It felt weird, but I also understood, Nymphs were girls and Satyres were boys. But that always annoyed me, I guess she was more of a loner type since she’d never really talked to a guy. But also I wasn’t one, “I’m not a boy…” I clarified for her. I guess that was the first moment in a bit I had spoken, it felt kinda nice to talk too.

“Oh! I guess… I just… thought. I knew boys could have long hair and softer features before they grew up fully if they had human blood. I just…” She got embarrassed, “I’m so sorry girlie.”

She yet again assumed. “Um… still wrong, not a girl…” It made me chuckle, it helped distract me from the days earlier events.

“What? Okay! Tell me then!” she shook my shoulders and demanded.

It made me laugh even more, but after my laughing calmed down I spoke, “Okay, so I’m non-binary. I’m neither, both, something else entirely. But… you can just call me Archie, most people never get the gender neutral pronouns thing so they just say my name instead of saying ‘they’ or something.” I explained like it was magic.

“Ugh… humans are really weird, and I learn about these things from demi-gods like you. Because demi-gods like you also use these weird titles and things. I get it but do you really need all these titles, and names?” She complained, “I will use your they/them though but I don’t get the title, just say you use gender neutral pronouns.”

“I like the titles, it makes me feel more normal for those around me with titles that actually fit. It fits me, and I like it.” I explained my thinking, “Also… I’m a legacy apparently… not a demi-god… but it’s a type of demi-god”

“What? Then why do you smell like one?” She looked confused.

I paused before talking, “I’m… I'm wearing one of my dad’s shirts, he was a demi-god. And I’m wearing my mom’s jacket. She was also one. That’s… that's probably what you're smelling.”

“...oh… they’re dead… aren’t they…?” She pieced it together.

It made me cry again, so I just pulled my knees to my chest and buried my face in my knees while also pulling the hood from my mom’s jacket over my head. I cried quietly. The warm tears over my cold cheek seemed to feel surreal. But I knew it was real. It felt grounding. Like I wasn’t going to lose it.

The nymph leaned over and hugged me, it startled me at first, but then I kinda just leaned into it. Though it did cause us to fall out of the tree… She landed on me with a thud. And I finally realized how much my body hurt. I hadn’t gone to the infirmary because I hadn’t wanted to earlier so I never got treated for the car-wreak wounds, and then the sudden falling on roots and leaves made me realize just how much I hurt. My legs and arms felt a bit jelly-like, my head hurt like hell, and my back after that fall felt like it shattered, even if it didn’t. That's how bad it hurt.

After getting up and choosing to sit on the ground this time the nymph just hugged me. I kinda forgot to go back and get to sleep so I kinda didn’t sleep at night. And when I went back to the main camp area, I realized I hadn’t caught her name… well fuck. Now I feel rude for not asking her for her name. Anyway, I’d have to ask later but hey… I found someone I could talk to even if I went quiet.