Chapter 15: Dove’s New Nest

Sorting things out with her new landlord barely took any time at all. Zophie pretty much just handed him the keys and told him about the walls. As she’d suspected, she didn’t get that deposit back— not that it mattered anymore.

We made it to my apartment without further issue. I didn’t find that surprising, in all honesty. Most immortals slept during daylight. I was part of the rule, rather than some kind of exception on that front.

Opening the door, I also checked my domain for any signs of forced entry; neither the physical nor spiritual side of things showed any kind of tampering, so I allowed myself to relax a bit. Reflecting on how things had turned out, ultimately, I was glad that Zophie would be staying with me here. At one point, I’d hoped she’d stay far away. But at this point, she was far too entangled in my affairs; leaving her by herself now would only end in disaster— even if I did try to cut ties with her. The only option left was to harbor here, in the heart of my domain.

“Asmo.” She turned to look at me with a cheshire grin. “Did you close all your blinds again? You’re gonna get a vitamin D deficiency or something!” she scolded me before going straight to the blinds and opening them.

“I have no idea what vitamin D even is,” I responded casually, taking in my apartment. It looked the same as always, if brighter than normal.

I’d have to get used to that, I realized. Normally, I could come home to retreat from the sun and enjoy the cold comfort of the dark. Now, even after I got out of the sun, Zophie would just bring it right back.

“No wonder you’re so pale.” She sounded earnest, but I still stared at her for the unintentional dig. “What?”

“Nothing. You’re just strangely adorable, I guess.”

“Thanks!” She beamed at me.

Walking further into my apartment, Zophie was quick to turn toward me with a questioning gaze. “Where should I put my stuff?”

That was obvious. “My room.”

She blushed, and a moment later, my own words rebounded inside my head, making my face heat up, too.

“Oh, yeah. Of course, duh,” she said to herself, shaking her head like she’d been silly. “Obviously, I’m staying in your room.” Then she looked up at me like some kind of small prey animal. “Uh— what about sleeping? Is it, well, your b-bed, it’s—”

I cut her off, my face burning so hard I had to do something. “It’s fine. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Oh.” She seemed relieved, but there was a hint of something else there, too— like she’d gotten what she wanted but still didn’t seem entirely happy with the outcome.

“Besides,” I continued, “It’s not like it’s night right now. We’ve still got the whole day ahead of us.”

She smiled again, the blush not yet completely faded, but at least I’d taken her mind off of things. “Yeah! Let’s enjoy the day to its fullest.” Then, less enthusiastically, “Do you have to go to work or something?”

“I do my work at night, and usually only one day a week at that. So, no. Not tonight.” I clarified easily.

“Oh great!” She paused for a moment, something wistful about her features. “It’s strange, you know—leaving my old place. It wasn’t much, but it gave me somewhere to live. I’m glad I’m here, with you, though.” I could hear the simple joy in her words, making me smile in response.

We continued moving to my bedroom, Zophie holding the door open for me as I carried her stuff inside.

“So then, what do you normally do during the day?”

Normally, I’d not be awake during the day, but that was a cop out answer. What she really wanted to know was what I did in my spare time. “Not a lot. I like to work out.”

“That explains the muscles.” She remarked lightly, staring at my chest before darting her eyes back up to my face with a look of quiet panic. “Not that there’s anything wrong with muscles, of course!” she hastily explained, as if she’d done something to offend me. “I like it!” Her smile broke, half cringing. “Er— I like looking at your muscles.” The literal meaning of her words only seemed to register to her a moment later, since her blush came back full force. “N-not like that!.. Okay… shutting up now.” She looked down at the floor, ears burning red.

In response, I just patted her head, ruffling her soft hair beneath my fingers. “I’m glad you like them. It took a lot of hard work.”

“Oh,” she said simply, still staring at the floor with a blush, but at least her happy, bright smile had returned.

“So,” I began, changing the subject, “What else do you need to settle in?” I placed her box of stuff on the floor next to my bed.

She was quick to go pushing through the clothes, pulling out a toothbrush and towel. “Would it be okay if I used some of your toothpaste?”

I never ate mortal food, at least not until Zophie had pushed me into trying some of hers. I didn’t have any toothpaste, let alone a toothbrush. But, since we would be staying together, I knew she’d want to keep making us meals. “I’ll buy some; I don’t have any either.”

“What!?” She almost dropped the towel and toothbrush as she jumped over and clung to me with shock. “Your teeth are super important, you know? You’ll lose them if you don’t take care of them!”

To that, I scoffed. I’d never lose my teeth— I wasn’t some fragile mortal. But, on the other hand, she probably wouldn’t want my breath to stink after I ate her meals.

Ruffling her head again as she pouted at me, still attached to my arm, I repeated, “Don’t worry. I’ll buy some stuff for us.”

“Good.” She nodded her head resolutely. “And!” she added, “We should also get some floss.”

“Sure.” I agreed with an amused smile.

Nodding her head one last time, Zophie exited the bedroom with her towel and toothbrush, heading to the bathroom.

Zophie spent some time in the bathroom after that, while I just lounged on the couch. My mind wandered to Michael and Hannya: now that she was gone, he’d like to start involving himself more heavily. He’d know better than to send some pathetic imps after me, so he had little choice if he wanted to keep pestering us.

Maybe I ought to take the fight to him? I could go hunting tonight, just get it out of the way so Zophie could live with me in peace. Shaking my head, I laughed at myself for the idea. If Michael didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be found. And, knowing him, he’d want to take all the time he needed to prepare himself.

Singing caught my attention, pulling me out of my thoughts. Coming from the bathroom, I could hear Zophie singing to herself, loud enough to drown out the sound of the shower. With the walls in between us, I couldn’t make out the words, but the music sounded light and cheerful, with a bell-like quality to it. The tune felt vaguely familiar, almost reminding me of some kind of Latin hymn. She had such odd taste in music; I was pretty sure she didn’t even go to church… not that many people in current times did.

For a little while, I just leaned back into the couch. Fully relaxed, I listened to Zophie’s singing, letting it flow through me. It almost had a healing quality, the spiritual strain I’d been feeling all but melting away. More than that, the brightness of her voice complemented the sunlight pouring in through the open blinds. On one hand, I felt like this wasn’t my home anymore, not with how devoid of shadows the apartment was. It made me feel a bit like a stranger in my own home. But on the other hand, when I really dug deep and thought about it, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Zophie came here and filled the place up with brightness during the day. That just meant I’d have to take advantage of the night, practicing and hunting for Michael.