There was surely one thing I had forgotten and it was my boss's exclusive tutoring sessions with a random student from the Underworld. Me and Calli had just gotten home two hours away from the supposed meeting time. Zed, at the profile I looked at, should be in the room right about now.
Damned guitarist was packed to the brim with cocktails. It was a good thing I had been there for Calli or else she would have ingested his whole stock and ran him out of business. So here we were in Holomyth HQ, almost succumbed to further intoxication and music jams, in our disheveled attires, and Kiara who seemed to be grunting beside the doorway this whole time.
In fact, I don't think I ever opened the door of Calli's room as it was open the moment we got there. The cafe vibed to Calli's beats so much I was unable to comprehend the difference between a closed and open door. Kiara tapped her foot, a whisk of vexation until she sensed us nearby and motioned for us to come closer with a finger.
"You two!" Kiara rushed us like an ambulance, grabbing the fabric of our clothes by the shoulders using us as shields. "Who is this pervert you invited?! He keeps ogling me every second and says all kinds of shit to to tick me off-"
"A nice evening to you too Kiara," Calli tipped her cap at the verbally jumbling mess that was an enraged Phoenix. "Well, I'm late so it's kind of my fault he had nothing to do but tease you."
"Why the heck are you laughing? You were supposed to be here at 6 sharp. I couldn't exactly leave him alone either. What if he messed with your stuff and your setup?!"
Calli looked at me momentarily, an expression of guilt on her face telling me we shouldn't have rocked the café upside down too much. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you next time. I got caught up with something."
"You better!" Kiara glared at Zed. "I'm leaving! Buy me burgers and fries tomorrow!" She stomped on her heel, flying out of sight with traces of a dying flame being left behind. There was no time to even sneak in a 'see you tomorrow'.
That 'something' Calli was referring to was jumping on people's tables and positively encouraging the customers to dance and sing along with her. We'd been massively loud to the degree a police officer came over to tell us the neighboring houses were wondering if a riot was happening. Being the most worried individual there, I had calmly given my statement and assured him this concert we were having would tone itself down.
I straightened my hair, avoiding the two girls' gazes and focused on the guy who was sitting on Calli's chair like he owned the place. His smile embodied his whole personality. Lateral commissure crooked upwards in a slant, legs spread with heels on the floor, body leaning forward, elbows on his knees. Cocky and filled with curiosity, a lot of the people who went behind bars stared at me all night with the same exact expression. They'd stare so much they could go nights without food or sleep.
He was assessing everything happening with a nonchalant alarm bell. He was different. Unlike those dudes who'd never see the light of day.
When it was just the three of us with Kiara gone, Zed hopped off the chair and cracked a bone in his neck.
"You're late," he said.
"My bad. I'll double up time for training to make up for it. But it is nice to meet someone who's willing to be instructed by me to become a better reaper."
"Whoa! Double-up? Can't you just move training tomorrow? It's almost 9 in the evening and I came super early, ya know? There's a lotta girls in the nearby district. There's still tomorrow too."
"We haven't even formally introduced ourselves. Regardless of my mistake, I can't just let you go after I appeared. It's bad I was late but it's even more terrible if we don't start." Calli raised a hand to shake Zed's hand. "I'm Mori Calliope. I will be officially teaching you how to reap a life that has lived until the end. I'm late but I really look forward to working with you."
Zed stared at her hand without so much as moving, examining it as if it were an entirely new species. "Be early next time or I'll consider a new tutor or somethin'." He went for the shake nonetheless, blowing a strand of hair away from his forehead. "It isn't even like me to be an early riser so you gotta treat me to food next time. Masters got to make their students happy besides improving them."
"Sure thing. Don't worry. I make sure to teach fairly. We'll start today's training by seeing how you move in battle."
"Gotcha, boss~ I got a question though," Zed raised his hand up comically.
"Go ahead."
"If we're battling, does it correlate to fighting a rebel soul should they decide to stay in the human realm instead of moving to the afterlife?"
"You really are a novice," Calli chuckled. "Partially, that's what we do here. Those cases are rare and they usually accept their fate but they do happen from time to time. However, should there be any commotion in the Underworld of vengeful monsters popping up, that's where we come in to aid the constabularies in a high-level crisis."
"I was focused on learning how to defeat you I didn't notice that at all."
"Lemme change my fit first though, I wanna wear another jacket."
"Fight naked if ya have to, it'll make it harder for me to concentrate."
Zed got bonked on the head by Calli's chop.
"Oh and this is my assistant, Clay Johnson."
Zed had one eye wide open and the other narrowed as he stared at me. "Huh? This weakshit's your personal helper?" Normally, I'd be pissed off and rebut back but I was used to that opinion. I often tell myself a lot that qualification didn't matter for this position, so long as Calli was happy with whoever it was then that alone was qualification enough. Besides, I question my position sometimes too. Still, it's hard not to try hard when your boss works harder than everyone else, it was motivating. And I couldn't deny I get pricked when these things I think of get said by others. "You have an assistant? You? The Mori Calliope?"
"Is that weird?" Calli tilted her head to the side.
"I mean, kind of? What do you need assistance with? You bullied a lot of things in the Underworld. What does he do? Buy you groceries and tell you to set an alarm?" He hit the bullseye but if he listed everything I did, I would've shrunk even further.
"He sets me straight and makes me happy. I like him."
I didn't know how to respond so I remained silent, the beating of my heart contradicting my composure.
"I can do all those things for you within minutes and he'll still be on aisle 3 deciding if you like peanut butter or Nutella. What's special about this dude?" Zed eyed me down and since he was slightly taller by a few inches, I had to stare at him without looking down.
Even I didn't know but Yagoo deemed I was the only one fit for the role. Questionably, it still remained a question to this day. I dream these things and think of them as reality checks. I'd be happy to be an advisor, even a teacher in school. Which is why I was satisfied working for the company as a mere social worker. Never did I imagine to be beside Calli and neither did she.
"You must be doing something for her to let you stay. Little shits like you don't understand how to work hard to gain what you want. I can see it in your eyes." He glared through my soul. "I can see your hesitation. You didn't earn any of this. I just know it. You know it too, don't you?"
"You're never not good enough. You work hard. You try your best, don't you? Why should I doubt you if you continue to change?"
"I may have said bad things at the start but I was an idiot. I met you for myself. I know. I know just how hard you work. I'm proud of you."
"I will be recording everything in relation to your time with Mori Calliope. That includes the training sessions, your progression, your tendencies, and of course, your attitude. This is done so for her to fully focus on making you give your all while I handle the documentations of your schooling." I grabbed a pen, tapping on the clipboard in my hands, fully aware I was facing someone inhuman. "For now, your attitude isn't stellar but we'll see how it improves by the end of the sessions."
Never cause a scene, Clay.
Do it for you. Do it for her. Do it for me. Don't lose yourself.
Frankly, I wanted to punch him. I know I'd get screwed over.
"Leaving our world and doing what we want instead of being told what the right way is supposed to be... Don't you think, in that sense, we're kinda similar?"
I chuckled.
A punch was coming my way and I wasn't able to stop it.
Calli could though.
That's why her hand encircled around Zed's wrist with no intention of unchaining itself. It all happened so fast all I could do was inhale first.
"I told you to let me change my clothes first, didn't I Zed?"
The air in the place was dead, sucked in by these two. To any mosquito flying around us, I apologize, you must have been minced unknowingly.
His happy-go-lucky expression was back. "Oops. My fault, heh. Clay's pretty nice with his words."
"Apologize to Clay."
Their hostilities dwindled as Zed scratched his head. "My bad there, Clay. You said I'm failing in the attitude area yeah? I'll get that back up in a few days. I'll show you how capable I am."
"Don't worry. As long as you do good, you're allowed to stay. Your master will make sure you're taught well in both power and manners."
Maybe I did want to see a glimpse of the afterlife because Zed cracked his thumb with his index finger while staring at me.