Meloni was discharged the next day. They did say that she would be free by the end of the day, but as an extra precaution, more checkups were conducted, all at Ferrum's expense.
All the while, Ray had to stay quiet because Aggie, Meloni's nana, had been with her all day.
"It feels like I'm trapped even though I'm free…when I'm not allowed to speak, that is," Ray said, hopping in the centre of a velvet coloured bed. They were back in the house.
Meloni shut the door, removed her flippers, and sat cross-legged on the bed, right in front of Ray. She was staring at him like she was about to scold a child.
"Ah- What?" Ray murmured.
"You-" She said, pressing her finger on his small head. "Have been missing for over a year!"
"Yeah, but what's with the finge-"
"Listen to me!" She grunted, cutting off Ray's words.
"Okay! Okay!" Ray said, raising both of his wings in surrender.
"Be honest with me…" Her voice turned low. "Are you on a run?"
"On a run? No!" Ray replied.
"Then are you hiding here?" She asked.
"No!"
"Then, are you a part of any organisation or team of some sort? Gone rogue?" She continued with a similar question.
"Look, I'm not a part of any organisation, I'm a part of a clan, and I have been missing, because I disappeared, not because I ran, not because there's someone out for my blood…Well, there might be a lot of people out for my blood, but that is definitely not the reason for my disappearance," Ray replied.
"You just disappeared? Like, you vanished?" She asked, folding her arms, clearly not believing what Ray said.
"Pretty much. I can't tell you the reason right now, ok? It's nothing related to power struggle or politics or any other person, it's personal. And you're not strong enough to know about that stuff right now…" Ray said, staring into her eyes, trying to convince her.
"I'm not strong enough to know the reason?" She asked, pointing her finger at herself.
"Yes," Ray replied.
"Then make me!" Meloni said in a resolute tone.
"Huh?" Ray was surprised by that statement, he raised his brows. "What?"
"I said, make me strong enough to know the reason then," She elaborated.
"And…Why would I do that?" Ray asked.
"You…won't help me?" She murmured in a frail voice, with a slumped posture and quivering chin.
'Wait…Why do I feel like I'm in the wrong here?' Ray thought to himself, looking at her face, almost about to crack in tears.
"Let's suppose I do teach you…What is it that I get out of it? You're not suggesting that I impart my years of knowledge onto you just because you want me to help you?" Ray stepped forward and asked.
"You could help me because I'm just like you, another naturally awakened conduit with a mythical deity as my core's reflection?" She argued.
"That doesn't mean anything to me. You're you, I'm me!" Ray replied.
"I--- I--- I'm letting you stay in my personal space!" She argued.
"Well, I can just fly to my residence, might take a few days without my powers…" He countered that argument.
"I--I can teach you everything about music!" She made another offer.
"Not interested, I'm more keen on just listening to it…" He countered it again.
"Then what is it that you want?" She asked, "Wait…Don't tell me! My body?" She wrapped her arms around her chest like covering herself.
"What?" Not once in Ray's life has he ever felt this wronged. But he still glanced at her, oval face, tender eyelashes, the scent of violet in her hair and eyes, toned with lustrous skin, red lips, thick and fresh, an attractive neck with a deep, defined collarbone, she was attractive.
"Well, it's not that bad of an offer, but I'm not considering-" And he saw a pink fluffy pillow flying at him.
[Puff!]
"Then what do you want? I don't have money! You want me to teach you how to cook or something?" She spat out, losing her temper.
"That…We can consider that!" Ray replied, throwing the pillow aside with his feet.
"What? Cooking?" Meloni asked again if he was serious.
"Yes, I'll teach you everything about conduits, I'll train you!" He said and spread his wings. "And you teach me how to make those majestic, spicy fries, puffs, and burgers. Those sweet cakes, pastries, and tender, juicy chicken, beef, and whatnot, all those majestic, spicy dishes!" Ray was serious.
"…" "…"
"You're serious?" Meloni leaned forward with her brows raised.
"Does my face look like I'm joking?" Ray also leaned forward, gesturing at his face with his wing.
"So it's a deal?" She asked, bringing her hand forward for a shake.
"One hundred percent!" Ray replied, accepting her handshake with his wing.
"You can't back off, remember!" She said, holding onto his wing.
"A Morrigan never goes back on his words, woman!" And he really did make a deal with her.
"When do we begin?" She asked.
"Right from this very moment!" Ray replied.
Meloni leaned back. "Then, how do we begin?"
Ray thought for a while and stared at her. Then his eyes drifted to her chest, her waist, her thighs.
"We have to think of a way to make you strong and not lose that feminine touch." He murmured.
"Not lose my feminine touch?" She asked, confused.
"Meloni, your melons are… squishy, we can't have ripped muscles instead of th-" And there he saw another pillow flying at him.