Backstories & One-Shots. (Includes MCSM AU's) |Requests Open|

Riley

Riley wasn't anything special, just another soul added to the world. Grim Reaper #484 wasn't even sure why the kid's mother named the Grim Reaper as her child's Godparent, but 484 was sure going to take it seriously. The first night Riley came home and began fussing, 484 was there to soothe the little one to let the mom rest.

As the mother tended to the house, leaving the baby in their crib, GR 484 rocked the crib, making silly faces at the baby and, as the other Grim Reapers told them, 'utterly ridiculous'. 484 didn't care...

 not after Riley had smiled a gummy smile at him, showing no fear to the large and very intimidating black bat.

484 was there when Riley began learning to walk, hiding in the cracked open closet as Riley toddled to her mother. 484 even hid in the shadows of the daycare as Riley was dropped off for the first time. 484 situated herself behind the big teddy bear as Riley babbled to her, making the teachers and caretakers at the daycare get confused because of her higher baby activity.

When Riley reached the age to learn how to ride a bike, 484 leaned on the back of the car to watch his goddaughter struggle, then fall because she didn't 'want the training wheels', earning many scratches on her legs during that time. 

Riley, during the day, would glance over toward 484 during dinner or while spending time with her parents, while at night, she would stay up past her bedtime to talk to 484 hiding under her bed.

When Riley decided they were non-binary at the age of twelve, 484 respected them, along with their mother. That was also the time that 484 taught Riley the symbol/words to say to summon 484, should Riley ever need 484.

Things seemed to slow and quiet down as Riley began attending junior school. Riley was small for her age, making her seem an easy target, but proved everyone wrong when she flung a large boy three times her size into the lockers when he tried to steal her white chocolates.

484 was surprised when he got summoned a couple of days before Riley moved into the 5th grade. Riley was sobbing and telling 484 the minute their Godparent appeared that her father was getting more and more violent toward the mother and Riley.

Not knowing what to do, but having observed some parents and older adults interact with children, GR #484 decided to keep an eye on the situation. Christmas came and went, along with other holidays. Then 484 saw the father stagger into the house with a bottle in his hands and the mother tell Riley to go to their room, then approach her husband, her face filled with disappointment.

484's scythe appeared in her hands, telling her that there would be two souls to reap soon. So he stood and waited, before seeing the father raise his fist and strike his wife. Not bearing to see the scene, 484 slipped up to her Godchild's room, to tell Riley to pack up, teleport all the items away, then put a blindfold on Riley, before leading Riley downstairs.

Making himself visible for everyone in the house, 484 used his magic to throw the father, before slicing the man's face and hissing that Riley would now be in her care. After the father looking at her in horror upon realizing who and what 484 was, 484 disposed of the father and took Riley to the Grim Reaper Neighborhood.

All the Grim Reapers, upon seeing Riley for the first time, approved to let them stay, but, alas, nothing good could last. Not even in the places where time seems to stand still, like the Grim Reaper Neighborhood.

Riley was involved in a school shooting and was fatally injured protecting another student when they were in the tenth grade. All the Grim Reapers let loose such a loud wail that the head Grim Reapers came to the neighborhood to see what was the matter.

Grim Reaper #1 looked down at the young person laid in 484's arms and shook his head and began whispering with GR #2. They conversed for many days, 484 keeping her godchild's soul in her house, while Riley's body was in a comatose state, before coming and asking if Riley had been good or bad.

'They have been good, not perfect, but they have tried their best...' answered 484, standing as a border between the two head Grim Reapers and Riley's soul, the purest white any of them had seen.

With a nod from #2, 484 stepped aside to see #1 bite and draw blood from her own wrist before putting the ruby liquid over Riley's head, wounds, and heart. 484 was then ordered to return Riley's spirit to their body and bring them to be trained by all the Grim Reapers.

Upon returning the soul, Riley woke up and had to be trained in the hospital by observation and teaching, before returning to the GR Neighborhood and being trained in person. Riley became one of the visible Grim Reapers, as they were still alive and were linked to their soulmate's life span.

When Riley left to live their life and find their soulmate, 484 mourned that he was losing Riley, but was happy for them at the same time. Now he wondered something...

Why did 484 ever think Riley was nothing special?