“Can I come in?”
The sudden knock on the door had made Arkadin jump out of his skin, scaring him far more than he wanted to admit. No one ever knocked on the door to his bedroom, the one place in the universe where the Thantophor kept to himself. Before Arkadin could answer though, the door opened in and the most beautiful being in the universe wandered into the room. This being was completely oblivious to the armour and clothes scattered around the room.
“Kinisis, what are you doing here?” Arkadin shouted, summoning dark wisps to cover himself up. “I’m busy and practically naked!”
“You’re naked?” The Allmaker seemed completely unconcerned. “You are wearing full plates of armour.”
“The armour is a physical part of my body!” the Thantophor snapped. “For all intensive purposes, I AM naked!”
“You’re always naked then…” Kinisis tutted. She made her way to Arkadin’s bed, tucked away in the corner of the room, then sat down. “How are you feeling, son?”
Arkadin tutted as well, then joined Kinisis on the bed. “Well I was vaguely annoyed at never being satisfied with how I look, but now I’m vaguely annoyed because you busted your way in without asking when I specifically wanted to be on my own.”
Kinisis fiddled with her thumbs. She didn’t apologise, they both knew that apologies were beneath the Allmaker. But Arkadin could tell that he’d gotten through to her. Just enough to have a proper conversation, at least.
“Why do you want to be on your own?” Kinisis finally asked.
“Why do you think?”
“I don’t know. I thought you just didn’t like others very much but I don’t think that’s true. You want something.”
Arkadin sighed. “Yeah, I want to be left alone and left out of everyone else’s drama.”
“Like, you just want…”
“I want to be left completely alone!”
“Like, completely, utterly and absolutely, forever and ever?” Kinisis asked.
The Thantophor rolled his eyes. “No, not forever… I just… I just want to be in complete control of what I do for a bit. Less rushing around for others, less putting up with all your drama, more doing things for me.”
Kinisis glanced at the mess in Arkadin’s room. “Like throwing clothes everywhere?”
“Like finding a new look for myself!”
“A… a new look?” Kinisis paused. “Why would you want a new look?”
“Why are you asking?”
Kinisis shrugged. “I’d like to know.”
“Why?”
Kinisis shrugged again. This was beginning to frustrate Arkadin, turning mild annoyance into genuine anger.
“Are you annoying me on purpose or something?” Arkadin hissed as he stood up. “Why are you being like this?”
The Allmaker shook her head. “I think you are beautiful how you are, however you are. No matter what you think of yourself.”
Arkadin blinked, then stuttered. “You… what?”
“I think you are beautiful.”
The Thantophor wasn’t sure how to respond. “You’re…”
“I’m not joking. You may have an ugly duty but you are a beautiful being, even if you don’t think so yourself.”
“Really?”
“Yes, of course.”
Arkadin blinked some more. “But I think I’m ugly.”
“If you want to change yourself, that is fine, but I’ll always think you’re beautiful, no matter what.”
With those final words, Kinisis got up and headed for the door. Without a sound, she left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Arkadin on his own.
“Well… that was weird…” Arkadin muttered, not sure what had just happened.