The Forgotten Zodiac

"Of course he can," Eve said. "I gave him free will, and Dark Matter is flexible. He can do what he wants to, pretty much," she said at once.

"You gave him more than free will," Verolen pointed out, smiling a bit. "That's good, though. If the core were static, he wouldn't be able to move it out of the way in a fight, and he could be seriously injured with just one blow. But his current structure allows for enough movement. Does he have a digestive system? I haven't really seen him eat much, so..."

"Well, as an entity as he is, he doesn't really need food," Eve said. "He can eat, but he doesn't have to. And there isn't a digestive tract per se - Dark Matter has to ability to absorb and disintigrate everything it touches, so there's no need for such a system," she said.

"Ahh, I see. He doesn't eat here because the humans have a limited food supply. That's thoughtful of him." Verolen nodded with a smile. "Sorry about all the questions. I just have one more; did you make his personality, or did he?"

"That, I'm actually not too sure about," Eve answered after a pause. "i knew that I wanted him to be kind, but I don't know that I did anything special to make him this way. I am not sure," she said.

"Maybe he just...no, that's silly," Verolen chortled, but decided to say it anyway. "Maybe he just...saw what you needed, while you were making him, and...decided to be that." He grinned. "He's still pretty incredible."

"That's entirely likely," Eve said with a nod as she smiled at Verolen. "The only theory I can come up with, anyhow. ...thank you," she said.

"Sure." Verolen smiled back, but that faded slightly as he continued talking. "I'm just...worried. If this guy controls Dark Matter, he could potentially change Manny...and...you. By extention. I'm not sure...what I'm trying to say, is...you...you're a good friend. And I don't want you or Manny getting hurt."

"Thank you for your concern," Eve said, smiling. "But we will be fine. I can handle myself when it comes to Dark Matter, Prince. You needn't worry," she said.

Verolen ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a sigh. "I hope you're right. I really do." Was all he managed to say before Bird approached.

"I, um...made you something," He said, shifting his weight around uncomfortably, but he maintained eye contact with Eve. He held it out to her; it was a beautiful mask, decorated with flowers and swirled paint of blues and red. "You have such a pretty face, I'd hate to see it soiled by others' eyes..."

((AW BIRD))

Eve smiled and graciously accepted the mask. "Thank you," she said, putting it on and tying the strings behind her head. She turned, with a smile, to the two boys. "How does it look?" she asked.

Bird smiled happily and nodded. "It looks wonderful."

"Hold on a sec," Verolen frowned. "You sure this isn't some cryptic marriage proposal or something?"

Bird stared at him for a few long moments as though he were insane. Then he remembered that these people didn't know much about his culture. "No...back when there were more, a few select groups of Nymphs were allowed to communicate with those outside the forest. I would have been one, myself...and masks are a very normal gift between races. If I were to give it to a Nymph woman, and she accepted, I would be claiming her as my own for pre-marriage. But...Eve is not a Nymph. Proposing a bond between us now would not only be premature, but also...different. I would follow her customs rather than my own."

"Oh." Verolen blinked. "Sorry. Didn't mean to accuse you or anything..."

"It's okay. I already know that she's yours, I just wanted her to have a mask."

((Ehehe. Our original pairing will come about one way or another.))

Eve felt very fortunate that the mask on her face covered her now burning cheeks. "Well, Verolen?" she asked. "Aren't you going to compliment me, too?" she asked, somewhat teasingly.

Verolen snorted, smiling a bit. "I can't make any comments on your face, but the mask is nice." He grinned. "It's a good gift, Bird."

"Thank you. I need to make at least a charm for Sylas; he knows the most about me and my people now." Bird smiled a bit, nodding. "I don't think he would like a mask, though...would he?"

"Probably not. He uses a bow all the time, so." Verolen shrugged.

"Okay. I'll go make that charm now, then." He hurried off, still smiling.

"He's a sweet guy," Eve said, after the Nymph was gone. She kept the mask on for the time being, and turned back to Verolen with a smile.

"He's silly. When you see a pretty face, you don't cover it up. You revel in beauty, not disguise it." Verolen smiled back at her, but shrugged. "You can keep it on if you want, but he understands that it doesn't mean anything to us. I'm glad that guy's culturally aware, otherwise we'd have some problems."

"Yeah," Eve agreed. she reached up to pull the mask off, before pausing a moment. "So why did you freak out so horribly over the fact that this might be a proposal for marriage? I wouldn't be too unhappy with the guy," she said, smiling teasingly.

Verolen averted his gaze quickly, stifling the reddening of his cheeks fairly well. "Sylas reads out loud sometimes, and I heard him reading over the passage about marriage. You barely know the guy, he could have a furious temper, or he could be abusive...and he barely knows you! It wouldn't be right if he went around proposing marriage to every pretty girl he saw, would it? Because I'm pretty sure your face is all he knows about you."

"Well, he apparently knows that I'm," she paused here to make sure she watched as her words took effect on him, "That I'm yours," she finished, grinning.

The blush that blossomed was all too obvious, and Verolen had to look away again to keep his composure. He cleared his throat and smiled a bit, looking back up at her. "Well...I suppose it's better than being oblivious to it, like I was...even just a few days ago, I was too busy fighting battles to realize what was right in front of me..."