Part 1 (Start Reading Here)

[andrav]

Mizu was again relieved when Evan nodded. She was grateful he hadn't come empty-handed, so to speak. She had to run over his words a few times to understand what he meant about the soldiers--how many, exactly had committed?--and it sounded like there were four likely candidates. Add that to the one soldier that Serio had in mind, and they had five. Surely they could find five more, especially if they waited until tomorrow.

The commander nodded herself, looking at Serio and seeing that he was prepared to speak but was leaving her an opening. She decided to take it.

"We've been busy as well. Captain Borcher, Captain Fujiwara, and Captain Miller are all also aware of the situation. While we can't expect any volunteers from Miller, he and his men will stay. Captain Kade has discussed matters with the priestess in the woods and also has a volunteer in mind." There, now Serio could say what he liked. She turned toward him expectantly.

[Emily]

"Captain Nicolaides is aware as well," Serio offered once Mizu left an opening, since they were cataloguing who all knew.

"That's good," Evan couldn't help chiming in with a smirk, "cuz her lieutenant's on the list."

Serio smiled in calm amusement, confident that Ari wouldn't be as caught off-guard about that as Evan seemed to think. Still, it didn't seem important to correct the misconception, not at the cost of knocking the glint in Evan's eye. Instead, Serio smoothly got to business.

"We want to wait to send the volunteers tomorrow night, so that we have time to prepare a ceremony for them, to properly send them off to the goddess. Do you see any issue with this?"

Evan let surprise show on his face, which quickly shifted to thoughtfulness. At first brush, it seemed odd to him to wait if they had everyone, but he supposed he could understand making a ceremony out of it. The goddess hadn't given him a deadline for the full collection of volunteers, so that was probably fine... she had gone ahead and let the last of their men go, though, and he'd offered a promise in return for that. Granted, she'd kind of tossed that back in his face, and he hadn't made any special timescale clarifications on that front, anyway. Maybe news that she'd receive all the volunteers she'd need the following night would be enough?

The captain's expression had grown serious as he thought, a subtle hint of sheepishness creeping into his eyes which were cast slightly to the side. He wasn't entirely sure what to tell Mizu and Serio. Maybe just... lay out the situation? Serio seemed good at sussing this shit out, anyway.

"I think that will be fine." Evan said tentatively as he drew his gaze back into focus on Serio, and then back to Mizu.

"I do want to note though, that by our initial agreement, the goddess didn't have to release our final soldier she'd attacked until tonight." Or, tomorrow night, actually, if Evan hadn't up-negotiated on that first night. Shame subtly colored his cheeks as anything else you needed to upsell me on? rang through his mind, but he shoved that aside and stubbornly pushed forward.

"So, I guess, if I could bring someone--or something, at least--as a show of good faith tonight... it might not be necessary if I can tell her she'll get all the volunteers tomorrow, but she might appreciate it."

Serio crossed his arms thoughtfully, contemplating.

((OOC: and I'll leave it at that for now since Auryn's ready and Serio will take a moment to reply, but he'll be happy to chime in if Mizu wants to give him a moment.))

[andrav]

Mizu was impressed that Serio had managed to loop Nicolaides in so quickly, but she didn't have long to think about that before Evan made a quip about her lieutenant. Mizu was, in fact, surprised, and let her hand fall gently and controlled to her sides. It hadn't occurred to her that higher ranking officers would want to volunteer. She worried briefly about the structural integrity of their retinues, but she consoled herself with the fact that there would be many others willing to step up in the rank. It had, after all, happened before, shortly after the battle they had retreated from with the king.

The commander also wondered which of Nicolaides lieutenants was interested. She didn't always keep track of who the lieutenants were--there were quite a number of them--but she remembered one of them was awfully loud-mouthed. She wondered what the goddess would make of him. Regardless, the commander knew that Ari would miss him if he did intend to leave. All the volunteers would be missed. Yes, a ceremony was a good idea. The camp did not need to view this as yet another loss.

Mizu was grateful when Serio spoke again, pulling her from her thoughts. She appreciated that he had taken her idea as his own in presenting it to Evan, and she then turned to Rutliff to see what he made of it all. He looked... uncomfortable, and the commander was forced to imagine what the goddess might do to him if she reacted poorly to their proposal.

When Evan mentioned that she let an additional soldier go, the commander softened her shoulders, reminding herself that, at least thus far, the goddess had given them even more than they've asked for. Maybe she really was desperate. Or Evan was doing one hell of a job. Both, she supposed.

Yes, a show of good faith was not a bad idea. If the goddess thought they were stalling or reneging on their arrangement, that would not do. But sending someone early, assumedly with Evan... they wouldn't have a proper goodbye. It seemed risky for morale. And, would she have to explain why there were only nine soldiers going the following night? She didn't like the thought of that. It felt clunky.

Then, again, she wasn't sure she had a better idea.

Captain Kade was thinking it over, and Mizu was again exceptionally interested in his thoughts.

"The goddess has done everything she has promised thus far and more, and she certainly offered her own display of good faith this morning. I do think we should offer something on account of the delay, but I'm not certain what would be suitable." Mizu looked at Serio, hoping that the spymaster would have suggestions.

[Emily]

Serio shifted his gaze to Mizu as she spoke, though his mind still turned over options. He appreciated knowing that she also felt a show of good faith was in order. It would be tricky, symbolically speaking, to send just one of the volunteers with Evan tonight, though. Would they be seen as special, or like they got the short end of the stick? Maybe, if it worked out, they could let the volunteers decide, but that could be rife. Surely there was a more elegant solution.

Serio began to wonder about things they might send with Evan which would bear the appropriate weight--could they craft something, perhaps? Then, as a thought crossed his mind, the spymaster looked Evan up and down, an eyebrow raising along with a subtle smirk.

"Perhaps we could prioritize preparing you for tonight."

Evan could say without a shadow of a doubt that Serio had never looked at him that way before. Had Serio looked at anyone that way before? Evan felt stripped down, and positive that Serio had noted the tightness of his pants. Conflicting impulses danced through Evan's body, to awkwardly shift his hands to hide himself, or to confidently sway his hips since he was on display anyhow. Discomfort won out, though, because Evan had no fucking clue what Serio meant by 'prepare', and ultimately the captain swallowed and crossed his arms. It didn't exactly hide the relevant part of him, but it did help him feel a little less exposed, anyway.

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

"A bath, for starters." Serio said playfully as he let his own hands fall to his sides. Evan rolled his eyes, but Serio continued, undeterred.

"After, we should do something you wouldn't be able to do yourself, though, to demonstrate cooperation, and investment. My first thought is body paint--detailing on your back you'd never get to, intricate enough to have clearly taken time. If you think the goddess would appreciate something a little less tame... I've some other ideas as well."

A flicker of excitement danced in Evan's gut when Serio's voice began to grow velvety. Body paint had seemed perfectly reasonable, at first--albeit likely to get smeared mighty quickly upon his arrival--but as soon as Serio referred to something less tame... it did seem too safe. Besides... something in Evan was starting to open to Serio. It was a little unnerving, the way the other captain danced right on the line of sultry and innocuous, but in that dance was an inexplicable certainty, at least in Evan's gut, that Serio would know exactly what he was doing. Hell, if it had been just him and Serio talking, he might've let down his arms and inquired about those other ideas in Serio's head with a wicked grin... but Mizu's presence froze him in place, anxiety and embarrassment gripping at his shoulders. It was one thing, it seemed, to privately head into a portal, for all the lurid shit to stay over there--mostly, anyway. To start it here, in front of his commander? Well, she'd seen glimpses already...

Evan swallowed and shifted his gaze to Mizu, his cheeks gaining color and his eyes... wide and soft, and questioning.

Serio followed Evan's gaze, his own expression his usual subtle smile, his eyebrow raised just enough to hint at curiosity. Seemed he and Evan both wanted to know what their commander thought about this line of conversation.

[andrav]

While the commander was surprised when Serio's tone turned toward amusement, she smiled quietly at the wit of Captain Kade's comment. She could see the value in it immediately, even though Evan clearly became uncomfortable at the suggestion. But it also belied how much Serio was enjoying puzzling on this particular bout of dilemmas, and Mizu was immensely grateful to have him on her side. His ideas were invaluable. When Serio started talking about body paint, Mizu realized that, in some ways, it made sense for Evan to get a similar kind of visible honor for the work he was doing with the goddess. Sure, the commander certainty still wished things had begun differently, but they were here now, and Evan had been doing well, all things considered. And, if they were going to exalt the volunteers and not make a spectacle of Evan, what would that look like to the camp?

Mizu could not help the way her breath very quietly quickened at Serio's indications that he was considering less tame options. She found herself eager to know what was going through the man's mind, not only for the sake of the cause, but for her own curiosity. And, if she were being honest, she, too, wanted to partake of whatever fantasies Serio was having of Evan. It had been a long time since Mizu could remember a moment when she actually had fun, and this was certainly close. Mirth threatened to bubble up in her chest, at least until both Serio and Evan turned to her, clearly wanting either permission or admonishment about the line of reasoning.

Mizu's face fell for a moment, a subtle frown replacing the slight smile, as she contemplated her options. On the one hand, she trusted Serio to make good decisions, and she knew that Evan had enough information about the goddess' desires to guide the spymaster to helpful conclusions. Which meant that they didn't, strictly speaking, need her. And yet, she wanted to be part of this, wanted to be in on this plan, all of it, down to the gritty details. It was one thing to pump Evan for information about his personal encounters with the goddess, but it was another thing entirely to turn a blind eye to something that would actively be going on in her camp. Yes, for many reasons, she wanted to see this through.

The commander curled her fingers gently and brought her knuckles to her mouth with her fingernails facing her lips to obscure a substantial smile and a quiet laugh.

"It certainly would be satisfying to surprise the goddess given the number of times she's had the jump on us," she said once she was confident that her expression contained only a hint of her former smile and had lowered her hand. She poised that same hand on one hip as she added, "please, Captain Kade, speak freely."

[Emily]

Evan was not sure at all what it meant when Mizu frowned, nor when she covered her mouth. He was absolutely terrified that it was disapproval--maybe even disgust. Serio didn't seem to care if the commander found parts of him distasteful, but Evan had worked hard for her respect and approval over the years, and it would be fucking heartbreaking to lose it over this.

But when the commander spoke, she let show a hint of a smile, and Evan could swear there was a subtle sort of gleam to her voice. The terror that had gripped his chest fell sharply to his gut, where it danced with excitement at the thought of Mizu accepting--celebrating, even--this part of him. This lusty, vulgar shadow he'd kept on a short leash, trying only to let it loose on enemies or the adventurous stranger he'd managed to find along the way. The part of him who, just a few days ago, had imagined ravaging Mizu in front of the whole camp, just because he was angry. And now here they were, starting to entertain doing something vaguely of that nature to Evan, presumably involving more than just the three of them, if Evan was understanding Serio's intentions correctly.

Evan let his hands relax to his sides again and turned his gaze back to the dark-skinned captain, and quirked his eyebrow in a bit of dare, then. Time to see what other imaginations the spymaster had summoned.

Serio let his smile widen, excitement flickering in his dark eyes. He was very pleased that Mizu was not turning away, and he was deeply satisfied to be guiding this particular exploration. It was tempting to move towards Evan, to touch him in all the places Serio was especially noticing--the tattoos that circled across Evan's arms; that scab on his neck where presumably the goddess had bitten him; his hips which he'd held in a rather different sort of way just yesterday; the bulge in his pants, betraying his arousal about the whole thing. Serio was curious about the nature of Evan's preoccupation before, given that it left him in this state, but that was a question to be tucked away for another time.

"My next thought was a fresh tattoo," he said smoothly, for now keeping still, letting his eyes do whatever touching he was tempted towards. "A bit risky, and obviously a commitment on your part, but... I gather the goddess wouldn't mind an artistic injury."

Evan let out a brief, low chuckle, his expression turning up a smirk. Here the spymaster's tone of voice before had hinted at something a bit more lurid than that, but Evan supposed it certainly qualified as less tame than paint.

"What would the design be?"

"Nothing too intricate, since there isn't much time, but we should try to get input from multiple captains, I think. Fujiwara is something of an artist; would it be a problem to have her lead the design?"

Evan couldn't help frowning, his hand closing into a fist at his side. He felt rather fucking called out by that, but he supposed, if anyone would have caught on, it'd be Serio. He wanted to snap back "Fine," to brush over that history and not leave it too long in Mizu's view, but this was too important for that. It wouldn't do to offer the goddess a tattoo Evan had accepted with gritted teeth and might well loathe the rest of his life. Or, horrifically, that he might like for all the wrong reasons; he didn't really want a jealous goddess on his hands.

"That's too complicated." Evan grumbled, embarrassed and irritated that Serio had somewhat cornered him with that. Here was just hoping Mizu wouldn't ask too many questions. "What else have you got?"

Serio's smile faded some, disappointed that was Evan's stance. But, he continued, unperturbed.

"Rope." Serio said the word with a stunning richness, which immediately pulled a fresh layer of blush to Evan's face--along with another layer of anger. Rope made him think of the goddess shocking him last night--as a punishment. And yet, Serio had said it sensually, eagerly... he didn't intend it to be a punishment, but Evan had a real fucking hard time conceiving what that would look like.

"Likely instead of clothing," Serio continued smoothly, almost as though answering Evan's uncertainty. "Not to restrict you, but to adorn you. I know many designs with a rich history."

The anger in Evan's expression subsided as he started to picture it--or, try to. About all he could come up with in his mind was rope spiraled around him, but he was confident Serio had something far more interesting in mind.

"I do want to involve other captains, though--at least those who would be interested." Serio flicked his eyes to Mizu, wanting to solicit feedback explicitly from both of them here, and not just Evan. "This isn't intended to be just my offering. I could instruct others how to tie the rope, and I may be able to help others work in their own designs. I imagine we may want to make something of a performance out of it as well--if not the actual tying, perhaps a parade to see Evan off?"

Evan swallowed uncomfortably, nervousness buzzing through his body. He wasn't sure he could let himself be tied up--restriction or adornment be damned--in front of the whole camp. Nor by Yukiko, though he was hopeful he could glare her into declining to participate. Most of the other captains he could probably stomach... at least of those he expected wouldn't show themselves right the fuck out anyway.

"I'd prefer a parade after the fact." Evan forced himself to go ahead and chime in. "I think... I think I can handle rope. I have no idea how the goddess will take it, but it seems like a decent idea. I don't think I can do it in front of the whole camp, though. Showing off afterwards, sure, but not the act itself. Also... I should probably at least wear my boots... the goddess and I had some particular plans tonight."

Serio raised an eyebrow in bold curiosity, but it didn't seem like Evan wanted to elaborate. So, he gave a light shrug.

"I can work with that."

[andrav]

Mizu listened to Serio with interest and contemplation. The idea of a tattoo was interesting, especially given that Evan already had a few, and it intrigued her. It could be exactly the right thing. But as the commander listened to the two captains speak, it became obvious that the tattoo would be difficult, given Evan's fraught relationship with Captain Fujiwara. Mizu had never cared to fully understand what had happened between them, but she could venture a guess. And, even if that weren't an issue, there would be the process of determining what to tattoo, and how could all the captains come up with an idea that would both thrill the goddess and be representative of the rebellion's dedication to her?

The commander was honestly grateful when Serio moved onto his next idea, although this one also quickly soured in Mizu's mind. While she did enjoy the thought of Serio knowing and demonstrating the use of decorative rope, Mizu worried it would be all too easy for the goddess to misunderstand the gesture. What if she mistakenly believed that the army had tied Evan up because they no longer trusted him? Or that it was some other form of humiliation or punishment? Even if Evan would be able to explain the situation, Mizu knew that the first impression of the gesture would be the most meaningful, and there was little point in fighting an uphill battle if there was a better solution to be found.

Mizu let her hand fall as she strode to the other side of the map table and took a seat, closing her eyes for a moment to contemplate. She worried about making a suggestion--it was one thing to have a lurid idea come from Serio, but to have it come from her would betray more about her past than she cared to admit. As she meditated on it all, though, some fascinating options came to mind. She had heard, in her travels, of cultures that regularly pierced the underside of the phallus multiple times as a way to entreat and pleasure vaginal partners. But, the commander also knew that those wounds would take time to heal, and even if the goddess could heal burns, there was nothing to say she would appreciate having Evan sent to her with a task for her to perform before they could...well... onto the next idea, then. Her mind touched on other traditions--decorative scarring, various forms of prostration--but she had a difficult time connecting both a way to personalize it to Evan and make it obvious that the entire camp had had a hand in it all. And really, the whole point was to placate the goddess until what she really requested was ready, so did it need to be so elaborate? Was Serio getting carried away? Perhaps they should ask the old woman what preparations were traditional, although from the list Serio provided of what she needed, Mizu wasn't sure that gesture would feel grand enough either.

Completely wracking her mind, the commander determined that the best course of action for now was to get more information. She flicked her eyes open abruptly and stared intensely at Evan. "What sort of plans?"

--

Inside his tent, Ponderance sat stroking the wooden mane of the horse gently and slowly, over and over again. He was exceedingly grateful that Captain Fujiwara had followed his instructions. Even if the rebels were holding him here, even if he couldn't leave and there was no one like him around at all, Yukiko really was trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

Suddenly, he looked over at the captain and said, "Captain Fujiwara," he struggled a little over the "r" sound but managed to form her last name with relative ease, "I need to see the commander now. Please."

[Emily]

Yukiko looked up promptly from the trousers she mended, her eyes wide and curious and glinting with surprise.

"Shall I take you to her, or fetch her here?" Normally the captain would have gone to fetch the commander--they didn't make a habit of parading Ponderance across camp--but there was an urgency in the boy's voice that Yukiko wanted to take very seriously. She'd already started setting the trousers aside and standing up, as she'd be leaving either way.

The boy indicated he wanted to go to the commander, and Yukiko nodded, motioning for Ponderance to stay put for a moment while she stepped outside to explain to the soldiers on guard what was about to happen. When Yukiko returned, she held her hand out to Ponderance--not necessarily expecting he'd take it, but mostly as a gesture to invite him to follow her outside, where she and three of the soldiers on guard would bring the prince to the commander, while the fourth went to summon replacements, not wanting to leave the tent visibly abandoned for long, just for good measure.

--

Evan didn't realize he'd started to hold his breath until Mizu began walking away, and he felt panic bubbling up in his chest again. Should he not have entertained Serio's idea about rope? Or was she still stuck on the way Yukiko had been brought up? The captain anxiously watched Mizu circle around the map table and sit down, wishing she'd say something already.

Meanwhile, Serio watched the commander calmly, perfectly content to let her mull over the conversation.

At first, Evan looked confused when Mizu finally spoke. She was clearly asking him a question, but somehow he'd completely lost the context of it while he'd been waiting for her to speak. He found it quickly enough, though, and swallowed. Was it enough to say hunting? It seemed like a hell of a lot to get into to explain about demons, let alone why they were going to hunt one. But, then again, maybe the commander should know those things, though now seemed like an odd time.

"Hunting..." Evan said, drawing it out a little as he was still debating with himself about how much more to say. He finally settled on, "I'm helping her with something as a personal favor."

((OOC: Decided I wanted to give Mizu a chance to ask for more details if she wanted to; besides, Yukiko and Ponderance have to walk there first. If you want, you can have Yukiko show up in your post; I think she would say "Permission to enter, Commander? I've brought the prince; he asked to see you." since that seems like important information.))

[andrav]

The commander wasn't certain that knowing about Evan going hunting gave her any additional information, exactly. She supposed that he would need to be in good physical condition for the goddess, at least, and that was something, but it didn't give her any ideas about what they could send him with. Unless... would it be appropriate to send him with a weapon?

She was distracted, however, by Captain Fujiwara's voice.

"Permission to enter, Commander? I've brought the prince; he asked to see you." Well, that was certainly a development. The commander could not help but think for a moment if there was any way to send Ponderance to the goddess as a gesture, but she quickly decided against it; he was too valuable to their cause. And, beyond seeing him on the throne, Mizu wasn't entirely sure what the goddess' interest in and relation to him truly was. It was far too risky.

But, did she want the prince and Captain Fujiwara to be present for this conversation? Perhaps it was prudent to interrupt it for now and see what the prince needed. He had never asked specifically to see her before, and she wondered what had caused the change now. Maybe seeing his mother this morning had made some kind of an impact. What if he was going to ask the commander to send him to her? Would she deny him? Probably. She didn't like the thought. And she didn't like that she would need to do it in front of the other captains.

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself. She should hear him out.

"Permission granted," the commander said, giving a look at Serio and Evan to try to communicate that their conversation wasn't over but should be postponed in light of this new development.

When Captain Fujiwara and Ponderance entered the tent, Mizu began to feel a sense of unease in her gut. She didn't especially feel comfortable around Ponderance, and the way he was stroking the toy horse he had brought with him was strangely disconcerting.

She was about to ask him what he needed when he spoke up for himself.

"The goddess is injured. And alone," he volunteered, looking directly at the commander.

Mizu blinked a few times, not entirely sure what to do with this information. Asking what felt like the only sane question, she said, "How do you know this?"

He paused for a moment, looking up at Yukiko before responding. "She was here. I saw her. And now I know how she feels. Where she is."

The commander was having a difficult time processing the information. Did Ponderance have some kind of direct link to her? Some kind of communication? Was such a thing even possible? Casting a glance at the three captains in attendance, she decided to humor the boy.

"Can you talk to her?"

"She doesn't know."

"Will she recover?"

Ponderance was quiet for a while and finally shrugged. He hadn't shown much if any emotion since he had been in camp, but his eyes started to well up now. Finally, he looked down and said, "I hope so."

The commander sat back in her chair for a moment, seeing the boy's emotion and giving him a moment before asking more questions. The boy seemed to recover quickly, though, back to his distressingly neutral expression. Is that what she looked like in her stoicism? Gods, she hoped not; it was terrifying.

"Is there something we could bring her that would help?" The boy looked up at Yukiko again before holding out his horse, and Mizu glanced at Serio hopefully.

"Captain Fujiwara caught some of her magic from this morning on my horse." Whatever the commander had been expecting, it wasn't that the boy would offer his carved toy. "Maybe it will help."

[Emily]

Evan winced at the sound of Yukiko's voice. Normally it wasn't that big of a deal--she was using her captain voice, as expected, and that didn't generally trigger much for Evan beyond disinterest, at least for a good long while now. But that his history with her had so recently been brought up... the coincidence of it was fucking uncanny, and Evan didn't like it one bit.

He wasn't sure if the fact that Yukiko had Ponderance with her made it better or worse. Evan admittedly still kind of had no idea what it meant that Ponderance was the goddess' kid. He eyed Serio as he stepped aside to prepare for Yukiko and the prince to enter, curious whether the spymaster knew. Serio looked calm and attentive as ever, which didn't tell Evan much. Whatever, he supposed. It'd eventually get around one way or another.

"The goddess is injured. And alone," the boy said, and Evan couldn't stop a harsh "What?" from escaping his throat, though it wasn't really directed at the boy, or anyone for that matter. A fresh panic gripped at his chest--how was the goddess injured? Was it Samael? Why was she alone? Was there a way Evan could get to her faster?

Yukiko let surprise show on her face, but she kept it subtle, not wanting to make this conversation about herself when Ponderance was the one with news, and Mizu the one with the important questions. She was terribly curious what the commander had been discussing with Evan and Serio, but obviously that'd have to wait, possibly til another time entirely. Shame, but she trusted she'd be filled in when she needed to be.

When Ponderance looked up to Yukiko, she offered him a warm, encouraging smile. She wanted him to feel safe telling the commander whatever he needed to. She was tempted towards setting her hand on the boy's shoulder when she realized he was starting to tear up, but decided against it, still uncertain where she and Ponderance were with touch, and ever wanting to play it safe on that front.

Yukiko did feel a bit sheepish when the boy mentioned what she'd done with the horse, and she gave Mizu a small shrug and grin to acknowledge it. She hoped it wouldn't be seen as too reckless... but she really had felt the boy deserved it, and it seemed like they were in fact benefitting from whatever it had given him. She hoped now, too, that the commander would consider giving the horse to the goddess. Maybe it was risky--Yukiko certainly had no clue what layers of magic this toy now possessed, or might come to--but... it felt right. However, she wasn't prepared to offer her opinion just yet, for now still feeling mostly in the position of the Prince's steward. Besides, there was not only the commander present, but also two other captains who might well have opinions. Yukiko didn't dare put Evan off by looking at him, but rather kept her gaze on Mizu, waiting patiently for whoever would next reply.

Serio very softly stepped forward, leaning down just enough to hold his hand out toward Ponderance, close enough that the boy could reach if he wanted.

"May I?" he asked gently, hoping the boy would be willing to let him hold the toy.

Yukiko tilted her head a little quizzically to Serio, but supposed that was probably innocuous enough. If Ponderance looked to her, she'd give him another warm smile of encouragement, but she wouldn't go out of her way to push the boy one direction or another on it.

Evan just stood a little speechless, absolutely out of his element on this angle of things. It seemed strange to him to bring the goddess a child's toy, but, then again, this was her child. He was realizing that he really hadn't grokked that yet, and so mostly he stood still blinking at Ponderance, trying to actually take the boy in. He didn't much look to Evan like the son of the goddess of desire, but, well, he didn't look much like his mother's son, either, so, what the hell did he really know about that, anyway?