"Hmmm." I''ll come back to it. Enyo stretched on the couch before looking down at her handiwork. Rough around the edges, but it ought to be good enough to start working on the real thing... I''ll start when I know where that dunce is, this is supposed to be a surprise; it would ruin everything if he just popped up out of nowhere and saw it. Enyo picked up her arts and crafts project and placed it, alongside the needle she''d been stitching with, inside her spatial ring. Then again, maybe I''m being paranoid. Ares usually uses the door when entering the house... He doesn''t really pop out of nowhere very often.


    "Psssssssst, hey! Hey! Hey Enyo! Pssst."


    Enyo turned to face the voice calling her and found Ares leaning his upper body out of a freaky, red portal while beckoning her with a limp hand and a dumb smile on his face.


    Sigh


    Enyo groaned, shook her head, and walked over to him. Maybe I wasn''t paranoid enough... Enyo stepped into portal with zero hesitation which made her chuckle to herself. Not even a month ago, if she''d been in the same position, she would have smacked Ares and dragged him out of the portal, demanding an explanation before setting even a single foot anywhere remotely near the entrance.


    Once both Ares and Enyo entered the portal fully, it shut, leaving an empty room for Aejaz to stroll into with a questioning look on his face as he could have sworn he heard his brother in here a second ago. Shrugging to himself and mistakenly assuming Appa had let a clone loose, he went on his merry way to the kitchen to see if he could scrounge any leftovers of Ares'' cooking. "Ooohhh!" With a childish exclamation, Aejaz picked up exactly what he was looking for and put it between his teeth before heading back into the living room with a satisfied stride. Just as he was about to bite down into the stolen Snappa, Appa floated into the room...


    Crack


    The flavour pellet burst as Appa watched on in dismay.


    …


    …


    …


    Unspeakable acts of cute, frosty violence ensued.


    When all was said and done, a pouting Appa threw a frozen Aejaz into the back garden and floated away with a hmph. "Bad uncle! Shame On You!"


    Aejaz suffered mental damage from being berated by something so adorable... No... Wait a minute... I actually suffered a mental attack?! What the hell? Aejaz squinted his eyes and observed his surroundings, eventually finding the strings of lingering mana he was looking for. I knew it! That ''Shame On You'' really was an art!... I thought Ares was joking about a unique aspect of cuteness... Is it real?! Aejaz considered chasing down Appa and asking it a thing or two but dismissed the idea when he spotted Allie at the doorstep looking fidgety. "Hey, are you ok?"


    Allie was red in the face as she stared at the floor while shuffling her feet back and forth. "Um... Ares and Enyo are gone... Do you want to... have some fun?"


    If it weren''t for the fact that fainting here would cockblock himself, Aejaz would have done it ten times over. For Allie to have asked him about taking the next step... And to be so cute in doing it... Screw Appa! If I don''t agree to this I don''t get to call myself a man for the rest of my life!


    And thus, everyone in casa del Ares went about their business for the next few hours. Around lunch time, Ares and Enyo returned from the void.


    Enyo stepped out of the portal with a face like thunder, clearly in a terrible mood. Leaning with her arms crossed on the back of the sofa, she stared contemplatively at the wall opposite while tapping her fingers restlessly. Ares sighed and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her. "I know. I know how much you hate this. I dreaded having to tell you..."


    Enyo shut her eyes for a few seconds before sighing to herself and calming down somewhat. "... I don''t blame you. I don''t blame anyone. It''s an unavoidable tragedy, I know that... I just can''t help but hate it. And you... you''re the one that has to do it. I''m worried about you more than anything." Enyo turned and rested her head on Ares'' chest. "Don''t pretend this is easy for you. I know you, Ares; underneath that happy go lucky fa?ade you care deeply. I''m madder about it than you, but it''s far worse for you than it ever will be for anyone else. I''ll know about it, but I won''t have to see or experience any of it like you will... Please confide in me when you need too. I don''t like hearing it, but you''re more important to me than my own comfort. If the roles were reversed I know you would stop at nothing to reduce my burden however you could, and I want to do the same for you. I''m grateful you told me this. I never would have forgiven you if you hadn''t, but not because of the nature of the problem, but because I want you to trust me. I want you to let me be there for you when you need me, no matter how minor or inconvenient the thing you need me for; let alone something of this magnitude."


    Ares inhaled deeply as he twirled a strand of Enyo''s smooth hair. He tilted his head downward and kissed Enyo on the forehead as she looked up at him. "Thank you. Words can''t express how lucky I am to have you in my life... But that''s the problem, it''s why I have to do this. You, Appa, Aejaz, and Allie. You''re all my number one concern, nothing else matters. I''ll never not do whatever it takes to keep you all safe, I promise you." Ares'' thumb stroked Enyo''s cheek as they stood in silence.


    …


    …


    …


    "Wanna have sex?"


    PFFFT


    Ares burst out laughing uncontrollably at Enyo''s slyness. "I''m not sure if you''re joking or not, but you''re a funny woman, Enyo. Really, I love your sense of humour. I never would have imagined it when I first met you though. It''s been a while since I''ve seen the whole ''justice'' shtick, I kinda miss it."


    Hmph "It''s still around, just not for you anymore. There isn''t enough justice in the world that could fix a menace like you." Enyo poked Ares'' chest before placing her hands on his shoulders and intimately kissing his neck. "As for whether I was joking or not, do you want to find out?" Enyo could feel Ares'' hardening down below.


    Ares had to bite his lip to quell his desire. "You know, if you keep teasing me, one of these days I''m going to slip up and say yes, and you''re going to regret it."


    "Oh how I wish... Unfortunately I really do know you well, too well even. You''re going to be stubborn and not budge on this, I can tell. I won''t stop asking though, maybe I really will get lucky..."


    "Haha, what part of ''no'' don''t you get?"


    "The ''no'' part... I would much rather be screaming yes."


    "Soon."


    "... Speaking of soon, are you ever going to tell me what you want from the bet back in Baja forest? I feel like it''s been forever and the longer it goes on the more nervous I get wondering just how your going to mess with me..."


    "You want to know?"


    "Yes."


    "Hmmmm.... Maybe if you gave me a kiss, I''d feel more inclined to tell you?"


    Enyo smiled and planted her lips onto Ares'', savouring the taste. She also made sure to sneak a bit of tongue action in toward the end. "Well handsome, are you feeling more talkative now?"


    "Mm, very. What I want from you at the international party..." Ares took a step back while reaching out and grabbing Enyo''s hands. He twirled Enyo, performing a cuddle step and holding onto her waist from behind. He brushed aside the hair by her ear and whispered in a sultry, deep voice. "... Is a dance."


    Enyo''s face flushed both because of Ares'' manly voice and because what he was asking of her was incredibly embarrassing; she was still getting used to having her helmet of even if she was doing better now-a-days. "That... That''s going to be hard... But I want too as well."


    "Mm, good girl..."


    Enyo shivered in Ares'' embrace.


    "But that''s not all I''ll want from you."


    "... There''s more?"


    "Yes, but I don''t think you''ll say no to my other two demands."


    "What are they."


    Ares spoke in a steady, slow voice, "I want your hand in marriage..." Ares kissed Enyo''s neck as her breathing quickened. "... And I want your virginity."


    Enyo was shaking like a little lamb in Ares'' grasp. With tears streaming down her eyes she looked back over her shoulder at him. "Yes."


    Ares stroked her face and chuckled. "I''m not actually asking yet..."


    "I don''t care..." Enyo sniffled and held onto Ares'' hands tightly. "...Yes." Enyo turned around and looked Ares dead in the eye. "I love you," Enyo muttered dazedly as she went to give Ares a passionate kiss. "I want you to be my husband." Enyo draped her arms around Ares; neck and brought her mouth to his. She was out of breath and her heart was beating intensely but, still, she couldn''t bring herself to detach herself from him other than for a split second to say, "I want to be your wife." Back to Ares'' wet lips she went, leaning over and putting all her weight on Ares; even taking him by surprise when she curled her leg around his waist and hopped into his chest, forcing him to catch her as she wrapped both her legs around him. Ares'' stumbled forward and held Enyo over the sofa, his pelvis, stomach, and chest all firmly pushed up against hers. Ares brought his tongue to Enyo''s lips and began grinding his crotch against hers. Ares was seriously considering going all the way and taking her right here and now.


    "Didn''t you say not to do this kinda stuff in the middle of the house? Double standards, much?" Aejaz walked past without a care in the world, humming merrily and whistling to himself as though he were king of the universe.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    …


    …


    …


    "FUCK!" Enyo slid over the back of, and onto, the couch, taking her frustrations out on the nearby furniture by punching a cushion repeatedly. "I HAD HIM! I WAS THIS CLOSE. HE WAS MINE! DAMNIT ALL TO HELL!"


    Normally Ares would have snickered at Enyo''s half serious, half play-pretend childishness but, right now, he was too busy ominously trailing Aejaz into the kitchen... "Brother Aejaz, may I have a word and some moments of your time?"


    Aejaz picked up a toffee that was lying around and tossed it into his gob. As he responded to Ares, it became clear that Aejaz cared more about chewing on the sweet than speaking with clarity.


    "You"


    Chew


    "Can hit me"


    Chew


    "All you want, but"


    Chew


    "I''m over the moon right now"


    Chew


    "Nothing can bring me down"


    Chew


    "Do your worst, brother."


    Ares was momentarily stunned. Where the hell did all this derring-do and bravado come from?! Even after using Omniscience to check if this was truly Aejaz, and not some snatcher wannabee posing as him again, Ares still couldn''t believe his eyes and ears. When the shock faded however, Ares decided this situation wasn''t acceptable. The cock block was one thing, but a little brother not fearing for his life in the presence of an older brother? No, this is, frankly speaking, unacceptable behaviour. Ares summoned a monumental wave a pressure as his anger resurged like a raging tidal wave. "You''re in a good mood, are you? I can guess why. Well, now that you''re all amped up and feeling energetic, how about we do some training? There''s something I''ve been wanting to beat... drill, into you for quite some time now." A menacing, golden hue leaked out of Ares'' body. "Today, I''m going to be hitting you with annihilation magic because there''s an art I want you to learn. I do hope you''re prepared, BROTHER."


    Aejaz smirked with a wry smile, "Go ahead, I would have no regrets even if I left this mortal coil today. The sensation of Allie''s soft hand... No matter how much you whack me upside the head, I''ll never forget it!"


    "We''ll see, brother. We''ll see." Ares summoned the void portal and kicked Aejaz into it before leaping after him. Within the void, Ares was indisputably overpowered so, if Aejaz thought his training was going to be something he could shrug off, well... He was going to learn a very hard lesson about the powers that older brothers possessed.


    Later that day, when a broken and battered Aejaz was tossed out from within the portal, even though he was hurting like you wouldn''t believe, there was still a faint hint of a smile on his tired face. Of course, he was the only one smiling as Allie was hiding in their room out of shame for the acts she had committed and had had committed to her. It would probably take a day or two for her to be able to look Aejaz in the eye again, not that Aejaz minded. It, alongside Ares having kicked the bejesus out of him, was a worthwhile sacrifice if he could feel that heavenly feel... He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn''t even notice Ares stepping on him as he walked past and into the kitchen; he just lay there in absolute bliss.


    Speaking of the kitchen, when Ares entered, ready to cook lunch, he found Appa counting Snappas. "Hey Appa, watcha doin''?"


    "Hm?" Appa was surprised to hear another person in the kitchen so it turned around. When spotting Ares, Appa lunged at his leg and gave him a hug. "Hey dad! I was just checking to see how many of my Snappas uncle stole. Don''t worry though, I already punished him real good!"


    "Haha, good job! Your uncle is a silly man. How did you punish him? Did you freeze him?"


    "Ah! No! look at what I can do now!!


    Ares tilted his head as he stared at Appa. I wonder what trick Appa has up its sleeve... Maybe a different aspect of the water pillar? Appa usually uses ice but I know it has an affinity for the other aspects too... Ares mulled over the possibilities but, in truth, nothing could have prepared him for what came next, the most devastating attack he''d ever received.


    "Shame! On! You!" Appa yelled cutely with upside triangles above her eyes.


    ACK


    Now it was Appa''s turn to tilt its head as it watched Ares collapse unconscious on the ground with foam frothing out of his mouth. When it noticed he wasn''t getting up, Appa poked him with the rope, which it found funny so it giggled merrily and then kept repeating the cycle. Poke, laugh, poke, laugh. Enyo walked in on this scene and thought it was very wholesome until she realised Ares was half dead. he wasn''t in any actual danger, but he really wasn''t faring so hot either; definitely worse than Aejaz who was still lying on the floor like a worm in the living room. Enyo had a multitude of questions but remained calm because, honestly, she''d seen Ares in far dumber situations. "Appa... Sweetie... Why is Ares like... This." Enyo gestured toward Ares who was twitching on the ground like a frog leg during a science experiment.


    "Ah! Hey, get this mum, I do have a unique aspect of cuteness! You know like dryads could be mecha dryads? It looks like some races can have a racial aspect of cuteness too!"


    Enyo''s eye twitched. Yes, watching her daughter celebrate being officially cute was extremely endearing, but she was more so taken aback by the fact that Ares had been right about this. Then again, he''d been very close to Appa before so him noticing was fair enough. Still though, it was an interesting discovery. "That''s wonderful sweetie... But what happened to Ares? Did you hit him with an art?" Enyo hazarded a guess as that was the only likely explanation for what she was witnessing.


    "Yep! Don''t worry, I won''t use it on you though! Only on dad because its funny!"


    "... You probably shouldn''t sweetie... It seems to have been very effective. How does it work?"


    "It''s called ''shame on you'' and is a mental attack. The guiltier, or more sorry, a person feels after hearing the chant, the more damage they take! I practiced an early version on Aejaz earlier, but it didn''t hurt much, so I changed some things and now it does!"


    "... Ah. I see now." Enyo felt a little bad for Ares. Seeing an upset Appa berate him must have been agonising. In all likelihood, Enyo wouldn''t have fared much better... What a dangerous art... It sounds easy to negate but... Enyo looked over at the happily-bobbing shade… It really isn''t. Even the most heartless of fiends would melt before Appa. Shouldn''t the aspect of cuteness be more... Cute? Why is it so violent?! Enyo shook her head and picked up Appa. "Alright, you''ve had enough fun with that art for now." Enyo brought Appa into the living rom and placed it on a chair. "I''ll go and wake dad up so he can make us lunch. You aren''t allowed to use that art on Ares again unless I give you permission, ok?"


    "Awww, ok... Ooh, ooh, what''s for lunch?!"


    "I''m not sure. I''ll ask and let you know; or is there something specific you want?"


    "Anything as long as I get some candy apple!"


    "Haha, ok. I''ll let dad know."


    "Yay!"


    Enyo went back into the kitchen and shook Ares awake. He then promptly started rambling to Enyo about a ''horrific nightmare'' he''d had. Enyo was able to calm him down and explain the situation properly, after which he started to cook lunch for everyone. When it was ready, Allie, slunk out of her bedroom and scarpered with the food like a timid mouse stealing a block of cheese from a cat.


    The rest of the day passed by without incident with the trio of Aejaz, Ares, and Enyo heading off for training and coming back thoroughly exhausted later that evening. Ares asked Appa to sleep in another room for the night as he and Enyo were going to have a ''private conversation'', to which the shade was curious but obliged nonetheless. The entire week passed in a similar fashion with most days playing out in the same way. Ares spent a lot of time doing this or that, making and enchanting weapons, playing around with technicals by lizzie''s side, and training with Sadie. He''d even managed to set up a long range Shift spot at his stall thanks to various experiments he conducted with nothingness in the void whenever he had spare time. He could now restock the stall from anywhere and, now that Onno had hired some help, it would be up and running near enough permanently regardless of where he was. He still had to make the beads, but that was something he could do passively whenever he was idle. He was also nearly finished with the production of ''Block Rocks'', the pocket, defensive black holes, but they still needed a little longer in the proverbial oven. Nothing of note happened other than Appa, Leo, and Allie deciding to come along to the afternoon training sessions and watch. Allie went for Aejaz, Leo went for Allie, and Appa went because it was funny watching Ares get beaten up every now and then. That being said, Ares did win more than his fair share of fights, the only reason he ever really lost was because Sadie'' would raise her cultivation way too high. If she ever set her cultivation to a realm and stage that could be considered ''fair'' she would lose immediately, without fail, every single time. As for why the presence of Leo, Allie, and Appa was noteworthy; that was because, the day before the regionals started, everyone was on their way to the training hall when they ran into a group that everyone other than Appa had met before. The same group they''d spent a decent amount of time with back in Baja forest!


    "Shrew! Buddy!"


    "UGH. It''s not even been five seconds and I already want to leave..." Trew kissed his teeth and turned to Enyo... Who was surprisingly close to Ares... Annoyingly close to Ares. "But, then again, Enyo''s presence make''s your insufferable one easier to deal with. Oh how wonderful it is to be in the company of a rational mind."


    Ares snickered before turning to face Bellona who wasn''t wearing her Legion armour today. Instead she was dressed up in a fashion that... well... Was basically just a witch''s getup... It was a little unique in the sense that it leant more towards being a dress than anything else but... It really was a witch''s getup... Even the curved, black hat with a pointed tip... Ares was at a loss for words. Bellona''s attire was weird but actually, Ares hated to admit it, it looked really good on her. Her natural smugness, the emo hair paired with the vivid amber eyes, and the sharp facial features which could become disarmingly soft at a moment''s notice all fit in neatly with the witch aesthetic. It was unexpected but, when he got over his initial reservations, he had to give kudos for making the appearance work. All of that respect went down the drain though as soon as she opened her mouth with an evil glint in her eye.


    "Hey mutt."


    "Hey Enyo''s sister."


    …


    …


    …


    The two had a silent Mexican standoff, grinning and staring at each other, just waiting for the other other to break the silence.


    "Don''t suppose you''ve come across any spiders or toads lately, have you?" Bellona was quick on the draw but she was about to realise the error of her ways in trying to banter with a revenant.


    "Ha, good one. By the way, what''s up with the witch clothes? I''ll admit, I was surprised seeing you out of the armour, you''re much more slender than I would have imagined. I guess I just didn''t realise because your armour was covering up your..." Ares gazed down at the arid flatlands below Bellona''s neck. "... Weak spots." No, really, Bellona was f.l.a.t. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Aside from the nip, there was zip. Like someone had poked a hole into a mountain and it had deflated like a balloon...


    Bellona''s smile cracked and she cracked her knuckles. "Wanna say that again, chump?!" Clearly, she took the issue seriously... Moreso than Ares did, anyway.


    "Hahaha, you look confident, but that confidence isn''t quite reaching your voice. I''m really not feeling it. Try saying it again. Try saying it with... Chest... Oh wait, you can''t! Hahahaha" Ares, personally was not the kind of man who would discriminate against any particular chest size. All were fantastic in their own way. Any man worth his salt would discuss breast size the way a gentleman would wine, appreciating the intricacies and finer details of various options even if, for some bizarre reason, they weren''t fond of one of said options. So then, why was he hassling her?... Well why else? Because he was a revenant, and that was just what they were naturally inclined to do. It really wasn''t personal, or even remotely serious, but it had top happen. It just did.


    "ARES!" Bellona began striding towards Ares with wrath in her voice and a scrunched up brow. Her eyes were focused and her body, flat though it was, seethed with indignation.


    Ares threw his upturned palms in front of him and leant his upper body back ever so slightly. His smile and his drawling voice betrayed the condescension nested deep within his psyche. "Oh? You''re approaching me? Instead of running away, you''re coming right to me?"


    Bellona, unperturbed by the petty attempt to rile her up even further, continued forward with a measured pace, shoulders swaying to and fro as she drew ever nearer to her prey. Defiantly, Bellona responded in a clear, quick, and concise manner, "I can''t beat the shit out of you without getting closer."


    Ares, thrilled by the thought of combat and pleased with bravery of his challenger, stepped forward to meet Bellona halfway. "Oh ho! Then come as close as you''d like."


    The following brawl was rather unceremonious. A dust cloud had been kicked up thanks to all the rolling around on the floor and not much was even really visible. Hair was pulled, flesh was bitten, slaps were common, scratches even more so. Even a homeless cat that had wondered into the sect somehow managed to get involved in the brawl.


    MEOW


    SLAP


    HISS


    THUD


    CRACK


    BANG


    WALLOP


    Off to the side, Enyo just shook her head and sighed. Like two peas in a pod, those two.