Though Ares was very much content, it seemed Bellona wanted to keep going fora while longer so he sat back and let her do as she pleased...
Flick
"Hey!" Ares hadn't expected this sudden attack on his junk. "What do you think you're doing to white camel?!"
"It's fighting back!" Bellona complained as Ares' tool sprung back towards her like an inflatable Wing Chun dummy.
"Why are you picking a fight with it to begin with?!"
"Because it keeps acting all cocky!"
"Pft." Usually it was Ares making dumb jokes but Bellona got him good with that one. She was sticking her tongue out at him but that kind of provocation in this kind of situation was only going to end up one way and, sure enough, that tongue was busy not even a few seconds later. The second go around was a much more playful experience, with the two bantering back and forth as Bellona was convinced Ares was as 'big as his ego', but it came to an eventual end with Ares using his popping candy annihilation semen trick. Bellona thought it was hilarious, though, and so he didn't get the grouchy 'really?' look he did with Enyo last time he did this. She just giggled with puffed up cheeks and it was kind of adorable. She got up and sat on his lap like a demanding puppy looking for attention and Ares hugged her from behind as they chatted about this and that. Bellona double and triple checked with Ares that he was being serious when he said she was better than her sister, and not just paying her lip service as she just had to him, and finally took him at face value after he reassured her multiple times. That put her in a good mood and so she wriggled closer to him and shrunk into his chest, happy to stay there for another hour or two and just hold and be held. They were both still nude so there was something natural about the interaction, something deeply personal that Bellona quite liked. With those pesky clothes out of the way Bellona realised she could be almost as close as humanly possible to Ares and it was pleasant to feel his warmth directly like this. Of course the next step was also in her mind but she wasn't reluctant to go there any more, rather she was thinking about when the best chance to do it would be and was looking forward to it. Ares was wondering about it too but he had other business to take care of in the short term that he couldn't put off forever. He wanted to spend time with Bellona, and Enyo and Sandy, but he had to take over the sect officially, check in with Hans and Windsor, go say hello to the sect headquarters, and maybe some other small tasks here and there. Bellona would have to wait a little while but she'd get her wish in due time. Ares figured it would be either right before he left for Akarala or, if she came along, maybe at some point during the new adventure.
...
"Tsk, you can come in, whore." Bellona rolled her eyes and spoke towards a closed door because she knew well enough who was on the other side. The door creaked open an inch or two and Enyo peeked her head partially through and gave a wave. She thought the sight of naked Bellona cuddling with Ares on a chair was sweet so she didn't want to interrupt too much. Scenes like this were rare so she just sat on the bed instead and joined in on their conversation. Sandy would have come along too but it was nearly dinner time so she was going out of the sect to look for something to snack on while she waited for Arse to finish with Bellona as she figured it might take a while. Of course this was partially an excuse, the more food the merrier and she would have wanted to explore Red sun's restaurants more regardless, but this was a perfect opportunity and there was no reason to waste it. She'd be back in time for whatever Ares made and gulp down that too no doubt. She was the partner Ares had spent the least time with and, though it was because she'd only joined recently, he still owed her a date of her own. A foodie tour across the city was perhaps the only viable option for a woman like her and so Ares was already charting a course through must-see stops and stalls. Between restaurants, market food, and his own cooking, she would have something to chew on the entire time and she'd be going on a flavour roller coaster custom tailored by Ares himself. It might have sounded like an easy enough plan to come up with but it was actually quite the chore as he had to connect flavour profiles from one to another. Eating at a spicy Szechuan stall and then going right into a place that sold smooth and soft deserts was bad idea, for instance, and there needed to be a palate cleanser in between or it would ruin the experience. Ares was having a bit of a travelling salesman problem in his head but he'd work it out eventually, connect the dots, and create an intricate web of destinations that combined to form the perfect trip that would be memorable and tick all his check boxes.
Ares was mostly done solving the route in his head but he took a break only to find Bellona not on him any more and he was already missing her presence. She'd gotten up and started brawling with her sister on the bed at some point presumably because she was showing off and told her that Ares preferred her 'talents'. This sparked a hint of competitiveness in Enyo, hence the wrestling, but also a bit of admiration and curiosity. She was tangoing with Bellona to try and get her memories and Ares didn't want to get involved in the cat fight. They would solve it themselves eventually so he got changed in the background and started cooking up a meal for everyone as he left the room. There were tasks at hand so he decided to leave the house to start getting some headway on them by first Voidwalking over to Hans office and paying him a visit. There wasn't anything specific he had to do here but Ares thought it important to stop by and see if he needed anything as well as get a general update. As long as things were going smoothly then he needn't intervene as Red Sun was less so under his control than it was under Hans'. He was stepping back as much as he could mostly because he had zero interest in running this place, it was only the sect he was interested in and Red Sun was sort of like an added bonus. Ares couldn't realistically take only the sect with him to Vraizon, there weren't enough resources, but her also wasn't going to act like a tyrant and take over the city either. This way he could delegate the workload to someone else and it was someone he knew well too. To that end, popping in every now and then and aiding Hans with whatever he needed was for the best to keep things running without a hitch and without the need for Ares to step in over and over again. Red Sun was borderline autonomous and Ares wanted to keep it that way. Hans was the key and Windsor was probably doing her job too.
Little did Ares know, though, that he was visiting at a opportune moment as somebody else happened to be in Hans' office right about now and it was someone who was going to be quite helpful going forward. Ares waltzed into the mayor's office, with nobody daring to stop him because even with his new hairstyle the destructive aura he was intentionally radiating made it clear as day who he was, and came face to face with three people. Hans was sat at his chair with a cigar in his mouth as he tapped a vertical bunch of stapled papers against his desk, Windsor was sitting on the windowsill and looking out of it at some nearby construction works she was overseeing the negotiations for, and finally there was a woman with a hobo stick stood right in the middle of the room and wearing a bright smiler that lit up the entire interior. Ares was familiar with the first two but not the latter but they seemed to know who he was.
"If it ain't Mr Big Shot in the flesh himself!... Though why are you blond now? I don't remember hearing anything about that?" The woman was loud not necessarily volume wise but definitely so in terms of being attention grabbing and taking control of any given room with her voice. She reeked of positivity but there was a craftiness barely identifiable behind the smile that put more observant folks on edge when navigating her outwardly jovial personality.
"I was playing dress up with my wife and this is just how things went. If you want to see my original handsome face you'll have to come back tomorrow."
"Ha, that's a revenant for you. But I still have business here today so I'm not planning on leaving just yet. Better yet, I have some business with you as well so this is perfect for me."
"Me?" Ares raised an eyebrow because he had no clue who this woman was. Fortunately Windsor butt in with a sigh and an explanation... Or a loose 'threat' anyway.
"Don't bother trying to brush her off or ignore her. Tisha here will come knocking at your door at four in the morning if need be and won't stop chasing you down until she has your attention. She's like a door to door missionary but twice as annoying and thrice as dedicated. It's better to just get talks with her over and done with so she'll leave you alone and grant you peace." If the negotiator of the round was saying it was optimal to heed this woman as soon as she requested it then who was Ares to disagree? She did seem like the kind of person who had an endlessly persistent quality to her as her worn travel clothes indicated she walked straight here from wherever she was previously without taking any breaks. It wouldn't have been a short trip either.
"Ok, fine, I have time, but who are you?" Tisha was her name but it's not like that alone told Ares the full story.
"The strategist of the round! We've met indirectly on the battlefield of ingenuity and complex interpersonal relations!" Though overly wordy, her statement wasn't incorrect and the puzzle pieces fell into place for Ares who knew what she was on about. She was the one who engineered this entire meeting from behind the scenes with the Lex stunt back in Xasca. Windsor's earlier words seemed ever pertinent as this strategist and tactician had wanted to meet Ares and gotten her wish by facilitating a valid reason to come and apologise. All she wanted was to talk and yet she went about it in such a convoluted, hard to argue with manner. Granted the C.O wouldn't have made it easy otherwise but it still went to show that this woman was problematic when she wanted something.
"So we have. I have a rough idea what you want but I think that's a longer conversation than the one I was going to have with Hans. Do you mind waiting for, like, five minutes while I check in with him?"
"Sure sure, don't mind me, I'm like a fly on the wall."
"Yeah," Windsor interjected, "Always spying people. Ares, if you have anything confidential to discuss I wouldn't recommend doing it with this annoying gnat present."
"It's fine, nothing like that." Ares waved his hand and shook his head.
Hans looked up from his work. "What is it kiddo? You got any more work for me?"
"Ha, don't look so glum, nothing of the sort. I was just making sure things were all in order and you didn't need anything."
"Nah, order is the least of my worries. Especially after that helpful lass Enyo brought in those Grecian peacekeepers. They've alleviated a good few headaches. It was hard to tell who in the old force was corrupt or not, and going through them all one by one was a pain in the neck. With these new additions, though, I can just fire anyone with subpar performance and not worry too much about numbers. Of those who are left, it's much easier to run a quick background check on that handful than the entire force. I have it on good authority the Grecian lads are well behaved and there's been zero complaints so far. I even had my own guys check them behind the scenes but they're as justice-oriented as Enyo herself is. Real Legions in the making those lot. A lot of work on my plate disappeared thanks to Enyo though, really, I only had that much work because of you in the first place kiddo. Your the ball and chain in this relationship aren't you? Told you she was a keeper, the type to clean up your messes after you. She's got her own work cut out for her but she seemed happy enough to play that role so don't forget to thank her for her efforts."
Ares scratched his head with a wry smile. "I can't deny it. Enyo is very helpful in more ways than one and I owe her a lot. That aside, though, is there really nothing you need?"
"... Yes and no. I've come to appreciate having a good above-board force to patrol the streets but that doesn't mean I don't still feel the need to rely on... Darker... Friends. Friends like Aejaz, or you before you stopped taking requests. I've still got a few, even a couple new recruits since this whole moving planet thing kicked off, but I'm lacking in quality. It was fine while Aejaz was here but ever since he left to go on that trip with you there's been a real hole that needs filling. I don't suppose you can make that lazy brother of yours come back for a while?"
"... I thought he already had... Seems like he's been ditching his responsibilities! I'll have a word with that pratt, don't worry about it. Also, I don't think a single individual is really enough for you is it? I imagine you'd prefer to have backups and other options available, it's not like Aejaz will always be at your beck and call after all... I don't have any immediate solutions but there are options that will become available in the future if you can wait a little while." Ares was thinking Visitation would be perfect for this sort of thing. Further along than that Kya would make for an excellent assassin and home defender too but that was a way aways for now. In terms of providing more immediate assistance to Hans, he was going to have to search around a bit. He did bring back some fellahin with him from Xasca but whether they would cut it in this kind of environment was questionable. If the city had sandy floors they'd make for great wet workers but, as it was, they couldn't contribute much. maybe Kazaz would be willing to do it if Ares strongarmed him but Ares was reluctant to wield fear in such a manner as it might bite him in the rear down the line and ruin potential connections to influential kingdoms. "There's not really anyone I can spare right now but I'll think about it and try to come up with an answer by the time I return form my next outing to Akarala. If push comes to shove I am willing to help out personally. You know I'll get the jobs done quickly, at least, but I can only work on them when I have the time. As in, if you want my help right now, I have the rest of the day and that's about it for the next week or so."
Hans shrugged. "I'll take what I can get. If you don't mind taking on the harder jobs then that will at least help with the backlog and keep my mind at ease. A fresh supply of Beads would also be appreciated greatly."
"Sure, I'll have them delivered either by Onno or Transmit, whichever I'm closer to when I finish making them. Anything else? Stardust? Need to borrow my power on the world stage? Want me to blow something up?"
"No, no, and no. You might want to consider looking into Dwarvingdom when you get the chance but I'm sure Enyo's already briefed you. That's really all there is from me and I can thank Windsor for that. She's grumpy but she's been a real help too."
"Not like I have much of a choice..." Windsor mumbled as she stared out the window. The company she was spying were known for cutting corners here and there but that was exactly why she hired them. If she caught them in the act, from her hidden porch up above, she could make them fix it and get a discount for every 'blunder' they committed. Cheap labour and, by the end of it, she would assure it was high quality work too. It took up a fair bit of her time but negotiating was her specialty and she was dedicated to her role so she wouldn't half ass her job. She was going to head down to the foreman in about an hour and berate the daylights out of him because her list of offences was monumental... Ares almost felt pity for the workers but they kinda deserved it.
"So, uh, what is it you wanted exactly?" Ares turned to Tisha who was now sitting on a couch and dredging up a chocolate bar and some water from her hobo sack. he already knew the answer, she wanted the C.O to move to Red Sun and she was willing to put the entire organisation under Ares' control if that was what it took. She knew the C.O's approach of trying to remain self-sufficient, and stay away from Ares' power while also taking advantage of it, was suicidal. If Ares got bored of this dynamic he could forceful end it whenever he wanted and so Tisha knew better than to mess around with him for too long. It was better to submit while relations were at least positive. They already built a massive building / new headquarters in the area thanks to Windsor but any more than that, looking to interfere in the running of Red Sun and its politics or to become a dominant power in the region, was asking to get relegated to the history books via explosive problem solving on Ares' part. Tisha's goal was the drag the whole company kicking and screaming after her and into Red Sun's palm willingly. Two of the three C..O round members were already here and looking to stay so the rest of the company would fall in line eventually with some proper handling. That was all up to Tisha, though, and Ares didn't have much of a role to play as the C.O didn't answer to him. It would be handy if they did, they were good for directing resources, organising events, and keeping a region from becoming volatile. They kept tabs on dangerous cultivators, ran markets and imported goods as rewards for stuff like alchemy competition, had other smaller organisations under them that handled specific affairs,, and were generally useful to have around. They could bring in business from afar and make good connections on behalf of Red Sun if they were obedient, that is, so Ares wasn't opposed to Tisha's antics. If they decided to run a cultivator competition / tournament using the Scorched Grounds coliseum, and did all the advertising for it in Vraizon, then Red Sun would garner attention when it needed it the most. The early stages were when they would need investors and enticement to normal cultivators to come and visit and that was where the C.O could, and would, truly shine with their reach and ability to connect with foreign interests.
"No no, I don't want anything, just meeting and talking to you is sufficient for what I'm planning. if anything, I owe you as you've been a big help." Ares didn't feel like she was lying or exaggerating but he really didn't agree with that sentiment either because he hadn't even met this woman before today! Whatever scheme he was aiding had nothing to do with him but he wasn't going to stop her from praising his 'involvement' if she wanted to. "As thanks... How about I open any scrolls you have lying around?" Scroll Screening. A rare art that Ares had been over the usefulness of before. Some scrolls were traps so it was good to know in advance if you were being punked. It wasn't often you'd come across someone with such a service so this was actually a very valuable offer. Unfortunately...
"I only have three scrolls and I've already read them all..." Double Jump in Vargaraad's tomb, the reward form the international that was part of a larger art and required more scroll pieces, and then finally One With The Universe that he got from Xasca and needed to start working on. The Double Jump scroll was gone, used up completely. The reward scroll needed its other parts before Ares could do anything with it... And he already opened the One With scroll like an idiot. Ares didn't expect Sevorus to mess with him via scroll trickery but he really should have been more careful than he was. It was admittedly stupid ot go around opening scroll in the way he had been dong it as of late and even Tisha momentarily looked stupefied that Ares had somehow gone through three scrolls without being harmed in any way. her really had the devils' luck. It would run out eventually, though.
"Ok ok, I feel sick just thinking about it. You're like a lost child eating berries in the woods..." Harsh but true. "... Normally I wouldn't do this but how about I teach you Scroll Screening? It's a hefty reward but this makes us even and that's necessary for what I'm doing with the C.O. It's not an easy art to learn but I've heard you have some kind of eye art right?" Omniscience was what she was referring to. "That will make your life much easier. Doubly so if it's a good deciphering art." 'Good' was an understatement...
"I mean, I'm glad you're willing to teach me it but I still don't get why?"
Tisha shrugged. "It serves a few purposes but the most immediate is that I have an excuse to stay here for a long time. I won't report back to the C.O until I can put it back no longer and then I'll tell them I'm settling the Xasca / Lex debt by teaching you the art. That will extend my visiting hours for a while longer and then I'll look for another excuse to remain here after. Eventually months will pass and we'll be leaving Sheryashka long before they can bring me back and that's when Windsor will start negotiating for a full move of the C.O. There's a lot more to it than that but for now just waiting around here is for the best as it weakens the C.O considerably and makes them more vulnerable. Teaching you the art is a show of good faith but also necessary so that the C.O can't accuse me of lying down the line if they ask for proof that's what I was really up to. it's a rare art but that just makes it perfectly tradable in this current situation as that much is arguably what you're owed. It doesn't really matter if you're a cultivation expert and learn it fast, I can just pretend it took you weeks to get the hang of it so it's the perfect excuse. That or deciphering hundreds of scrolls for you and your sect would also take up an equivalent amount of time but it seems you don't have any and this is the backup plan." A reasonable enough explanation and one Ares couldn't find fault with. Even if there was more to it than that he didn't need to know because it wasn't his problem, it was the C.O that would have to butt heads with Tisha not him. If he got to learn a rare art, and one that would serve him greatly in the future, because of somebody else's petty infighting then so be it. He stood to gain an art and, eventually, the C.O itself if he agreed so he saw no reason not to.
"Ok, might as well teach me now." Ares' words stunned the other three in the office as this was not an art that could be learnt in a matter of minutes no matter how good a cultivator he was! To some extent, he agreed... But Omniscience was just completely busted and he had a gut feeling things wouldn't be so hard for him...