The Nymph's Saviour

6. Rabbits jump not Hop

6. Rabbits jump not Hop

Ragna

The house is spotless. A talent I inherited from my mother. The both of us are considered clean freaks by the others. Something that doesn’t really go well with my personality as I am told. But Louis’ house is spotless to the point that the floors are a different color, which might have been too much. I think the spot that changed color is the part I accidentally took out its varnish. The rug would cover that.

I sit back down on the couch. Enjoying the peaceful day despite the questionable noises outside. The humdrum of daily life in a not-so-good neighborhood. It’s sad that I can’t open the window to enjoy a good day. It might be good for the human to finally come out of her home.

She hasn’t left her room after eating breakfast and she missed breakfast today too. Her plate of whole baked fish stuffed with herbs and garlic lay lonely on the counter. Another thing that I have gone overboard about. I look at the books that I have lined up on the windowsill. Stylish and also loud if someone climbs over the window.

All of it is Greek from architecture to mythology. She clearly knows where my ancestors came from, yet it boggles me how she doesn’t believe that I exist. I don’t know why it matters to me but it does. It bothers me actually.

I rifle through the books that I have set alphabetically and by genre. Putting mythology on non-fiction is my way of protesting. It’s only right that she comes out of her room at least. I made her a delicious meal that she should enjoy.

I knock on her door. There wasn’t any answer, but I hear rustling from the other side. I check the doorknob if it was locked and thankfully it wasn’t. I let myself in and she’s just lying on her bed with tear-stained cheeks and lightly opened lips. Her shirt rode up to her navel, showing milky skin. My throat is parched. I don’t remember the last time I properly ate, but I shake the thought away.

I won’t feed from someone unwilling and without their permission. I’m not scum.

One leg is on top of her duvet and the other is hidden inside. She looks hot and I didn’t think that she’ll be hot in this cool weather, but women’s bodies are different.

“Wakey wakey! Eggs and whole baked fish bakey!” I pull the duvet out from her body.

She blinks in surprise but is unmoved. She looks gaunt and that bothers me too. “W-What?”

“Time to eat” I neatly fold the duvet in my arms and place it on the foot of the bed. “Now get up”

She groans. Her shirts hike higher over her chest. I grab the hem of her shirt and pull it down till it reaches her knees and she’s sitting up. She’s startled. “What now?”

“Tut, tut” I brush phantom dust on her shoulders and straightened her lopsided shirt. “How old are you?”

She scowls at me. “Let me go”

I let her go and force my hands on my side. “You should eat, you skipped dinner last night”

She stares at me with her hair in a haystack. She runs one hand through her hair and it follows her ministrations almost immediately. “So?”

“I think I just said my reasons”

“I don’t feel like eating”

“You should still eat”

“I don’t want to eat”

“I’m going to bring you the plate then” I ignore her.

She scowls. “I said, I don’t want to eat”

I ignore her, I took the plate from the counter and put it on a tray that I found on her living room floor. it’s one of those decorative trays you put your knickknacks on when it's placed on the coffee table.

She’s still on her bed, staring at the folded duvet on her bed, just where I left her.

“Here” I put it in front of her with a spoon and fork. “Be careful, I didn’t actually debone it”

She blinks. Just realizing that I’m in her room again. “I’m not hungry,” she says softly again.

“I wasn’t sure what you’re allergic to or something, so I cooked the safest thing. It’s fish, usually, humans are allergic to shellfish, right? That only has some basic herbs and garlic. Safe stuff”

She blinks. “You…took that much effort?”

I shrug. I sit on the floor by the bed as I look around her room. Her sparse room. “Cooking is nice. I don’t eat much human food since I just moved here a few weeks before I got abducted. I prefer making enough effort in things that entertains me”

I hear her touch the utensils and I hope that that’s a sign of her going to eat. “How long have you been with them?”

“a few months or so” I answer honestly. Surprised of myself at how easy I admitted the truth to her, Mirage did say that sometimes it’s easier to tell things to people you don’t know. Her room only has a bed and a dresser at the far end. Two framed pictures on top of it. “How long have you been in this place?”

“I don’t remember”

“Oh, come on,” I could sense a lie when I hear it. I turn towards her on her midbite. Her pink lips easily took the spoon. “there…must be a small…bite—I mean idea.” I shake my head. Forcing my eyes to meet hers. Her brows furrow even more in confusion. “Sorry, I guess English is still hard for me”

“Where did you live before here?”

“In the underworld” I smile. Her eyes widen in shock. “I had a small place in Asphodel but I don’t really stay there for long. I always stay with my family in Limbo. There’s a town there you know, for beings like Demons and nymphs who found refuge there”

“I…seriously don’t believe you”

I chuckle. “I gathered as much. Believe it or not, it’s my truth.

She bites her lower lip. “Pray tell how is Charon?”

“Meh” I shrug. “He’s my cousin’s uncle, met him a few times. Looks like a standup guy. He keeps a rabbit in his boat though. He really loves that thing”

“A rabbit?” she smiles a little. “Charon with a rabbit?”

“I know! Right? Cerberus is just there, and she had hundreds of litters already, yet he chose a rabbit. It’s a white one with red eyes. it’s cute, but you won’t imagine a guy like him with a rabbit.”

She laughs. Her eyes crinkle in the most adorable way. “The things you say are far too out there”

I pout. “I’m serious! Charon and I once had an argument during a dinner party! I teased him that Rabbits jump and that they don’t hop”

The way she looks at me right now makes me feel like I’m the stupidest man on earth and I’m not even insulted. I just laugh and it surprises me at how easy it is to do so with her. “You’re stupid” she says.

“I was just teasing! I should have known why the other demons don’t mess with Charon, but no one warned me! Those selfish bastards wanted an entertaining show.”

“What did he say?”

“You mean what did he do, he isn’t one for words, but before I know it, I was drugged and he’s trying to drown me in the river of Styx. Just because of one teasing. That sick bastard”

She laughs. I smile, chuckling myself. “I think you deserved it,” she says, her mouth full. Her plate is almost finished, and I’m satisfied with what I have done. “You shouldn’t have come between a man and his bunny”

“Ugly rabbit,” I say. “Gods, if he heard me insult his rabbit, I think I won’t be able to live tomorrow”

“He would’ve beaten you to death with his oar”

“He’ll stab me with his bony fingers.”

She guffaws and snorts. It’s a cute snort. She had to cover her mouth with her hand, or she would have spit out her food. Her shoulders shake.

“I didn’t think it was that funny” I smirk.

“You’re just—so stupid” she gasps. Finally swallowing the food down. “you’re definitely lying”

My lip twitches. “Why would I lie?”

She shrugs. “Maybe you don’t like who you are”

Wow. Here is another therapist. “You just said the same thing as my cousin, the hybrid. She’s a therapist.”

“Well,” she swallows more food down. So much for not being hungry. “you are here and not there in your own home, it does sound like you’re running away from something”

Normally, I would have gotten mad or walked away at this point of the conversation or maybe make a joke or change the subject, but I realize I’m just not in the mood for any of those. I lean my chin on her bed, it smells strongly of her. Her tears, and sweat.

“I’m here not because of that” I admit. “I…honestly couldn’t sleep properly at home anymore and this is the next best thing I thought to go. But somehow, I get to sleep here and I don’t know why”

Her smile becomes softer. Kinder. Her expression is even more gentle. She’s not pitying me, but she’s compassionate and giving me her sympathy even though she shouldn’t be in the state that she’s in.

“I’m glad you have somewhere to sleep then” she makes one final bite of her food and smiles.

I smile back. My eyes lowered and my hunger was somehow forgotten just for this moment. “I’m glad to have a place to do so too”

I run the idea of going out by her, she hesitatingly agrees. She’s in a good mood and I know that it’s hard to have any good moods with depression. It’s hard to escape the haze of it as my cousin told me countless times before. I wait for her to shower and get dressed. I didn’t shower after her because I don’t sweat, and I didn’t have any other clothes. I might have to go back at some point to get some clothes and perhaps tell Mirage where I have been hiding out. Still, that was the problem of future me, not me me

These clothes had no problem attracting food, so it won’t be a problem for me now to walk around with her to the park. She dresses in a sweater and jeans. All casual and fresh from her shower. The tracks on her cheek are gone now and she looks better than before albeit a little thin for comfort.

“Come on, I already called a car to take us somewhere” I open the front door for her and take the keys from the coffee table. I found her house keys under the couch when I was cleaning and it has been useful

She blinks. “Where did you find my keys? I thought we were just going to the park?” she starts to frown.

“You really expect us to have a good day in the park near here? I have seen the news around here and there was just a shooting there two days ago”

She scratches her head almost sheepishly. “Okay, fine, but nowhere far.”

“I’ll handle it” I push open the door and c**k my head outside. “Come on?” I smile. Using every ounce of charm I have in my veins and hope that the sun is shining right enough to make my hair glow in its light.

She frowns. “I’ll hold you to your word” she deadpans as she steps out. Not the least charmed.

“You wound me” I shake my head with a chuckle as I lock her doors properly with the deadbolt. I don’t want some scum to come in and ruin my perfectly folded sheets on her bed or the perfectly plumped couch cushions to ruin a perfectly good day.

She trudges down the flights of stairs. What I don’t understand from this apartment is it’s straddling the border between the good neighborhood from the bad. It would have been nice if it was a few blocks uptown rather than downtown. I hope the hipsters find this place at some point.

“Hey” the man in dreads says as we pass each other on the hall…

“Hey Paul” Louis says, casually.

…The hipsters have found it. I raise my brows at the tall and lanky human. Circular shades on the middle of his long nose as he smiles at the both of us. “You take it easy there Louises”

She frowns slightly at the name but just shakes her head.

Once he was out of earshot and we were by the gate of her apartment. I slowed my pace to match hers. “Who was that?”

“Paul” She answers. Closing the gates behind us.

I wait a beat and for her to enter the cab before I ask. “And Paul is…?”

She raises her brows. “My downstairs neighbor. Has a proficiency for nicknames but we haven’t found one that I could stomach” she casual says.

I stare at her as the driver moves the car to the pinned location I set for him to go. “You are a mystery Miss Holden”

She smirks. “Just because of that?”

“Never liked hipsters. They were the annoying ones in Limbo. One brought the recipe for Croughnuts in the underworld”

She bursts out laughing. “now that’s a sight”

“Whatever you’re thinking. Double it. That woman got my whole family addicted to it. My cousin Erina refuses to let that woman ride Charo’s boat to the underworld. She’s still in one of the High Demon’s homes as a chef till to this day”

She gives me an exasperated look. “You and your stories”

“It’s the truth” I say.

By the time that we’re at the park, I pay for the cab and offer my arm. She looks at it with a weird gaze. “Come on” I shake my arm like a wing. “Take it or I’ll start dancing”

She frowns but takes my threat as she hooks hers with mine.

“See? Isn’t the park nice?” I say. casually strolling and easing my steps for her. for some reason humans grow short and stout and not much else. Perhaps the gravity in the underworld is lesser because every one of us is taller than them that’s for sure.

She breathes in, really breathes in, and sighs. “I guess so”

The park isn’t slammed or anything. There are some parents with their small children and babies enjoying the great weather. Some people with their dogs and flying kites. Quite picturesque for a school day. I feel almost very human right now walking with this particular human beside me.

“So, Miss Holden how is the sun on your skin—I mean body?” I bite my tongue as I smile down at her with every might. I need to stop getting distracted by this human.

She shrugs. Craning her neck and closing her eyes as she soaks in the sunlight. It wasn’t too harsh that it burns, it was the right amount of cool air and sunlight. “Great, I guess”

“Don’t be so humble. Enjoy this more! Don’t worry I won’t judge you. This is actually the very few times I have seen the sun.” I smile. Basking in the light just as she did, but I didn’t close my eyes. I’m not a lunatic. I grin at my own joke

“You don’t have the sun in the—okay, underworld?” she asks

“Duh” I snicker. “what we had at limbo are smooth cavern ceilings. We have lamps and glowing stones and whatnot but it can’t really replace the real thing. We have heating lamps too, but really, it feels cheap”

She scoffs. “Artificial heating feels cheap? Gosh, you’re one confusing man”

“Nymph.” I correct

She hums. Staring connivingly into my eyes and shrugs.

We walk around the park. Passing by the lake a few times and the manmade pond with its large stone fountain. We walk over the bridge and I should have brought bread for the ducks but Louis told me that I shouldn’t do that. ducks aren’t meant to eat bread. It’s just empty calories for them and makes them fat.

“I rather like them fat” I say. tempted to pluck one of the ducks just under the bridge with its ducklings paddling on the water. “Better meat”

She makes a face. “Is food all you think about? Or you’re really against pets?”

“I like pets. We have pets. I just like cooking and a fat duck is a good omen”

“Good omen for what?” She leans on the bridge’s railing.

“That whoever owns the duck has bread” I smirk

She laughs. “You’re stupid”

“Naïve still. But it’s forgiven since I’m new here and it’s a wonderful home you have”

She stares at me. then runs her hand through her hair again and sighs. “Okay, let’s say I believe what you say. Do you miss the underworld?”

“hmm” I look at the thin ducks again. my god, how thin they are. “Not really. As a nymph, I never truly belonged anywhere. I guess, we’re at our rightful place now. considering we’re elements nature and all that but we’ve been raised in the underworld for far too long, I guess”

“You’re deities of nature. Smaller gods. there must at least be a kickback there”

I shrug. “Being alive longer is great. But you get bored easier. It’s one of the main reasons why I volunteered to help my cousin look for her friend.”

“Where was she?”

“We think she’s been taken underground. I think so too. If my cousin couldn’t find me for a few months in it then it’s a good place to hide a rare Visioner”

She gasps. “What? You know a Visioner?”

“My cousin does” I smile. “So you know about Visioner’s, huh?”

She purses her lips. Her cheeks tinge red. She knows she’s caught. “I know more than a normal person. My aunt and I are close”

“Pray tell”

She shakes her head and walks in the other direction.

“You can’t escape me!” I shout after her. “I have your keys!”