+ REMEMBER NOT TO GET TOO CLOSE TO THE
STARS, THEY'RE NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU LOVE
LIKE OURS. [ billie eillish - ilomilo ]

"Is there anything you haven't done before?"

Supra jolts, startled at the sudden question. 20, peaceful minutes has passed since their last verbal conversation. The rest of it had been pure concentration and subtle body languages.

"What do you mean?" He swallows the bile down his throat, slender fingers picking on a letter tile.

Yaya scrunches her face up, watching as the boy in front of her proceeds to spell out a 7-letter word. "Not to offend or trigger.. but seeing how we're both raised the same way, why not be best friends?"

"Best.." His brow twitched, "Friends?"

And what in the heaven does that mean? Supra wanted to ask, but it wouldn't answer her question.

His eyes drift to the wooden panel hung on the wall, just behind where Yaya's seated, forgetting all about the girl's turn and her complicated vocabulary.

On it reads, LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE.

Instantly, a response pops into his head.

"That." He points his index finger at the pink-painted quote board. "I.. don't think that I've ever done it." He lolls his head slightly, moving his gaze into Yaya's curious, brown ones.

LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE. It's cheesy for most. But to the grim reaper himself, it's an issue. He's never truly felt alive. Laughter had never stemmed from the bottom of his heart. And Death the concept of love.

In many ways, he's incapable of the three idealisms a human would easily achieve in their lifetime.

Yaya's lips softly slipped up, "Never, huh?"

Supra blinks, not overthinking. He redirects his focus to see the newly-placed word, RESENTFUL. "You hold grudges?" He shifts in his seat, feeling the cold sash of his coat press against his back.

"Unfortunately." She sighs, propping her chin up against her palm as she observes her opponent play, "Sometimes I hold them for a very long time."

"Ah," Death hums. RECOLLECTION.

"What's that supposed to tell about you?"

"I don't retain my memories easily." Supra realizes his blatant mistake and scratches his cheek, out of habit. "You can say that I'm a forgetful person for small things. I also have a case of amnesia, back in the day."

Now this wasn't a lie. He found out, years ago, that the grim reapers had no ability to recall things from the past year. It would magically wipe themselves out of their brains gradually.

He hypothesized, back in the day, that it had something to do with the inharvesting process.

Not that it mattered.

Eventually, one would move on and forget.

"I see." Yaya quips, nodding slowly, "I think everyone has a little bit of that trait, don't you think? We tend to forget where we put our things. Like our wallets or something."

Supra smiled, out of courtesy, "Yes."

Fortunately, the latter didn't push the matter any further, settling on the game instead. BAKING. "Back to square one." She sighs, "I'm starting to run out of words."

Death stayed silent, seeing how he could form a rigid word with his spare choices. MAD, he hesitantly puts.

Yaya's mouth opened, forming an o.

He racks his mind for an explanation, although there isn't really one. "My other friends," He starts, voice small, "They tend to call me as crazy."

"Why?" She leans back in her chair, fingers wrapped around her supposedly warm cup of hot chocolate.

"Because I'm always searching for ways."

With a questionning raise of brow by the opposite gender, Supra had no choice but to continue, "I-I'm a scientist, of some sort. Currently, I'm working on a serum to help solve memory loss."

"That's really interesting! Woah!"

This is a mistake. The reaper inwardly groans at his best attempt to explain the otherworldly subject. He stammers, "Y-Yeah. It's incomplete."

Yaya's orbs sparkled with amazement. "Can I see what you're working on?! That's so cool! Have you tested it?!"

A multitude of questions made their way out of her mouth and into his ears, all jabbing at his sides, as if they were poking him for answers. At this point, Death was certainly regretting his actions.

"Uh.." He gulps, unable to answer each one of them as they swarm at him, demanding not objections- but yes's. "Sorry, but it's a private project."

"Ohh," She grins, "That's awesome, helping others!"

"Y-Yeah.." His eyes widened at her words, and something in him stirs with warmth. It's a foreign feeling- and it felt good. The sentence repeatedly voices itself in his head, an act of praise.

That's awesome, helping people!

Unconciously, a genuine beam makes its way to his face. "Do.. you really think so?" In an attempt to hide it, he ducks his head, not daring to look straight.

"Of course!" Yaya's voice hinted nothing bad but all the good, with excitement and respect laced in it, "It's an honor to meet someone who might be a famous scientist in the future. Remember me once you make it!"

Supra's eyes softened at the sight of hopeful orbs.

"I will." He states, hand by his chest as an oath.

"Promise?" Yaya holds out her right hand, bending it by the table with a satisfactory smile. She folds her four other fingers, raising the last in the air. "Let's make a pact, right here."

"And.. what is this called?"

This time, Death dared to ask.

"You.. don't know what a pinky promise is?"

"Can't say if I do." He chuckles, tapping the side of his head, "I lost my memories, remember? There are things that I recognize, things that I don't. This.. pinky promise thing is weird to me."

Yaya giggles, "You're the most clueless person on Earth. Alright then, Supra." He decided that he likes the way his name rolled off her tongue.

Without missing a beat, she hits his arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" He winces slightly.

"Raise your pinky!"

Supra does as she commands, flicking his little finger up and leans forward towards her. "Are we supposed to say our vows?"

"Yeah! It's about our promise."

"Ah," He blinks in understanding. "Alright."

Yaya does hers, leaning on her arm, "I promise to continue supporting whatever you do, in here or the afterlife- as your bestest best friend!"

By instinct, Supra laces his last finger with her human ones, just by mere touch. "And I promise to never forget you." He adds, "In the afterlife too."

They grin together, holding tight.

Over the horizon, the sun starts to set, marking the unbreaking contract formed between them; along with the first pinky promise Death ever made.

And what the humans call, a best friend.

gah honestly idk how to end this book, but i hope
that this one's a pretty good chappie :3
last updates tomorrow! i finally beat the block TT