Chapter Text
Chapter One
There are many consistent things in this world. You know the sun will rise. You know the sun will set. You know the moon will shine every night in the sky. You know the seasons will begin their rotation consecutively starting in spring during the vernal equinox. A life will go on until death. Then it stops.
There are always set things in life and when those consistencies start changing you know it is a sign of an end. It is a sign of change.
And that change will inevitably undo everything.
That is what Mori Calliope considered, as she headed out on her vacation from soul reaping. There were other reapers. It wasn’t like she was always needed. But there was just this gnawing at her gut, that all would upheave and go to ruin the moment she left.
It was her nature to be an underlying worry-wort, like she would usually wait for the other shoe to drop.
But a vacation was a rare thing, indeed, for this workaholic. She was hopeful for a good month of coastal breezes and relaxation. Her best friend had found a cute spot, a small hostel on the coast of a small island. A place of rare creatures, or so the pamphlet stated, according to her friend, as she hyped the location.
Calliope did love rare creatures. That was pretty much all her closest friends; especially her oldest friend, a Phoenix that was on her own vacation in a sunny place. She was the one who talked her into this vacation, and so, she was 99.9% sure it would be a good vacation… except… for that darn gnawing.
An Island in the Northern Hemisphere during the Warm Season
Gigi Murin was a slight gremlin of pale skin and quick wit. She was spry with a wild looking tail unlike any other creature. But what stood out the most for the little gremlin was the size of her heart, her very humble heart. She never turned away another in need, even at the expense of her own happiness or joy. Some thought this to be her downfall as a gremlin, but it made her happy. Her positivity was contagious.
She had been cast out years ago because gremlins are about chaos and troublemaking. Yes, she could easily cause disruption but never ever in cruelty or hurtfulness. Those were other gremlins things, including the family that raised her. That was a past, she preferred to forget. Gremlin society was after all, a society of constant upheaval.
She was about making life happier, being silly and whimsical. That’s what made her happiness.
She longed to see others smile and laugh. It would be her goal. It was why she was where she settled. Someone needed her to live.
Despite humble, possibly horrible, beginnings, she could never let this take down her present. Life, indeed, was a present.
Like all creatures of her stature, she was attracted to mechanical things. This could have been the reason she instantly hit it off with an automaton, of all things.
When she first spotted the ancient automaton, she had to wind up her key, and oil joints, and if she hadn’t found her, she might have stayed dusty at the back of the small building on an island of misfits.
She knew, the moment she met her, that she also had a past of pain and ill treatment, so she was sure to always be positive toward this automaton with a soul – a rarity. Not all beings had souls, but this automaton indeed had a very large and beautiful soul.
The building the automaton had been found within was a very special place on a very special island, surrounded by very special things with a very special purpose.
(Okay, not really an island of misfits like in the Santa movie of Bass and Rankin fame, but it was a unique island.)
**************
“Oh man,” Calli looked down at her phone, after disembarking the small boat. It dropped her off, and then instantly revved the small motor and left her there on the dock. Kicking up a spray of water, Calli instantly wiping it off her clothing.
“Just great,” she huffed. “There are like no bars here.” She held up her phone to the looming cloud-covered sky. It would also rain.
“So much for a sunny vacay.”
She looked across the small seaside town of multi-colored buildings, one small convenience store with a gas pump, a shop of something or other, maybe trinkets, and then a dirt road that had a crooked sign pointing out, Hostel this way.
“Hm, well I got nothing to lose.”
There weren’t a lot of buildings, so the place she was looking for was easy. It was the only hostel on the island. She walked a small way down the dirt road, until she was at her destination.
She looked up again at the squarish white and blue building with a sign that read, The Place You Need to Be, and underneath, the greeting, Welcome.
“That’s the name,” she muttered under her breath, “wonder why Kiara got me a reservation here?”
It was not impressive. In fact, it was extremely unimpressive, sides of paint cracking, a roof in need of repair, and steps uneven leading to a wooden door. The door was the only impressive part, since it was intricately carved with strange patterns, swirling from the center of what looked like an eye wide open. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think the eye was watching her.
“Man, I need to find a better travel agent. What is this place?”
She opened the heavy door and then walked into the lobby. The interior was much nicer than the exterior. In fact, it was surprisingly warm and clean, but still eerily empty.
No one was at the front desk. In fact, it looked like a dilapidated haunted house in the Japanese countryside on a show like 4th Wall or Bizarre Bub, which she didn’t watch because the shows were creepy.
“I really hope there aren’t ghosts.” She considered the fact she was an unworldly Reaper that dealt with death, but that didn’t mean she liked dead things.
She slammed her palm on the bell that had an old piece of paper that had written, “Klingeln sie bitte.” She was sure it was German. The tattered white piece of paper had faded writing.
She took a deep breath, brushing back her long pink locks with fingers behind her ears. “Come on Mori, you can do this.” After a minute, she hit the bell again, and again… and again. “Maybe I should take a vacay another day… month… year, or so?”
She was considering leaving when a smiling white-haired woman, touches of green along the edges of her short bob, with bright green eyes came rushing out from the back room. “Hello, greetings, good day, person who is obviously here for a room.”
“That’s me.”
“I am Cecilia Immergreen, your hostess for your visit. Let me just call our valet to help you to your room.”
“Do you want my name?”
“Oh, I’m sure you have a reservation. Only someone with a reservation would come to this place.” She giggled cutely. “I mean, look at this place.”
“Huh?” It was as if she did not want her at their hostel.
“Oh yes,” the pert woman looked down at a small brown book, “yes, your name is Mori Calliope, Reaper on vacation, right?”
“Yes, that’s me.” Calli laughed, and then sarcastically, “I’m sure you get a lot of Reapers.”
“No, howevah, you are the first western hemisphere Reaper. We had a southern hemisphere Reaper once a hundred or so years ago or so, and that did not end well.” She giggled again, “boy, that should have been a sign for us… hehehe, am I right?”
“I… guess? What… why?”
“Oh – long story.” She turned, “Gigi! GG!!! Our guest, Mori Calliope, is here! Please come help her with her bags!”
Out popped a small creature with big reddish eyes round, and sparkling like strawberries left out in the sun too long. Her gradient brunette head of hair went from dark brown to dirty blonde. It was unique, and she had the tallest ahoge Calli had ever seen.
“Hi! I am your valet, Gi MURRRrrr-eeeen.”
“Um… hello.”
“Follow me.” She then stood turning this way and that. “Um, do you have bags?”
“No.”
“Oh, then why do you need a valet?”
“I didn’t.”
“But… Mori Calliope, you are a woman on vacation, are you not?”
“Well…” she stammered, “yes, but…”
“Well, you need some luggage or something. How do you expect to be a person on vacation without luggage?”
“I can…” Calli snapped her fingers, “make things just appear.”
“Ooh,” the hostess giggled, “that is a neat trick.”
“I guess, Mori Calliope.” The gremlin breathed out, her tail slapping the wooden flooring, and then laughing, “Ah well, Mori Calliope, I can still show you to your room.”
“You don’t have to say my whole name.”
“But I like saying it.” She turned, her strange tail slapping on the floor again, but then lifting, as if the spot at the back was watching her. “Follow me, Mori Calliope.” And then she skipped, “Boat goes Binted.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Boat goes binted! It’s a greeting on our island because you get dropped off by a boat. The boat goes binted, does it not?”
“I think it does not.”
“It does.” She then laughed, “Boat goes binted!”
Mori Calliope instantly reconsidered finding another island without crazy people, gremlins, automatons, whatever manner of people these were.
The gremlin opened a room door not far down the hall and then waved her inside. “Please, enjoy your stay Mori Calliope.”
“Again, no need to say my whole name.”
“Okay… Miss Mori Calliope.”
“Adding the Miss does not change it.”
“Okay.”
She turned to the door. “Let us know if you need anything else, ma’am.”
“Okay, sure.”
“Boat goes binted!”
“Yeah, yeah, okay – got it.”
“Boat goes binted!”
Reluctantly the Reaper humored the small and cute gremlin, “Yeah…Boat… goes binted…I guess.”
“That’s the spirit, Mori Calliope!” The gremlin laughed and then skipped back down the hallway. “Breakfast is at eight o’clock sharp,” she yelled, while skipping away.
Calli watched her for a moment and then shut the door. “What a strange little creature. I mean, she’s super cute, but… strange.”
*****************
“What did you think of the new guest?” Cece asked, while sitting on the edge of the bed.
“She seems nice and very pretty.”
“Yeah, I was surprised they have beautiful Reapers. The last one I saw in Germany was pretty wrinkled and gave a Nosferatu vibe.”
“Glad I never saw him.”
Gigi held a toothbrush in her hand, as she readied herself for bed. “It’s nice we finally have a visitor. I mean, we have our Justice League…”
“Ssh,” Cece hopped up, nearly placing a hand over the gremlin’s mouth, “we can’t let her know our other occupation – and other members… ya know?”
“Oh yeah, I don’t think she cares. She’s not a bad guy.”
“She’s a Grim Reaper.”
“But that is a given. It’s not like she’s committing crimes. All people die.”
“I don’t.”
Gigi watched her oldest and dearest friend. The fact she would live forever, after watching so many pass away in her long life, was always difficult.
“Hey, I was thinking of showing Mori Calliope around the island tomorrow. You should come with.”
“I have some stuff to take care of, like cleaning the Onsen.”
“I’ll help.”
“No, I can do it myself. Our guest would probably like someone to show her the island. Plus, Bae will be around tomorrow. She can always use the extra cash and she’s a hard worker.”
“True.”
“Just…” a gleam cut across her eyes, “be careful what you show her. Liz will be back in two days. She and Raora were pursuing that demon woman, and her sidekicks. They skipped out from that other dimension, and it’s been tough following their trail.”
“I know, and I will.” Gigi giggled, “who do you think I am?”
“Exactly.” Cece smiled warmly, “I do know exactly who you are.”
Gigi put the toothbrush in her mouth, turning to finish brushing her teeth, while laughing. Her multi-shaded brown hair pulled back into a ponytail bounced with her steps. Every movement exuded happiness.
Cecilia considered that that is what she loved most about her best friend. It always made her smile.
…Next Day on the Island of Misfits – okay, just the strange island
“Good morning, Mori Calliope!”
“OH,” Mori nearly spilled her coffee as the gremlin seemed to appear out of nowhere behind her. “Morning… G… G.”
“Just G is fine. I like how you say my name.”
“It’s one letter.”
“Well, it’s a nice way of saying a letter, Mori Calliope.”
“Th…thanks.” She rolled her eyes, while looking over the fruit and bread. “You got any waffles?”
“Yes. Eggo ones.” She pointed at the toaster.
“You know,” the reaper said while sauntering to the toaster and waffles. “I’m a bit of a chef.”
“Whoa, that’s cool. You’re very talented. Do you want to cook in our kitchen?”
“Um, that seems so assumptive on my part.”
“No really, nobody really uses it.”
Calli looked over the sparse breakfast set up of cereals, fruit, bread and Eggo waffles. “Yeah, I would have never known.”
The gremlin laughed, in a deep, a funny tone that made Calliope unable to keep from laughing herself.
“Miss Mori Calliope, would you like me to take you on a tour of our small island?”
“I was thinking of just chilling and doing a little work.”
“WHAT?!” she became animated, “but you are on a vacation, Mori Calliope! You can’t work!” She took her arms within her grip, shaking her, “I mean… mean, that’s just blasphemous to vacationess, and people who haven’t the ability to vacation. I…I” she kept stuttering dramatically staring up into the reaper’s beautiful pink eyes. Her own eyes a beautiful reddish pink, swirling intensely the more passionate she became.
The Grim Reaper noted how expressive and bright her eyes and expression encompassed her small passionate self. It was very endearing.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, little one.” She brushed her off, “I guess if you really want to take me on a tour, I can handle that. Chill your little jets…” pointing to the small fans at the side of her jacket, “quite literally.”
“Oh,” she noted her pointing out her jacket. “It’s just an enhancement on my jacket. I can take that off.” She threw off her jacket in a second, showing off a pert little body, good muscle tone, with a white tank top and black biker shorts.
“Whoa! Maybe you shouldn’t undress!”
“You liking what you see?” The gremlin winked, striking a pose that made Calliope laugh again. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”
“No, I meant, uh… just like never mind.”
The reaper turned a slight shade of pink, matching her hair and eyes, as she began looking anywhere but at the cute little gremlin. “Oh my god, you’re incorrigible.”
“Yippee! I’m taking that’s as a ‘yes’.” Gigi hopped up, grabbing her jacket. “I’ll meet you down in the lobby in 10.”
“Um…” before another word could come out of her mouth the gremlin was gone as quickly as she had appeared. “Man, what did I agree to?”
…10 Minutes Later in the Lobby
Calli was dressed casually in a cute little pink dress with a light jacket. Her hair was pulled back and Gigi stopped for a moment to take in the tall and lovely woman in the lobby.
“Wow,” Gigi sauntered up, “you clean up nicely.”
The Reaper looked over her casual little outfit, still in her biker shorts, but a small little jean jacket and yellow T-shirt. When she smiled her gremlin canines stuck out, but it wasn’t off-putting. It added to her cute smile. In a strange way, when her tail wagged behind her, it reminded her of a puppy.
“You do too, G.”
“Thank you, Mori Calliope.” She opened the door, “follow me.”
“Sure thing.”
The sun was out, but clouds seemed like they might threaten a storm later in the day.
“We can either walk or ride a bike,” Gigi offered, “I like to walk, stretch my legs.” The small gremlin started bouncing around, constant hyper movement. “They call me a chaser in my other job.”
“A chaser?” That sounded familiar to Calli.
“Oh wait!” Gigi covered over her mouth. “I meant, a job I once had.” And then she burst out in the funny laugh that made it hard for Calliope not to also laugh.
“You’re pretty funny, G.”
She grinned and kept snickering. “Come on, Mori Calliope,” she waved, and the Reaper followed. “There’s a lighthouse that’s pretty neat. We can head over there.”
“Cool… cool, cool, cool.”
They started walking along the dirt road, headed up a slope toward the edge of the island, a cliff face that overlooked the ocean, with a white stone lighthouse at the edge.
They talked over the island and Grim Reaper stuff.
“Enough about me,” Calli stated, “how did you and hostess meet?”
“But I find your life interesting.”
“…Or non-life.” Calliope considered her job once again, and the fact she was taking a break.
“So, you want to know how I met Cece?”
“Yeah, the automaton.”
“That’s a long story and its like I’ve always known her. She’s the closest person…” her smile settled into a gentle admiration. “She is pretty amazing. She’s a musician, and artist, and sweet and kind, and always has my back, and she’s funny and really cool.”
“She’s like a robot, right?”
Gigi stopped in her tracks, and for the first time her smile left. “She’s got a soul and is more human than any human I’ve ever met. You take that back!”
“Okay, cool your jets. I didn’t mean to offend, G. I mean, she’s physically mechanical, right? I mean, I never met an automaton, especially one that talented or with a soul.”
“Well, yeah, but that’s just because she’s an ancient automaton that has lived through a lot of stuff. A lot of world events. She’s maybe seen more than a Reaper like you.”
“Possibly.” Calliope understandingly placed a hand on the small gremlin’s shoulder. “Hey, I’m really sorry if I offended you or made you think I thought any less of your best bud. It’s obvious you two share a really rare and special bond. That’s… well, I have a friend like that too. She’s a Phoenix and I’ve had to watch her die and then live again quite a few times. It…” she slowed up, staring out toward the ocean below, “it can make you appreciate a person like that, and thankful you have someone like that in your life. Someone, who just, I guess, gives you perspective on a lot of things.”
“Yeah.”
The two stood on the cliff edge, both considering their dearest friends.
“I’m sorry if I got too upset,” Gigi brushed her hair aside, “I sometimes have anger management issues – or so, I was told that by someone.”
“Ah yeah, I’ve done some therapy sessions for folks.”
“Wow, Mori Calliope, you’re also a therapist?!”
“Well, yeah,” she snickered, “actually have a degree.”
“I might need a session.”
“Well, I’m on vacation.”
“Oh yeah, sorry.”
“It’s cool. I have empathy problems – maybe because of my job as a Reaper, but I can still understand stuff.”
“You seem very empathetic and kind, Mori Calliope.” She grinned so that her whole face lit up.
“Oh, gosh, you make it easy to be empathetic and kind because you seem like you are.”
The two looked at the other, taking in how soft and kind their eyes were in the darkening sky. It was about to rain.
“I’m glad you’re a good person, Mori Calliope.”
“Well, you’ll have to get to know me better before you can say that.”
“No, I know these things. It’s why I work with such good and just people.”
“Just… people?”
Gigi slammed her hand over her mouth. “I misspoke. I mean Cece…” she stammered, “just one person that’s just, and that’s Cece - Cecilia Immergreen. She’s just so just, like justice itself and only her, Cecilia Immergreen. In fact, sometimes she’s called Immerkind because she’s so just and kind.”
“O……kay.” The Reaper raised an eyebrow. The small gremlin was obviously acting suspicious.
Light drops of rain began.
“We should probably head back, Mori Calliope.”
“You really like my name, huh?”
“Do you not like your name, Mori Calliope?”
“Well, I hadn’t given it much thought. It’s an alright name. Now, I’ll hear your cadence every time I think of my name.” She laughed, “it’s funny how your voice and presence is kind of contagious.”
“Like I’m a virus?”
“No, like you… you make… life easy. Like, you make me feel very at ease.”
She jumped around, her tail wagging. “That makes me very… happy, Mori Calliope!”
“Cool,” she patted her head.
Suddenly a torrential downpour hit, instantly pounding, and drenching every inch.
“Whoa!”
“Monsoon season,” Gigi waved, “hurry – let’s head back!”
They ran back down the hill, talking and laughing as the storm raged, because they were getting drenched.
It was harsh, but short-lived, and ended as they reached the hostel.
Cecilia walked out as they made it to the door. She was followed by a small girl with round rat ears and bright red hair.
“Oh hi, Miss Mori.”
“Hello, Miss Immergreen.”
“Did you both have fun?”
“It was great.” She looked over at the small girl that was obviously a rat-type of hybrid.
“Oh,” Cecilia quickly spoke, “forgive my manners. This is Hako Baelz – a good friend on the island. She does a lot of odd jobs on the island.”
“Cool, I’m Mori Calliope.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Same.”
“Hey Bae.”
“Hi, Gigi. You keepin’ out of trouble?”
“WHADDYA MEAN BY THAT HAEKO BAELZ?!?!?!”
“It’s just a question – geez.” She laughed, “how are those anger management classes?”
“WHAT?!… why… I dOn’T NeEd ANGER MaNagEMenT! You need… a better haircut.”
The small redhead kept snickering, since she’d gotten used to Gigi outbursts. “I’ll see you later, Cece.”
“Okay, thank you Bae.”
“Sure, sure.” She waved with a “nice meetin’ ya mate,” to Calli.
“Same, same, Bae.”
Calliope watched the small gremlin get angry, but then calm down instantly, and she realized she was definitely a gremlin. She’d only met one other long ago.
The first few days passed with the three hanging out, eating some fantastic dinners prepared by Calliope in their kitchen, and talking over life on an island. Calliope enjoyed the two friends’ company and began getting used to the locals.
There was the local convenience store/gas station owner, a lovely and tall magenta-haired woman with heterochromia named Irys. Bae worked at her gas station on days she was needed.
The local hospital, which was really just a small clinic, was run by a soft-spoken Nimi Nightmare. She was a small baku, or tapir shaped nightmare eater, who went from a small tapir type creature at night to an actual full-sized, though petite, woman in the day. It was in that form she was the local nurse practitioner in town. \
There was a local maid café/bar that only opened three months out of the year, and it was closed during three of the four seasons. She’d be back in the winter for Christmas– she was on a mission with a local bounty hunter, who was also the only law enforcement on the island, but then nothing ever happened, so she was gone a lot. They were hunting down creatures in another dimension. (That’s a whole ‘nother story for another time, and maybe a cameo later.)
When Cecilia explained the entire arrangement she nodded, not quite understanding half of what she said regarding a bounty hunter/sheriff that was only in the town three months out of the year. But then, lots of things were odd in the world of the supernatural.
There was also the small trinket shop/museum on the island that was run by a pair, Ina, and Kronii. There were rumors one of them, or possibly both, were in a relationship with the gas station owner.
They were all goddesses, witches, magicians, or something like that. Mori Calliope didn’t really care about local gossip. She was on vacation.
There was also the mysterious woman who ran the lighthouse. Gigi told her she only came out at night and was a hikikamori, for the most part.
Now this, did catch Calliope’s interest because her Reaper self would get these feelings in certain areas of the island. She was sure it was only the supernaturalness, but unsure. She was on vacation, after all.
Again, this was an island of supernatural beings and creatures.
Three days had passed, and on the third day something very strange happened. Calliope was enjoying the Onsen, the moon full and sitting high in the sky, when the wind picked up and the weather took a turn. In an instant, every fiber of her Grim Reaper being lit up, and she hopped out of the Onsen, getting dressed.
When she ran into the hostel it was empty.
She glanced across the area.
“G? Cece?”
Nothing.
She heard a strange sound she hadn’t heard before.
She ran outside, ready for anything.
That’s when she felt it. Something was most definitely not right.
The fog was thick. Rain fell hard and fast with the winds. Thunder struck. Lightning flashed dim lights along the murky grey.
A train whistle blew in the distance, covering the landscape. The train’s wheels were shushing loudly across the tracks, as it raced toward the hostel, which had a platform in the back.
Calliope didn’t remember a train platform when she first arrived. It was like something out of Harry Potter, with a small building that appeared, and railroad tracks that seemed to go on forever into the distance.
“Wow, when did that train get here?” she asked no one in particular.
Of course, the fog that filled the area made it all much eerier and creepy, in an almost otherworldly way.
The only sound, a train whistling in the distance, the headlights of said train, and the ground shaking with the weight of the train speeding toward the platform, where Cece and Gigi were standing.
Calliope walked up, hearing the two discuss the train and seeming worried about its appearance. She listened in on their harsh whispers.
Gigi, in her animated self, “Oh my god, I knew… I, I, I, I, I, I told you they were late. Didn’t I tell you they were late?” She began pacing, “I… I knew it!”
“Hold on, it could be anything. Maybe the train needs gas.”
“GAS?! Are you kidding me?!” Gigi raised her fists, which were covered in gauntlets. “You and I both know that the D train only comes during emergencies!”
“Ssh.”
“I’m sssssh’ing and I’m very quiet.”
Calliope watched the two. She only comes in emergencies? What was going on?
She then watched Cece place her arm over the shoulder of the gremlin, as they stood, very much together on the platform. She realized they were comforting one another, and it only made it seem much more dire of an appearance.
Calliope knew this was a portal opened. This train was entering from an entirely different dimension, and she instantly changed into her Grim Reaper form, ready for whatever was coming.
“Man, I was supposed to be on vacation,” she said under her breath. “Man… Kiara, you are really getting a talking to when I get back.”
Even the goddesses and Nimi Nightmare came out in her nurse uniform to see the commotion.
Bae walked up with her heavy Aussie accent, “Oy, I wonder what’s going on,” while munching on some chips.
Calliope looked over all the inhabitants, hands over their brows, under umbrellas, or wearing slickers, as the fog thickened and the rain became more torrential, lightning striking, thunder crashing and loud, and the air growing thicker and heavier with a feeling of dread.
Calliope knew this feeling: Death.