Nnhahpft
With her mouth stuck to Ares' arm like an octopus sucker, Sandy woke up confused as to why her gob was occupied. She blinked a few times and retracted her head, fully distancing herself from the pleasant dream she was having. The situation made itself clear as she looked between Ares' arm and his smiling face repeatedly so she felt a bit awkward but she still had something to say about the matter. "You're tasty." At some point, her nibbling had broken through his flesh and led to blood so she wasn't wrong, Ares' blood was quite tasty. It had been a relatively hot night so having a refreshing 'drink' available right there for her the whole night would have been quite comfy no doubt. Sandy had messy behead and was still half asleep so Ares took advantage and got some of his own 'bites' in the form of soft kisses on her forehead. Bellona was up as well so she leant over Sandy and now Ares was tasked with giving morning affection to two sloppy lazy maidens but he hardly viewed that as a negative and gave them kisses until they were both satisfied. After, Ares brought out coffee and breakfast. Bellona had a preference for unhealthy foods so Ares made her waffles with bacon and maple syrup while Sandy was given something hearty and filling, a full English breakfast. He himself stuck to toast and jam as it was nutritious to keep him going but not too overbearing so he could still move about if need be. The official handover for the sect was starting just before lunch but it might go a bit longer depending on interruptions from Dascar and the core disciples so Ares didn't want to be hungry or bloated hence his decision to stick with something a bit plainer. He did have some cooking pillar trickery up his sleeve so he felt pretty energised and raring to go but he still had no idea what was in store for him exactly. Not that it mattered, the core court disciples ought to not pose a threat regardless of what type of challenge they issued.
Ares got up and got changed, leaving the two sleepy-heads to laze around in bed a bit more. They both liked sleeping in when possible and there was still some time before the 'ceremony'. It wasn't going to be anything quite so grand as the name suggested but it was still fairly traditional. Apparently the sect had honorary robes for the sect master but there was no mandatory rule that forced anyone to wear it. Yulo had it but never put it on because he thought it was tacky and not his style. Ares wouldn't wear it either, to be fair, but it was somewhat customary to at least put it on once after becoming the sect master. That was about the extent of what Ares knew about what was happening today and Yulo was really the on burdened with making everything run smoothly. This was debatably the last time this sort of transfer would ever happen within this sect because Ares planned on living forever. If he wasn't going to die, or give this place up, then it was a foregone conclusion this would be the last ceremony of its kind. It was moving in a way but Ares didn't care, he hadn't been here that long after all. Somebody like Yulo or Rud would probably have more emotional investment so this was definitely an event for them to enjoy more so that it was for Ares.
"Morning." Enyo was looking at some documents on the couch and she appeared to be quite focused.
"Good morning." Ares sat next to her and massaged her shoulders. "What's that you're looking at?"
"Monthly report. The soldiers I brought over from the Grecian Lands have to submit papers detailing their arrests made, adherence to the training regimen, days off and reason for leave, as well as personal growth cultivation wise. It must be a hassle, and I know I'm being demanding, but I don't want to let any slackers fall under the radar and become a waste of space in the force that Red Sun is paying out of their pocket for. Going through these papers isn't actually that bad, the real hassle is verifying all of it. Arrests made is easy, I can corroborate that with information from the police force. Cultivation is also easy, that's just a quick check up. I can use my lie detector to make sure they aren't lying about time off or a lack of training but that means interviews with every single individual and it's time consuming. I would rather not have to so I'll just keep an eye on them from afar for now and not get too involved with anyone keeping up with the basics." Finishing up with her review, Enyo put the papers down and leant against Ares.
"Sounds like a nightmare. Officialdom in general does. Makes me glad I've got so many capable people around me that can also take care of that side of things."
Enyo shrugged. "It's not like I have anything else to do."
"Are you bored?"
"No. I'm not as antsy as Blo Blo, I don't need my time to be occupied twenty-four seven. It's not boredom, more like... Purposeless? Back when I was doing Legion stuff I had a one track mind, and that was not for the better, but I had a goal at least. Now? Not so much. Crime in Red Sun is slowly becoming non-existent and a rarity so it's not like there's much for me to do in that regard other than keep training the soldiers. I feel no obligation to keep up with Legion doctrine either so I have nothing to really aim for. I can keep myself busy with cultivation, paperwork, playing with the family, etc... But it feels like I'm going through the motions more so than anything meaningful."
"Hm." Ares wasn't entirely sure what to say here. He himself was on a literal God given mission to save the world from the embodiment of chaos, Xhilihx. Bellona wanted to integrate herself into the wider world and follow her various passions. Sandy would probably want to travel and explore new regions and, most importantly, their cuisines. Aejaz still wanted to create his own paradise / casino and would make progress towards it when he felt the time was right. Allie wanted to keep up with alchemy and Mini Pillies. Trixie was an unknown but that was just because Ares didn't speak to her as much as he did everyone else. So really, Enyo was the only one who seemingly had nothing to aspire towards. She was the second strongest cultivator in the house, so it's not like she lacked the means to accomplish whatever she wanted, she was just content with spending time within the family is all. She didn't seem agitated, like she had to find a purpose pronto or she would explode due to inaction, but she was thinking about it in her spare time at least. This was the kind of thing that might start off as a small curiosity on her part but if she kept thinking this way for one, ten, a hundred years eventually she would want to act on it. Unfortunately... "I don't have any suggestions." Ares really couldn't help here. It's not that he didn't know what kind of person Enyo was, he knew what sort of endeavours she would like to undertake, but her skillset was mostly unneeded right now. Ares could bring her along on his adventures, that way she could spread her wings a bit and enforce justice around the globe and bring peace, but in Red Sun right now? There wasn't really anything going on worth her time. Also, this wasn't a long term goal either as dumping Enyo in any country would solve its issues in no time flat. She wasn't as strong as Ares but she was probably the second strongest person in Sheryashka right now and by a decent margin from whoever was third, probably Hans or Yulo. "Why not try something new to distract yourself for now at least?"
With a pensive look, Enyo considered her options. "Alright. I'll get a mohawk."
"Pft, why is my wife having a mid life crisis?!" Ares didn't much care if she decided to actually try it but she was joking.
"I was just thinking the place you got your hair done was pretty good. I didn't really comment on it yesterday, I was trying to leave you with Bellona for the most part, but I'll be visiting that hairdresser at some point myself because I like what they were able to pull off. I was kidding about the mohawk but maybe I could try a new hairstyle or something? Or, rather, I might as well just try a bunch of new things and see what sticks." Sighing aloud, Enyo clapped her hands and stood up to put that matter behind her. "Anyway, none of that matters today. You've got your ascension to sect master right? Wouldn't want you looking like a scruffy dog so go have a shower!" Ares recoiled and used divine sense to check himself. He was fine! Cultivator's really didn't need to have regular showers or baths at all! Even still, Ares usually made an effort to not go too long without one if he could avoid it. He had a shower yesterday and could probably go a month straight without another before anything became off with him cleanliness wise. He had plenty of time to go take a shower, and it would maybe help to cool his head off and relax, but there was definitely another reason Enyo was suggesting this! Sure enough, as Ares walked towards the bathroom, he noticed he was being followed! Of course he was, this shouldn't have been a surprise really... Enyo likely spent most of last night going over those papers from before and so now was as good a time as any for her to unwind.
It's not like Ares had any reason to refuse so he gave her a golden!... Never mind, no he didn't. There was a shower, and gold was a symbolic colour for Ares, but there was no golden shower! Enyo probably wouldn't even care, or rather she might be up for trying it, but the thought hadn't even crossed Ares' mind aside from potentially trying to make a dumb joke out of it at some point. Their time together was pretty normal though Enyo was oddly aggressive when it came to using her head. It seemed his earlier comments to Bellona had sparked something competitive in Enyo and she wasn't willing to go down without a fight. Or, rather, she was willing to go down, more than willing, but refused to come back up without a fight. Not like Ares was complaining, he was the main beneficiary of their little spat. That being said, he wasn't sure if he came out of the shower any cleaner than when he went in... He shooed Enyo away and quickly washed himself again for good measure before getting changed into his Brotherhood robes, as it would be easy to be replace them with the sect master robes when the time came, and then departed from the house with everyone else in tow. The household members were closely related to him but they were still just disciples in terms of their presence within the sect. Ares would make them elders by the end of the day, he would send a list to sect HQ or maybe even jsut visit themself, but for now they weren't even core disciples and would have to be treated accordingly during the process. Essentially, they weren't allowed up in the front with Ares and would have to find somewhere to watch from afar. The venue was the core disciples' outdoor training ground, and it was spacious certainly, but nowhere near big enough to squish every disciple in the sect inside it. Those that couldn't fit would have to watch from nearby buildings but, for what it was worth, the people Ares knew ought to be given some preferential treatment in that regard. There was a pleasant cafe with a veranda nearby so they'd probably have reservations there thanks to Rud's foresight, Zhang's kindness towards Allie and her family, or Teng's politeness. Either way, Ares didn't much have to worry about them and he was more concerned about himself! He was going to be sitting right at the front, which was troublesome in its own way, but more than anything he had to stop himself from getting bored and going off the rails. He had to sit through an hour or two of traditional chatter without interrupting or getting out of his seat and that was a cruel task if ever there was one!
At the very least, he might try passive cultivation to pass the time. Really, what he was most looking forward to was the intrusion by the core disciples. They were staging a protest right now, standing outside the venue with placards saying this and that about how Ares had no business being the sect master as he wasn't even a core disciple yet. If things stayed as they were, they'd all be punished afterwards and that would be the end of it. Naturally, though, they were going to storm into the venue and demand answers so, really, that was the most exciting part for Ares as he'd get to move his limbs a bit. They couldn't beat him, they didn't even have the support of Eagerton or Edgerton and they were the real big hitters, but if they could spare Ares from his constant boredom, and interrupt the monotony, he was glad they were rebelling! They were idiots if they thought any of them had a chance of becoming the sect master, the position would sooner go to either Rud or Slick of not Ares, but they were more than permitted to stick to their delusions because it was entertaining. He'd allow it this time and this time only but if Ares put them squarely in their place and they tried to be disobedient again afterwards they'd really face the consequences. Today was a warning shot, Ares was feeling merciful. The same was indirectly true of Dascar and he should either learn to bow his head and stop causing a fuss or have it lopped off the next time he dared push the boundary. Ares was not going to be as tolerant as Yulo and let problems like this fester and keep resurfacing to take pokes at his leadership over the years. So what if Dascar had an alibi? So what if encouraging the core disciples to speak their mind wasn't, in and of itself, an act of treason? So what if he wasn't actually doing anything as overt as active betrayal? Ares would kill him all the same. Those silly little semantics weren't going to fly in the face of someone in a position to be a tyrant if he so chose to. It's true that Dascar was pretty integral to the sect's finances prior to Ares' arrival but now? He had better understand that was the only thing he brought to the table and the sect wasn't reliant on it anymore now that Ares was in charge and doing things differently to Yulo. Yulo was an excellent cultivator but a failure as a sect master, Ares saw it that way and was pretty unapologetic about it. Arguably the strongest cultivator in Sheryashka could only prop up a middle of the road, average sect?! He wasn't doing enough personally out in the field, that was the only explanation. It made sense, he wasn't well equipped to deal with the role and was sort of thrust into it, but that wasn't a good enough excuse when the result was having to rely on someone like Dascar and bringing him into the fold such that he could cause trouble from within.
Would Ares make a great sect master? depends on how one viewed such a person. Was a sect master responsible for ensuing everything ran smoothly and logistics were well managed? If so, Ares might be the worst sect master ever. He dared not even touch that kind of thing and didn't exactly want to either. If being a sect master meant being a figure who turned their protected land untouchable, meant rending heaven and earth to spite and destroy those who bared their fangs at his gates, then yes, there would be nobody better. This sect was gong from one extreme to another but, if they had to pick one, the latter was always a better choice. The inner workings could be handled by someone weaker than Ares but public perception and acquisition / battling for resources would have to be handled by Ares or someone stronger than him. One was possible, the other was not. Sure Ares was dumping a lot of work on the sect headquarters, and Rud, but that was partially because they had more funds to work with precisely because of his actions. Also, for every problem his actions raised he would solve another two or three anyway. Yulo maintained a poor system despite having the means to change it, Ares would not make that same mistake even if only because he would sooner die than sit behind a desk all day. It was selfish but it was also correct and everyone was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The elders were already seeing how much he brought to the table; Echo tome sales were though the roof and the various Beads were in heavy demand all day every day. Disciples revered, or feared, Ares with little to no in-between thanks to his display at the international. Even the disparity between how Yulo bent over backwards to avoid the C.O, while Ares was seemingly taming the, was evident to anyone who looked into it. A new sect leader was something to be anxious over, especially someone with plans as lofty as carrying the sect through multiple domains with them on their cultivation journey, but they'd all be lying if they weren't feeling somewhat excited. Only the adventurous type remained, those who wished to stay in Sheryashka had already departed, so it was safe to say nobody here disliked Ares as a prospect... Other than the core disciples.
Ares had arrived at the venue and was having to shuffle past them while they booed and jeered at him. If it weren't for him trying to take this matter seriously he would have wiped the floor with already! Damn noise brats! They were insignificant enough to Ares to be seen as rowdy, annoying children but if he said that out loud Bellona would ask him why he suddenly turned into an old man... As Ares became stronger, he started to understand why experts threw around tropey phrases all the time. What was picking a fight with Ares at this stage if not 'courting death'? He wouldn't dare say it, he didn't have the spine to 'say the line', but there was a very real temptation given the relevance of the saying itself. Granted, if Ares was going to do anything he'd rather just flatten them or fling them aside with pressure and be done with it rather than get into a verbal back and forth. Alas, he shuffled by and made it the venue eventually. He'd already split up from the family, his guess about them finding a space on the cafe veranda seemed spot on as he could spy them ordering drinks if he squinted hard enough, so he made his way over to the podium-cum-shrine and took a seat. The training area was filling up nicely, and soon enough the elders began arriving one after another, so it was time to get things started. The beginning of the ceremony would be a long talk about all the prior sect masters, then it would be Yulo's turn to speak, then the elders would give their thanks to him and recount their own anecdotes about him, and finally the passing of the torch. Metaphorically speaking, there wasn't a literal torch. Well, there was the robe, that probably counted. Anyway, Ares had no real job until the very end when he'd give a small speech after putting the robe on. Nobody even had a reason to mention so now would be a good time to learn how to fall asleep with his eyes open! Or maybe it would be better if he learnt how to use Skip to travel forwards in time? Regrettably, his best course of action was to cook inside the Blade... At least he could play with Visitation! Ares could manifest an ethereal copy of his hand and play with the little guy by giving him head pats before he filled him with mana and sent the tiny friend off to sleep. Either way, he was going to have to find something to do up until Dascar's incited rebellion took place. Given the nature of it, the best timing would be during the robe handover so Ares had a way to go yet. Ares had been tempted to make Rox sit in this seat for him but there'd be all manner of uproar from Rud if he dared so he had to tough it out the hard way. He now understood how Bellona must have felt as of late... Bored out of his skull!