Sheets of paper littered the table, spilling onto the floor. Elkay looked on in confusion as Teekay printed out more and more paper, stopped, then refilled the printer.
“Uh… What are you doing?”
Teekay looked up.
“Printing things out.”
“Well obviously, but what are you printing out?”
“Forms”
“What for?”
“Repatriation.”
Elkay tutted. “Did you not think I had already found those forms? There is an online application site. I have already read over everything…”
Teekay blinked. “What?”
“There is a website. I looked it up.”
“There is?” Teekay blinked some more. “How comes I did not know?”
“You would not need to know. You are a natural Skyavok. You would never need to know these things. But I have spent my free time lately looking up options as for my new life. But now that I have read into it, I am not sure if making myself a Skyavok is the best idea…”
Teekay stopped printing things off and started picking up pieces of paper. “You… Are having doubts? You do not want to be one of us?”
“Um… I am not sure.”
“Why?”
“Because I am a Rethan? It is a hard decision to just… Well… you know…”
Teekay sighed, then pushed all the piles of paper over in annoyance. “After all this time?”
Elkay shrugged awkwardly. “It is not that I do not like Skyavok… It is more… I feel like making myself legally another race is a bad idea. It would be better if I just registered myself as a citizen of an interspecies territory. It gives me more options.”
“Like what?”
“Like not having to swear allegiance to the All-Ksa.”
“That…” Teekay stuttered. “That is a good point, now that you mention it. I mean, I hate the All-Ksa at the best of times…”
“That bastard tried to sleep with me!” Elkay hissed, before changing his tone. “Anyway, we are getting off topic. I have already found the forms I need to make myself a citizen of Portalia.”
“So… Why have you not filled those forms in and sent them off?” Teekay asked.
“Because…” Elkay hesitated. He wasn’t sure. He had basically been sitting on his backside for ages, procrastinating on everything.
“You do not know?”
“It is… A hard decision to make. To have to… give up who I am. I do not know if I can do that. It is a lot to ask, especially for someone with my pride and former power…”
“You are not actually…”
“I know!” Elkay sighed. “I know… You always have the choice of still being a Skyan, still living a Skyan life. I do not have that luxury.”
“You could always change your mind later…” Teekay suggested, before suddenly smiling. “Speaking of pride and power, you sure do bitch a lot.”
“I cannot help it!” Elkay exclaimed. “I am a mental mess! Everything just… Argh!” The frustration was too much for Elkay. “I feel like such a failure… So many stupid emotions buzzing around my brain…”
“What sort of emotions?”
“Horrible, embarrassing ones.”
“Like what?”
Elkay’s eyes closed. Teekay could feel his embarrassment from there.
“Right now, I feel turned on.”
“You want…”
“Sex. I want to screw something. I am sick of feeling like this. And it will not ever go away…” Elkay opened his eyes, only to realise that Teekay was staring at him. “Uh… No…”
“Why not?”
“Cross-species intercourse…”
“It is not illegal in our territories. Not if you use protection and if you consent. You could pass as a Skyan anyway. A buff Skyan but a Skyan nonetheless.”
“I… I cannot…” Elkay shivered. “I… I want to, but I cannot.”
“Why?”
“It is… Not right…”
“Why?” Teekay leaned forward, smiling. As he did so, he reached for a bottle of alcohol and two glasses. “You cannot just say no forever. Otherwise you will get old and die…”
“I have a long life ahead of me.”
“A long, otherwise lonely life.”
Elkay sighed again, then got up and sat next to Teekay.
“Alright, fine. But I will need more alcohol first…”