“You know, generally, when I’ve beaten you up and faded away dramatically, that means I do not want to see you any more!” Kinisis snapped as she leaped up from her cosy armchair. “Why in the name of Me are you here?”
For such a small, snug and comfortable place, the central home of Kinisis, essentially the bedroom of the entire universe, was feeling incredibly daunting and scary. The purple and blue wallpapered walls, speckled with little white stars, felt like they were closing in. Yellow lights did their best to mimic sunlight, causing the gem-studded books on the shelves to glimmer oddly. In the corner was a massive pile of cushions which made up Kinisis’s bed, all shambled and messed up. The warm windows let in only glimmers of light from the dark world outside, but also revealed the room’s exterior, the towering, diamond-studded palace all around them, and the pink and purple grasses and rivers far below.
Arkadin stuck out like a sore thumb among the bright colours, his own yellow plating having been muted down to a dark grey-gold. He was the Lord of Death and Kinisis demanded that he look the part.
“You going to answer me?” Kinisis hissed. She was wearing nothing and didn’t care that her whole, bare body was on display.
The Death Lord nodded. “I’m sorry… I’m just worried about you, Kinisis…”
Kinisis tutted, then threw herself onto her bed, almost swimming in the pile of cushions. Arkadin did his best not to look at the obvious assets on display. The last thing he needed right now were Oedipal issues.
“You’re not. You’re lying. You want something.”
“I want you to be safe and happy…” Arkadin tried to explain.
“Then why don’t you do as I ask?” Kinisis sneered back.
“Because what you ask of me doesn’t make you safe or happy. I’m the god of Entropy, but I’m also your first line of defence should hostile entities try to get in.”
A dull thud interrupted the conversation. It seemed to come from all directions and caused Kinisis to retreat further into her sea of cushions.
“That’s another universe, isn’t it?” the Thantophor shook his head. “Doesn’t seem like a friendly one.”
“That’s exactly what that is…” Kinisis reappeared, kicking cushions to one side. “A couple of them. I had Kenon shoo them away, but this one is pretty persistent. It wants in. That is why I am so PISSED OFF!”
Several cushions flew by, one of which hit Arkadin in the face. He simply brushed it off.
“You want me to deal with it or something?” Arkadin finally asked as Kinisis finished up her tantrum.
“You can’t deal with it. Kenon can’t really do anything either. I already sent him over to tell them to fuck off. I HAVE to be aggressive because if I’m not, they will break in and take over!”
“Or maybe they’re being aggressive because you originally were aggressive to them?” Arkadin shrugged. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. You know I’ll do anything to protect you, right?”
“Except what I ask!” Kinisis growled.
The Thantophor shrugged some more. “True. You got me there. But it’s only because I deeply desire to keep this universe in one piece, and protecting it is more important to me than doing my godly duties.”
Kinisis climbed out of her cushion heap then charged over to Arkadin, grabbing him by the shoulders.
“Then why don’t you just do what I say?” the Allmother shouted as she shook her son back and forth. “WHY?”
“Because you’re not always right and don’t always know what’s best…”
“I’m always right!” Kinisis roared, letting go of Arkadin and dropping him on the floor.
“Really?” Arkadin smirked. “Remember that time you made a god of death, wanting to make a monster and you gave him the capacity to be kind and caring?”
The Goddess of All stopped what she was doing, blinking in both astonishment and humility.
“Well, you got me there.”
Arkadin smiled. “Sometimes, aggression isn’t always the answer.”
“Sometimes it is though.”
“True.”
Kinisis approached Arkadin again, but this time she patted him on the head. “I’m gonna take a quick rest. You look after yourself, then in a day we’ll discuss what to do. Alright?”
Arkadin nodded, then faded away. “Of course, mum. You look after yourself too…”