“Been a while since we met up for tea…”
“Yeah…” Kohra sat down at the table where Arkadin was sitting. The Thantophor was playing around with a bunch of paints, trying to decide what colour to put on his nails.
“I wonder why that is?”
“Well…” Kohra answered awkwardly. “We were kinda being your prison guards for you. You were also kinda aggressive… And there was stuff I had to deal with in real life…”
Arkadin looked up. “What do you mean, in real life?”
“Uh… You know, mortal stuff.”
“You suggesting that I don’t exist?”
“Not at all!” Kohra exclaimed, acting rather defensively. “I just mean that I have stuff that I need to do and this is a fun thing that I need to find time to slot in because I’m not immortal and an all-powerful god like you are… Or are you a goddess now?”
Arkadin smiled slightly. “Heh… Yeah, I am a goddess. For a bit. Playing havoc with my emotions now. I didn’t know that gods also had gender differences.”
Kohra blinked. “So it’s not just cosmetic?”
“I thought it was initially but… Not really. There’s always some personality chance when you shapeshift because you change who you are. Or at least I do. I don’t know if it’s the same for you.”
“I… I guess? I never really thought about it.”
Kohra stared at the table. Arkadin glanced at him, then suddenly jumped to his feet. He rushed over to the kitchen then returned with a tray full of drinks, cookies and cakes.
“You’ve been busy…” Kohra muttered.
“I think I went too feminine…” Arkadin replied. “I have been having insanely weird thoughts lately. Crazy dreams too. The cooking helps keep the thoughts at bay, even if it is a stereotypical female Kronospast thing.”
Kohra shrugged. “The new look suits you though.”
“It does? Elkay hated it.”
“It doesn’t look Rethan-y so that’s probably why.”
“True…” Arkadin changed the subject. “Still, the new look has consequences. Mental ones.”
“I don’t get why it affects you so much. I’ve been shapeshifting for years…”
“Yeah but your personality has changed a bit too!” Arkadin interjected. “You are more open now, more liberal towards others. Even in the year I’ve known you, you’ve opened up.”
Kohra shrugged as he helped himself to some cake.
“It’s true.”
“And what about you? How are you changing? Apart from the obvious?”
Arkadin sipped some of his drink then leaned forward. “It’s embarrassing.”
“Too embarrassing to say?”
“Eh…” Arkadin hesitated. “Nah I can tell you. It’s weird though…”
“What is it?”
“I am turned on. Constantly. Apparently it is a thing that happens when gods are young but it was delayed for me. My shapeshifting just… triggered it all of a sudden.”
“So you want… sex?”
“… Yeah.”
“Who with?”
“That’s the thing…” Arkadin sighed. “I don’t know…”
Kohra grinned, leaning back on his chair with a cookie hanging out of his hand. “Really?”
“I am not attracted to you…”
Kohra’s smile faded, but quickly reappeared. “That’s a shame. But we can find you someone. After all, you are a sexy, clever, attractive, wonderful, powerful goddess. You have plenty of options…”