It took three days to finally give in to necessity. He didn't know why he was so uncomfortable with the idea. Probably just habit, but it was a habit so deeply ingrained, something he was so used to, that it took three days to admit to himself that it had to be done.

To his mingled amusement and nervousness, the shadows were all reluctant, too, with the exception of Tek, who thought he would look "clean and neat" and Genner who didn't care at all. But then, he couldn't even imagine Genner wanting to mess with hair, at all.

I don't think he has any, Glory giggled quietly to him once when he was pondering the problem.

Which side-tracked him briefly with the revelation that his shadows might even have appearances to go with the voices and personalities. That he had no idea how to find out what those appearances were, and none of the shadows were particularly forthcoming, themselves, didn't even lessen the shock of the idea.

But he got back to the problem at hand soon enough, when he tugged accidentally on it, or Akija played with it and hit one of the mats, or Sentio gave him that look that said he looked very, very scruffy and really needed to do something about it. There was no help for it: he'd have to get his hair cut. And, given how deeply some of those tangles went, it would have to be very, very short, unless he just wanted to have chunks missing-- which he didn't. He might not have been much to look at, really, and he mostly didn't care, but he didn't think he could bear looking that ill-kept. Not anymore.

And since he didn't trust himself with sharp things around the vicinity of his head-- or in general, for that matter-- he had to ask someone. Since Chaith was handy, and he'd seen her trim Akija's hair before, that was the first one he tried.

"Tchaiss..." he began reluctantly that morning after breakfast, the third one since his return. Akija was doing worlds better already-- she hadn't even had a fever for more than half an hour at a time since the morning before-- but Chaith still stayed to help because she was so weak and Cacopheny wasn't really a lot better and needed that help to get her moved around. Not to mention his continual inability to cook....

"Yes?" Chaith answered without looking up from removing dishes from the table. Sentio had eaten and run, but Chario was still there, helping clean up.

"Coult you... I can't get sse tangkles out...." He gestured at his matted hair, swallowed, and said, "I ssink it needs to be cut."

Chaith set a stack of dishes in the sink before returning to the table. "Let me see," she rumbled, coming in for a closer look. One set of big hands started picking through his hair, briefly fingering each tangle her claws ran into, as if counting them. "Hmm, yes," she agreed shortly. "It would take too much time to brush all these out, if we even could, and it would likely hurt. You'll have to go short all over, I'm afraid. If we just cut the mats out and leave the rest, you'll look like you have mange."

Which was exactly what he'd thought, though he had no idea what "mange" was. Told you, Tek said, sounding far too smug for his norm.

Cacopheny sighed. "Ssat's vat ve ssought," he admitted. "Vood you? Cut it? I don't... I vood probably cut somessink important. On assident. Preasse?"

"Certainly," Chaith agreed, collecting the last couple dishes while casting an appraising look in Akija's direction, as well. "And while I'm at it, Akija could use a trim, too."

Akija gave the longer part of her hair a surprised finger-comb. She still hadn't rebraided it-- and neither had he, for that matter-- and though she did look a bit scruffy, with her bangs hanging in her eyes and hair scraggling a little ways down her neck, Cacopheny hadn't noted it except as a reason to brush them back for her, an excuse to touch her. He liked those sorts of excuses, after all.

At least we won't be alone in our defacing, Tiger commented annoyedly.

Now, Tiger, it's not defacing to get a haircut, Tek put in mildly.

No, it's de-hairing! Flash cackled, and Cacopheny twitched at little as he was pretty sure Araski had, somehow or another, managed to hit the other shadow despite not having hands.

It's normal, Tek insisted.

Unless you're him, Tiger put in enviously, as Chaith was eying Chario, now.

"And I suppose you're always good to go, hmm?" the big daemon was saying.

The human-formed Fire grinned, running a hand over his multi-colored hair and down the braided rattail in the back. "A bonus to having hair that wears out on its own," he agreed.

Cacopheny sighed, not nearly so sure as the shadow was, and reached for Akija's free hand, lacing their fingers loosely. Just because. "I haff never had zhort hair," he admitted to her.

"It'll be so easy to see yer face," she smirked at him, squeezing his hand, "no one will recognize ya. But it doesn't hurt, I promise."

"Oh, I know, I-- err. I mean, I haff had it cut, but never zhort." He stopped short of explaining the reasoning behind that, not wanting to bring up Rao if he didn't have to. "I am jzust us't to it rongk. I ton't know vat it vill feel rike, not having all ssis." He gave one relatively unmatted piece a tug, then shrugged awkwardly.

"I've never been long-haired, so I couldn't say." She looked up at her own overgrown bangs. "But short's sure a lot easier t'take care of."

"Less to play viss, ssough, too," Cacopheny pointed out wistfully. "You vill not mind it zhort, vill you?"

She laughed, startling him, and she grinned impishly at his startled blink. "Mind? I'm already plotting ambushes when ya least expect it so I can ruffle it."

He smiled tentatively back. "Oh. All rrrright, ssen...."

See? She'll like it better short! Tek gloated.

I expect, really, she'll like it no matter what it's like, Genner commented.

Well, that's different.

Yeah.

Good, though.

... yeah.

Should we keep it short, then, precious? Tiger purred. I'll be glad to invite ruffles.

It wasn't until Akija's grin turned into a merry, knowing smirk that he realized Tiger'd shared the question and comment. "You do whatever you all decide t'do," she said, unashamed to talk to "no one".

"She adapts to shadows," Chario stage-whispered to Chaith, by the sink, "she can adapt to anything."

Cacopheny cringed a little at the attention pointed to his oddity, but he still smiled, since all the two were doing was looking at them with shared, almost conspiratory amusement. To his surprise and relief, Akija's growing tendency to talk to the shadows in return to their growing tendency to speak for themselves didn't seem to bother anyone much. Chaith had only been surprised once, inquired of Chario if he and Akija were "often like this", and Chario and Sentio had gotten used to it very quickly. The fact they they often could hear the shadows, too, these days probably helped.

Yeah, you just keep grinnin', Flash leered in Chario's direction, and very obviously audibly to anyone who could hear him. Maybe one day we'll get that pretty little bond of yours and--

Flash! Cacopheny winced and rubbed at his temple at Araski's scandalized tone, and loud volume. At least all Chario did was turn away with a cough that was probably a smothered laugh.

"You know," he commented to Akija, "I ssink he makes comments rrike ssat jzust to make Araski angkry."

"He wouldn't be Flash if he wasn't trying to get a rise out of someone," Akija agreed, but she squeezed his hand again to show she wasn't taking Flash seriously today. Occasionally she did, but usually only when he was at his worst.

Chaith, finished with the dishes and now with idle hands, smiled that serene smile of hers-- oblivious to the shadow-aspects of the conversation, since she wasn't holding onto any magic; Cacopheny both was and wasn't looking forward to when Akija finally decided to let hers go-- and hefted one of the empty chairs with a chuckle. "Well," she said. "I'll go set up my salon in Cacopheny's bathroom, and you two can decide who's going to go first."

Then she headed out, taking the chair with her, and Akija asked, "So, you wanna get it over with, or put it off a little longer?"

Distractedly fingering one of the mats, Cacopheny said, "You go first."

Maybe it will feel less strange if she's ready to ruffle it immediately instead of after her own haircut, Tiger grumbled.

Akija's haircuts were always short and simple-- the event as much as the hair itself-- and was basically just Chaith trimming bits off until Akija said it didn't annoy her anymore. Cacopheny was a little sorry to see it go, leaning on the doorframe and watching: there would be no more brushing it back for her on his part, and her unwound braid even got a trim back up to her collarbone so there would be less to play with. She'd be happier, though, and that was what mattered.

Then she was relocated to the living room, with much help from Chaith given she still wasn't too steady on her feet, and it was Cacopheny's turn. He got one last glimpse of Akija through the bedroom door, then crept in and settled on the chair, himself, hunching a little nervously.

It's not like it hurts, Araski muttered, sounding disgusted.

Hey, some of us like long hair, Tiger growled at her. How'd you feel if someone-- shaved you bald?

Why would I care? she sniffed back at him.

No use trying to reason with you, Flash sneered.

Chaith, oblivious to the conversation and ignoring his trepidation, just got to work. Seeing clumps of hair-- his hair-- falling to the floor around him was... disconcerting.

Don'tlikeitdon'tlikeitdon'tlikeit--

It's all right, Tek soothed.

You're not the one losing it!

Neither are you.

Don't like it!

Glory, it's all right.

I will grow back, you know, Genner pointed out irritably as Cacopheny sucked on his bottom lip, as unhappily as Tiger and little Glory-- though at least not as vocally-- watching another matt hit the floor.

And you might even like it better this way, Tek added.

Neither bit of logic got the protestors to stop protesting, but none of it stopped Chaith from shearing the last of the ragged stuff. It felt all wrong-- his head moved differently when he shook it or tilted it-- and like something was missing. Which, obviously, it was. And his neck felt cold. But, well, it had to be done, because nothing else would get rid of the mess he'd made of it. "Ssank you," he told Chaith quietly as she whisked the towel she'd draped over his shoulders off of them, and ran a hand awkwardly over his own nearly-naked head.

"You're welcome," she answered, brushing stray bits of hair off his neck. There was more to haircutting than just getting rid of the long bits, apparently, that involved lots of little tiny cuttings. "Shame to get rid of that many years' growth, but you look much better for it."

"Ress like I liff in a cave," Cacopheny smiled a little, but frowned at the stranger's face in the mirror when he caught sight of it. "Ssiss vill take a rong time to get used to...." It felt like he'd only just gotten used to his face, and now it had changed on him. Claws, he could actually see his ears.

You have ears??

He shot his reflection a little glare, not sure whether Flash was making fun of him or not-- and reflections were the closest he could come to glaring at the shadows, themselves.

Chaith just smiled at him. "I'm sure it will. Go on and show Akija; I've got to clean up in here, and she's probably fit to burst from waiting to see."

"You ssink?" he asked her dubiously, but he went, anyway, a little hesitantly. Akija was sitting with her chin propped on her hand, staring out the window, her braid once again undone, but when he first poked his head out of the bathroom to peer out at her, she turned her head, ears perked. When she actually saw him, half-hiding in the shadows of his own bedroom, her reaction was immediate.

Oh. My. Goddess! her shadow all but squealed, mimicking her bond's usual phrase of surprise or dismay, but since she had broken into a particularly bright grin, he doubted with some relief that it was the latter.

She held out both hands to him. "Don't hide!" she said cheerfully. "Show me!"

If I'd known she'd do that, might've chopped it years ago, Tiger mused.

A little less hesitant, since she was both beaming and encouraging him-- though still feeling awkward and unpleasantly not like himself-- Cacopheny came back into the living room with a little smile to take her outstretched hands and settle on the floor in front of her. He did, at least, sit facing her rather than away, so she could at least see the result of her mother's skill. She kept beaming at him, though, even when she could see him clearly and saw that his hair had been shorn even closer than her own-- she at least still had her shag and could pretend to hide behind her bangs. There would be no hiding for Cacopheny for a long time, not non-magically anyway.

She slipped her hands out of his almost as soon as he'd gotten settled, but to his surprise they came up to his face, tilting his chin up so she could get a better look at him. Her shadow was laughing and exclaiming with delight as she said aloud, sounding rather like she wanted to giggle, "Look at you, you have a face!"

Smiling sheepishly, he answered, "Flajzh vas more impressed viss sse ears. But yes. Ssere is a face, too."

Akija laughed and, probably because her fingers were pretty much right there, gave the aforementioned ears a little tweak, making him flinch in surprise and blink at her. Then she giggled, "It's a good face," and he promptly forgot his surprise to blush happily instead. Leaving his ears alone, Akija started investigating his new, short hair. He discovered quickly, and to his own delight, that this was going to be rather better than the long hair: fingertips against scalp, no tangles to get caught in, and maybe less to play with, but right then, he just sighed and shut his eyes, perfectly content to let her to what little she could do. What she did, first, was catch it in her fingers and hold it up from his head, as if measuring it. There wasn't much to measure.

"Well, at least mum didn't have t'take this down t'just fuzz," she observed. "Bet it feels all weird, now, huh?"

Opening his eyes again, he considered nodding, then decided against it since her hands were still in his hair. "Very," he agreed. "I ssink ssiss might be vat people mean. Ven ssey say ssey feel naked."

Apparently that was funnier than Cacopheny had intended, because Akija started laughing again-- not just a little laugh, like before, but one that just kept going. It was a good laugh, though, even though it did make her collapse on her side in the bowl of the basket-chair, one hand curled against her chest and the other-- to his own pleasure-- on his shoulder. He still marveled a little every time she willingly touched him, just in little ways, after a week of discomfort with him followed by two months of absence. Even if she didn't want him, she at least still liked him.

He stroked her furry foot, braced on the chair's wicker, and let her laugh, smiling and resting his face on the side of the chair to look up at her. It was good to hear.

Even better to hear her catch her breath, smiling back at him, while her shadow just said, Happy.