Kohra had been sitting on the beach for a while now. The tide had gone out and the water of the lake suddenly seemed like it was miles away. The sun hadn’t set quite yet, but the light of several closer stars and planets could be seen. A cool winter breeze swirled dirt and sand around, but apart from the odd gust of wind, Kohra was pretty much alone.
At least, originally, he was.
He’d been hearing the little voice for a while. Buzzing around him like a petulant fly. The voice had been barely audible at first. Faint whispers, almost like a voice being carried by the breeze from a far off land. Or at least a conversation from the nearby taverna.
But steadily, the voice had become more and more coherent. They weren’t talking to Kohra though. They had been talking to themselves. Buzzing in and out of existence. It was vaguely annoying at first, but Kohra was used to it now.
“The question is… how do I approach him?”
It was that sentence that spurred Kohra to actually speak to the voice. Most of what he had heard so far had been rather nonsensical, but surely that phrase was directed at him in some way?
“Approach who?” Kohra asked.
“Oh. You can hear me on this frequency. Apologies.”
Kohra blinked with confusion. “You sound like you want to talk to me.”
The voice faded away, swallowed up by the wind. Kohra sighed. Whatever it was, it had gone.
A new breeze picked up, the wind suddenly changing direction. The waters of the lake seemed rougher all of a sudden. Getting up off the sand, Kohra noticed something moving in the water, swimming towards him. An unidentifiable lump formed on the surface, sailing into view, slowing down as it approached.
The thing, whatever it was, was clearly red and aquatic. As it hit the beach, the waves evaporated into nothing. It lumbered up the sand then threw itself in front of Kohra.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
Kohra lowered his head. He asked a question which he wasn’t sure he wanted answered. “Who are you?”
“You know what I am.”
“The Panelix really spends time swimming in this lake?”
“Only because you are here.”
Kohra rolled his eyes. “Is something going on? Because between Phovos dating the Whenvern, Kayen having something to do with the Thantophor and you appearing in front of me, it’s all very suspicious!”
Epani instantly started nodding her head in agreement. “It is suspicious. Because you are correct.”
“Again?” Kohra smirked. “Twice in one day? Amazing. So clearly something is going on…”
“Indeed…” Epani sighed. She was a massive, finned sea creature with a head filled with teeth and tipped with a glowing angler lure. That familiar godly black veil that all deities possessed ran down Epani’s back, disappearing into the water alongside the rest of her tail. “I was a fool, dragged into a game that I cannot win.”
“What sort of game?”
“A bet placed by Yisini, that we are incapable of being romantic.”
“Is that why the Thantophor kinda did a complete 180 on the gods-dating-deities thing?” Kohra asked. “Because that’s what Kayen told me.”
“Again, you are correct.”
“So…” Kohra trailed off. “You’re, what, looking for a date? Because unless you want to date those massive things the Vohra use as ships, you’re going to struggle.”
“I do not know what form to take though…” Epani admitted. “I have not done much dating, as you say.”
Kohra leaned back. “Well, who do you want to date? And do you actually want to date anyone? Or are you just doing this because of Yisini’s bet?”
“Mostly because of Yisini… Although my looks can be troublesome…” Epani hesitated, then changed the subject. “You are a kinder Kronospast than most. I do not understand why.”
“Eh, I dunno…” Kohra shrugged. “Everyone’s always said that. Don’t know why.” Rather than linger on himself, Kohra decided to change the conversation back to dating. “You say you find your looks troublesome, why not look up some different styles and looks?” Kohra paused, then smiled. “I could come with you, if you want. We could just walk around the city and get some ideas.”
Epani flopped herself forward, making herself much smaller in the process. “I would like that.”
Kohra stood up and held out his hand. “Let’s go then! It’ll be fun.”
The Panelix placed one of her fins on Kohra’s hand. “Yes, yes it will.”