life and death play chess

 Life and Death sit opposite playing chess. Life with her dark skin, her gold bright wide eyes, her round face framed by her big curly hair, brown with a highlight of gold nestled in between the curls. Her lips always eased into a slight smile, duplicate dimples indenting her soft cheeks. Her white gown sinched and flowy – she is warm and inviting. 

Death sits opposed to her, her icy bright blue eyes piercing, framed by long dark lashes. Her waist length midnight hair hangs straight past her shoulder, her straight cut bangs framing her milk white and angular face – all sharp edges. Her lips, always a ruby hue. Death watches as Life worries her full bottom lip. Trying to decide her next move. She moves her piece, a self satisfied smile occupying her lips.

Without hesitation or look at her piece, Death makes her move.

“Check mate” she raises an eyebrow and starts to smirk.

“How is it you’re always checkmating me, I make these decisions very logically and dutifully” Life remarks, letting out a poutful sigh.

“I’m always three” Death raises her thin fingers, ornated by her long rounded pearl colored nail “steps ahead, my dear”

Life settles herself into her chair, brushing the curls behind her ears – Death mirrors her.

“How’s your mom?” 

“Oh you know – running amuck per usual” Death shrugs, her black and slightly frayed cloak consuming her slender frame.

“Your’s?”

“She’s good” Life smiles “She is ever consistent with sending me those “hang in there” post cards with that damn cat on them” She laughs – a sound that is reminiscent of Spring. 

“Oh yes - I still get those”

“Really” Life’s thick brows furrow.

“Your mother does in fact still like me” Death winks and bares her teeth in a playful snarl. 

“Well of course she does, she likes everyone”

“Touche”

A moment passes, then two.

Life and Death stare at the other, lost in their own respective worlds. 

“Do you miss it?" Death asks, drumming her nails on the simple wood table between them.

“Do I miss it…meaning” Life starts.

“Us, Lilian, do you miss us” Death stares statuesquely back. 

“Do you?” Life questions softly.

“Everyday”

“Really? I thought you’d be more stoic about it truthfully”

Death laughs, a sharp and pointed noise, “Oh Lil – you know me better than that, not a second passes that I’m not reminiscing”

Life’s cheeks color - a pinky rose. 

“Classic Dorian, always missing what she’s already had”

“My apologies for not being as optimistic and as present as you always seem to be, nature of the beast I suppose”

The two share  smile.

“I do miss it”

Death smirks in her confession.

“I wonder what we could have been without” Death waves her hand between the two, "all this, if we had just been two mortal girls with normal lives, how great we could have been”

“Dorian – it’s not just our” Life pauses, pursing her lips “our career tracks that divide us, you could live a thousand days in the sun with me but I know you would trade it all for one night with your moon, your solitude, your quiet”

Death glares her eyes slightly “I would’ve, and still would give it all up for you, the peace and quiet, the lot of it”

“Really? Spend your days with my abhorrent optimism as you used to quip?”

"Your abhorrent optimism” Death rolls her eyes “is something that makes you endearing and draws us closer together, not farther apart”

“And how do you rationalize that oh Goddess of Death?”  Life's tone is coated with hints of sarcasm, something that only Dorian can glean out of her.

“Your view that everyday means something because life is so precious is intimately tied with my ethos, that everyday we are dying little by little, the loom of Death of me for matter of fact, is what makes Life worth living, it’s quite romantic when you think about it”

Death chuckles knowing by Life’s slightly pinched expression she has stumped her. 

“Touche”

“You and I aren’t as different as you think Lil, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for a millennia”

Life laughs softly, “But Dorian we are” she doesn’t elaborate.

A life time of memories flash before them. The beauty, the pain, the soft moments and the quiet breaking down of what they had once had. 

“We could’ve had a long Life together Dorian”

“A long Death you mean”

They both smile, cracking the frosty feeling that had started to creep its way into their afternoon. 

Death takes a deep breath and lets it out, a sigh that would stop the ages, so filled with remorse and want, a yearning that Life knew all too well. 

“Well my dear” Death reaches for Life’s hand, taking in the scent softly before placing a kiss on her ringed fingers. “Until we meet at this table again” Death stands to leave, her dark clothing slowly wrapping itself around her, a perpetual breeze her constant companion. 

“Why do you play chess with me?”

Death smiles, a full white teeth stretched smile “Oh Lilian, I come everyday and have for eons in hope’s one day I’ll win over the girl that I love”

Life blushes again and her eyes start to rim with tears, a sight that starts to weave it’s way into Death’s chest, the ache threatening to take over. 

“Tomorrow Dorian”

“Tomorrow Lilian”

With that Death and Life go their separate ways, to rule over and complete the things they must, as they were graced with the gifts to do so.

Life and Death will meet again, tomorrow, to play chess.

***

author's note:

I love this scene and honestly these characters have been swimming in my mind for a while, so i suspect they will force my hand to continue to write scenes of them (I am happy to do so). This yin and yang feeling of Life and Death being lovers that can't be together but the ache and want is still there is intoxicating to me - I LOVE yearning. So keep in touch, who knows if our lovers, Life and Death, Lilian and Dorian, will grace my pages again.