The Forgotten Zodiac

"The others?" Verolen blinked. "I remember someone saying something about swimming, but I'm not sure. And I couldn't care less about swimming, you know me." He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I hate it here..." He sighed and stood, stretching his arms arms out as he attempted to be rid of the last of his grogginess.

"Do you?" she asked. "The air here is very nice, I think. Very... clean. Almost a little too pristine. I feel like I'm befouling it just by being here," she said, frowning.

Verolen snorted. "They befoul it just fine on their own," He shook his head. "Bermuda...is probably the only Oceanid I will ever trust completely. Ever."

"Mm," Eve intoned, rocking Verdi gently in her arms. "So I suppose Israel doesn't count, really. I can see why - he's not like any Siren I've ever met. Not that I've met many Sirens, but he's assuredly different. Always seemed to me that those birds were incapable of love. Israel seems to be incapable of hate," she said. "I don't even believe I've even seen him truly angry about anything. He's a bit quirky, if you ask me."

"Oh, that's right," Verolen blinked. "I forget...like you say, Sirens act so far from how Israel acts, it's easy to think that he's not what he is. The ironic part is the fact that he's Vala's son. Kind of...like a prince, I guess. We have too much royalty, I'm surprised no one's managed to assassinate any of us yet. We just have to keep looking out for one another, I suppose..."

((We probably should go into another winter time-lapse sooner or later. I already have a plan for Verolen (tie him to an anchor and toss him overboard(the ropes would eventually rot in the water and Verolen would wash up somewhere)), and Sylas can stay with L'arc this time, probably at the Manakete Palace. After he gets fixed, at any rate. Rush gets to enjoy the fun life of a circus attraction, while Aries - separated from the others - gets to carry out her training and assassinate humans who attempt to enter the forest around the Tree of Life, effectively making it a safe hiding place for passing forest folk.

Dunno about Verdi or Arachne, but we can work those things out. :T))

((Can Israel go to the circus with Rush? Come to think of it, Verdi could go, too. Bermuda could get captured by the senators, and maybe Eve, Arachne, and Byrne end up in the Darklands? And if Aries is going to make a safe spot anyways, Gabe and Manny might as well stay with her. And the Manakete can just be the Manakete. And the selkies can just be the selkies.))

Eve nodded. "How did all of you end up together in the first place?" she asked.

((Blargh short.))

((Works for meeee! :3))

"That...is a very long while back." Verolen sighed. "I don't know how Sylas, L'arc and Bermuda first met, nor how they met Aries. But I do know that Sylas and L'arc landed in the Darklands one day, by some strange turn of events. I took the chance the second I saw them and approached. They had an Ether shard on them, so I was able to get them out along with myself. It was a bit awkward at first, but eventually I started fitting right in." He smiled a bit. "You missed a lot of quirks. Whenever Sylas would sleep in a tree, the tree would drop him in the morning to wake him up. He fell on someone, usually. That was funny."

((Oh, I remember that. haha, is it sad I miss those days? XDD ))

Eve smiled at that. "I heard L'arc mention something about sleeping, what was that about? We were only headed north," she said, stroking Verdi's head gently. "Does he hibernate or something?"

((Heehee~))

"He's a Druid. Part tree, I think." Verolen nodded. "Every winter, he kind of just..passes out. He'll wake up a couple times to eat and stuff, but he'll fall right back asleep every time. Last winter...we spent it in the Darklands. I had to keep watch over L'arc. We wound up staying in the cave on top of Mount Mouth, where you found the necklace containing me."

"Ah. Were you there that whole time? No, I suppose King Verolen wouldn't have sealed you back then, or L'arc would probably have been killed," she mused.

"No," Verolen shook his head. "I was captured shortly after we all regrouped again. I was sealed then and my father needed the most secluded place possible to put the amulet. I don't know why he didn't just throw me in the river, but here we are today," He shrugged. "It's going to be winter again soon. I would be surprised if L'arc wasn't already falling asleep...which is terrible, thanks to Sylas being hypnotized or whatever that is..."

"I'm sure the Manakete can take care of it. They're almost as advanced as Naiads and Warlocks when it comes to magic," she said. "But they're more into the ancient stuff. I'm sure some of the older ones can still speak runetongue. But you know how long they live, they probably have all the time in the world to learn it," she said. "But of course, we're not so different. Oh, but listen to me! I'm such a silly. I didn't mean to talk your ear off. Sorry, Prince," she said.

Verolen snorted. "Don't call me prince. The only reason I haven't been disowned is because there's no one my father trusts more to take care of the Darklands. That, and he believes that he'll never die. Ever. He just wishes I would be more like him, really. But seriously, don't worry about it too much."

"Verolen," Verdi sniffled, holding a paw out to the demon prince. "I know you..."

"Eh?" Verolen blinked, then put his finger in Verdi's furry grip. "Yeah. You know me." He smiled a bit, then looked up at Eve again. "I think he's starting to get better."

Eve smiled sadly, then held Verdi out to Verolen. "Would you like to hold him awhile?" she asked. She paused for a moment. "You haven't asked," she said rather suddenly. "You, or any of the others. None of you have asked."

"Asked what?" Verolen blinked, gladly pulling Verdi into his arms. The Moot started clinging to him just as much as he had been clinging to Eve. "We haven't asked to hold him because he cried when Thuban tried to take him, remember? We - or I, at least - realized that he was comfortable with you." He shrugged. "Didn't want to be a bother, personally."

"Not that. You haven't asked. Who I am. Where I'm from. None of you have asked," she said, looking directly at him. "It's as if it doesn't matter to you. All of you are so accepting and kind. It's very... nice," she said.

Verolen tilted his head to the side a bit. "Do you want us to ask? I mean...the only reason I know Sylas and L'arc's past is because they told me a long while ago. Bermuda...I'm not sure why he's here with us, but I know that he's Oceanid. That's all I need to know, really. The only reason I know Rush's past is because I saw him while living in the castle. And I had to tell the others at one point, I think. Verdi told us when we first met him. Either way, ask no questions, tell no lies. I wouldn't call all of us kind, exactly, but we're definitely accepting of silence when it comes to peoples' past." He shifted over to sit next to her, smiling a bit. "You can tell us if you want. I'm pretty good at listening."

Eve smiled as he spoke, and the expression grew as he shifted closer. "Well, maybe. I might tell you," she said. "Since you're the only other one, you know," she nodded, looking aside once again.

"Only other demon?" Verolen chortled a bit. "Like I said, you don't have to say a word. I won't badger you for it. But I am indeed willing to listen, Eve."

"I like Eve," Verdi mumbled. "Eve is nice. Verolen is nice too, I like them both..."

"Who are you talking to?" Verolen questioned. Verdi didn't respond, possibly caught in another hallucination.

Eve smiled and stroked Verdi's head. "Well, where should I start? I come from the north, in the Devil's Fang Mountain Range. HAve you ever been there? There's quite a chill year round," she said, waiting for his reply.