Beneath Glass Skies, Tag: Artemis

[Ares]

The milling of humans was like ants around the ground. For thousands of years it had always been the same, and he had never found them appealing in the way they moved from place to place like sheep, less than 1% of the race taking the initiative and doing something for themselves rather than following the crowd in attempts to remain normal and not stick out against the grain of society. Men and women, neither of the genders with a sense of self any longer, following latests fashions and 'sought-after' admiration from peers based on looks and attractiveness, the ability to use a key phrase once in a while, and to sit reading up on the lives of celebrities as though it had a single thing to do with anyone else's lives. In essence it made him sick, and Ares hated the humans for what they'd done to his work.

Certainly, they weren't much different from before, when they had been a much younger race and were still in combat. But Ares had toughened them through war and strife and bloody conflict, and every man and woman had a sense of purpose in those days, knowing what they desired and how they wanted their life to be. Soldiers had been soldiers, toughened to the highest degrees of war, and then there were his soldiers. Spartans who had feared nothing and battled everything, bringing about the destructions of civilisations at the whim of their God. Ares had been flying high at that point, and had he continued to bring victory and strife to the playing field, they may well have taken over the world and settled a golden age upon humanity.

His hands unclasped, dropping the litter across the metal railings of the outside walkway and watching it fall sullenly into the waters below. A dream that had long since been extinguished. The Spartans were gone, and though he had attempted to rebuild several times he could never combat the raging of humanity as they went out of control, becoming more and more extravagant in their wants and needs. He hated them, and he made sure they were hated with every conflict he managed to send their way over the two thousand years. And nowadays he did not even need that much, with so much lack of brotherhood between them that they willingly battled one another, whether through explosions or rifles.

He wandered away from his position at the edge, looking out to the waters in the hopes of finding the invading fleets coming to liven his life up. The meeting at the restaurant had went well, but being around so many Gods and Goddesses with talks of getting their home back was too much for him to comprehend at the moment. No matter, though. He had free time to himself, and he would enjoy himself as his free time desired of him. Nothing to do now except wait for Hermes to give the word, and he could be ready at an instant. Armed, now, he had funnelled out his jogging pants to give him a slightly deeper pocket, and within this, a javelin which could collapse to a compact size, or elongate to its full length. Not a spear and not a true weapon, but it was concealed, mainly to ease his feeling of increasing paranoia. Though, if he was honest, a shield would have lessened that far more efficiently.

[Artemis]

She walked at a slower pace for her. Artemis was not in a hurry and therefore she would walk at a pace that reflected that. She had dressed weather appropriate again today, dark jeans, a plain t-shirt and light sweater overtop with flat shoes and purse. It was a sunny day and Artemis wanted to take advantage of it. She normally dressed on the conservative side anyways, and she figured that today a sweater couldn't hurt because it was a bit on the cool side; with the slight breeze that was blowing softly against the little skin she was showing.

Artemis had never actually been to Covent Garden before, she wasn't sure her reasons for not coming but she had the day off from the clinical, which wasn't happening as often as she'd like. She was hoping to get together with her brother so the two of them could discuss what had happened in the meeting. Artemis wasn't sure where she stood at the moment, but really she didn't care because she had found Apollo. They had said that they would make decisions together and this was certainly a big discussion. Whatever they decide she would stand by it and not look back. Personally she was leaning more towards going home, but she was unsure of which side Apollo was leaning towards. Artemis had a lot of thoughts swirling around in her head, and she almost wish that she had something to distract her from them. Which is where the design to visit Covent Garden had stemmed from seeing as Apollo had to work a shift at the hospital and wouldn't be finished until much later. With her only source of distraction busy, she had to find something else she could do herself. Absent mindedly she pulled out her cell phone, she had taken to bringing it with her where ever she went so she always had a way to get in touch with Apollo. She opened it, making sure that it was indeed on and that she did indeed have Apollo's number programmed into it. All three different phone numbers.

Signing softly she tried to turn her attention to her surroundings. The market was certainly a large place and it was crawling with mortals everywhere she looked. She didn't mind being surrounded by mortals, in fact when she was in a large city she even liked being around them especially the children. No right now it was the other gods that were all around London that worried her. She wasn't even to bring a weapon to give her a sense of safety. Artemis had decided that walking around with a bow and quiver full of arrows would look slightly suspicious and would not help her blend in. She was walking around London defenseless, she could only hope that she didn't run into any other gods today. Artemis closed her cell phone, after realizing that it was still open in her hands and placed it back into her purse. For now it was going to be her source of comfort. She looked around trying to focus on the mortals after realizing that her mind was wondering once more back to the meeting and the potential dilemma facing the gods.

Artemis moved off to the side where she could look around and not be in the way of others who wished to move along quickly. This was so she could look around and decide where she wished to shop today. Even though she had never been here before she knew about it and had come prepared encase she saw anything she decided she's need. Artemis smiled to herself as the people scurried everywhere. Always in a hurry they were, mortals now of days had gotten to busy to believe. But today she would forgive them; she would have to because there was nothing she could do. But at least they gave her something else to think about.

[Ares]

The feeling of a buzzing in the back of his mind might have felt like an itch, or an insect landing against his head, but it was far from the case here. It was a burning almost immediately once he registered it, and his hand almost went straight for the pocket to seize his weapon before he paused the automatic action, hand wavering as he turned slowly to look down the walkway. Someone was there, and he knew they weren't a normal person, but he couldn't necessarily discern as to whom it was. A God, obviously, and his hands were in fists automatically as he turned to his left to investigate. He was tempted, quite simply, to march down there and find the source. He was wary too, though, but figuring he could be wary on the way, his feet started the process of moving him in that direction.

Courage or foolishness, either was as likely as the other, but in either case his hand dipped into his pocket, drawing out the bronze stick-sized object which could elongate at a moment's notice. His steps were strong and firm, belying any sense of apprehension of concern he might have, and the eyes struck from one individual to the next as he sought the location of the pulsing in his mind. Further down he walked, seeing none that he recognised, and his grip became ever thicker upon the bronze. He didn't know whether it would be a good idea to make a scene if things did turn out to be a bad situation, but even then he'd rather quickly end a problem than see it prosper through his inaction.

He swiftly found this to be an unnecessary thought, however, as the source of the golden aura turned out to be one he was at least on friendly terms with. In fact, it was one of the few he would identify with out of his entire pantheon. Artemis, blonde hair swaying in the wind gently, stood there, though she was not the archer and huntress that he recalled from the older days. She was looking as beautiful as ever though, and his hand dropped the javelin back into his pocked, jarring a little before resting there in the spot until needed again. He watched her for a moment, seemingly unaware of him, though it was also possible she'd spotted him from much further away and had simply not reacted much to him.

"Hey." he said softly, bringing his hands across the rail and pulling himself up to sit along the narrow beam. He didn't refer to her by name, thinking the surrounding humans might find it curious that anyone should be called Artemis in the common day and age. He figured she might recognise him - he had with her from the meeting the other day. But then she wasn't much different from before, and her features were still the same as that flexible, dangerous woman whom had managed to help save him from his incarceration that time long ago. He wasn't sure what she was doing here, but he felt their meeting was a little less awkward after the restaurant. "Didn't expect to see you again so soon."

[Artemis]

She did not need to look when someone greeted her. Artemis had spotted Ares walking towards her, she was indifferent to the Greek god of war and did not mind his company if he chose to join her, which it looked like he had. She was just going to let him walk by if that was what he wanted. He was easy to recognize, the feeling and aura helped but he had been at the meeting and even if they didn’t speak she still noticed that he was there. Artemis knew that at least now she would be safe, as she highly doubted that Ares would allow himself to be unarmed. Even if he was, she was sure that any other god who wished to bother them would be unarmed, crazy or perhaps both. It was nice to have the presence of another god around, one that she got along with and didn’t kill anyone close to her. She was sure that whatever was going on between her and Apollo was mostly worked out. It wasn’t that Artemis was a damsel in distress and needed to be rescued, that wasn’t the case at all. She felt that she was more then capable in battle, though she mostly fought from afar. After all Artemis was very accurate when armed with a bow and quiver. She wasn’t a coward; she just possessed a different skill set then most.

She really hadn’t been expecting to see him at all to be honest, but Artemis figured that if she said that it might seem a little rude. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him it was just she didn’t expect to. She was glad though to see someone other then her brother whom she got along with. It was easy to tell that Ares was deliberately avoiding using her first name, it was not a name that most had. In fact she had never met another mortal who shared her name. Knowing that it would be odd she decided to share with him that name she was using now. “Susannah,” She supplied him with, not bother to turn her head to look at him. She was observing her surroundings and paying attention to him, she had seen what he looked like and did not deem it important to look at him, all it would do was fuel his already big enough ego.

Though conversation would help distract her more then the mortals appeared to be doing. Artemis was sure that the way he was currently sitting was so that he could show off. She had seen him out of the corner of her eye pull himself up. Some things never seemed to change over time and Ares’ personality seemed to be one of them. She had noticed that her personality had changed too, mostly her temper and tolerance of males. She no longer felt the need to kill a male if he stared at certain body parts too long. Artemis also liked to think that she had learned to forgive others and that the world did not revolve solely around her. Though she couldn’t complain about Ares too much she did choose to let him live, when Hermes asked if she wanted to help rescue Ares she could have said no and let him rot in the jar but no she had helped. Which in her opinion meant that she couldn’t complain about him too much.

“I can’t say I was expecting to see you when I came here today.” She finally spoke an appropriate response to his last statement. “How have you been?” Artemis wasn’t sure what she was expecting his answer to be, but then again Ares wasn’t always predictable. If a fight were to break out for whatever reason he would probably jump in, but in conversation…it was completely different. She hadn’t talked with him that often before so she didn’t really have an idea of what to expect. Unlike when she talked with her brother, most times they didn’t even need to use words to converse.

[Ares]

Her eyes did not even stir to look at him, her hunter senses intent on something behind him at the moment and staring off to distance objects with no interest in the nearby God. It was a little frustrating, but he was capable of dealing with such things. He did like the attention though, and he wished she hadn't treated him as though he was inconveniencing her by turning up. From what he was aware, she was alone here. Apollo was nowhere nearby, from what he could see, and he was certain that wherever she was, he was usually not too far away if they could manage it. The twins had always been close and had that special bond that only such couples had. Sort of like himself and Athena, except Artemis and Apollo didn't want each other's head on a platter.

She continued to look past him, and he busied himself with the mortals whom continued to pass behind them, seemingly interested in the man until he caught their gaze, and then finding something in the opposite direction fascinating and averting their eyes. Children seemed less inclined, though the parents seemed to want to hurry them past the pair as though he were any weirder than the ground further down the walkway who were dressed in leather trench coats and wearing chains and piercings all around their faces. Ares could see them, and in most cases the parents didn't rush the children past half as quickly, but then Ares expected the mothers believed their eyesight was based off movement, and didn't want her child's soul drained.

"Damian." he replied to her, registering the Susannah, but finding it hard to place her as such when he knew her so differently to what he felt the name entailed. Susannah sounded peaceful and city-like whereas Artemis was far more of a country girl who was into wild things and righting wrongs. It was rather impressive, really, though he found it rather distressing when she seemed to take all her frustration out on men for simply looking at a woman the wrong way. Extreme feminism, but he was sure she was past that, and to test he turned his body slightly. His eyes rested across her bosom for a few seconds, and then he redirected them past her. He was sure she'd be rather quick in taking out her revenge on him, but he was certain it'd be worth it in either case.

In the meantime he distracted himself with her questions, nodding at their lack of prior arrangements to meeting in this circumstance. "I know, I've been bumping into a few Gods lately. Typical that they're all in the same few days as one another." He found that rather annoying - that he'd spend two millennia without contact and then suddenly they were at meetings together. "I've been fine, can't really complain. At least there's been entertainment around the world to keep me occupied." He shrugged, wishing there'd been more involvement on his behalf with the conflicts and the wars around the world, and he was incredibly jealous that the mortals got involved with them all whilst he couldn't oversee them and revel in the destruction.

"How about you?" he responded, returning the question politely back to her, interested mainly about whether she'd felt that the meeting the other night was a good thing or not. He knew he would certainly have preferred getting more out of it than a few angry words and a lack of actual fighting over the table. Maybe that's what he should have done. Thrown the first punch and see where it landed for him. "Been up to much, or are you still too busy gouging out leering eyes?" he teased, leaving little to the imagination for what he was referring to. He knew she had been a virgin Goddess up to that point, and expected that she likely still was one if her personality had remained the same. Not that it was a bad thing, but she was certainly depriving herself. She could probably have just about anyone she wanted.

[Artemis]

If she remembered correctly Damian was Greek and it means to tame or subdue. She couldn’t contain the slight laughter that escaped her lips. It wasn’t proper to laugh at someone else’s name but it seemed as if he picked the name strictly for the irony. Tame certainly wasn’t the first word that came to mind when she thought of Ares, especially in battle he was anything but. She wasn’t rude but as Aphrodite saw her self as a beautiful gift to the world, Ares thought he was a gift to women, mortal and immortal alike. Now don’t get her wrong she liked him when his eyes didn’t wander places they shouldn’t.

Speaking of which, Artemis noticed Ares change in body position and how his eyes lingered in places that they shouldn’t have for longer then she felt was absolutely necessary. Artemis was sure he was testing her newfound patients in the areas of the opposite sex. She found it appalling that in this age guys were allowed to objectify women, and females not only let it happen for the most part they participated. Girls and women were trying to create bodies that were unhealthy just for the attention of the opposite sex. In her personal experience Artemis had found that any adventures with the opposite sex resulted in heartache. More often then not they were more trouble then what they were worth. Many women of this age had not yet learned this lesson and they were contently chasing after males. In some ways she pitied them. It wasn’t because she was bitter. No, her and Apollo had finally worked out the Orion issue. And it wasn’t like she had never captured the interest of males before. Quite the contrary, she had many advances made on her, more so in the past but she had a few done recently. Though none of those men were killed, imprisoned or turned into girls.

As a result of his test Artemis gave him a hard push just in warning. Sure she wasn’t killing over it anymore but it didn’t mean that she was completely comfortable with men staring unnecessarily at female assets. Ares had always been a chauvinistic pig, and quite frankly Artemis agreed with what Circe had done to men that ended up on her island. “Please refrain from looking at my body like that again. If you wish to look at any part of my body my face is perfectly acceptable and upwards.”

Artemis had only seen two gods, apart from those who showed up at the meeting. Her brother, whom she talked to at least twice a day and they tried to see each other once a day. Many people compared their relationship to a romantic relationship and for the most part it was similar. They enjoyed each other’s company and wanted what was best for the other person. The only difference was there was no sexual component; she was not attracted to her brother in any physical way. Emotional he was the person she went to when she needed to sort out her thoughts and or feelings. She told him just about everything she thought, and in return he did the same to her.

“Mostly I stayed out in nature.” It was true she didn’t feel completely comfortable in larger areas and cities. “I was looking for my brother.” She didn’t like the fact that he had came to her when she wasn’t looking for him. But the important fact was they were reunited after not seeing each other for approximately one hundred years. “And when I did stay in cities I often worked in hospitals, more specifically maternity and pediatrics.” She enjoyed working with expecting mothers and children. Everyday was different and the stories she would never forget. For all the death she had caused it was nice to be able to help heal. Many people forgot that she could also heal, they normally just thought of her brother. After all that was what he was god of. But just as he was a gifted archer she could also heal, of course not to his extent. But then if you asked her she was by far the better archer.

“And I would like to point out that I have never gouged out anyone’s eyes before.” It was true; they died (on purpose or by accident), were imprisoned in a mountainside, or turned into a female. “There were a few males that ended up dead after seeing things they shouldn’t have but rest assured their eyes were still in place afterwards.” She was fairly certain that he was teasing but she wasn’t one hundred percent sure, regardless she still wanted to make sure that he wasn’t misinformed. “You have always acted as if my choice to remain chaste was a pity.” She half had wondered if he wanted her like so many other goddess. In fact Artemis was sure that she couldn’t count every goddess Ares had been interested in on her ten fingers.

[Ares]

Although she never gave away the fact that she was looking, Ares knew that she was aware seconds before she even motioned to push. It was a hard shove, and with his precarious balance on the top bar he could easily have been knocked off and ended up falling somewhat unpleasantly. As it was, she ended up knocking him back enough to unseat himself, and he fell backwards along the rail, as though suspended upside-down, his legs latched onto the top bar in a supporting position. From this position, he could still see her if he turned his head, and he found her response to him to be rather humorous. Her face and upwards, from this perspective, was her entire body, and his current height wasn't too far off thigh-level. "I'll keep that in mind." he smirked, deciding to avoid a gathering crowd of worried observers, and with a manageable stomach crunch he lifted himself up, arms grasping the railing again and lifting himself back to his seat of power.

"Not going to complain about looking at your face, though, obviously." he complimented her. She was rather pretty, and she'd likely see it as an insult to her. He knew she was talented and clever, and that having a beautiful face was probably a belittling factor to her. The very first feminist, he smiled. No... no, that was probably Hera. His mother always did have a way of passing on things through to her children. His rage was probably the combination of them both, and yet who did they blame for it? Well, Ares should be able to keep his temper. Ares should know how to censor himself. Ares is a warmonger. Ares is bloodthirsty. Tsch. His eyes narrowed at the thought. Ares was the one they came to when they wanted a war winning. Ares was the one who actually fought, rather than running around piddling in the ocean and making tsunamis to wipe out coastal cities.

Staying in nature was something he'd have expected from her. Probably the type to live in the mountains and live off the land. Or a farm, maybe. He couldn't see her being a farmer, though, somehow. A hunter didn't really live in one spot too long. It was kind of a bad habit, unless you were acclimatising yourself to animals before killing them. Even then, he figured she didn't need that. She could probably shoot a deer in the neck from half a mile without having to look. But then he always had thought wonders of her archery, and it was relatively undisputed. Against his shield, they were probably an even match, but that was a conflict he'd much sooner avoid. He'd had enough of female Gods managing to get cheap shots against him.

Working in hospitals didn't surprise him either, but then she was the motherly type. "Is that where Apollo is then?" Her twin was the most likely of any God he knew to be in a hospital. Probably a surgeon, mixing his precision at archery with his healing hands which knew an anatomy like the back of his hand. Not that the back of the hand wasn't part of the anatomy anyway, but the main thing was Apollo knew his stuff, and if Artemis was doing something like that, he could be certain her brother was too. Why they weren't together on similar shifts was a mystery to him, but that was something he'd no real interest in. He didn't care much for visiting any sort of sick tent, usually finding it a place of death and not really with any salvation to be found. Hospitals were just really big, expensive... very full, sick tents.

"Of course not." He responded to her comment on the gouging, feeling she'd taken it far too literally. Removing them was far too much effort. She was the one who killed men for such things. Oh, it was so much fun. "Not at all." he smiled, leaning back a little as though expecting the second push from her. "I just find it an incredible waste to the world that you're here, so young and beautiful, and yet incredibly unavailable to anyone. A perfectly unobtainable tease." he smirked, and his eyes wandered upwards across the ceiling, playing his innocent card to a tee. He wouldn't deny that she was beautiful and attractive. He'd like to have her, but then that was something that would never change with him. He was, after all, his father's son. "I'm rather impressed that you manage so well to pursue that which I can never manage."

[Artemis]

She smiled as Ares fell backwards, she knew that he wouldn’t fall and hurt himself but still it gave her a small amount of satisfaction. Artemis didn’t want to hurt him per say but pushing him was a way she could get out her frustration without consequence. Of course the childish satisfaction she received from pushing him was short-lived. He was able to pull himself up back to sitting without too much effort, but she didn’t really expect him to have difficulties get back up. It was clear that he was still very physically fit. Artemis knew that one most people, immortal and mortal alike, looked at her they saw a pretty borderline beautiful female. It was annoying to think that all anyone judged her on was her outer appearance when she was so much more. She had sometimes worried if her appearance was meant to be some sort of cruel irony. Men often times went for women based solely on how they looked. Artemis tried to make a conscious effort not to judge people based upon their appearance alone. She tried to get to know the person first and judge them based upon their personality.

“Yes, it’s why he isn’t here with me today.” She knew that he enjoyed working in hospitals, as did she, but the ever-changing schedule of days and nights along with the long shifts left little time for anything else. One almost had to be insane to want to work in that type of environment. Depending upon where one worked in the hospital they had to always be available. She agreed with what her brother was doing but with his ever-changing schedule it was hard to plan time for just the two of them. Personally Artemis had thought it would be easier if they just moved in together but she had yet to suggest it. Though it was like they had never been apart she didn’t want to push their bonds. The other option was for her to change what she was doing and get back into human healthcare. She had thought about the possibility of going back to working in a hospital, it was something that was crossing her mind more and more lately. Apollo had said that he was a medical student this time and Artemis was thinking that perhaps it was time she learned what advancements had been made for childbirth.

“I’m actually a veterinarian.” She informed Ares, it was rather obvious form the look on his face that he assumed she too was working in a hospital. Working with animals was calming, she had refused to pick between smaller animals like dogs and cats and larger animals like horses so instead she had done both. It seemed very fitting for her to be able to do both as she had always had a bond with dogs as well as larger wild animals such as the bore. Which was also the animal that was scared to the god sitting in front of her. Artemis also enjoyed the challenge that came from working with animals because they couldn’t tell her what was wrong she had to figure it out on her own. It was rather soothing she found working with animals, just her and them. “I wanted to do something different this time.” She wanted to take a break from hunting, living off the land and searching for her brother to settle down for a while. She had decided to try something different rather then go and work in a hospital setting like she was use to doing.

Personally she thought that he needed to be told no more often. Not many females actually said no to the god of war, with the exception of Athena but she was fairly certain they had more of a hate relationship, and Artemis wasn’t sure Ares had tried to do anything with her. “I d not tease anyone as you put it.” She believed what she was saying, she did not dress like some of the other goddess, like Aphrodite for example. In contrast Artemis wore relatively modest clothing that generally covered her most of her skin. But that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy shopping for them. The more they talked the more she could tell he hadn’t really changed. He was still a male chauvinist with an ego that was larger then he was.

She did appreciate his skills in battle. The last time they fought in any sort of major battle where most of the gods participated was the Trojan War and the two of them were on the same side. It was something she hoped would not change this time, as it seemed there would be another fight between the gods that could not be avoided. Her and her brother would stand together, or that’s what she hoped would happen this time, in the past it was her experience that it did work out that way. Ares had many useful skills in battle, skills she did not posses. In her experience, and she never pretended to be an expert in battle, was to have a group with diverse abilities.

She shook her head slightly when Ares commented on her commitment. “You could manage, if you really tried.” Though she wasn’t so sure he was capable of the necessary restraint. Could he even say no to someone of the opposite sex? “I am not perfect either I had my moment of weakness.” It felt odd talking about Orion to someone who wasn’t her brother. But she learned that gods often ignored their shortcomings when they needed to realize where there were. It was something she was attempting to make a conscious effort to do. Though she was still a virgin goddess there was a time when she was willing to give it all up for a male. It was constantly an internal struggle for her, but one she felt was worth it. Though her and Ares evidently held different views, almost opposite views, they got along well in the past and she hoped that would not change during the present time. As long as he kept his hands to himself they would get along fine.

[Ares]

Well that explained things, anyway. He found it highly suspicious to see one of the twins without the other. Sort of like seeing a mirror with no reflection, though he might have figured that Apollo would be the one going off and dedicating all his time to saving people. He was a pretty big do-gooder when he felt like it, and though Ares didn't hold it against him, he found it a rather glaring weakness that he was so involved with the sick and injured. So easy to take advantage of if someone had the right tools at hand, and it was a lucky chance that he had his sister to watch his back. Ares, of course, would neither divulge such things, nor would he carry out such a plot to manipulate this, unless he had due course to believe such an action was necessary. Even then, Apollo wasn't the one with the bow that he was most concerned about.

Artemis, however, had her own weaknesses which he'd exploit if he ever had the need. She was good with a bow - famous, even, and he supposed that she was probably relatively handy with a sword, but he reckoned he'd get the blow in if a swordfight was the case. The trick was to get close, and he'd struggle with no shield or other projectile to keep her busy. Javelins would likely be of little use, but then she was a big hitter on females and their rights, and as such he supposed he could launch her into a false sense of security if a female agent was amongst her ranks. A dagger in the back from the very people she protected most, and if had felt she was in danger of such things he'd have made such a thing aware to her. She had no followers, though, and though her brother was fair in features, he was no woman. Nor a traitor.

He'd never thought of her as a vet, and when she mentioned this he was slightly taken aback. He'd thought she was the type to assist women through childbirth, giving mean glares to the men all the while for forcing their wives and girlfriends and secretaries to go through the pain, and deliver the child - probably turning it into a girl just for her own amusement. But then, that was his impressions of her, and evidently she was doing something much closer to his heart. Well, as far as dogs were to him, and though he enjoyed them and their company, he'd never love them enough to let them share his bed. "Well I guess then we have something in common." he shrugged. "I've always been into the habit of working with animals. War is rather messy."

He teased, knowing that she was aware how bestial men could get in a fight, and then corrected himself to talk of his own occupation. "I've been in the business of dog handling. I've managed to almost perfect two breeds." Dogs of war, and all that. He found it rather appropriate and semi-amusing to think about. If she truly wanted to do something different, a few ideas came to mind concerning night clubs, poles and money, but he doubted voicing that opinion would get him the same weak shove. He would, however, say what he thought about her argument based on her appearances. "Unfortunately I disagree. You may not dress to tease, and you may not behave as such, but you're a rather attractive woman. Even if you cover yourself up, there's much to be desired, and no man to achieve such a coveted position."

Silver-tongued was hardly a common word to describe him, but a strong man always had the words required to back himself up, and the sharp sentences were almost as straight and quick as any arrow Artemis had fired. Whether they were impressive to her, though, would still await to be seen. He wasn't necessarily good at speaking. He could give a rousing speech and orders, and pretty much provide morale to thousands of men if he wanted to. He was a capable flirt, but when it came to complimentary flirting without verging on inappropriate, well, Artemis was a tricky girl to cater for. And Ares wasn't a good cook, making for a particularly unfriendly combination. Not unfriendly people, though, which was a blessing of sorts.

"All have their moments of weaknesses. Even the more avoiding of us." He spoke, of course, of himself and his affair with Aphrodite. He wasn't unhappy with how things had went - didn't regret a single moment, except perhaps being caught and hauled out like a show to be held before the Gods. Whether he'd felt more sorry for himself, or her, he hadn't figured, but from what he could remember his main attempts at concealing her hadn't been too effective. "If I really had to, perhaps. I was rather good with Aph, but then we were together to the point of having several children together. I find it unnecessary to get attached if you're in a relationship without the intention of going far with it." If nothing else, at least he was honest.

[Artemis]

War messy? Sure but that never stopped him before. Personally she had thought he liked the whole blood aspect to war, that generally made it messy. She had figured that he would have done something similar to what he was associated with. Normally that was what she would do and Apollo seemed very comfortable with what he was doing as well. She was surprised, a fact she did not try to conceal, to hear that he had taken a likening to animals. It was a bit more understandable when she learned that his interest was more specifically in dogs, and dog breeding. The whole training dogs scenario seemed odd for the god of war. But he had clarified and said that they were larger dogs. That explained a bit, larger dogs tended to be fiercer and were harder to train. They could also be trained to attack people on command and kill them. Many people never realized just how savage of an animal they were bringing into their house when they brought a dog home. Now the smaller dogs weren’t going to do much damage, but a larger dog like pit bull or Doberman pinscher could be very deadly if trained, but half of the equation was also the owner. A dog tended to reflect how an owner treated them and Artemis had no doubt that while they would listen and be obedient to Ares, his dogs were not the cuddly kind. Even though that was most likely the case Artemis wasn’t worried about Ares’ dogs. At one point she had a small pack of dogs that she hunted with. They were carefully trained and could kill on command, though it was normally wild animals they slaughtered. “If you ever have the need I would be happy to look over your dogs.” She was sure his dogs were in good health but offering her services seemed natural. He was right it did give them a common interest at the moment.

“So you’re saying just because I am female I tease people.” She had never thought about it like that. It was an interesting point that he raised. She had never considered that the fact that even though she covered up and tried to wear clothes that would not attract attention men could not help them selves. She never really did trust members of the opposite sex, it was partially why she refused for the most part to keep their company. Only one male had managed to make his way into her heart, and that ended badly. She also was certain that her commitment to being a virgin goddess came from the fact that her father, and Ares’ father, had many affairs on Hera. Her mother just happened to be one of those affaires. It was not something she took lightly because Artemis did see how it affected her mother. Besides she did not need a man to make her feel needed or complete. But that did not mean that she couldn’t appreciate their company from time to time.

The problem with trying to maintain being a virgin goddess was one generally gave up the opposite sex. It was not limited to intercourse, Artemis did not interact with very many men on a daily bases. Thus conversing with them was a bit awkward and she wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. Her brother was one thing, Ares was completely another. She knew that Apollo would never do anything to hurt her but no other male was her brother and not every male had the same courtesy. She was fairly certain by the way Ares was acting that he too was a bit awkward in the situation. Artemis wasn’t sure how to proceed in the situation, it was a different experience normally when she had interacted with the gods in the past her brother had been at her side and right now she was out of her comfort zone.

There were several mortals walking by, and one or two children looked at her and Ares. She smiled at the children as they continued walking besides their parents. It was only then that Artemis realized she had still not looked at Ares. She had been watching the mortals carry on with their lives that she had forgotten to at least make eye contact with the god of war once. No wonder this conversation was slightly more awkward then it should have been. “Perfected two breeds?” This time she finally looked down at him making eye contact for the first time during their conversation. Artemis wasn’t sure why she hadn’t done it before but there was no point in contemplating over something that she had just fixed. She took care to look him in the eyes, and made sure her eyes didn’t wander so he couldn’t complain about a double standard. Everything she chided other people about, she tried to practice herself. “So how many dogs do you keep?” She would have added as pets but she doubted that’s how Ares referred to them. When she had her seven hounds she thought of them as an extension of her followers and the closest she would come to having children.

For the most part she was pleased with some of the feminist movements that had been occurring over the years. It was nice to see that there were others who shared the same views as she did. But Artemis was learning there was a fine line between respecting the beliefs of others and ignoring them. Just because she believed something different didn’t make it right for her to be displeased because other gods did not see her beliefs exactly the way she did. She had gotten better at being around males when necessary without over reacting. She was making a conscious effort to have a better temper around them and to not be as impulsive as she once was. She was aware that in modern times girls wanted the attention of males and it was more accepted for them to suggest things that Artemis considered to be inappropriate. It was hard for her to watch girls throw themselves at boys but she had to remind herself that it was their choice, and at one time she had been in a similar situation.

[Ares]

He appreciated her offer for looking over them. As much as he probably knew about raising them, he figured she knew more, and would be able to commit herself to any healing that would need doing to repair any damage which had been inflicted through whatever means. He was sure there wasn't any, but it was still better to be safe. "I'd like that some time, sure." he smiled, wondering if there was anything he could offer her in return, but there wasn't really too much available to him to give her that she likely couldn't achieve by her own regards. War, death, destruction - he was capable of all these, but anything constructive was usually left with one of the others Gods. Aph had been the constructive one, bringing new life and prosperity to the people after he'd won the battles. She'd given them hope, of sorts, and ensured that there'd always be soldiers for him.

"I could give you some training in combat, if it's a fair enough trade for you." He didn't know whether the offer was something she'd accept, being so adept with the bow and arrow, but not every enemy would stay at range. Of course his form had faults - or at least it did when he taught it to others - but they were rather small and difficult to find. Except when you were the one teaching, and then you always knew where the holes were in a student's work. It was a rule he seemed to adhere to without reservation. No matter whom it was, he could not allow himself to be beaten in skill in any situation. It was just not in his nature, and he at least preferred the comfort of knowing some of the weaknesses of an enemy before engaging them in battle, though finding them during the fight itself was never difficult.

He shook his head at the words. "I am saying because you are beautiful and unobtainable, you are a tease to men whom would wish for something they could not have." Even in these clothing, which he presumed were chosen specifically because they were as typical as she could find, and likely without the faintest intent of appearing attractive, she still looked incredibly good. Her brother was good, for his purposes, and he would not deny that he was good for her. Twins were always good to have - two warriors watching each other's backs. Such were the Spartans. Such were his boys, Phobos and Deimos. Such were Artemis and Apollo. Such were any married couple of mutual love. Ares, though. He had no twin. No equal in battle, and the only one he'd ever trusted with being competent to watch his back was himself. A lonely life, indeed.

In a way he envied her, having so much available to her. She was, indeed, lacking in flaws, whereas he knew his own and kept them masked as best as he could. She was beautiful, whilst he was merely average with a thick body, and they were both skilled at handling weapons, though varied in their preferred combat styles. Each good with animals, though she more so, and her intelligence was of a different intent to his, being smarter of the world and intellectual things. His... well, he knew he was driven well by emotions, and lacked much restraint that would avoid conflict. He also thrived on conflict, and had the rage that severed well in battle. There had been no war for him for so long, though. He detested modern combat, and in a sense he was almost a God with nothing to do but feed on strife and suffering. And what fun was that? That was not too far from Hades, in fact.

He glanced up as she spoke again, seeing her turn to face him and finding her eyes looking to him for a change. They seemed edged with a hard line. Her eyes were sharp, and for a moment he wondered whether she was in fact part falcon, before nodding and responding. "German Shepards and Pitbulls. Four in total. I've been breeding their particular lines for over a century now." He often wished he could have raised wolves instead, finding their pack mentality and greater degree of fierceness when necessary to be appealing to him. Dogs were vicious, yes, and they did work together well, but they did not hunt as groups the way a wolf did. Similarly, the dogs of Africa worked in a way which was not dissimilar to this.

In the times of isolation, they had been the closest things to family he'd managed to hold on to. Often he had thought of his children, wondering whether they were still safe, looking through newspapers and TV headlines in case one had turned up. Maybe even someone else like Nike, or Aph, or Eris, whom were often the ones to spend time around him for whatever reasons. At times he'd even have been glad to see his father, if it had meant that he'd at least not be spending his time alone, but the years had been unkind, and there were no appearances until recently. No more spending the nights alone, or trying to fill the gap with mortal women who simply didn't fill the spaces of his life as his family, or a Goddess would. They were coming back together though. Once he had his family back together, he'd be at ease - though he judged his family as slightly more encompassing than just children. Aph was included, of course, as were those he rode to war with.

"So no bow then? It's rather strange seeing you without one. Then again I'm stuck in these useless clothes so I guess I can't say much."

[Artemis]

She smiled as he agreed to have her look them over. She was looking forward to it, she had always enjoyed being around dogs especially the ones Pan had given her for hunting. She couldn’t quite bring herself to replace them yet. In fact she wasn’t sure she would be able to replace the seven hounds she once had at all. There had been a strong bond that had developed between her and them, a bond that could only develop over time and out of trust. It wasn’t something she really wanted to replace. Besides right now she didn’t have any need for hunting dogs. Perhaps one day that would change but for now she was perfectly content looking after the dogs that other people owned.

Artemis had to think about Ares’ offer for a moment. She hadn’t been expecting for him to offer anything in return but it was a pleasant surprise. As for the actual offer she wasn’t sure. She was more comfortable with being away from all of the action, talking out people from afar. She did realize that her main strength was also her greatest weakness. She could take out people from afar but once fighting turned into hand-to-hand combat she was mostly useless. Artemis nodded her head once, “Thank-you.” It could be useful to have Ares teach her. Of course it wouldn’t be perfect but then again she wasn’t asking to be a Spartan. All she wanted out of the lessons was to be able to defend herself if needed. “I would appreciate the help.” And would she need it. Sure she had the hand eye coordination that was necessary but she could not remember the last time she picked up any weapon that was not her bow or knife she used to skin animals. “I will warn you I think I got the better part of the agreement.” Yes Ares enjoyed any sort of fighting but it was almost as if she had never engaged in this sort of combat before. Therefore he might have to teach her the basics. And have patients, a trait normally not paired with the god of war. “I’m sure if we wanted we could use my strengths to benefit you as well.” She didn’t mean it in a negative way and she certainly didn’t say it to be cruel. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the hand eye coordination, or skill for that matter, but the same principals that were used in archery could also be applied to the spear. The weapon Ares always seemed to favour. She said it more for the mutualism that could come out of the situation.

“I suppose that is true but I cannot help that fact. I try not to lead anyone on but as you have pointed out sometimes it happens by accident.” As chauvinistic as he could be Ares was right. His insight was rather valuable, and something she didn’t get often if not at all. Apollo wasn’t in the same state of mind so he couldn’t offer the same advice/view point. She didn’t really like the thought that there was nothing she could do to stop males from admiring her (and the odd female). It was rather unnerving. She had only had two relationships before one had been with Orion and the other with Britomartis. So she wasn’t actually that use to having people stare at her. In fact most of the people in the past that she deemed had looked at her inappropriately had been put to death.

She stared at him for a moment before speaking again. “It is difficult to carry around a bow and quiver of arrows without looking out of place.” She did not like being reminded that she was completely unarmed and helpless. In a way it helped her to realize that she really did need the help he had offered her earlier. She would like to be able to defend herself, and the only way she knew how to do that right now involved a bow and arrow…a weapon that was useful especially when paired with her skill but it did little use if she did not have it with her. More like couldn’t have it with her. It was the one thing that unnerved her, if she was completely unarmed she was solely relying on her ability to out run them…and she couldn’t outrun all gods. “I do think the training would be highly beneficial. Thank-you for offering.”

[Ares]

He nodded to her as she offered her thanks, smiling slightly but not wanting to make it too much of a big deal. He was simply offering her what he could in exchange for what she could offer him, and he was thankful for it. He was glad that she would appreciate it - he felt that everyone should have at least a basic learning in each of the main skills. Or rather, his main skills. Swordfighting was as important as breathing, and if you couldn't handle a sword, or at least manage with your fists, in a tight situation, then you were certainly looking at struggling if you ever became set upon. The current surroundings were far and away the worst place he could think to train her, and though he had his own apartment, he had reservations about inviting her around to his place. Artemis didn't seem the sort.

He figured that she was sort of right, and that she was certainly getting something good out of the arrangement, but that didn't stop him from offering it. She gave him a counter offer, and he was rather pleased with that, too. "I'd be happy to. I do like having a sparring partner, and I'm sure we can learn from one another rather well." Getting to do something without holding back, or feeling like he was pressing a mortal too far, was going to be a delicious change of pace now that he'd encountered not only Deimos, but also Artemis as well. Though she was far less of a war-oriented Goddess, she was at least educated in battle and could manage herself around a battlefield if necessary. She'd certainly done well at Troy and proved her calibre amongst the archers at the walls.

"I'm sure." he nodded, knowing what she meant. "I can imagine being so ambiguously attached to men, it's rather annoying." He could relate quite well, actually, with numerous stupid women across the years having tried their hand at seizing his attention. None of them were worth his time, of course, and he'd simply brushed them off without a second glance. It wasn't that he wanted intelligence over anything else, or even a stunning body. He looked for self-discipline and strength, and when women were fawning over men trying to vie for attention and get him to be the one that looked after them, he refused to give them anything more than a cold shoulder. Perhaps it would at least help them along the right road.

Fishing in his clothing, he pulled out the javelin and handed it to her, pointing out the collapse switch. "Some weapons are a lot easier to carry around. Daggers and swords, but I reckon that if there's a javelin like that, there's probably something similar for a bow." He paused for a moment as though dumbstruck, and pressed on with his idea. "What about a gun? They're the modern equivalent, and I reckon you could wield a pistol like a sniper rifle with both eyes closed." He wasn't even joking. Her archery capabilities were legendary, and it seemed the natural progression. They hadn't really developed anything better for him, though, and a shield and sword were still irreplaceable, though he had smirked slightly at the sci-fi concept of chainswords. He rather liked the idea of using a chainsaw blade as... well, a blade.

"If you're interested now, then perhaps we could head back and begin today? I've got nothing else to do, if you're happy and not expecting Apollo soon." If anything, he was looking forwards to getting a chance to practice again. With a partner, for a change. "I have a place not far from here, near Trafalgar Square." He'd leave this in her hands, and not press it too much. He was patient, at times, of course, but the thought of getting a weapon into his hand and spurring on his muscles to acts of epic battle again was rather appealing.

[Artemis]

As long as Ares didn’t treat her like some of the goddess he was use to hanging around, the ones more geared towards war they should be fine. Artemis could pick up skills rather quickly, and she was positive Ares would be a good teacher but it would still be relatively new to her. The last time she remembered seeing Ares fight, vividly in her mind would have to be Troy as the other battle they knew happened was still very fuzzy. To the point where it was like it didn’t exist. “I’m sure you’re correct.” She smiled at him. This conversation wasn’t turning out like she thought it might have when he had first approached her earlier. “As long as you are patient with me and don’t expect much the first time we fight.” It was best to warn him now that her strength lied in fighting over a distance not when she could hold a conversation with the person without yelling at them.

She could tell by the tone in his voice he was being serious when he told her he could relate to how she felt about men always throwing themselves at her. She figured that he had women throwing themselves at him. She never really understood the need to throw oneself at the opposite sex, or why girls felt they needed a boy to feel complete. She could not relate to those feelings at all as she had never really felt that way before. How she had felt about Orion was difficult to try and put into words. Some days she wished that she had looked differently, but that really would not accomplish much for female rights.

Artemis watched as Ares took out a javelin and handed it to her. The weapon felt awkward in her hands, not what she was use to at all. She listened as he explained why he had it with him and his idea for her. She hadn’t really thought about a gun before. She had been trying to stay away from modern weaponry as much as she possibly could. Artemis was sure the basic principals that applied to archery would also apply to a gun but she wasn’t sure about the idea. It basically came down to if she could protect herself. Sure it might make her feel safer but it was not her bow and arrow which she loved so much. She could always carry it around with her and if asked say she was going to an archer tournament or practice. Most of the time if mortals saw anything out of the ordinary they ignored it or made up their own reasons as to why it would be there. They, for the most part, didn’t like to ask questions. She wasn’t like the god of war at all, he could adapt his weapons to fit his environment, and she wasn’t as keen on the change. “I’ll think about it.” She said finally after thinking the entire idea over in her mind. He was probably right when he said she would be able to handle it, with both eyes closed might have been a slight exaggeration. Had of he been talking about a bow then he would have been speaking the truth but a foreign weapon, in this case the gun, was not like handling the one she was use to, her bow. It would take time and she would have to train herself all over again. Was it worth it?

She thought for a moment about his offer. She hadn’t expected to do anything else but possibly shop, something she had not yet gotten around to but it didn’t seem as important now as it had when she left her house. Artemis knew Apollo would most likely be busy for the next few hours due to his shift at the hospital, which meant that she was both alone and free to do whatever she wished. As far as she knew her brother and her weren’t planning on getting together today but rather in a few days on the weekend when they were both free. “I’m not expecting Apollo at all today, he had a shift at the hospital and therefore won’t be joining me.” It all seemed a bit sudden but the sooner she learned how to defend herself the calmer she would feel. The place he was suggesting was certainly closer then her place was or Apollo’s for that matter. “I think it would be best if we started soon.” With the way the conversation had been going thus far she doubted that he would try anything, but if he did she was sure she could use one of the weapons he had as a projectile. It wasn’t that she was expecting him to behave inappropriately but she had some not so pleasant encounters with males over the years and it never hurt to be wary, and remember what they might be capable of. So she had some trust issues, it was understandable. Out of the three males she had ever trusted fully in her life two were dead and one was her twin brother. She would have to get over whatever fear she had that was restricting her interaction with the opposite sex. “Your place sounds fine.”

[Ares]

"Of course." he smiled, tempted to give a gracious bow. He wasn't going to expect that she learnt things immediately. He'd be surprised, in fact. It took years to build up a Spartan, just as it had taken years to develop his own children into the fighters they were. If he could get his hands on Apollo and give him similar training, he'd probably have the best pair of fighters he'd ever trained. Except maybe Deimos and Phobos, but in either case he was training twins who were going to watch one another's backs from a mixture of combat and sibling connections. "If there's anything I have, it's time, and it comes in great abundances. If it's over a week or over a decade, I'll quite happily teach you to handle anything from a dagger to a sword and spear as if you'd been born with them in your hands." The thought of Athena crossed his mind, and his eyes darkened a little.

She wielded the javelin cautiously, but then he figured he'd expected little else. It was both unfamiliar to her, and different to any other natural javelin, and in her hands she'd be more accustomed to a bow rather than a thick rod which was designed to be thrown, not shot. She didn't sound convinced, neither by the weapon she held, not his suggestion, but he was not likely to complain about such a thing right now. At least she was considering it, and he knew that a dagger was easier to carry than a spear, and a gun moreso than a bow. Not that he'd carried a bow, of course, and not a gun, but they were compact and just as deadly over a long distance, though there was a slight difference in use. With Artemis, though, he expected her to be like something from a comic book. 100% accuracy.

For some reason he was surprised that she hadn't been expecting Apollo, under the assumption that her twin was going to be making his presence known soon. Within the hour, or something, and that he really probably should have considered that, yes, they were together a lot, but that probably didn't mean they went everywhere together. Twins, though, to his mind, meant bound together, and he sometimes took that as literal. Even more than that, she seemed eager to start, and he was more than willing to accommodate her immediacy, nodding with a knowing smile. He had more than enough training equipment at his apartment - assuming that by training equipment, one meant weapons and armour accumulated through the years by visiting auctions and blacksmiths.

"Very well then, to mine it is then." He didn't request the weapon back, trusting her to not try and impale him as his half-sister would do if she ever got the chance to be in such a choice position. He led the way, moving slowly, and not particularly in a rush to get there at the moment. She was welcome to urge him on, but they weren't really that far away and he was easily capable of jogging there if she was so excited at the prospect of getting to stab things. "Anything in particular you'd like to be trained in? I've got pretty much everything, but I'd presume to start with you'd want something concealable?" Daggers were fine. Swords too, though more bulky. In either case, he'd be willing to treat her to his masterclass of either single, or dual blade combat. His fingers itched with anticipation.

[Artemis]

Artemis was intrigued by the way Ares was acting towards her, almost as if he had an ulterior motive for offering his help. She giggled when he remarked that he had time and would happily help her. It was one thing to have time another to have patients, but he seemed egger. She just wanted to learn how to defend herself and he was talking as if he was going to make her into a solider. Then again that was probably exactly what he was thinking. Artemis began wondering exactly how long it had been since Ares was able to fight properly. It was what he was born to do, like she was born to live outdoors with a bow in her hands. She watched as his eyes darkened, she wasn’t sure what kind of thought crossed his mind to make his face go like that but if she had to guess it was either the lack of fighting he had done or Athena. Those two had a childish feud that had somehow lasted all of these years. They were on the same side, both wanting to go back to Olympus so couldn’t they just call a truce? She had been able to forgive her brother so why couldn’t Ares forgive his half sister? If anything it should have been harder for her to forgive Apollo.

It was odd to have something so heavy in her hands. Everything she was use to working with had to be perfectly balanced and lightweight. She was expected to be deadly with her bow, which she was and because of that perception Artemis wasn’t sure how she felt about letting Ares see her so vulnerable. She was placing herself out of her comfort zone; an feat which would have been easier had of Apollo been accompanying her. But he wouldn’t be showing up, which meant that she had to do this alone. For a moment Artemis wasn’t sure she could go through with this after all. She took a deep breath forcing herself to focus. It would be very helpful for her to know how to defend herself so she didn’t need to rely on others like Ares and Athena.

Artemis wasn’t exactly sure what to expect weapons wise from Ares. She was sure that he would have a large collection but that didn’t tell her what to expect out of training. He was an intimidating figure in battle and she doubted his intensity lessened in practice. As for teaching her Artemis was willing to give him a chance, not that she really had much of a choice. She thought about her brother’s offer to teach her guitar and how different those lessons would be from the ones she would be getting right now. However it wasn’t fair for Ares to be compared to Apollo, especially when he hadn’t even taught her anything yet. Perhaps he would surprise her with his teaching style, but currently she wasn’t expecting much.

She found it odd that he didn’t wish for the weapon that she held in her hands back. Perhaps he felt like she was not a threat with it in her hands, for that she thought about impaling him with it just to prove him wrong. But there may have been another reason Ares let her keep the javelin and she didn’t want to impale him encase her assumption was incorrect. The pace was slow, almost mindless nothing to it but it was a welcomed change. She didn’t often walk at this speed and it was rather enjoyable. If he wasn’t rushing off she felt no need to either. It was just some lessons, if he didn’t live far then it shouldn’t take them long even at the pace they were walking at. Perhaps she could convince him to let her look over his dogs before they started. Artemis was fairly certain that Ares would think she only wanted to look over his dogs to put off learning how to fight, which was partially right. They way he had talked about them had her intrigued and she couldn’t wait to get a good look at them.

She nodded her head at the last part of his question. “Something small and easily concealable would be best.” She wasn’t sure how she would be able to handle the smaller weapons, so the larger weapons like swords and whatever else was bigger was out of the question. “They’re nothing in particular that I can think of.” What she didn’t feel like telling him was her knowledge of weapons was very limited. She could have a lengthy conversation on the history of the bow and the different types but when it came to other weapons she basically knew daggers, swords and spears. She always thought the javelin was part of a sport in the modern Olympics she had no idea it could also be a weapon. However that was not something she felt the need to share with the god of war.

[Ares]

Their pace was nice, and he was glad she was comfortable with just walking as they were. Hermes, he figured, would be running to the place with him, whereas some of the less active Gods might have wanted an idle wander in the direction. He watched her continue to turn the weapon through her hands. He knew she was not comfortable with that weapon, but as a huntress he figured she'd at least get her use out of a dagger or a spear, seeing as her bow skills were particularly sufficient. He smiled, thinking of just how little he could actually tell her in that area as far as improvements were concerned. As if he could offer any, or she would accept his counsel. If he told her to loosen her grip on an arrow, would she ever take his advice to heart or ignore him and fire her perfect shots regardless? It was an interesting question, evaluating just how much she would actually take his opinions to heart.

Regardless of this, he saw little need to figure too much out. Some swords were small, and less than three feet in length. Scimitars and the like were handy, but daggers and knives were just as concealable. He still favoured the idea that if she preferred range then guns would be an ideal for her, though whether the transition between one combat style and the other would be an easy one for her to make or not wasn't something that particularly came to mind. When it came to combat at anything more than throwing range, if you point and move a muscle repeatedly, then it was interchangeable and didn't require too much effort to do. Swords and axes were much more different, but then he was a melee man, and the lands of ranged combat were far and away a foreign, but familiar, thing to his tastes.

"So we'll go with something small. I'd offer you shield training, but I think you'd deal better with dual-wielded combat. Tell me if I'm wrong of course, but you're easily lithe and deft enough to carve through enemies without needing to block enough strikes to warrant a shield." Shields tended to be for absorbing blows, and with her quick reflexes it would be a wasted effort on her unless she really wanted it. "Knives, or swords, I think. Spear of course is available. I'll be using that with a shield, if it makes any difference to you. I can't imagine a more difficult opponent, in any case." The building he lived in came into view, and he nodded at the fifth floor, where several black and red curtains hung across, just to the side of the window panes. "My apartment is up there. I think we'll have plenty of space to practice."

Of course, there were other weapons which were small and easily concealed, but he didn't think throwing knives, or throwing axes, were the types of things she'd had in mind when he suggested training her to fight. In fact, he reckoned she'd get more out of the dagger training and adapting the ability to throw them herself, than she ever would out of him teaching him the physics of both. She was a natural, in more ways than one, and he'd not deny that she and her brother were graced with being both quick learners and innately skilled with almost anything they picked up to try and do. Not everything, obviously, but they were certainly capable, and if only he could get Apollo here for a session, he could have them side-by-side and evaluate their best method of fighting together. Aside from bows that was.

The elevator was already there when they entered the lobby, and he hit the button for his floor, expecting them to be up there relatively quickly. The dogs were likely still sleeping, but they could be inspected either before or after. He had no preference, figuring that at the very least it would provide her with a distraction beforehand, or something to calm her afterwards. He glanced at her sideways in the elevator, and then to the ceiling. It was awkward situations, and he felt they were rather distressing when forced into the silences with little to say. What could he do? Quote battle statistics, or give her a run-through of what to expect? She should expect Ares, for that was all there was to be prepared for. "Just let me know if I end up going too fast." he nodded.

[Artemis]

The walk was nice, it was relatively silent and she saw no need to engage in pointless conversation, and was glad that Ares seemed to think the same. It gave her time to ponder about what to expect when they reached his place, unlike her brother Ares didn’t have a few days notice to clean up. However she doubted that he would care what she thought about the state of his house. They were only half siblings and it wasn’t like she went out of her way to talk to him or vice versa. In fact she didn’t talk to many of her half siblings. Really if she thought about it, the only person she truly talked to and understood was Apollo.

She wasn’t completely sure what she thought about close range combat. It wasn’t something she favored nor was it something she thought about often. If it weren’t for some of the things mentioned in the meeting she wouldn’t have even considered training in something other then what she was already skilled in. Artemis supposed that if she had too she could always throw a dagger or something like that, but she just wanted to feel like she could protect herself and didn’t need anyone stepping in to save her. Many girls today dreamed of finding their prince charming, the guy that would rescue them and make their fairytale come true. For Artemis it was probably her worst nightmare to find someone who thought he needed to protect her.

The thought of having to deal with something that she felt she really didn’t need wasn’t pleasant but she was pleased that Ares also thought it would be a waste. She was rather fast with her reflexes and adding something heavy meant to block could be pointless if she could dodge it. “If that’s what you think is best I’ll agree with that.” She smiled at the prospect of not having to carry a shield around. The fact that she would be able to dodge him rather then block was a comforting thought. At least she wouldn’t be completely lost now.

Artemis had been contemplating about what she was going to do when they got to their destination that she didn’t really pay attention to where their destination was. It was only when they were in the elevator that she realized they were there. She could still find her way back but she wouldn’t be able to give directions or state what they passed by. When they did enter Ares’ apartment Artemis noticed how his dogs did not come to greet them. She supposed that they were sleeping, which meant she would have something to look forward to.

“I promise I’ll let you know.” She said honestly. Even though he was offering her the lessons, she still needed to be able to put it into practice. She could tell he was excited to fight an immortal, for what she assumed was the first time in awhile. She was only hoped that he wasn’t too disappointed in her lack of skills. “Any close range weapon will be fine.” Artemis wasn’t quite sure what she had gotten herself into; she just hoped she didn’t regret it.