A Grim System

Xeran tried his best not to slam his head into the bed frame.

The ringing wouldn't stop.

[Congrats: {Adrian} has received 50 GR (Grim Reaper) Points for building a better relationship with {Astrid Hawthorne}! Please continue to obtain GR points to the best of your ability!]

“Shut UP!” Xeran yelled, throwing a pillow at the blue box as it seamlessly went through it.

[Congrats: {Adrian} has received 50-

“What the fuck, do you ever stop?! Stop! Get rid of this text box! Let me sleep!”

It had been seven hours since he first arrived here as Adrian Hawthorne; it had been six hours since he talked to his first human as a human himself; it had been five hours since he found out he would have to talk to an absurd amount of humans in a cramped banquet hall later today; it had been three hours since he was released from Adrian's mother's clutches; and it had been two hours since this notification came back and continued ringing in his ears every fifteen minutes.

[If {Adrian} wishes to delete this notification, then please open the menu.]

You couldn't have said that two hours ago? Sitting up, Xeran narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean 'open the menu'?”

[Open the menu by saying aloud these words: “Death Has a Date with Destiny”]

“I am not saying that.”

[No words, no menu.]

“You have a personality, huh?” Xeran sighed. “Fine, fine, whatever, this day couldn't get any worse…”

“Ahem, 'death has a date with destiny',” Xeran reluctantly gritted through his teeth.

[Welcome to the 'Grim Salvation Project' menu! Choose from the following options: GR Points Balance; Progress Percentage; Saved Files]

Why couldn’t the Council give me a damn instruction manual for this? Actually, why do I even need an instruction manual in the first place for an experiment?!

“Uh, what are the GR Points even for?” Xeran asked.

[GR points are for upgrading features in the future and for allowing {Adrian} to remain in the experiment. The upgrades are still being worked on and will take an unspecified amount of time until they are complete. {Adrian’s} current balance is: 50 GR points.]

“These points also keep me from failing the experiment?! Why didn’t you tell me this?! Also, how am I only 50 points away from being smitten?! Have I done nothing else to earn any points aside from talking to Adrian’s mother?”

[{Adrian} crushed the gardeners’ flowers while they were present. {Adrian} cursed out {Aurora} for providing simple instructions. {Adrian} ran into {???} despite being known for sauntering around the castle.]

Every accusation cut into him like his scythe was piercing through his now human heart. Attempting to keep the upper ground in this situation, Xeran decided the best course of action was plausible deniability. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. In fact, those flowers were on their way to death’s door—I simply just sped up the process. And the human girl…Aurora, was it? She should have been more aware of how horrible those nurses are. Sending me off to my demise after already showing her how much pain I was in? How rude!” Xeran rambled on as best as he could without letting the disembodied interrupt, hoping to at least stall or get more points. “And! That human ran into me—if they fell because of that, then that’s what they get for being in my way. Plus, I apologized for it, so why can’t I get even a few points for that?!”

The voice kept quiet as if it was deliberating whether whatever Xeran said should actually be considered or if his bullshitting was just, well, bullshit. After roughly twenty minutes when Xeran was about to pass out from exhaustion, the voice spoke.

[{The Council} has determined that {Adrian} has been swindled out of points that he rightfully deserved.]

Nice, so this…thing can be persuaded? Good to know…

[{The Council} awards {Adrian} with 5 points for apologizing to {???}. Total GR Points Balance is currently: 55 GR points. Keep up the good work!]

“…”

All of that for five fucking points?!

The next day brought about a rush of humans running to and fro (running was wrong when I did it, but now it’s fine if others do it? This Adrian guy was certainly stupid.). They were carrying all sorts of decorations, clipboards, garments and patterns, and some…interesting looking food (if one could even call it that—reapers had much better culinary skills than whatever the chefs here did).

“Your Highness!” This was the seventeenth human to call him in the past several hours since he was rudely awakened early this morning. “Why are you still wearing your morning robes in the afternoon?! You need to be fitted for the banquet tonight! Go see Camellia in the dressing room immediately!” The human didn’t stay long enough to check if he was going, whipping by him in a frenzy. It’s not like he had anything better to do, however, so he sauntered off towards the dressing room (thankfully, the Council’s weird blue system made it easy to identify where everything was with the name tags).

Once he was poked and prodded and fitted into such a…garish outfit (really, did these humans have no fashion sense? I’m no expert, but even I have better sense than these people do.), he was ushered over to Adrian’s mother who was standing still as the staff put some finishing touches on her makeup and adding unnecessarily shiny accessories to her dress.

“Adrian,” Queen Astrid spoke after all the staff had scattered, “I hope you are well aware of how you have to present yourself today. There will be people from other kingdoms visiting, so do be on your best behavior.” She squinted at him, her mouth downturned slightly. “I know you have been acting out a tad towards our workers, so keep this in mind: I will be watching.” She smiled brightly and walked through the doors towards the banquet hall.

Xeran’s mouth twitched, a slight bit of sweat forming at his brow. She’s a little too good at reading her son. Let’s hope she doesn’t pick up the fact that it’s not actually him...

For the first time since he was thrown into this body, he felt somewhat guilty. He shook that off immediately—this was no time to feel bad for what happened! It’s not like he chose to be involved in this stupid experiment, anyway.

Xeran shook the thoughts out of his head and pushed through the doors into the banquet hall, which would soon be the first time he would experience what it was like to be a bona-fide, real human.