“Good morning, Arkadin, was your trip pleasant?”
Elkay was rather obviously hung over. He was wearing a scarf over his head, covering his eyes slightly, and leaning awkwardly against the door frame to his apartment.
“Sorta. It’s hard to explain. Is everyone still here?”
“No. Tenuk went off to see his siblings for a family thing. Gath and Retvik went back to their apartment and they are flying back to Thre-Sypria tomorrow. Teekay is fast asleep, basically in a food and drink coma.”
Arkadin shrugged, not completely surprised. Elkay moved to one side and led the Thantophor inside, sitting him at the dining table before bringing over a couple of glasses of water.
“I should have had far more fluids, but oh well…” Elkay sighed. The room was dark, the curtains were closed and gentle snores could be heard from the sofa. “So, you wish to talk about something?”
The Thantophor hesitated. He leaned on the table, rubbing his eyes, staring blankly ahead, past where Elkay was. He was both present and absent at the same time, before abruptly snapping back to reality.
“I had a nice time. Saw Kenon in the morning with Kairos. Had a nice little breakfast. Spent the afternoon and evening with Kinisis and the siblings. We sat around and chilled out and ate food and watched videos and played games. It was actually really relaxing. Then I went home and cried my eyes out for a few hours, absolutely hating every aspect of myself and wanting to die, while saying horrible things about myself. But anyway, how was your day?”
“Oh…” Elkay wasn’t really sure how to respond. “We just drank more. Finished those four bottles of mead you brought along. Are you alright?”
Arkadin shook his head. “I don’t know, Elkay.”
“You do not seem alright. Do you… want to talk about it?”
“Not really. I just don’t really understand this sudden rush of emotions I am going through. Everything from unadulterated joy to seething hatred, all in the space of a few hours. And I feel like a real asshole because I keep on taking it out on other people as well. People like you shouldn’t have to put up with my constant complaining and whining. It’s not right. I drag you all down when I really shouldn’t.”
Elkay shrugged, sipping his drink. “You seem like you wish to talk about it all. You are talking a lot for someone who said they do not want to talk.”
“Yeah…” Arkadin sighed. “Like I said, I’m just an asshole. One who doesn’t deserve friends like you. I consider pushing everyone away on a regular basis because I feel I don’t deserve any of you.”
“That is not a good way to be.”
“I know…” Arkadin trailed off and drank his glass of water, before staring off into nothingness.
Elkay fidgeted on his chair a little, then finished his drink. “You are getting better though, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have more freedoms now. You can deal with normal vok. You are not perfect, you do mess up occasionally but you are getting better, yes?”
“A little.”
“Better than nothing… And sometimes we all have bad moments. You had one yesterday. It happens.”
“Yeah, I guess…” Arkadin shrugged, lifting himself up from his seat, and placing a box on the table. The box was well-wrapped and was clearly full of food. “Thank you for listening to me. Sorry for being a whiny bitch again.”
Elkay tutted. “It was nothing. Look after yourself.”
“You too, Elkay…”