"Yoohoo, Sandy, anyone home?"
"Huh? Home? Whozzat? WHO'S CALLING ME?" Sandy spun around and made herself dizzy as she responded to Ares call. She was beyond drunk at this point but was still carrying around a bottle of liquid something all to herself and merrily chugging it down every so often.
"Yes, hello, that would be me, Mr Gold."
"Ah yesh, Mr Golden, I've been exshpectin' you!" Sandy tripped over as she clumsily walked over towards Ares but he caught her with a wry smile and ran some disintegration though her body to at least partially cleanse this drunken state. He wouldn't take away her merriment, and she probably got like this because she found it easier to talk about whatever it was she wanted to say this way and Ares wouldn't deny her that comfort, but she'd gone too far! There was no way it was possible to have proper conversation like this! "Alright missy, you've had a fair bit to drink so let's go and sit you down inside the caravan ok?" Sandy leaned on Ares' shoulder and he escorted her over to the Roving Elliot. After opening the door for her he let her walk by herself but she accidentally stepped head first into the caravan instead of the doorway and a loud THUNKfollowed as she left a dent in the treasure via drunken headbutt. The caravan shook and nearly became destabilised, leaning on its side and very nearly toppling over into the sand. Thankfully it managed to roll back onto all four wheels and stay upright but it had been a close call!
...
"Well I'll be damned... Sandy, I know you can't really hear me right now, but I don't suppose you have a unique aspect of drunken rage or something?" Ares was pretty shocked and his evaluation of Sandy as a 'rhino' had been forever cemented... He shook his head and held her hand this time, personally guiding her into the caravan before taking a deep breath and preparing himself mentally because this was evidently not gong to be an easy discussion to have! He hopped inside the caravan and shut the door only to find Sandy taking off multiple layers of clothing and fumbling around while doing so. She was hopping about on one foot with some trousers halfway down her leg as she struggled to pull a thick sweater off and it was clear she was having a hard time of things... Although Ares had no idea why she was this cartoonishly clumsy, what he did know was that the caravan was bouncing! Sandy was going to ruin the Elliot's suspension at this rate! Because of this, and because he felt pity towards her bumbling self, Ares walked over and gave her a hand by pulling off some of the excess clothing that was troubling her and then let her do the rest as the amount was starting to decrease considerably and he didn't want to take off more than she'd be comfortable with.
Ares could spy flushed cheeks under her clothes so Sandy was probably just hot and bothered after all the drinking. Maybe if she was still outside in the cold desert she wouldn't have done this but whatever, Ares didn't mind. He already knew she was sleeping in here tonight anyway and highly doubted she slept every single night with all those clothes on so it was only a matter of time before the excess was removed anyway; now or later made no difference. Sleeping in all those clothes would be a hellish task, Ares reckoned, so it was only natural she didn't when she could avoid it. If she was in a tent outside she might not be able to afford this luxury, as the wind might seep into the tent and cause problems with her sandy body, but the caravan was fully safe so there was no issue with her doing this. As such, any guilt Ares felt about seeing something he shouldn't had long since flown out the window as she must have been accepting of this situation to begin with. Rather, she specifically asked to sleep in here tonight earlier anyway so she knew what she was getting into and had orchestrated all of this herself. Getting drunk and removing her clothes... It was a plan that would have given off the complete wrong impression if Ares didn't know better! He figured she wanted to talk about her past and getting drunk made it easier. Taking off the clothes... Well that was probably just because she wanted to be completely upfront with Ares and hiding her appearance might come across as lacking in sincerity. She trusted him and this was a sign of that so Ares didn't make things difficult or try to stop her. This was all a roundabout way of enabling her to talk about whatever was on her mind but Ares was nothing if not tolerant and patient at times like these... Though there was a slight issue. Though it was clear what was happening inside the caravan.... This was not true of anyone viewing things from the outside. Sure the caravan was on the outskirts of the makeshift camp but it was still somewhat visible from the main, central part of the camp and all this bouncing around... Well it looked less like a caravan and more like a shaggin' waggon right now... The hunters were all now giving cheers and congratulating Sandy's climb to adulthood because of this misunderstanding! At the very least, this misunderstanding would persist until tomorrow but not be relevant right now so Ares and Sandy could have a discussion in peace. There was zero chance of anyone disturbing them, if nothing else! Arla probably knew what was going on, roughly, but she was too drunk to care or clear up the rumour mill and just let it slide; taking joy in it if anything and giggling to herself about the hilarity of it.
Eventually Sandy managed to wrestle a majority of her clothes off and Ares wasn't sure if he was more surprised by the mini mountain of fabric piled up in the middle of the caravan or the person who was underneath it all not being nearly as massive and bulky as he was expecting. He called her 'rhino' because of her physical strength and big frame but he didn't realise Sandy herself wasn't even really any bigger than Enyo. If anything she actually had less muscle mass and wasn't even as tall. It's not that she had less physical strength, she didn't, it's just that she must have removed them entirely because they bothered her aesthetically. Ares was shocked because it was like living on top of a bed for ten years straight, afraid to get off it because you knew there was a monster hiding underneath it, only to confront said monster and it turned out to be a harmless puppy or something of the sort. The difference between his expectations and her pretty self was incredibly jarring! Ares struggled to imagine this good looking woman stumbling around and breaking things like a silly drunk, while packing enough power to punch a hole through a steel wall with minimal effort, but alas his eyes were not playing tricks on him.
Sandy had tanned skin that was darker than even Rhea's, a long, dark purple ponytail with mid length curtain bangs, soft blue eyes with cat's eye-styled lashes and dark makeup, and pretty pink lips. Her facial structure was somewhat sharp but, in spite of that, her face itself was rather soft and looked incredibly smooth. Ratio wise, compared to Enyo, she was slightly less beautiful but slightly more pretty. Her body build was roughly the same as Ares', actually, but that wasn't saying much because his adept trait prevented him from really gaining much muscle. Point being she was less muscly than any other woman Ares had met and it seemed like Sandy really went out of her way to remove them wherever and whenever she could. She'd been at the peak of transition realm, and unable to cultivate any further, for however many years now, due to being obligated to stick around in Xasca, so she must have used all that time to fiddle about with her bodily appearance to get this result. It would have taken a long time but she had time to spare. Sandy was a rather curvy woman and could compete, if not outright put Enyo to shame with some of her measurements.
All this had been hidden pretty well underneath the bundles of clothing and Ares was now one of maybe a handful of people to have ever actually seen Sandy for who she truly was and not the Juggernaut demon people painted her as. This just made him feel more sorry for her, though, because she was really a clumsy, pretty, and friendly woman who had every right to live a normal life instead of being bogged down by elders and clan traditions. She definitely looked more like the kind of person you'd expect to settle down with a loving husband early in life and just relax whenever possible and not be some warlord leader of an entire race of people. She had similarities to Enyo in terms of the life she'd lived but Enyo didn't seem opposed to her position, just the circumstances around. It was the opposite for Sandy, it seemed. If she walked through Xasca city countless men would hit on her and, yet, if she put her clothes back on those same people would run away from her immediately. That was the nature of her position but it was still unfortunate and Ares felt better knowing he would be taking her away from all of that so she could live happily in peace. She'd even painted her nails a captivating dark purple, and she'd done it meticulously too, which was a lot of hassle for something nobody would ever see but it just went to show that she really wasn't interested in living this kind of life of solitary and restrained leadership. That's not to say she didn't enjoy being a cultivator, quite the opposite, she'd have just lived a very different life as one compared to the type of life she was living now and enjoyed her freedom a lot more if it weren't for her position. Someone like Enyo was more than happy to remain strict and stoic but Sandy was forcing it as it really wasn't in her nature; that was what it boiled down to. Enyo, though, didn't want to be a leader for a clan of people who did not align with her views on how things should be whereas Sandy loved her people and was only taking up the role because of them. It was like a mirror of Enyo's life but equally as complicated and hard to escape from.
"You're quite a pretty woman Sandy. If you didn't have to wear all those clothes all the time to protect yourself from the wind, as well as to act as a symbol for your clan, you'd have men swarming all over you twenty-four seven just like Lara does. Are all the fellahin women as beautiful as you? It's almost criminal you all have to wear so much clothing. It's like covering up artworks in a museum with cloth." Ares didn't realise it but his comments caused quite the stir in Sandy's heart. Her face was already completely flushed and rosy as is, though, thanks to the alcohol so there was no visible change other than her reluctance to look in his eyes right now lest she pounce on him and give him a drunken smooch. Instead she simply collapsed on a couch sideways while trying to hold back a big grin. Hearing the person she liked call her pretty left a pleasant feeling inside her that she was quite happy to wallow in for a while... Although part of her body did just turn into sand and start leaking away... As she fell onto the couch her unguarded ribcage pressed against the couch hard and this was a natural reaction to protect her from damage. It looked as though she was melting away and sinking into the couch, becoming a steady stream of sand trickling down between the pillows. Ares saw that she was too drunk and too absorbed in whatever she was thinking about to stop this so Ares walked over and helped her lean upright to stop putting so much pressure on her sides which stopped the issue...
... But now Sandy was looking up at him with a smile that gave Ares pause because it wasn't friendly, it was something more than that. It was a kind of intoxication and nothing that had anything to do with alcohol. Ares had a feeling in his gut that he knew where this talk was going to end up going once Sandy discussed her past with him and his mind was already racing with ways to get himself out of this situation because he wasn't sure how to handle it. Sandy was not one of the prophesised wives, Ares was pretty certain she didn't fall under any of the nicknames mentioned, so this entire situation left him feeling extremely confused. He didn't dislike Sandy, far from it, hell she reminded him of Enyo and that was the greatest compliment he could ever give a woman he wasn't in a relationship with, but this... Wasn't supposed to happen? At least he was pretty sure it wasn't? Or was it only going to not happen because he was so adamant about following this prophesised script to the letter? Was Yulo wrong? Was he right but there was more to this? Did his relation with Sandy go no further than this and they mutually agreed to remain friends? Could Ares just run away from this situation and think about it more later when he wasn't so busy with other things? Ares hadn't expected this night to be so complicated but this was undoubtedly the toughest puzzle he was going to have to solve in Xasca and none of Tom Tom's riddles came even remotely close. Ares was now deep in thought and going over every possible scenario he could think of but his bubble was burst when Sandy patted the couch next to her and called out to him.
"Sit." Her voice wasn't commanding, it was gentle and soothing but, in a weird way, that only made it more impossible to refuse her orders. Ares would feel immeasurable guilt if he declined the seat right now and so, despite his mind being in turmoil as to how to handle this entire situation, he sat down beside the cause of all his worries and went right back to contemplating the matter while Sandy silently stared into his eyes. She could tell his thoughts were elsewhere right now but that was perfect for her because she was simply enjoying staring into the starry reflection. More than Enyo and Bellona, Sandy had a pretty deep fascination with his eyes. They were a part of Ares that got little recognition, and didn't really appear all too special, but Sandy liked how 'warm' they were. The dark brown was like that of a homely wooden cottage to her, one she would happily spend the rest of her life in living comfortably with the guy she'd fallen for. There were many reasons for this desire, a major one being her complete lack of exposure to anything resembling a male friend which really amplified everything else, but she would definitely pinpoint Ares' eyes as a major reason if asked.
Sandy enjoyed it whenever he looked in her direction as she could sneak a peek at his eyes from underneath all the clothes without it being obvious she was doing as such. They were reassuring, friendly, inviting, compassionate, and showed a depth of emotion that the rest of Ares hid well. She could tell there was some pain underneath it all but he wore a smile regardless and that just made her more curious about the man Ares was. What manner of burden was he carrying while still being such a kind and friendly person? What weighed on his mind such that a wonderful person like him could have such sorrow buried in his eyes like that? As someone who felt the same, it was inspiring to see how resolute and unflinching he was. It was honestly impressive that Sandy could see any of this as it would take Enyo and Bellona maybe days of staring into Ares eyes to see anything of the sort. Granted they wouldn't need to, as his attitude and mannerisms would be enough for them to tell far sooner, but it was impressive regardless and showed a deep care for the person she was gazing at. This was a level of adoration that Enyo would give a big thumbs up for if she saw it but that just raised even more questions because she undeniably seemed like a person Ares wouldn't mind making his wife. Would Sandy break the prophecy or would she adhere to it in some way that Ares couldn't imagine? He really didn't get any of this...
"Delila Redhome."
Hm? Ares heard Sandy mutter something in a quiet voice as she stared into his eyes for comfort. She was using him as emotional support to get something off her chest right now so he simply listened to her speak instead of deliberating over his predicament as this was more important. He cared about Sandy in his own way and this seemed like it was going to be an important moment for her so he waited patiently without saying a word, silently encouraging her to go on. This was pretty disastrous for Sandy's heart though because, again, his eyes were practically beaming and emanating supportive encouragement. She closed her own eyes, sighed deeply, and cultivated a little to remove some more of her drunken state. It was more embarrassing the more sober she got but this was a talk she wanted to have seriously. She wanted to be in control of her actions and not mess this up regardless of how it ended.
"Delila Redhome... That's my name... The name my parents gave me. Redhome is an old fellahin surname but it's simple to understand. It just means we'll be willing to stain our hands with blood to keep our homes and loved ones safe no matter the cost... It's what it should have meant... Maybe that's what it meant a long time ago but my parents betrayed our ancestry... They betrayed me... Other fellahin get bullied because they're weak. I was punished for being strong. My parents were the fellahin clan leaders before I was born and supposedly they weren't terrible people... But power changes people. They became engrossed with their status and, when I was born, were willing to do anything, no matter how inhumane, to keep it. My talent, even as a newborn, was clear for all to see. There were talks about me becoming the new leader spreading throughout the clan in a matter of days. Even as a baby I could fully transform into a sand elemental... But in a way, that was my curse.
My parents were jealous... My own parents despised what I represented... First they force fed me a one day fine grind. It would forever ruin my physique and render me weak. Second, when they realised it wasn't enough to keep my natural talents down, they injured and poisoned my meridians. It would cause my mana reserves to be pitiful and my magic to stay forever miserable. Third, and finally, when nothing was able to hinder my expected growth to the point I wasn't in contention for leadership, the day I turned three months old, they tried to kill me. They took me into a random spot in the desert, far away from home, took off all my protective clothing, waited for me to turn into a sand elemental because I was too young to control it, and then dropped me into the sands. They poured water on my scattered body made of sand and tried to drown what was left of me. Tried to force me to merge with the desert and die while grains of my body were carried away by the wind. I still have nightmares about the way my body felt heavy under the water. I lost my legs and my arms to the wind while my chest was beaten down by a steady stream of water, gluing me to the floor. I could feel myself becoming one with the desert and losing my sense of being. I remember being slowly consumed by the sand and absorbed... But I couldn't see properly because I was crying and everything hurt. I didn't understand what was happening to me but it hurt.
I wanted to reach out to my parents, because I was a foolish baby who must have still believed they were supposed to protect me, but I didn't even have any arms to reach for them with as they'd been carried away by the wind. Those disgusting people were going to discard me and abandon me in the desert, letting me fade away like I'd never even been born..." Sandy had tears streaming down her cheeks and needed to stop talking for a while so Ares calmly offered her a part of his Zephyr to dry the tears with as he digested her story... Well he tried to be calm for Sandy's sake but he was definitely angry right now at the injustice she'd faced. Attempted murder by her own parents at three months old because they were jealous of their own child's talents was abhorrent. Not to even get started on the irreparable damage they'd done that was still affecting her to this day. Her being as prodigious as she was was already impressive enough as is but knowing there was so much wrong with her body, so much that had been broken by selfishness beyond her control, was somewhat heartbreaking to Ares. Any cultivator would feel immense sympathy for Sandy who could have singlehandedly led her entire generation and been at the forefront of it all if she hadn't been wronged to this degree. She probably would have beaten Ares in the spar previously if she didn't have a fine grind that was utter trash shoved into her mouth as a child or if she could summon magic that wasn't somewhat pathetic for a transition realm cultivator.
The more Ares thought about everything he'd heard here today the more mad he got but he didn't show or express it because he didn't want Sandy to feel worse... Or at least he thought he wasn't showing it but Sandy could see the rage bubbling away in his eyes. Contrary to Ares' assumption, that Sandy would feel bad for this, she was actually incredibly glad. It reinforced her belief that Ares was the exact type of man she thought he was and someone she could take solace in without being judged. She could cry like this without him thinking she should just toughen up and get over it given how her life turned out. Though it didn't come down to an argument, Sandy did try having a similar discussion to this with Arla and her response was something along the lines of 'well look at you now! You lived through it all and became tougher as a result!" It was supposed to be comforting but that wasn't what Sandy wanted and so she felt unfulfilled by the conversation. She wanted to face her past and her nightmares but she didn't want to do it alone.
Sandy was scared of those memories because they weren't easy to relive through given how vivid they were. She wanted someone by her side to be angry and wrathful while she felt vulnerable. She wanted someone to be like Ares and be patient with her weakness but to show genuine disappointment in her parents and assure her that what they did was unacceptable. She didn't want to be placated in the present by Arla, she wanted to feel the acceptance and care of someone in the past to fill the void her parents left. She wanted to go through it all with someone holding her hand through every step so she could move on... This was a long list of wants but Sandy had never been mentally resilient or had an iron will from the start, that was just what others assumed about her because of how distant everyone was since she'd taken up her position that she didn't even want. They must have assumes she was a genius born with all the right stars aligning when in reality she would have rather been born as anyone else and had a loving family. This was why she could empathise with the low purity fellahin in the clan... No, it was more than that, she wished she was just like them. She was jealous of their lack of talent and that was the issue.
Every time Arla called her 'talented despite what she'd been through' she was missing the point, that saying something like that just made it all hurt more. Being talented was the root of all her issues and she wanted someone to focus on that nagging thought, to be more concerned with that than any other part of the story. The reason her parents hated her was because she was talented. Telling her she was even more talented now was the wrong way to make Sandy feel even remotely better. She wanted to be allowed to be angry. She didn't want to sit there and worry that if she complained too much about her past people would think she was spoilt or something given how her life had turned out. 'You don't have a right to complain because you're talented. You don't have a right to complain because you're the leader of our entire clan and race. You don't have a right to complain because things couldn't have gotten any better than they are for you. I wish I was born with your talents'.
'Take them!'
That would be Sandy's response. If it meant she would then finally have permission to express her anger, grief, and grievances then take it all! Alas, nobody could take her talents away so she felt she couldn't feel any anger about the situation no matter how hard she tried. Of course this was where Ares came in. Sandy couldn't read minds but he was clearly at least a little baffled as to why she wasn't infuriated recounting this tale. He was definitely confused at the fact that she wasn't more angry about all of this than he was. But it was so unbelievably reassuring, so affirming to know she was right to have that feeling of anger buried and locked away inside her, that she actually felt nothing but ironic joy right now. Her smile wasn't forced, it was genuine. She wasn't necessarily crying because this was a hard story to retell but because she finally felt like someone understood the problem at its core. She just wanted to feel protected from her past. She just wanted to curl up into a ball and feel protected by someone else for once. As such, she finally found her protector in Ares and leaned on his chest so she could allow herself to be vulnerable for once without feeling entitled. She could cry here not as the leader of the fellahin, but as Sandy, as just some random woman who was deeply wronged and wanted to feel safe. Whenever she remembered the past, what she wanted more than anything, was someone to hold her so she wouldn't feel like her body was scattering again. She wanted to be held firmly in place and hugged so she would know it was all ok. She wanted her protector to feel anger and resentment to her parents such that if they returned form the dead this very instant he would send them right back to hell on the spot all the while Sandy hid in his chest. Put simply, she wanted Ares.