Emet-Selch. To hear the title in his head again, in his own voice, was a truly odd thing. When he came to this world. He resolved that he would listen to Alexander, and give it a chance, to give the world another chance. To make his own way in a world of many. It was why he'd even started this matchmaking business. To try and live amongst the others, to make his own contribution, even if it wasn't in some nation building manner. It'd been easy at first. This world was not one of the reflections of the Source, but a new world all its own. There were no inklings on the manipulations of space and time. Hades could not rejoin a world that had never been sundered. When he had told that alternate Warrior of Light that he was effectively a retired Ascian, he had been telling the truth. But it was also that alternate Warrior of Light that may have spurred things into motion.

The other one who spurred things into motion was Somnus. An ancient king from a different time. His greed and ambition was all too familiar. The tantalizing prospect of life eternal danced in his head, that much was obvious. In hindsight, why had Hades opened up like he had? Was there some other scheme he'd been hatching that he himself hadn't realizing? Was it therapeutic perhaps? A manner of releasing just a tiny fragment of stress that he'd held for eons? It gave him some insight into those within this world, and he wasn't too pleased. But Somnus was useful, could be useful if properly pointed in the right direction. And it had prepared him for things to come, encountering that man. Just the thought of him caused the Starscourge to thrum throughout his body. He couldn't help but wonder if that man was the brother he'd heard about.

But, to lay out everything he knew about this world. This was a world that could pull from alternate timelines. The Warrior of Light, who shared Azem's soul, was not Alexander, yet had lived through events concurrent to Alexander. Time was of no meaning, as Somnus, according to the man himself, was a Founder King, and thus was likely dead in the current events of his own world. And then there was his brief moment with Venat, one of his own, unmarred and whole. It all spoke too much. And it was only when the bell rang, and he found himself staring at a sickly version of the aforementioned Founder King that he was brought back to his world. Yes, this would do. It would do, perhaps it was time. "Ah, welcome back, your Majesty." He gave a soft smile, as if the plague didn't register for him. But it did, oh it did.

He didn't acknowledge the plague. No need to do that. He knew exactly how to work someone else. Especially when that someone seemed as desperate as Somnus did. You see, it's about presentation. To make a grandiose performance about something like this showed more limitations than anything. To simply do it and move on, Hades noted, left more of an impact. And so that was what he did. There was a flash of magic before a small crystal appeared on his desk. Normally, he wouldn't need such a thing, but he felt it would bring the Founder King some comfort, if the vehemence he spoke with last time was any indication, rather than simply storing it inside himself. But, presentation was key to help bring him in, and well, this was one way to make a presentation.

He rose from his seat, walked over to Somnus, and with very little ceremony, placed his thumb on Somnus's forehead. A quick drawing of he Scourge from his veins as he brought it into himself for but a moment before walking back and depositing it in the crystal, causing it to glow with a soft, blackened light. He took his seat again with that pleasant smile. He'd say nothing. That defeated the purpose of presentation. Instead, he simply motioned to the chair in front of him. "Come, have a seat." By treating it so casually, it sent the message I am above this disease. It is beneath my notice. He was no god, nor would he ever claim that, but if Somnus was enraptured, it would be best for convincing him.

After all, if he were to don his mantle again, he had much work to do.

But he moved on to the more mundane, he owed that much to Somnus. "I admit things are a bit slow with finding your match." Though he doubted that was why the man was here. No, the primary reason had likely been taken care of, which meant there was still the secondary reason. "Or is this about the immortality?" Somnus would not pass it up. And he had a method of it that the Founder King might find most agreeable. It was one Hades found most agreeable himself, at least. A seed that would grow into a mighty tree that would bear fruit for him.

Well, he'd been hoping that would work. And unfortunately, with the poor soul being well and truly gone, he couldn't just possess the corpse and rip out the memories either. Lahabrea would try regardless, Hades would not. Body hopping always weakened an Ascian. Oh, he would still be dangerous, but he misliked having himself weakened so. He closed his eyes for but a moment, mapping out the locations for the other residents. Ah, the room with the piano, that would do for a fun surprise, he surmised. With a sigh, he snapped his fingers, and the corpse vanished again in a dark flash, this time, if he aimed right, it would appear with Garnet, Rufus, and Lumina, flopping unceremoniously on the piano keys. Maybe the sound would draw their attention. With the weather like it was, maybe it wouldn't hurt to give a group a bit of a scare, fear that this place may well and truly be haunted.

Plus he needed to keep himself from getting too bored.

That left the rest of the room. Everything had been searched for, but he took a moment to spread the files out to perhaps give him a lead. The desk drawer was locked, and that likely meant there was something worth hiding in there. An eyebrow quirked. Aim it down just a tad, get inside, and with a snap of his fingers, he attempted to move the contents of the drawer up onto the desk itself. Mayhaps there would be something worthwhile in the pile, unless it was magically warded. Considering everything else, it wouldn't surprise him. What else could he do? He thought to the sensation he felt as he moved through the mansion. It was identical to the crystal. Perhaps if nothing else, that crystal would make for a decent consolation prize.

He looked to the bookshelf to see if there was anything of relevance.

"Oh, that woman leading that group, what was it, the Dragonblades? I should get in touch with them at some point." He remarked offhandedly as he waited for his results. Oh. Ohhhh. Now, that was a very peculiar sight, one that definitely caught his interest. Someone involved in this mess had that ever rare power of Chronostasis. Well, that effectively ruled out the guests. He couldn't see anyone with that caliber of magic getting in. The Exarch in theory could have been possible of such magic, had he relied on the Crystal Tower. But without it here, he could not accomplish such a feat. But, well, perhaps a more mundane look would suffice. But what the butler had said enraptured him. Something on the nature of this world? The crystal, he supposed would do. Perhaps a bit of sleight of hand would suffice? The research was far more interesting to Hades, and well, perhaps that may require a more... hands on approach. This world had no lifestream, nothing to spirit away the spirit. And with such a violent death, well, perhaps it yet lingered.

Hades looked at the crystal. With the glass broken outward, well, the obvious possibility was there. So he simply looked at it. The genuine article should be emanating that kind of aether throughout the house if the butler was right. If not, then the actual crystal was likely gone, and the one there, a fake. He doubted it though. In fact, if that crystal was as old and powerful as the butler said. He gazed at it in thought for a moment. While it would be highly irregular, it would not be impossible. An outward force from the crystal, of immense power. There were other burns, he had died. No, that couldn't be the answer, could it?

Still, he'd offer some comfort to the poor man. "I can preserve him, don't you worry. I must ask before you leave; did he like these sort of stories? Mysteries such as this?" Because that, that was important. That last detail was arguably the most important of all.

Still, he looked back down to the body. "No burns to his clothes." But then it was all interrupted at something was destroyed up there by other members of the party. Most of the signatures he got from there, he didn't recognize. One of them, well, it turned out that Alexander's wife was a fan of these, too. Best not be recognized. Although, he never saw her on the First, so unless Alexander informed her of him, well, he should be safe. Still, why not hit the hornet's nest? "You know, it takes a special kind of uncultured savage to destroy such a lovely abode!" He shouted up to the balcony. Why not?

"Now, then. We don't want anyone swiping that crystal, now do we?" He looked to the crystal giving it a rather sharp smirk, maybe it would be good to test it, and with a snap of his fingers, attempted it to spirit it away with a dark flash into his own little pocket space. Even on the off chance it was a fake, a crystal was a handy place to store things like aether, or a certain plague he was containing. Surely, the crystal wouldn't mind, would it?

If the fact that he was lounging in a cafe, reading a newspaper was any indication, Hades had adjusted to Sonora well enough. He didn't get the raw scorn that most outsiders did. Oh, he stood out, with his third eye that clearly marked him as an outsider. But, that situation was resolved by simply possessing a lot of money to buy the people's favor. No matter the world, it seemed that greed could be a prevailing motive. Money spoke, as it always did, and as long as he was able to present it, well, even for a xenophobic city like Sonora, the myriad doors were opened to him. He wasn't pleased with such a realization that it was all the same, but well, in a new world, one was expected to play by the rules, yes? Even with those new rules were still the old. Yet despite this, many unique characters found their way to this city that may as well have never slept, for all its lighting. Perhaps it allowed others to forget that this place was constantly freezing by simply giving them something to do.

Ah, take a look at one of those characters now. A young man, perhaps still a child, with outrageous blue hair and visible veins. Just from watching him, the boy seemed to be oozing with teenage angst, just about right for his age. Nothing to notice in that, in itself. He was tall though, he really had to give credit there. Taller than this current body, and how old was Hades? In truth, Hades may have simply written it off as the punk culture that ran in the undercurrents of the city. That would have been it, were it not for his sight. His soul showed its scars; plenty of tragedy, if he had to guess. But, well, what was truly fascinating was that the boy wasn't alone. Another presence followed him. Mighty, but incorporeal at the moment. Well, that elevated the boy from punk, to interesting. Did he even know that he was being followed? The presence was similar to his, but he couldn't quite place it without some information.

Still, he was staring, and some might consider that rude. Just... not at the boy anymore. The presence drew his attention far more. It wasn't a primal, even if it held power comparable to one. Well, nothing that he couldn't figure out one way or another. Perhaps simply calling him over would be for the best. If nothing else, something to observe. In truth, he much preferred observation. Having to do things took so much energy he could be using for something else. But he supposed that, in order to give Alex a chance, he should try and do this thing called socialize. Let it never be said he didn't try. He found himself folding his newspaper, and laying it flat on the table. "You do realize you are being followed, child?" A calculated card to play. He wasn't one to announce his abilities, but, it was a good way to get their attention. And this one, well, he was more curious than anything.