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Spring was said to be the most gentle season, but Calliope knew otherwise. It was violent. Irreverent. Cruel.
It was always in spring when she cradled fallen baby birds in her hands. A heap of broken bones. Warm and soft and frail and limp. She'd carefully cut the last threads of their souls to their little bodies. Sometimes, in their final moments, she would see their eyes follow their siblings leaving the nest after them. Down they went, and with a flutter of their wings, they left death behind.
It was spring that stepped on the bones of winter without a second thought. Cannibalizing the barren earth to create new life.
It felt different to reap in spring. To have your eternal work upturned and to pluck new buds that never had a chance to bloom.
Calliope was tired and one red wine bottle deep when a handful of ash piled onto the marble floor of her chambers.
Moments passed and fear began to brew in the pit of her stomach.
"Not yet. Not yet."
And just like every other time this event took place, there was a gust of fresh wind and a shadow rose up from the dust to meet her.
"Hiya!"
Calli let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Hello again."
As Kiara materialed into existence, she pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind her back. Little blue flowers on long thick stems covered by cellophane and twine.
"I know you get sad when I die. So I brought these to cheer you up." Her eyes held a fond look. Teasing.
"Hyacinths, " Calliope hesitated to take them. "We've been through this. You know they won't last long down here." Kiara's last bouquet had been composed of pink lilacs (to match Calliope's hair) and had wilted after only a few hours.
"These will last, just like my love for you."
"Aha. Okay. These won't last longer than a few days at the most-"
There was something different about this bouquet. It felt lighter when Calli took it. Upon closer inspection-
"These are fake."
"Yes. Silk flowers. They won't die!"
"They won't." Calli replied, peering down into the lush arrangement.
"Let me get a vase for these. Or not? Hm...These don't need water, but they still need a vase. I'll be right back."
She left to her kitchen to find a container. Thankfully, Kiara never seemed to mind when Calli got awkward.
Calli unwrapped the bouquet and placed the flowers in an opaque vase. No need to see plastic roots that would never clutch around anything. These will remain for eons. Never fading from memory.
She poured a glass of wine as she considered which she preferred; something real, or something forever?
When Calli returned with full hands, Kiara was fluffing her hair. The vase made a centerpiece for her coffee table, and Kiara took the wine glass with a thank you. Calli kept the bottle.
"I don't know why, but every time I reincarnate, my hair needs to be feathered up again." Kiara ran her fingers through her hair and shook, trying to add volume, like death was just a rainy day.
“Does it only happen to you in spring?” Calli blurted.
“Huh?”
Calli sighed as she clarified, "Do you always reincarnate in the spring?"
Kiara's easy smile faltered, but then slid right back into place, "Not always," she replied and took a seat on Calli's couch. Always making herself right at home, like this domain was as much hers as it was a reaper's.
"Why not autumn? Or summer, or winter?"
"Springtime is the season of love," Kiara sang the last word and Calliope felt herself heat up in embarrassment, "and that's when I like to see you."
"Haha okay," Calli took a big gulp of wine and joined her on the couch, "Next time, you should do it in winter."
"That's not romantic," Kiara giggled and Calli found herself sputtering again. Before she could reply, Kiara continued, "But as they say, 'happy wife, happy life'."
"We're not married!"
"But we'll be together forever. Every time I reincarnate I'll end up here, and you'll be here."
"How do you know that?" Calli murmured into the bottle.
"How do I know what? Are you going somewhere?"
"No. I'm eternal."
Everything was ephemeral to reapers. Seasons, people. All of the other girls were long lived, but Calli knew she'd be the one left to hold their hands at the end. She was eternal in the truest sense.
"How do you know?"
Kiara shrugged and plucked the wine bottle from Calli's hand. She examined the rim, pressed her lips to it.
"If I'm eternal and you're not, then you really shouldn't be flirting like this."
"If you're here, I'll be here too."
Something warm and soft loosened in Calli's chest. Something precious.
Calli closed her eyes. She was a being that was neither living or dead, but here was the very heart of life by her side. To her surprise, Kiara kept returning to the dull and empty sea of death.
"If we're here forever, that means we're a couple. I wanna be with my wife forever."
Calli grimaced and felt exhaustion crash into her again. Maybe if Kiara had given the lilacs to someone who didn't live in the underworld, they would have lasted longer. She opened her eyes and saw Kiara's playful smile.
"I can't."
"That's okay, we have forever," Kiara patted her own thigh, "Come here."
That gentle voice. Soothing. Even if it was ephemeral, Calli found herself laying down, her head resting on Kiara's warm thigh.
"Don't make it weird." She found herself muttering.
Fingertips combed through her hair and broke that wall down as soon as the bricks were laid.
"When do you have to go back?" Calli whispered.
"Soonish."
Not yet. Not yet.
Calli frowned. Not even the circles Kiara was rubbing into her temple could wipe it away.
"What if you don't come back? What if this is the last time?"
What if she wanted Kiara to stay?
Kiara laughed, the sound of water trickling over melted snow, "I already told you. If you're here, I'm here."
As if something was repeated enough times, it was bound to be true. Would the bodies she planted last year sprout and bloom, or would they test the strength of their wings?
"Don't reincarnate until I'm asleep," Calli's hand found Kiara's knee and squeezed.
"Okay, I won't."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Calli's eyes slipped closed.
"And promise I'll see you again?"
"Of course. I always come when you're sad."
Calli felt Kiara's hand tense and freeze in her hair.
Later on, after Kiara was reborn anew, Calliope plucked every little silk blue flower until the vase was full of bare stems.