Over the course of the rest of the day, Cacopheny managed to keep the shadows from lashing out at Sentio again. It helped that they seemed as worn out as Cacopheny himself was, though not nearly as worn out as poor Sentio. For the rest of their first day bonded, the most strenuous thing they did was share a meal on the floor with Chiya and Ketvia. Neither one spoke about what had happened, or that Akija had been forced to come for an unwilling visit, though Chiya did ask brightly about the red daemon-girl. Ketvia did alleviate one worry, at least, by saying that Aloia had promised he and Sentio could stay in their room at the bonding complex for as long as they wanted to, as long as it was good enough for Kenjista when she came to stay. She added another, however, by reminding them that there would be classes they were to take, starting in just a few days.

Other than that, Sentio spent the day alternately dozing in Cacopheny's blanket-nest, trying half-heartedly to engage his new bond in conversation, and nosing through a book from a pile he'd brought over from his own room on the other side of the complex. Cacopheny spent it trying not to bother Sentio and wishing heartily that he weren't so crazy, so he wouldn't make Sentio uncomfortable. He knew the young dragon was still a bit nervous around him, after he'd tried to attack him that morning; his shadow whispered to itself, as if afraid Cacopheny would hear, and some of that fear slipped through the link the magic sound-light had made the night before. But, at any rate, nervous was better than unprepared. Now if only it didn't make him feel so horrible, to have Sentio afraid of him....

You're dangerous, that's what you are.

No good, rotten little....

Volitile.

Monster.

Slave.

No.... Even if I'm the rest, I'm not a slave anymore. I can't be. Even if not for Sentio's sake, She is gone, and She is my only Mistress.

Sentio bedded down for the night first, giving Cacopheny a timid smile and "good night" before curling up against the wall, head tucked under a wing and a forepaw, as Cacopheny shut off the lights-- another difference, with Sentio around: the lights were on more than they were off. At least Sentio seemed to have enough trust in him to fall asleep in his presence, or he was just too exhausted to stay awake despite his anxiety. It didn't take him long, anyway, for his thoughts to quiet, his breathing to even out, and his shadow to begin murmuring in dreaming.

Cacopheny stayed awake for a while longer, watching Sentio and keeping his side of their link quiet and contained to let the dragon sleep. He tried to think, tried to plan for or even just imagine what they would do now, but he couldn't keep track of his thoughts. They kept slipping away from him, one into the other, bouncing around inside his head until they were echoing in the silence as shadows one by one went into their own realms of dreaming. He finally followed them, settling down beside but not quite touching his bond and shutting his eyes into more complete darkness.

"Do you have a name, too?"

He woke with a start, looking around wildly, to find himself sitting against the wall, cross-legged, with his back straighter than he could ever remember it being, almost stiff with perfect posture. Sentio sat facing him, looking both nervous and eagerly curious all in one, though the curiosity seemed to be winning out. Then, he was suddenly concerned as Cacopheny scrambled away and backed himself into a corner. A shadow fell away from him, clucking with annoyance, and he shook his head vigorously, trying to put his sleepy, distracted thoughts in order.

"Cacopheny?"

Sentio had been speaking, that's what woke him up. But why would he have been speaking, if Cacopheny was asleep? Who would he have been speaking to? And why had he woken sitting up, in such a horrible uncomfortable manner?

"Cacopheny, is that-- it's you, right?"

"Me? What?" he rasped, confused. "Yes?" Who else would it be?

"I was talking to-- to one of them," Sentio stammered. "He... it... whatever, was actually kind of okay. Didn't try to hurt me, or anything."

"One of--"

Oh. One of them.

One of them, a shadow mimicked mockingly. 

"Do they have names, Cacopheny?"

"I--"

Of course we have names.

By Her claws, did you think we were nameless?

"Yes?" he answered hesitantly, though Sentio could probably hear them fine on his own. He'd never wondered about his shadows' names before, just like he'd never wondered about his own until Chiya had asked him. But then, as if he had always known, there they were. They were, he was mildly surprised to note, a very widely assorted mix of names.

"Who was the one I was talking to? The really serious one."

He didn't sound afraid anymore. If anything, he sounded eager. Almost like he had when Akija had told him about how hearing Chario talk in her head made her head itch. Apparently talking about the shadows this way didn't frighten Sentio so much, so Cacopheny tried to relax and settle down in his corner, though he still felt jittery and anxious. Had they ever done this before? Taken him to talk with someone? ....Yes, yes they had, once with Aloia, and certainly with Her, though there wasn't often much talk then.

"Jz-jzenner," he stammered. Why give themselves names he couldn't properly pronounce? That was just--

Silly?

Stupid?

Since when do we care about what you can or can't pronounce?

It's who we are!

Don't deny us that.

"All right, all right," he muttered, giving up.

"Genner?" Sentio repeated properly, still with that eager, open expression and tone. Cacopheny nodded. "Do the others have names, too?"

"Yes," he sighed, rubbing at his temple. "I never knew them until now, but I guess they do...." Sentio didn't even cringe at the demon-speech, like usual, but rather waited patiently, obviously expecting Cacopheny to start listing names, but they didn't want to roll off his tongue, getting stuck somewhere between his thoughts and his mouth.

Maybe sensing his struggle, Sentio made himself bold enough to pat his knee in a rather condescending manner, the same way he'd smiled and been superior and polite at the beginning second bonding meeting. "It's all right, you can tell me when you want to." He scuttled back quickly at Cacopheny's warning growl and glare, shadow screaming shortly as he suddenly remembered just who and what he was patting. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, voice shaking. "What did I do?"

Cacopheny sighed and rubbed at his forehead, shutting his eyes against the light in the room. "Nossingk," he muttered in dragon-speech.

"You don't growl for nothing," the dragon pointed out timidly.

Might as well be honest.

If you won't, we will.

And I bet we'll have more fun doing it.

"I to not-- ssee vords-- I--" He slipped back into demon-speech as the shadows started chuckling, ready with their own expanations. He still didn't know the actual word for how Sentio had been speaking, but he thought he could at least describe it. "I still don't know the right word.... You patted me, you spoke the way you did-- like I am a child to be soothed, or ignored, or not taken seriously, or-- something. I am not a child, and I do not like to be treated like one." He thought he sounded reasonable enough, though his voice shook slightly with mixed emotions: anger, shame, anxiety of his own.

Sentio crouched on the floor, kneading the carpet absently and looking at Cacopheny's feet. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."

"..... I know."

There was a moment of silence before Sentio's stomach gave a loud rumble, breaking the tense atmosphere and making the young dragon giggle nervously. "Um, I guess I'm hungry."

Trying to smile, Cacopheny unclenched his fists and nodded. "Ko eat. I vant a zzzhowver anyvay." And a good, long talk with this "Genner" shadow.

"My turn when I get back?" the kit asked hopefully, and Cacopheny nodded again. "All right. I'll be back!"

It was a relief to see the door shut behind Sentio.

Now. What did you do with me, before I woke up? he asked the shadows firmly as he made his way into the bathroom, and he expected a full explanation. To his surprise, he actually go one.

Small steps, but maybe the steps had to be small, or they were simply too frightening.