“Lazy ass.” Stork scoffed playfully to Grim Reaper, who hardly lifted a bony finger in centuries. Well, until now, if only to give him the finger in response.

As if that wasn’t enough, he then said with a nonchalant smile, “Not my problem. If the humans want to live forever, then fine by me. I’ve got better things to do.”

“Like what?” Stork asked sceptically.

“Like dream about visiting Atlantis. Or watch a nature documentary on koalas. Or cook pasta.” Grim proudly declared.

Stork’s voice softened. “I love pasta.”

“I know.” Grim Reaper rolled his eyes, “I ask you to come over for your favourite movie, but you’re busy. I ask you to come over for your favourite video game, but you’re busy. So maybe if I perfect your favourite recipe, you’ll finally visit me.”

Stork averted eye contact, his beak now shut. He didn’t think it bothered Grim that he wasn’t around as much as he used to be.

“Yet here you are now.” Grim Reaper crossed his arms and shrugged lightly. “Did you come to finally hang out, or did you just come to insult me?” He chuckled, yet there was a bitter truth to his words.

“No, I…” Stork felt awkward now. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to come with me. To, uh… leave the City of Death.”

Grim Reaper immediately snorted. “Whaaaat?” He asked, his voice an octave higher. “Really? You’re joking, right?”

“No!” Stork whined, trying to get him to take this seriously. “We can sneak past the other reapers and make it to the mortal— I mean, erm, human world! I’ll never have to overwork, and you’ll have stuff to do again, and we can hang out like we used to.”

There was a string of silence as Grim Reaper contemplated this, completely taken aback. He was used to his friend’s outlandish ideas, and this was possibly the most absurd of them all. Yet it sounded so, so tempting.

“But, um… a stork has never quit their job before. Reapers have, sure, but with how strict you guys are up there… Look, I mean, what would even happen to a human newborn if no one’s there to give it life?” Grim grimaced.

“I don’t know, but it’s better than making their overpopulation problem worse.” Stork dismissed carelessly. “Come on, there’s so much we can do together! We can visit Atlantis like you want. And we can see a real life koala too!”

Grim chuckled at his insistence. “Okay, okay! You might be onto something there.”

“See? Yes!” Stork fluttered his wings with eager little flaps. “So… shall we? Or do you want to stay here and do nothing all day?” He teased.

No way would Grim Reaper take any more teasing. He laughed and picked up his satchel, and slung it around his shoulders.

Then he opened the door and said, “Over my dead body!”