and there's only so much `juice' you get for it. Most of the Primal guys use it to put on a little more mass. At the start, a lot of us think it's free muscles but it still takes work to build that mass, so most don't stick it out like me."

"Like you?" Theo asked, thinking of Tank.

"Yeah, I'm about the most dedicated fucking shape shifter in either circle."

"Really?"

Mako grinned as if he had sprung a clever trap. "I shifted up to 5'5'' from 5'3'' and change. I built mass over and over and put it into my height, permanently. You don't get how much mass that requires, but it's a lot."

Theo was oddly devastated about the `loss' of a 5'3'' Mako, who would have been fucking adorable. Not that the current Mako wasn't, but it felt like a trade Theo would have liked to be allowed to have a say in. That was messed up but he couldn't help it.

"Great," Theo said. "A l-lot of guys would kill to have that option. Totally jealous, ha."

Mako's grin turned into confusion, then returned. "Weird, when I tell guys that I made myself taller, I open my third eye and watch them lie through their teeth that they're not jealous. You said you are, but that was a lie."

Theo took a sip from his coffee to play over his urge to dry swallow.

Mako leaned back. His naked torso remained beautiful. "Sorry, I'll close my third eye. It's rude of me to, you know, `stare'. I'm just wildly curious now."

"I just thought," Theo started. Was it safe to lie now? What would a convincing lie be? He wanted to tear off the hoodie to gain emotional distance. "I don't really get the tall man craze. I'm sad you felt like you needed to change that much."

"Aww," Everest made and put her head in Theo's lap. She was cold, not icy but definitely not dog-warm.

"So Tank isn't..." Theo said, not sure what was considered offensive.

"Tank used his metamorphosis, definitely, but less to get bigger and more to trim his baby fat. He was always a big kid. He's the Green Dawn Broodguard, together with Broodguard-in-training Liang. A babysitter, except with an ancient bond to a muse of protection. Tank calls him Weidong, which means guard dog. Not exactly witty, but you didn't hear that from me."

"Oh, is that why Keith made all those bad dog puns? I thought Tank just has a puppy face."

"Why not both?" Mako said with a shrug. "Do you lift, by the way?"

"When I get around to it. I'd have to see if there's a gym from the chain I go to nearby."

Mako waved him off. "Cancel that subscription. We got a gym across from here. All the Primals go there. Most supportive bunch of meatheads you'll ever meet. Hm, I guess I should introduce you to Fox. He's probably still working – he's a waiter downstairs."

Theo rose. "Sure. I think I saw him. Hunky, small orange-blond streaks?"

"Exactly. Did you notice his nose is crooked? Funny story, it was never broken. He perma-shifted it so he'd look more like a fighter. Don't let him intimidate you."

"I'll try not to."

"And can I have that hoodie back? My last girlfriend stole too many for me to throw them around."

"Sure," Theo said again.

Fuck. Yet another straight guy. The amount of untouchable eye candy was growing beyond what Theo's sanity could handle.