The New World: Old Habits

Chapter 9

"I don't know how that sly fecker managed to do it, but I'm no longer a Reaper." Grim started ranting to Turg as the two started heading out of the basement of Turg's family's home. 
"I knew I shouldn't have taken that. I know I didn't need to eat or drink anything but I didn't think he'd trick me. Me of all people! Why?!" Grim continued ranting before finishing with "Now I'm trapped in another realm with no powers and have become mortal. At least I still have my cool robes."
Turg was going to ask if Grim knew what was going on but they were likely just as lost as Turg. Grim reached out their hand like they normally did to summon their scythe but nothing appeared. They then added "I don't have my scythe either. Took that too."
"If Grim alive who keep Jim alive?" Turg asked as they approached a door. Grim rested their hand on it as they answered "I can still determine that, depends on how angry I'll still be with him." 
Turg did not like what Grim was implying with that response. He was always aware that Grim was also a bit more on the violent side but not that extreme. 
The two eventually made their way into the main living space. It was very open with a high ceiling, a loft that overlooked the room, a sunken area in the middle with cushions that surrounded a fireplace that had purple-ish blue flames and giant windows that showed the colourful realm outside. The sky was always a dark blue-ish purple colour, the trees were dark blue with bright pink foliage and the grass was turquoise in colour.
"Your father is somewhere here." Grim told Turg before quietly adding "He's also just as mad at Jim as I am."
Turg's father was a lot bigger than him and Turg could tell that Jim was intimidated by him. His name was Jasper. Jasper had pale skin like Turg, long silver hair with a long beard, two dot halos that overlapped and often wore fancy coats with red colour palettes.
While Turg was looking out the window he heard Jasper announce "My son has arrived hopefully by choice!"
Turg turned around to face him as he quickly approached to give Turg a hug. Once Jasper let go he noticed that Turg didn't have his amulet. 
"Did you lose your amulet again?" Jasper asked, Turg only nodded in response. He felt ashamed for losing it again but it wasn't his fault. 
"Who took it this time?" Jasper asked Turg again. 
"Jim." Turg answered the best he could. Jasper was never one to get mad at Turg over anything, though he was still a little afraid. 
"I assume he took it as to keep you here like he's done with his other spouse." Jasper said as he looked over at Grim. 
"Did he tell you why?" Grim asked Turg. 
"Jim say he screw up. Jim say sorry." Turg tried to explain as Grim then said "He didn't tell me that. He was just unusually affectionate towards me and didn't explain a thing." 
Jasper sighed before telling them "Whenever you guys come here it's always with a new unique problem."
That was true, the three often found themselves in unusual situations. 
"You know a family is weird when a Reaper of souls is the most normal member." Grim mentioned. 
"Can you still call yourself one?" Jasper asked as the two would start conversing with each other. Turg listened for a bit, managing to catch Grim explaining that they weren't at that moment. Turg would then doze off and start wandering towards the window again to look outside. He was still processing everything going on. One moment he was spending a nice day with Jim and the next he is trapped in another realm with his other spouse. Eventually Grim joined him and rested their hand on Turg's shoulder. 
"Your father will send us back when you're ready." Grim told Turg before adding "And I would like your help too, though I understand if you'd rather stay out of it." 
Turg was a little surprised that Grim would ask for Turg's help, usually he's told to stay out of whatever Grim and/or Jim was going through, despite being the one to get them out of trouble. 
"Turg ready." Turg said as Grim responded "Good, we better not waste any more time." 
Using his own amulet, Jasper opened them a portal back to their home. It brought them to their backyard. 
Inside was exactly how Turg and Jim left it, though it was very quiet. Grim was calling out for Jim while Turg was trying to find the cats. They were also nowhere to be seen, either hiding or were also taken somewhere. Turg then went to check on the chickens, who were all still there and recently fed. 
"No sign of him or the cats, they seem to have disappeared as well." Grim informed Turg as he came back inside. 
"Chickens still here." Turg informed Grim back. 
"Good, those were expensive." Grim told Turg as he could see someone approaching from the dark hallway behind them. Turg immediately pointed and Grim turned to look where he was pointing. Grim acted fast upon seeing them, knocking something out of their hands and pinning them against the wall. 
"YOU SNEAKY LITTLE BASTARD! YOU HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR!" Grim shouted as Turg saw it was Jim, though something was off. He was a lot shorter, thinner and wearing Jim's iconic blue outfit somehow, despite Jim giving Turg his cardigan that he was wearing. Grim picked up the object that fell on the floor and started pointing it at Jim, it was a kitchen knife. Jim put his hands up and pleaded "Okay, I'm sorry, just don't hurt me!"
Jim didn't sound right either, his voice was more higher pitched than normal. Grim eventually picked up on it and pointed out "Wait, something's off about you."
"What do you mean? I am Jim Pickens, no?" Jim asked Grim, who let him go and stood back. Grim laughed a little before responding with "You sure do look like him, but you're not my husband." 
Turg was more confused than he was before. A smaller version of Jim was in their home and Turg wasn't sure what to think about that. 
"I know, something went wrong when I was created." Jim said before then asking "Now, I have a job to do. Could you two make it easier for me and just die on your own accord so I don't have to do it?"
The two were silent as Grim glanced over at Turg. Jim broke the silence by saying "I guess that's a 'no'."
"Are you an assassin?" Grim asked. Jim didn't answer, instead he tried to take the knife off of Grim, who held it above their head so Jim couldn't reach it. Turg remembered doing that with the real Jim, though it wasn't with a weapon. The two verbally fought for a bit before Grim pinned Jim to the wall again with the knife up to his neck while demanding information from him. Turg wanted to stop Grim but Jim started speaking before he could. 
"Alright, alright. I know where the guy you're looking for is. My father hired him and he's been hiding out with the others in the badlands inside our base. Father told me to make sure you two were gone as he didn't think the other Jim would do it. That's all I know, I swear. I can bring you to him if you let me go."