Twenty four hours.
Even after what felt like an eternity, an entire day of persistent and unwavering torment, Ares had not been let down from his punishment. He knew it would be bad but it was starting to get really out of hand. The pain was constant, overbearing, and enough to drive him crazy. He couldn't think straight, speak right, or do just about anything without being struck by the sensation of a thousand stabs. He'd been knocked out by the pain a few times already but, funnily enough, it was the pain that brought him right back and slapped him awake. Ares' body was utterly bereft of energy and devoid of its usual swagger and confident charm that he exuded. The unbothered gait Ares once strode with would now be little more than a limp drag of his feet if he could even walk but that was hardly in the cards either. If these metal spikes disappeared forget walking, he would barely be able to pull himself across the Elliot by scratching away at the floor with his nails. He might not even have it in him to lift his arms so he'd probably just lay there on the cold ground like a dead fish. His eyes resembled one too as they were unfocused and frayed, practically blank as Ares' mind was constantly pinballed between emptiness and extreme agony. If he tried to do nothing, pain. If he tried to do something, pain.
Ares had, at most, five to ten seconds of reprieve at any given time before he was thrust right back into hell for a good ten minutes or so. A handful of seconds was little to celebrate but by the time Ares had been through the ringer multiple times he cherished every single moment of the hard-earned peace. It was somewhat symbolic, actually. Wars were fought precisely to attain peace for his family, that was his definition and understanding of war's purpose. It was understandable his backlash took this form, forcing him to fight through abysmal suffering and remain unwavering just for a slither of calm. Just because he understood the irony of the backlash, however, that didn't mean he appreciated the current situation at all. It would be bad no matter what but he couldn't help but feel like his own beliefs were shooting him in the foot here! Alas, his mind on this matter would never change so he was just going to have to string what was left of his mind and body along to the finish line in a bid to keep his life through this ordeal. It's not like the backlash would disappear if his mind changed anyway; it would simply change to take on a new, more fitting form for whatever his belief became.
Ares wasn't sure how long this lasted but Sandy was feeling well enough to go and hunt western monsters at some point so it had clearly been a while now. Fortunately the spikes did eventually spit him out and let him collapse to the floor with a thud and, luckily, Sandy happened to return from her monster slaying expedition shortly after. She picked him up and put him on the couch, told him he'd been hanging for about thirty straight hours, and then watched him fall asleep immediately afterwards. She wasn't even sure if he heard her speaking to him but that was to be expected given the state of his body right now. He was bloody all over and looked like a living sponge. The backlash did not heal him when all was said and done so he was going to have to recover the hard and long way. He was in such poor condition that Sandy could literally flick him to death if she wanted to and that didn't even have anything to do with her fine grind. Despite being a cultivator towards the latter half off sensory enhancement, Ares would lose a fight to a blind, one armed, and starved orphan currently he was just that battered. The backlash took into account his revenant race and was really making him work to get back to normal, it spared him no mercy and made him cock-tease the reaper. Even now the shadow of death was still probably hovering outside the Elliot, looking for a way in.
Maybe the disembodied spirit of death could get some large monster to ram the Elliot and knock it over?
The shock from the sudden fling might even be enough to do Ares in! It seemed like the world answered death's call, maybe because Ares threatened the universe itself not too long ago and this was payback, and some wild giant scorpion came charging at the Elliot from across the horizon. Its claws were shaped like a bulldozer's blade and it was going to seriously tip the Elliot over at this rate and send it rolling through the desert with puncture marks. Perhaps the vehicle had been stationed in this one spot too long which is why this was occurring but it didn't really matter right now as this was a life or death situation! Ares had given Sandy control over the Elliot so it responded to her command to take evasive manoeuvres when necessary while she hopped outside to go deal with the threat herself. Well, 'threat' was maybe a little exaggerated, this was only a scorpion at the end of the day even if it was a pretty big one. It was more so just a threat to Ares' safety in his current sate.
The giant scorpion was massive, at least seven times he size of he Elliot in terms of sheer scale. It was hanging around in the west of Xasca so it sort of had to be at least as big as a qwaker to really carve out a base for itself out here hat no other monster would dare disturb carelessly. It was still a scorpion at the end of the day, though, and so Sandy showed no hesitation in running at it headfirst to keep testing her physical strength. She used it a bunch against other western monsters during her previous hunt and, though she was still tired and recovering, it had shown tremendous results... At least in comparison to the brood mother incident. She was technically just bullying weak monsters out here with her newfound strength but there wasn't really a better place to test it out than here so she was making do. Also, this stupid scorpion was disturbing Ares' rest and very nearly offed him in his sleep! If push came to shove Ares could probably protect himself with just the war aura flag alone, as commanding it to automatically attack this oversized animal was a piece of cake, but Sandy wanted to take care of his problems for once! She leant her left shoulder forward and charged like a rugby player willing to tackle every single member of the opposing team if they dared stand in her way. She ploughed through the desert towards the confused scorpion and picked up a decent amount of speed during her run that turned her into a human rocket. None of this felt threatening to the scorpion, however, so it temporarily changed its target from the nimble Elliot and aimed to squish the tiny bundle of clothes storming at it.
As the two combatants neared one another the sheer size difference between them would lead any sane spectator to bet it all on the scorpion but as soon as the two collided reality told a very different story. Sandy never stopped charging and the scorpion... Didn't exist anymore. In one massive burst of blood and scorpion guts Sandy barreled through the scorpion like it was a piece of weak drywall. She didn't even stop running because she wasn't yet aware she'd already killed her foe. It was like passing through air and she only realised what happened about ten seconds later when she started to wonder why on earth she 'hadn't collided with anything yet'. A smug hmph was all that could be heard coming from the bundle of clothing as she pridefully walked back to the Elliot in a spectacular mood, humming all the while after defeating a western monster without even launching any sort of real 'attack'. The Elliot had been given an order essentially akin to 'avoid disaster and scary monsters' so it was a little insulting when it tried to dodge away from Sandy but she was too happy with her own performance to care and played it off coolly without batting an eye or raising a fuss. She wanted to boast to Ares about this impressive display but remembered he was asleep and didn't bother him, she could always gloat over dinner when he was feeling better. As for what she was going to do while she waited for him to not need her protection anymore... The same thing all cultivators did. Cultivate! She was strong but that didn't mean she couldn't be stronger so improving the foundation of her cultivation was always a good idea.
Another day passed with nothing of note occurring. Ares was conked out the entire time and Sandy had to check his pulse numerous times to make sure he wasn't actually dead. She did sneak a kiss in here and there on his forehead but other than that she didn't cross any major boundaries. Ares woke up again some time after and felt considerably refreshed though still incapable of fending for himself. He currently felt roughly as strong as he was back at the early stages of mental accumulation which, while not terrible, was not good enough to do just about anything in a country like Xasca. Generally speaking, a normal cultivator shouldn't be anything less than mid bloodline awakening if they wanted to brave this desert as the monsters here were all respectably powerful in their own right. Still, Ares could move around, use mana, and be a pest in combat as per usual if need be so he was feeling well enough to cook if nothing else, that was very much doable.
Though Ares could have shared memories with Sandy directly, he chatted with her instead to pass the time as he cooked away in his Blade and conjured up a regal feast for a famished family that was sufficient for ten people let alone two. Plus there was more sitting in the back of his Blade just in case Sandy really went all out and gulped down everything before Ares could get a word in edgewise. The medicinal soup kicked things off as the two sat opposite one another and enjoyed a pleasant meal in each other's company. There was nothing important discussed, mostly just a bunch of joking around, but there was one discussion towards the end that mattered to Ares on a personal level at least. He had a habit of creating a specialty dish that he felt symbolised his partners and his opinion / view of them. There was the mint honeycomb for Enyo and the popping candy for Blo Blo and they'd gone down a treat. Ares was pretty proud of them and enjoyed the challenge of coming up with something of the sort because he usually had to think outside the box to liken humans to ingredients and come up with something appropriate. Of course Ares main goal was making the food taste good but his secondary goal of capturing what he loved and valued in these women was important to him. It was a selfish sort of proof he understood them on a deep enough level to consider himself knowledgeable about who they were deep down, at their core and not just whatever they showed on the surface, and what they meant to him. Ares was currently discussing this with Sandy and it wasn't hard to guess why, Ares had thought long and hard about this during his metal spike backlash despite the pain it threw at him in doing so.
"So you're personally crafting an image of what you see in us, making it tasty, and then summarising your feelings in one fell swoop? Are you bringing this up because you came up with something for me already? I'm flattered you think of me that way and have given it consideration." Sandy's eyes widened a little because she was still thinking Ares wasn't 100% committed to her fully due to the prophecy. His actions spoke otherwise though and made it clear he wasn't paying her lip service when he said he cared about her. Of course she knew it but saying all the sweet things he had meant little if it never came to fruition. She was starting to feel like he would fight for this relationship and not just give up on it if there were complications even though he really wanted it. Of course she understood he was this type of person from the start, it was part of what she liked about him, but there were limits to just about everything and if her presence actively jeopardised his relationship with his wives somehow that would likely be where he drew the line. Sandy wouldn't even blame him and there were doubts in her mind about where he currently stood on the matter so this was a really pleasant surprise. "I'm really touched... I see why your other wives like having their own dedicated specialty; I'm getting really excited just thinking about it and what it could possibly be. I know I could just ask you what you think about me, though I guess you've already said that back when you thought I was asleep, but this feels a lot more fun. You can reuse the words 'I love you' but this is like a personalised message, distinct for everyone and never something that can be replicated. I like it. I think it's clever and now you've got me wondering what kind of dish I would consider represents me if I could pick one. Better yet, now Im thinking about one for you as well. Heh, it's interesting. That aside, are these specialties always going to be desserts or is it just a coincidence?"
"Hm?" Ares tilted his head as he was just now realising that, actually, he had come up with desserts for all three partners so far. It was unintentional but the reasoning behind it was pretty self-explanatory the more he thought about it. "I guess I just think you're all very sweet. I'm sure I'll eventually make a savoury dish for someone but they're going to have to be a very specific kind of woman, I think. I won't go into it but there's this one woman called Havannah who might fit the bill... It's not a bad thing, it's just reflective of the kind of relationship I have with each of you. Yours in particular... I think I hit the nail on the head with this one."
Sandy couldn't help but smile widely because Ares' words were becoming as sweet as whatever he'd made for her. "What kind of whacky thing have you made?" Sandy lightly swayed in her seat, expectant for the grand reveal. The main courses had all been eaten already, so she knew it was a dessert, hence her earlier comment, and Ares had already informed her about the other specialties so she knew he usually spiced things up a bit and got creative... But this was going to be a bit different from the previous specialties and so Ares partially doused some of her expectations with his next sentence.
Arse shook his head with a small smile and a light laugh. "I didn't do any kind of experimentation with this dish. I hope that doesn't disappoint you but I don't think this one needed any changes. I just put a lot of care into something simple."
Sandy pouted cutely. "Are you calling me simple?"
Ares shrugged and pat his lap. "Come sit on my lap and you'll see what I meant; I can't quite explain it without feeding you the desert first and I think you'll get the gist of my intentions soon enough. Trust me, I've never known as crystal clearly what I love about a woman as much I do with you. There's one thing that stands out to me about you and that's why I made this simple; because it is. So come sit, I want to hold you while you eat it."
Though Sandy didn't get what Ares was blabbering on about she followed his orders to the letter, because he asked her to trust him and she did, and found a comfy position on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leant on her shoulder with a genuine and affectionate smile as he placed the specialty on the table in front of her. Sandy had no idea what this desert was, she wasn't particularly well travelled or knowledgeable about foreign cuisines no matter how much she enjoyed them, but she picked it up and gave it a quick sniff. It was like rattling a Christmas present to discern what was inside based on context clues but her inquiry was met with essentially nothing in response. It looked like some kind of pastry burrito that utilised filo pastry, icing, and cinnamon. What was actually inside it was impossible to tell but this dessert was warm, almost like it had just come fresh out of an oven. A single tear trickled down from Sandy's eye because everything clicked at this moment and she understood what Ares was going for. He was right, it wasn't complicated at all and they both knew exactly what kind of life they were going to live together; a simple and heartfelt one. A while back Sandy had adamantly refused to let go of the name 'Redhome' and Ares latched onto that and never let go, slyly incorporating it into this dish. It wasn't just important, it was everything he saw in sandy and this was an official welcome. She bit into the warm pastry and tasted the sweet pumpkin inside it that lightly burnt her tongue but she swallowed it all anyway because the heat left a cosy feeling in her throat and heart. She erupted into tears when Ares whispered into her ear words that were practically designed to break down all her resistances.
"Welcome home, Sandy."
What was the point of being a Redhome without a home to protect? A Redhome without a loving family to return to was nothing more than a soulless vagrant denied their true purpose in life. Sandy had been robbed of familial life and she'd craved something official like this from birth. She wanted comfort. She wanted people she could love and trust unconditionally and to be a pillar in such a family. She wanted a home and now she had one. Of course Ares' opinion of her was simple, he wanted a simple life with her. There was no stress, no complicated wishes or desires or goals of any sort, he just wanted to live in a home with her that they would both protect until their dying breaths. The pastry was her juggernaut facade and the gooey pumpkin inside was her soft rhino interior. It wasn't complicated at all, this dish was homely. After a long and tiring day outside, coming back to this hot dish that hit all the right spots, and a loving partner who cared deeply for her, was all Sandy could ever possibly want. Too many nights had she returned form fellahin business to an empty home with cold leftovers so this small dish had a big impact on someone who desired a drastic change. There had been a brief moment, as she was moving over to sit on his lap earlier, in which she thought Ares missed the mark but that just made this hit her so much harder because it was the complete opposite. Ares couldn't have been more right. Sandy sniffled as she chewed on the lovingly crafted sweet, finished what was known as a 'bundevara', and leant against Ares' chest as he embraced and cuddled her. There was no mistaking it, and she already knew it to be true but this confirmed it beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was her new forever home. Her name had meaning now that Ares had breathed new life into it and it was something she would cherish dearly.
Sandy manged to stop the waterworks and lay peacefully on Ares for a while as he brought out some hot chocolate to wash everything down with. Sandy sighed and pretend complained, with upturned beady blue eyes, at Ares while he placed some marshmallows on the table too to along with the drink. All this scene needed was a warm fireplace and Sandy would consider this to be heaven in its purest form. As for her 'complaint'. "This is really unfair, you know? I don't have anything half as wonderful to give to you and now I feel like I'm mooching..." Ares had crafted a symbolic and delicious dish that Sandy currently wanted more of but she had nothing of the sort to give in return. She knew he wasn't expecting anything but it still felt like an unfair trade. Ares shook his head as if to deny her misplaced guilt, however.
"Don't think that way, you know I want nothing from you... Is what I would say normally but there actually is. Of course if you don't want to then that's fine, I'll respect your wishes, but this is something I really hope you'll let me have."
"Sex?" Sandy knew this wasn't the answer but she fished anyway. Ares could have sworn he saw Enyo in this woman's 'innocent' gaze but he chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"No."
"Shame. I wanted it." Sandy was feeling particularly loved right now and wanted more, a deeper kind of love and connection, but knew that Ares was nothing if not ruthlessly firm when it came to this. If she didn't know any better about his circumstances she would think him a vegan purist in the meaty world of carnivorous love.
"I know and don't think I don't want it too. That aside, however, what I was going to ask you for is your name. Redhome is special and speaks to me on a personal level. Everything I do I do for family. It's my entire sense of purpose and so your name is something I envy. I had other plans for our family's name, and I'm not sure how things will go in the future regarding that, but it's a long time coming and I sort of want to settle on something now. Whether or not things change later is irrelevant; I guess what I'm asking now in this moment is this... May we be the Redhome family?"
Sandy's hands shook as she looked up at Ares with a few more tears in her eyes. This was more than she ever imagined and was extremely flattered right now. She had a feeling this wasn't going to be a small family but to have left her mark on it in such an indelible way was perfect so she nodded the second she regained control off her stunned body. Ares smiled lightly in response and kissed her forehead much like how she'd been doing to him earlier when he was mostly unconscious. He was out of it but he could feel her tender affection and knew what she was up to. "This is fantastic news, thank you. I want the Redhome harem to be feared and a symbol of an untouchable family. My reputation should spread fear into those who dare even consider messing with the family and I want the mere mention of this affiliation to strike fear into the hearts of all who hear it. I want it to be all of your get out of jail free cards, opening doors that would otherwise be closed to you. If anyone dares mess with a Redhome, they should know the expected consequences. That is what I truly want. It is a name that encompasses my entire attitude towards my partners and lovers as there is no amount of bloodshed I will not partake in to keep you all safe. Though we aren't married, so there's nothing official about this, I now consider myself to be Ares Redhome. I'll ask one more time just in case, do you mind your name being used for this purpose? It won't just be you and me but everyone else in this family too who takes on this name." Ares was serious about this so he wanted more confirmation... Though he could pretty reliably guess the answer he was going to receive.
"Yes. Please, it would mean so much to me... But are you sure?" Sandy wore a concerned expression and, although Ares a rough idea of what she was inferring, he waited for her to ask him anyway in case he was misunderstanding. As it turned out, he wasn't. It was guilt on Sandy's part that was making her somewhat hesitant. "But what about Enyo and Bellona? Will they be ok with this? I wasn't the first woman in your life and to come along and impose my name like this... As much as I want this, it feels wrong. I would prefer to consult with them first because I don't think I have the right to do that... Even then I worry they might just go along with it because it's what you want and I would hate for there to be any animosity between us over this..." Sandy was showing excellent foresight but she was misunderstanding the type of people Ares' wives were. He likely wouldn't ever be interested in any woman so petty over such menial things but he did understand there were plenty women out there like that. He couldn't even guarantee he wouldn't marry one necessarily, because life comes at you fast and throws many curveballs too, but if he did they would come after Sandy so it wouldn't matter by then in terms of order. As for Enyo and Bellona, they would definitely not care about this in the slightest.
"Luckily for you and I, Enyo and Bellona would probably have the exact opposite thoughts on the matter. Enyo is going to adore 'Redhome' and might have honestly begged me to take on the name even if I hadn't asked anyway. If there's one person who cares about this family as much as I do it's her and your name is well and truly perfect in that sense. I didn't really mention your second name to her in our correspondence, or what the intent behind it is, so you can tell her about it yourself in person and see if I'm bluffing to make you feel better or not. When you mention it, see how quickly she asks you to use it. She might honestly want it more than I do.
As for Bellona, she'll just find having a second name to be neat and interesting no doubt. The legions never had one, and she's basically disowned herself from them anyway. She won't be opposed mostly because she won't care at all. She'll find it quant, and maybe enjoy abusing the reputation of it a bit down the line, but having issues with it? Nope. It's not the kind of thing that registers on her radar let alone as something problematic.
Also, and it's worth mentioning this... This is a decision I have made so its final regardless of their opinions. I am the head of this family and harem and though I won't put my foot down often, I will do it if I think it's necessary for whatever reason. I value this name and find what it represents extremely important so I'm not planning on negotiating or debating this with anyone. We are Redhome if I say we are. That might sound tyrannical but I need to be decisive as the head of the family. There will be a lot of different women with a lot of different opinions and if I'm soft now I will be soft later when it actually matters. I love you all, I do, but there are times when I'm going to have to disagree with your opinions in favour of somebody else's and make a choice you might not think is best. It's on me to practice being dominant occasionally so that I don't make a fool of myself and thrust the responsibility of cleanup on Enyo. Hell I might even disagree with Enyo herself and she is the main wife.
I need to have the authority to make these sorts of changes so don't fret about such things. Though your relation with the others will be up to you to maintain that doesn't mean I'll sit back and let things get out of hand so don't worry about accidentally upsetting them over my own decisions. It's not like you forced me to do this or twisted my arm, it was all on me and they should talk to me about it if they disagree as holding a grudge against you is silly." Ares stroked Sandy's head and cheek while reassuring her in a strikingly manly way so she couldn't really muster anymore complaints about the matter. Not that she even wanted to, this was a joyous occasion and her heart was doing jumping jacks. She finished her hot chocolate and marshmallows and then demanded more cuddles as the two slept together on the couch. She was feeling great and wanted to keep that hot streak going at least until tomorrow so she refused to take no for an answer, not that Ares said no anyway, and enjoyed her first night in her new, loving home.