Cacopheny was too wrapped up in himself to pay any attention to Sentio and Kenjista on the trip back-- something of a relief, for then he wouldn't have to deal with her; that she was being happily silent, for the most part, helped a lot-- and he just led the way at a sedate, distracted pace, letting the pair of them trail along behind him. His feet carried him back to the shattered safety of his room at the bonding complex without his paying any attention to them; shattered because now She-- no, she, Kenjista, not Her-- was entering it. Could anything be safe when Kenjista had access to it?

That, though, wasn't what kept his mind occupied with itself.

"Don't be strangers now! Don't be strangers now!"

"It was nice meeting you fellas, oh so nice!"

You're really a wonderful conversational companion!

By Her claws, you really are a nutcase!

And they all know it!

"Don't be strangers now!"

Ha!

She didn't sound like she was being sarcastic. So maybe-- maybe she really meant it, he thought, trying to sound firm. He failed, of course, and the shadows saw through him, anyway. 

Since when do you recognize sarcasm, anyway?

You all use it all the time. Not very well, but you do. I know what it sounds like by now.

Takes one to know one! Ever heard that little saying?

As if anyone'd want you to come calling more than they had to.

Yes, yes... I know, I know. No one likes me, no one's interested in me, no one cares about me. I've got it, I understand you by now, you can give it a rest.

There was a pause, like one of those ominous pauses before the shadows said something they knew he wouldn't like. Cacopheny was too busy feeling sorry for himself to take much notice, too embarrassed by making a fool of himself with Akija and her family, too focused on focusing on himself to avoid focusing on the expanse of emptiness above him or the brightness that made his head ache or on Her-- no, just her-- behind him. Then, though, they spoke, and it got his attention, just like they'd wanted.

She likes you.

They didn't mean Her, or even her, the little black one. They meant--

If he'd been consciously paying attention to where he put his feet, he would have stopped short, and Sentio with his black burden would have run into him. As it was, he only caught his breath silently and let his feet continue to carry him where they would. Some absent part of his mind noted the gates of the bonding complex, thrown open as they always were, were looming over them to either side. Soon they would be safely under stone and in soft light, coming to his current home, his current hole in the rock, his current cave.

But this was far more interesting to think about.

She does not. You've said it more times than I can count: no one likes me. Not even Sentio, for all he is kind and wishes to help me. No one.

But she does.

The harsh light of day was replaced by the paler light and silent hum of magic, infinite sky replaced by finite stone, and Cacopheny forced his shoulders to relax. We are not going to talk about this right now. Do you understand me? I have two kits to shepherd around, and one of them is that one, and I don't want to deal with it.

To his surprise, they fell to simply murmuring amongst themselves, leaving him alone and out of their conversation so he could actually pay attention to what he was doing. He could still hear them, of course, but he could ignore them, or only half-listen, and now he was at his own door, taking the handle in hand and turning it. The door swung open, and he held it for dragon and daemon. In a brief fit of humor, he gave Sentio a smirk and a small bow as he passed him into the room, the former of which, after a brief burst of surprise, the dragon returned. Kenjista ignored him, to mixed emotions on his part. After all, ignoring was better than other things, but if she ignored him, she would only be biding her time before she paid him attention, and he didn't want that....

Oh, snap out of it and relax.

She's a fucking baby.

Spoiled little monster.

Not like Her.

Nothing like.

I know, but....

"Well," Sentio said brightly, stopping in the middle of the room, "We're home."

Cacopheny shut the door behind them.

The room was rather changed since the last time Kenjista had seen it. According to Sentio, it looked much better now. More lived-in, like Ketvia had said it would. It certainly looked less like any room Cacopheny had ever lived in before, and more like something that belonged in someplace like Sentio's parents' home, so if that meant it looked more lived-in, then he supposed it was. The two beds shoved together to make one larger bed along one wall made him shiver to think about, so his eyes instinctively avoided them, but the other two beds, the empty ones, had been removed. So now there was more room to pace. The clothing press hadn't moved, didn't look any different, though it was more full now, but the wall opposite the door and beside it were now covered with large, wide tapestries. Not where Cacopheny's pile of blankets was, of course, in the farthest corner, for he wanted the cold stone at his back for comfort when he slept, but enough that most of the wall was hidden. One patterned rug had been rolled open just inside the doorway, and another in the very center of the room, reaching from the foot of the beds nearly to the wall. All in all, the room had more color-- but with Chiya's final parting gift, the one Cacopheny loved best, it wasn't color that hurt his eyes. The last thing Chiya had done, other than kiss his cheek tearfully one last time, was to fix the lighting spell so that Cacopheny could set the switch at different brightnesses, and now he could keep it comfortably dim in this, his only home.

Right now, though, it wasn't Cacopheny who needed to be impressed. Kenjista looked around briefly then fluttered her wings a bit against Sentio's own tines and neck and leaned over his shoulder. ::Down!:: she demanded, audible like Sentio rather than like a shadow, only darker and more sinister, and worlds more confident. Sentio obligingly crouched down so she could hop off.

Just keep her off my bed, Cacopheny thought at the boy, a little absently, eyes and full attention on the daemon-kit, keeping his expression carefully impassive.

I will, Sentio's voice promised.

With a chirp that was what passed for a "thank you" with Kenjista, she hopped down and padded for the nearest wall hanging, feathered crest slightly raised and head tilted curiously. Cacopheny remained where he was, but Sentio paced sedately after her, sitting down while she reared onto her hind legs to paw at the weave. ::Weird,:: she stated, perplexed.

"It's called a tapestry," Sentio explained. "It's for decoration, so there aren't bare walls. It helps keep heat in, too. They're all designs, no real pictures, but I think they're kinda nice. Ketvia and Chiya got them for us. They're dragons, like me and Chario."

When all Kenjista said in answer was, ::Ah,:: and she wandered over to investigate the other tapestry, wearing a rather displeased expression, Sentio followed and continued. "We've made you a bed, there, see? You can use that for sleeping, or just lounging around, or whatever. It ought to be plenty big, and I tested it myself, it's nice and soft. You've already seen the bathroom, that first night. Cacopheny gets his meals in here, but you and I can go talk to the kitchen staff and get whatever we like from what they have that day."

Instead of the tantrum Sentio had apparently half-expected, from his thoughts, Kensjita actually seemed pleased. She looked over the bed with a raised crest, as if already contemplating how to make it the most comfortable that she could, and smiled a very satisfied little smile. ::Sounds good to me,:: her voice purred in their minds, making Cacopheny tremble a bit before tightening his hands on the doorknob behind him to still their shaking, and making Sentio smile with relief. ::I think I like it over here already.::

At least she wasn't going to protest staying here, wasn't going to make a scene or complain or scream or hurt anyone.

She couldn't hurt us.

You.

Us.

But--

You'd hurt her far faster--

--and far worse--

--than she could hurt you.

It doesn't matter, because she isn't going to. You said yourself, she's just a baby. A spoiled baby. So leave me alone, I'll get over this without your help, so shut the fuck up.

Ungrateful....

Cacopheny ignored the rest of their resentful mutterings.

"Good," Sentio was saying. "Good, I'm glad." Then, with a little sigh that Kenjista's good opinion had been established, he looked around the room a little blankly. His thoughts were all but audible: Now what? "So, um, what'd you like to do?"

As if surprised to be asked such a question, Kenjista blinked at him blankly for a second before perking right up again and suggesting, ::Let's go outside! I like to play outside.::

Goddess, she's going to hate me once school starts, Sentio's chagrined thought floated across the surface of his mind and his bond's. Cacopheny blinked. School? What was-- oh, that was school. The meaning of the word came to him from the stores Aedelian Landwerlen had given him, but he had a hard time applying that concept to himself and Sentio. Dragons would not want to teach a demon who didn't know how to learn.

As Sentio glanced at him in askance, however, he put aside that worry, taking in the dragon's obviously growing distress. He felt torn, not sure which bond he owed his attention to. Well, that was simple enough: Cacopheny had kept Sentio holed up inside for far too long, with only a crazy half-demon for company. He deserved some time alone, with someone else even roughly his own age and mentality-- or at least sanity. And Cacopheny wouldn't turn down some time alone, himself.

You go, he interrupted the kit's spiralling train of thought and met his eyes with something like amusement. Maybe I will come later. For now, you go. Be children, play, do whatever children do. Keep her occupied. I will be fine.

Are you sure? I mean, if you don't want to be alone--

I am never alone, and I have been alone most of my life. I will be fine. You need space, air, relax. Go. If you are not back and I wish company, I will find you.

And that was going to be that, for Cacopheny opened the door again with a small smile. Sentio shot him a grin, then nodded to Kenjista. "Outside it is, then. After you?"

::Why, thank you!:: Kenjista exclaimed lightly, preening one wing-feather contentedly before flicking her wings shut over her back and prancing out the open door with nothing more than a glance for Cacopheny. Sentio rubbed against his legs-- bold, for their somewhat shaky relationship at the moment-- in shyly affectionate thanks for being so understanding. Cacopheny repaid the bravery with a gentle pat on the kit's shoulder, to Sentio's delight, before he slipped out to join Kenjista in her escape to the outside world again. Cacopheny, for his own part, slipped back in, shutting the door behind them, back to his own "world".