Oh no, it’s another AU-Uber! Whatever will you do?

Ivan couldn’t help a wandering mind as they waited for the Grim’s Spawn, mostly about more familiar oddities. 

Like the Mourner’s charity. 

There was something strange about talking with Poppy, it wasn’t just their history. It seemed that the girl had grown from someone summarily ignorant to the severity of his actions, to one who saw everything and wouldn’t budge on his right to do better. 

She made him ask so many weird questions of himself, why do you do that? How do you see? And really, he wasn’t sure he’d trust her any more or less if he had never known the Grim she mourned. 

She was certainly his benefactor, no more so than her Grim, but she’d argued for his welfare, and though her request didn’t sound like an ultimatum he wasn’t sure he should refuse. 

They watched the sky out from the edge of town, and Ivan began wondering how long he could stay still when the Grim pointed her out, flying high above them. A little cloudish dot, that started what looked like a soft descent, at least at first. 

That is until she dropped right onto the Grim for a hug, “You’ve gotten so big!” he said, before losing his casual float and falling sideways onto the grass. 

He watched, but tried not to stare at them. Happy reunions were always good, but it was somewhat awkward when it wasn’t really yours to see. 

“Who’s this?”, the Wanderer asks, pushing up from her rather violent cuddles. She was most definitely the responsibility of the Grim, if her visage was anything to go by, though she was still much softer in presence and shape. 

The Grim looked over at Ivan pointing him out, to which she nodded, “This is my Thrall, he works for us now. You should know to trust him, and be sure he’s trusted while you’re here.” 

“Alright, does he have a name?”

The Grim sat up and the Wanderer slid down accordingly, “Of course he does, but he’s good enough you don’t need to know it.” he said with absurd praise, seemingly to flaunt his pliancy.

Ivan had no clue how to respond.

Not to any of it really. The Mourner- Poppy was giving him a chance, and her Grim trusted him well enough to witness this. 

“I’m Ivan, I attend to things on weekdays. Don’t be surprised if you see me around.” he offered, deciding to share it. He’d wonder if it was a kindness, or real praise, but he thought in the moment that he could live with either. 

It would be late, about two o’clock at night before Ivan was told rather firmly to go back home for the night. The Grim, contrary to his presumed caddishness, wanted some quality time with his spawn, which the little Wanderer was obliged to share. 

Ivan wasn’t about to impose on that just for the illusion of utility. 

Not totally at least he’d already overstayed his welcome, and being at the edge of town, the Grim could’ve still started something if he wanted. 

So even if Ivan were to end his shift, he’d still prefer to be within those limits while he did. Zillah was just getting in the mood for the day, and wasn't impressed by the short hours of lowly humans, or their protectors. 

At this hour, he knew the Grim's compatriots would be sleeping or in the late hours of study, it didn’t seem fair- no -useful to bother them. 

Ivan was still frustrated with himself and not one of them would be any more equipped to contend with his current mood. 

So he drove hoping for some sort of specter to take heed of his position and start a fight while the Grim was distracted with his progeny. 

Progeny. He wasn’t sure how the little Wanderer happened, but the Grim had been honest enough for embarrassment so he assumed it was just a fluke.

Being a Thrall, Ivan was unlikely to move forward with that kind of interest anytime soon. Especially without Lola. 

For all his immaturity, he’d always imagined doing those kinds of things with Lola, and while they’d been separated for a while, he still hadn’t stopped looking at his future as something she’d be in. He wasn’t even all that scared when he didn’t think about it. 

But when he did. 

He still wanted those things. Badly. And he wasn’t sure if someone so intent on protecting the living would ever be okay with that. 

Even considering his incapabilities.

He stopped his bike, and waited for Zillah to catch up. The dust of her form shined against the moonlight, as she sat beside him.

“Do you miss Lola?” he didn’t expect a response. He hadn’t known what she was before, but she didn’t necessarily understand human, or posthumous speech. Besides, he wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual.

“Who’s Lola?”, someone asked.

“Who’s there?” Ivan asked, looking over at Zillah, and turning to where she stared. It was a young lady apparently out late at night.

“Oh shit, you can talk.” she said before covering her mouth, almost immediately embarrassed by what she’d said.

“Yeah, what of it?” he asked just snide enough for a proper response.

“Aren’t you the Signing Rider? Aren’t you supposed to be mute?” she asked with an awkward laugh in her voice. 

“Why would I have to be mute? Is that really what they're calling me now?” Ivan thought back to how he behaved around humans, his Siren's-bane made him deaf when he wore them, but he also neglected speech realizing how loud he ended up when trying to- to hear himself.

Now that he thought about it, it was as good a reason as any to assume he was mute.

“Well, yeah? You're supposed to be from the wild hunt or something.” She stated as a supposed fact.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you gave it up for good works, right?”

Ivan laughed like a jackal at that, “No, I gave it up for asylum. It wasn’t the wild-hunt though, I’m not sure if that’s actually a thing.” he said with as much proof as the girl. Ivan was young and he had no memory of hell’s army, so he’d probably never know if such a human myth had merit.

“Oh. why would you need asylum?”

“My girlfriend got mad, and I needed to pay my debt to the Grim anyway.” It was hardly as simple as that, but it was as short an answer as he could give. At least he hoped it was. He still wanted his actions to matter, for her response to be well reasoned.

“What for?” she asked, likely curious what counted as currency for the dead.

“I think it’s better that I keep that to myself.”

“What, Did he save you or something?” She contemplated aloud, feeling it was out of character for the BlitheValley Grim to expect payment of that caliber. 

“No. I- I did something wrong, and he didn’t kill me for doing it in- on his property,” he said thinking about his crimes, “I begged mercy later, and he made me his Thrall.”

“That’s heavy. So it’s like community service? Is that why you fix peoples cars?”

“Kinda. I’m just the weekday guy mostly. He never said I’d have to do that though. It’s just something I do here now.”

“That’s cool.” She said at ease.

“Well enough about me, What has you out so late?” he asked, redirecting her from the dirty details of his life. It was his job after all, to care for the citizens when the Grim was preoccupied.

“A party went sideways, and I couldn’t get my dad to drive me home.” she said embarrassed by her predicament.

The thought of it left a sour taste in his mouth, but he could swallow it to respond, “Yeah that’s not gonna bite him. That’s like half of all missing persons cases, all the ones that ain’t family.”

“Well that’s scary.”

She’d read past his sarcasm, but he still wanted to come off as sincere, as she was only going to get more tired while she was out there, “It is. I don’t imagine that the Grim would be happy if one of his citizens got hurt, even if it wasn’t one of us, is there anywhere safer for you to go?”

“I think he’d let me in if I got home.”

“Well, it really couldn’t waste my time. Hop on.” he motioned behind him, Zillah moved from her spot getting ready to sprint ahead of them, as he revved up his bike. It was only a ten minute ride over to the girls house, he stopped at a sign right by it and let her off.

He waited for her to be let in, he had his fingers crossed as she rang her own doorbell, waiting and pacing at her doorstep. Ivan waited to see if she walked inside, or found a backup key, or just about anything to make sure she’d be okay if he left.

She stopped for a bit sitting down. At that point she started breathing heavily, hyperventilating really, she was having a panic attack, so he had to walk over.

“Are you okay?”

“I think my dad’s asleep, I shouldn’t wake him. He’s got work tomorrow. I need to just-” she curled up a bit.

“Do you have anywhere else to go?”

“No. not really, I could call a friend but my phone is out of minutes. I just-”

“I can call on the Grim, he’s gotta know some people, if you don’t got any money,” Ivan smiled, trying to calm the situation, “he probably knows if you do too, though.”

“Ah, thanks.” She kept her head down, though he could see she wanted to say something.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” he said, before thinking to ask, “would it be safe for me to enter your house?” Ivan was willing, but he wasn’t prepared to deal with something toxic.

“Ah, Probably not. My dad isn’t above blessing the house.”

“That’s unfortunate. Thanks for notifying me, it wouldn’t have been safe for me to attempt entry.”

Her brows furrowed, “Hey, um. How does the Grim get past barriers?”

“That isn’t mine to share, just know that I can’t.” Ivan said like he knew, but really the Grim was an inexplicable being and he wasn’t prepared to appear that ignorant to the girl, “I mean, I could pick your locks but I don’t imagine that that’d be comforting.”

“Couldn’t you break the lock doin’ that?”

“Yeah, probably with my luck.” he smiled at that she was getting a second wind, which would make the next bit easier, “Would you mind getting help from his compatriots? I’d rather not bother him on an off day.”

“No, that sounds interesting.” she said, which was promising as he drove her to Poppy’s apartment.