The Zodiac Cycle

2.8 Girl Talk

"I regret my entire existence." Rebecca groaned into her pillow.

"Come on, Jest wanted us to do some preparations today." Amber was attempting to pull her out of bed. Iris watched the elf carefully. She had been acting odd lately. Iris had noticed Amber staring at her a lot, and it had started to get a bit concerning.

"Can't she have us do that when we don't all have hangovers?" Rebecca attempted to swat Amber away.

"Speak for yourself." Amber yanked the comforter off of Rebecca.

"Nooooo~" Rebecca wrapped herself around her pillow.

Iris also had a bit of a hangover, but she could handle hers pretty well. As long as she didnt try flying too high today, she would probably be fine.

"I can grab you some water." Elizabeth offered, coming out of the bathroom, drying her hair from a shower. Her antlers seemed to be gone and her head was bleeding into the white towel.

"Are you okay?" Brianna stepped over to her with some gauze that had been in the nightstand.

"Yep. I shed my antlers around this time every year. They'll be fully grown again by the time summer comes around." She wrapped the gauze around her head carefully, thanking Brianna.

"Yikes. Doesn't that hurt?" Clementine was laying on her bed still, reading a book.

"Well, considering it takes two to three weeks to shed them in the first place, it's actually quite relieving." Elizabeth ran her towel under the faucet in Hope's of getting the blood out. "We lose our antlers after mating season. The males lose theirs first from all the fighting they do."

"Iris molts once a year I believe." Brianna looked at Iris.

"I molt around the end of July. I had just finished growing my feathers back when the signs activated." Iris confirmed. She wished Brianna hadn't brought that up, but since she had, Iris wanted to make sure the group got the full amount of information.

"What about you Clementine? Any annual event that Hippocampi have?" Amber had managed to pull Rebecca to the edge of the bed and was combing her hair.

"We have a matin dance." Clementine shrugged.

"Ah yes, cause I'd love to hear more about all of you and your mating cultures." Rebecca huffed. "Just give them a ring, it's not that difficult."

"Have you ever heard of dating?" Brianna sat on the bed next to Iris. "That's what humans do as a mating ritual."

"Elfs do that too, but it's much more formal." Amber pulled Rebecca's hair into a bun. "All dates have to be pre-approved by the females parents and usually there's at least one date a week. Engagements are extravagant and the wedding is always six months after the engagement."

"That seems like too muh work." Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"Dating?" Brianna seemed confused.

"No, formal elven dating. Why cant he just pick her up to go to the movies and propose in the way he wants to. Lots of flirting and wooing and all that lovey stuff."

"Its a way of showing off wealth I believe." Amber finished Rebecca's hair.

"Does he propose with a comb?" Iris aksed.

"A comb?" Amber was baffled. "Why in the world would he propose with a comb? No, he proposes with a handmade necklace or other jewelry."

"Seriously, why a comb?" Rebecca asked Iris.

"Well, In my culture, you propose with a comb and offer to groom the other." Iris explained. "Only family members or a mate may touch our feathers or hair."