“HEY GUYS!” Elksia squealed as she stomped into the observatory, where Retvik and Arkay had been quietly sitting and studying. “WHAT’S UP?”
“What’s up?” Arkay replied back, looking confused. “You… you were gone for fucking ages, that’s what’s up. I thought you went to make yourself a sandwich?”
Elksia smiled, then pulled out a very heavy-looking, bumpy bag and held it in the air. She then ripped the object out of the bag, revealing a small, four-winged, four-eyed being.
“I did! And then I ran into THIS guy!”
Tahnahos fluttered awkwardly as Elksia held him by the collar around his neck. He anxiously waved at the two Decaylings, not really sure what to do with himself.
“Uh… hi?”
“Hi, Tenuk…” Retvik replied, a hint of nervousness in his voice. “I did not know they just allowed anyone on this ship.”
“To be fair, they do know me around here…” Tahnahos frowned, not really appreciating being called by his old name. “Well, not me personally, but the fact that I work for Kinisis. And knowing you two helps a lot. Otherwise they probably would have vaporized me on entry.”
Arkay and Retvik eyed Tahnahos cautiously at first, but then both of them shrugged.
“Fair enough!” Arkay tutted. “But seriously though, why are you here? Did Kinisis send you to spy on me again?”
“Uh…” Tahnahos wasn’t sure how to respond. “Yes and no? She wants me to keep an eye on you but she’s more concerned about getting early access to when this “Voidlord problem” goes away so we can leave Time Drake Kairos’s palace and head back out into the Periuniversal Void. Kinisis however did want me to report on whether you had a girlfriend or not though.”
Retvik suddenly and rather awkwardly laughed out loud, then swiftly apologised. “Haha… A girlfriend… cute…”
“So you two are dating now?” Elksia blurted, dropping Tahnahos on the floor then reaching for her bag, where she had left a now very battered ham and cheese bread roll. “Or is it the same old bollocks? Because, I’ma be honest, I really want you two to actually be proper partners! And cure Arkay of his perma-virginity!”
“Oh, no, no no no!” Arkay tried to protest. “It’s… it’s not like that!”
“So you’re just hand-holding now?” Elksia teased. “You silly slut!”
“Elksiaaa!” Arkay started whining. “Stop it, you’re making me super uncomfortable and you’re just giving Tahnahos here plenty of ammo to take back to Kinisis!”
“Oh. Didn’t think of that…” Elksia trailed off. “But anyway, I also found something cool! Can any of you fly a ship?”
Everyone stopped and stared at Elksia.
“What the fuck are you on about, dear?” Retvik grunted. “You are like a whirlwind in barn house right now.”
Elksia paused, calming herself down. She realised Retvik was right, she was being very excitable.
“Yeah, fair enough. But I did find a really cool thing and I think we should go there.”
“What cool thing?” Arkay asked.
“Dunno. Looks like a really nice little untouched space oasis though!”
“Like… right now?”
“Yeah.”
Arkay sighed. “Do we have to? Retvik and I are supposed to be finishing off our studying and then getting some sleep before we go out and protect bitchy goddesses later on…”
“How about afterwards?”
“That sounds fine to me…” Retvik shrugged. “I am sure we can borrow one of the many small ships in the bay area.”
Elksia clapped her hands together with glee. “Awesome! Now I’m gonna go get something to eat! You wanna come, Tenuk?”
“Yeah, sure…”
“But you just… never mind…” Retvik and Arkay both tutted, watching as Elksia grabbed Tahnahos by the arm and dragged him away. “Sometimes I forget just how chaotic she is…”
“She does have a point though!” Arkay muttered as he got up. “I’m fucking starving. We should get some food too…”