It was February 17th, 2027. A week after the meeting was called, it was held. Grim got the call telling him early in the day, however, it was still extremely late notice.
He was worried, to say the least.
He shot Immy a quick message.
Immy
UC card meetings today
Shit
Fuck
What do I wear
Idk
✨meeting clothes✨
Ugh
Wish they would've
told us earlier
It'll be ok!
Semi-casual ig
Clothes I mean
It's warm today
Alr
I'll figure it out :] <3
Grim turned off his phone and waited for his watch to buzz. At least she'll be alright.
When he did get home, Immy was waiting for him.
"Hey! Is this decent?" She was wearing a familiar white button up tucked into black jeans, with her hair curled.
"It looks good, but is that my shirt??"
"Hey, I didn't have anything "semi-casual" so I improvised. Also, you're goddamn tiny. I had to find your biggest shirt."
"Well, I'm literally just bones. Everything is too big for me." Grim laughed. "Wear it for now, but don't steal my shit."
Immy sighed and nodded, smiling.
"When's the meeting?"
"Six. We've got about an hour."
"Nice. What've we got to do until then?"
"Not much. I was figuring we could go get something to eat afterward if all goes well."
Grim sat down on the sofa and stretched.
Immy picked up an embroidery hoop from the coffee table that she must've worked on before he got home.
"Where'd you find an embroidery hoop?" Grim asked.
"Saw it when we were looking through the closet." Immy responded. "I got bored today and went back for it."
"Huh. I thought embroidery was a dying art."
"It is, but my grandma taught me. I used to do it a lot, but then I ran out of clothes to put flowers on." She laughed. "Now I have new ones to do, so I've gotta get back into it."
"Heh. Is that why your bag has so many flowers on it?"
Grim motioned towards Immy's satchel. It had mostly purple flowers on it, but it also had stars and even constellations.
"Yep. I was super sad when I ran out of space."
"I like the constellations. Into astronomy?"
"Yes, but more astrology than anything. I may be basic, but it's fun!"
"Astrology's cool too. Nothing wrong with being basic."
Immy laughed.
"Mhm!"
She went back to embroidering the cloth, making intricate patterns and shapes with the thread. It was impressive. She had a floral design sketched out on the cloth and seemed to be halfway done.
Immy's hands were shaky, a lot like Grim's, but she still managed to keep from messing up. Practice, probably. Grim thought.
Immy must've caught him staring, because she giggled awkwardly.
"I know, I know. I have sausage fingers."
"No! Uh- your hands are nice..."
Fuck! No-
Immy laughed, genuinely this time.
"Um... thanks I guess!" She smiled.
Grim laughed with embarrassment. He felt his face run hot.
It was really a spur of the moment thing to say, but it wasn't exactly a lie-
They had felt warm when he held them. Comforting. Grim didn't get comfort often- let alone the genuine, loving kind. The kind that wasn't filled with pity and disappointment.
He wished he could feel them.
He wished he could feel her.
"How do you do that?" Immy asked.
"Oh! Um- what, exactly?" Grim blurted, shocked out of his thoughts.
"You're face- It's like you're... blushing? Purple?"
"Um... people like me- uh- can't really exist without a sort of magic. We're technically made of dust, bound together by such magic." Grim explained. "There's this thing with dimensions where anything imagined has to exist somewhere, and afterlives are a bunch of people and ideas from different dimensions mashed together. Think NYC. All sorts of different ethnicities and cultures. People like me have immortal ancestors who moved here. Anyways, magic gives us things we need to exist as a species. It keeps all my bones from falling apart. It gives me a tongue- stuff like that. More minor things- like blushing, are side effects."
"Oh. Is your tongue purple too?"
"Yup."
"Huh. The more you know, I guess."
She went back to making stitches.
"Do you sew?" Grim wondered.
"Oh- uh... yeah! Embroidery and sewing sorta go hand-in-hand. I think I just like to keep my hands busy."
"How so?"
"I get really fidgety and anxious sometimes. Stuff like this helps!" Immy exclaimed. "Also, you get to make cool shit."
"Huh. That's why I learned piano."
"Ooo!! I know a little bit of piano, but my hand-eye coordination sucks. You gotta play me something!"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"I haven't practiced anything!"
Immy huffed, jokingly.
"Gosh."
Grim checked the time. 5:45 already?
It seemed to have flown.
"We better go."
***
"Hello, Grim. The council members should arrive shortly." Xen sat in a chair at a circular marble table, opposite from Grim and Immy. "This will be a bit different from the reaping council meeting, but not too much."
They stood and walked over to the two, facing Immy.
"Also, you must be Immalyn. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Oh! Um- you too, uh..." Immy looked over at the name on the desk. "Mx. Xen?"
Xen laughed. "Yes! Go ahead, take a seat."
Immy sat in a chair and Grim followed suit.
More council members filed in and Grim recognized a few from his history textbooks in High school.
The members were all the "Heads" of each major dimension. Essentially, what mortals would consider gods. They were not omnipotent or omnipresent, of course. They couldn't do everything.
They came into existence when the first three "realms" came into existence. The Life, The After, and The Void. When there was only one dimension.
Xen was the first soul, which was why their and Grim's dimension was considered the "main" dimension. All of the others were made by Xen simply thinking.
At first, they just thought up senses, friends, and a few things just to make life in the empty afterlife comfortable.
Then, their friends wanted to spice things up a little.
Marcus, one of the few, decided it would be nice for there to be a little light. Due to light being made, he made color. He made night and day exist in the afterlife. After that, seasons. Even after that, weather.
Shortly after the light was made, they all decided they didn't like their appearances. They preferred not to be colorful blobs of consciousness.
So, they designed a body. Each liked the general idea of the body, but disagreed on certain things. Thus, they all looked different. Most agreed on wanting to have a new way to create souls, combinations of one and another, adding parts to the body to make such a thing possible and not uncomfortable, while some disagreed, choosing to not give themselves that at all.
They communicated through the mind at first, but quickly realized that some thoughts should be kept to oneself.
They created the first language. A young form of Latin that they would spread to the mortals later on.
They designed the entire first universe, Eventually creating life as Grim knew it. It was crazy, how everything turned out. The ups and downs.
Grim's thoughts were interrupted by Xen clearing their throat.
"Hello, everyone. We're here today to examine a unique case and see if such a case requires a card." They started.
"Awfully professional today, huh Xen?" A bulky black man in a red Grim recognized as Marcus butted in, chuckling.
"AHEM! Anyway, the case we are looking at is Immalyn Greystone's." They said, gesturing towards Immy. "She apparently got lost in the void."
"A void wanderer?" A pale, dark-haired, thin woman in a striped polo commented. "Is she corrupt?" What was her name again? Mary? Marilyn?
"That's the thing, Maria, we don't know." Xen replied, failing at concealing their annoyance. "She doesn't know her dimension either, so we can't search her in the Archive. If it's any comfort, she's not showing any signs from what I've heard. Of course, I don't know her very well, though."
Ah, it's Maria.
"I think the girl should be able to speak for herself, don't you? She seems to be doing fine." Marcus claimed.
The room turned to stare at Immy.
"Um..." She glanced at Grim for reassurance. He shrugged. "Uh-" She looked at the ground and started laughing nervously. "I'm sorry- I don't know what to say."
"She seem corrupt, Maria?" Marcus jibed, picking at his nails.
Maria glared at him and huffed.
"It's alright kid, don't sweat it." Said a tall man with umber skin and long hair. "Maria's bun is too tight."
"Xander!-"
"Settle down, everyone. For the stars- you're acting like children!" Xen exclaimed.
Maria glanced away and rolled her eyes.
Someone's petty.
Immy bounced her leg and smiled at the ground in embarrassment.
"Hey," Grim whispered. "It's alright."
She smiled warmly at him, her cheeks pink.
The warmth in her round face complimented her features. Grim couldn't help gazing at her- her soft lips, big eyes, the rare freckles- he swore he could stare at her for hours. He wanted to memorize every feature. How they looked.
How they felt.
How they tasted, even.
NOPE! Nope- not hopping on that train of thought. He thought to himself, blushing madly.
He was snapped out of his trance by a sharp elbow in the ribs.
"Grim!" Immy said in a hushed whisper. "They're talking about you!"
"Hm?"
"What I said, Grim," Maria grumbled. "Was "are you paying attention?"."
"Yes, of course, Ma'am."
"Good. Why are you here?"
"I found Immy in the void. I took her in."
"Why didn't you call the VWPS?"
"She didn't seem corrupt at all. Just scared. I couldn't just hand her off to a bunch of people who would put her in what's essentially a mental hospital."
"They could help find her dimension."
"And if they didn't, she'd stay there for the rest of her life. Let's be honest, most of the folks who get taken into a "facility" never leave." Grim argued. "I couldn't let that happen." Not to her. Never to her.
"It still was irresponsible of you to do," Xen added. "But I see why you did it."
"Well, Mr. Compassion~" Maria jabbed. "I don't see why you're so attached. And, if you really cared about getting her home, why didn't you tell us sooner? How long has it been since you found her? Two weeks?"
Grim took a deep breath.
"Yes. However, I reported it a week ago, the second day I came back to work. I intended on at least getting her a UC card, which, I remind you, is what this meeting is actually about. I wanted to take her home as soon as I saw her, but she doesn't know her dimension. It's nearly impossible to take someone home without a dimension name or ID."
"Quit being salty, darling, he's got a point." Xander told Maria, turning towards her and taking her hand in his. Maria pulled her hand away and went bright red.
Ooo... Romance~
"Jesus- Can we actually assess the situation here? Immalyn's here, she can't leave- so can we just give her a UC card yet?" Marcus commented, exasperated.
The room sat in silence for a moment, considering the suggestion, perhaps.
Xen sighed.
"All who vote for Immalyn Greystone to receive a Unique Case card in order to have access to the afterlife's utilities, raise your right hand."
Even Maria raised her hand, after a moment of hesitation.
She sighed and looked towards Grim. "I suppose she'll be staying with you, then?"
"I assume so. Is there a problem?"
"Oh, not really... it's just that the last time someone lived with you-"
"-MARIA." Xander cut in. "Don't stir the pot."
Before Maria could say anything else, Xander took her arm and dragged her out of the room.
"On that note, thank you all for coming!" Xen breathed, obviously relieved. "Immalyn, you should receive your UC card in the mail tomorrow. If you do not get it, contact me or have Grim do it. Have a good day, everyone."
Just like that, people started filing out of the room.
Grim outstretched an arm and Immy took it.
When they were back at the house, she collapsed on the couch, sighing.
"Welp, most of that meeting was a waste." Immy groaned. "Half of it was the Maria girl looking for a fight- what's up her ass?"
"She doesn't approve of me as reaper. She only started when she acknowledged I was there."
"Doesn't approve of you? I think you do just fine, Grim. I don't know why she'd have a problem-"
"You weren't there to see what happened when I first became reaper. Folks like Maria have good reason to think what they do."
"What? I doubt anything could be that bad..." Immy trailed off.
Grim took a deep breath. He had been avoiding this talk, but he had to admit to what he had done. It could clear his conscience.
Or leave him regretting ever saying anything.
"It was. You deserve to know what happened." He said the last bit to himself, for the most part.
"I don't deserve shit. You can't force yourself to talk about this sort of stuff."
You deserve the entire fucking multiverse.
"I need to. Trust me."
"...Okay."
Grim sighed and attempted to figure out how to explain his circumstances.
"I talked about how my dad's been dead for a month, right?"
Immy's eyes went wide.
"Oh my god."
That was a fast realization.
"I'm so sorry. I..." She trailed off for the second time.
Words simply cannot describe such a loss. Death in itself is painful, but reapings? They're supposed to rid the world of complete and utter monsters. Grim's father was never a monster. He never intended anything malicious.
Maybe that's what made his death such a tragedy. He messed up big time, but he never deserved anything bad to happen to him. At least nothing worse than a bad week.
Grim had to admit, he missed him. A lot, actually. He was obsessed with grades and barely showed any emotion, but parents aren't perfect. They're people, too.
He was gone because of Grim, and he knew he had to take responsibility for it.
"That's what could be that bad, Immy. Murder."
"But- surely you didn't mean to!"
"Of course not. And, because of my circumstances, they didn't fire me. Disapproval is my consequence."
Immy stood up, stuttering over her words.
"Grief is your consequence! You lost your father! People should just let you mourn for a bit without also having to worry about what they think about your loss! It's unfair." Immy stared at the floor.
"Immy. You're too sweet- look at me!" Grim lifted her chin with his gloved hand. She began blushing immediately. She looks so goddamn beautiful~
Fuck- bad idea.
He dropped his hand back to his side.
"I killed someone. Took a life. Forever." He sighed, feeling his throat seize up. "I have to face that. I don't deserve anyone's forgiveness-" His voice cracked and he finally broke down, sobbing.
Immy gave him a look, as if confused on what to do. Something must've clicked, because it faded away really quickly.
"Grim. Tilt your head up and to the side please." She soothed. Grim, confused, did as she asked.
He gasped as Immy wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his shoulder. She squeezed him tightly.
The contact eventually calmed him down. Guilt gave way to swooning as he melted in her arms.
Grim didn't know how tense he had been until all his bones relaxed. His shoulders dropped and he felt like goo in her arms.
"If it helps," Immy whispered. "I think you deserve the world."
~~~
IM SOBBING RN!
THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG AND SWOONY
ITS SO GREAT
I MIGHT DIE.
-Alice/Craz <3