The living room was dappled with light from the window, and Cacopheny, just barely sitting up and propped with his back against a wall, was blinking dazedly in it. Sentio skidded in, trying not to run into anything in his clumsy haste, and the slightly unfocused, dull black eyes jerked to him-- or at least his general direction. For a sickening moment, there was nothing of recognition in them as Cacopheny scrambled weakly against the other wall, putting as much distance between himself and Sentio as possible. The panic, though still diffuse and disoriented, kicked up a notch.

Then Kenjista came barreling in-- and consequently into Sentio's hind foot, sending her sprawling with an undignified squeal-- and Cacopheny blinked in surprise. Akija followed her at a more leisurely pace, peeking her head around the corner and earning another blink. For a moment, no one moved, but then Cacopheny sank abruptly out of his tense, trembling crouch into the blankets again, almost as if his limbs simply couldn't hold him another moment. A flood of recognition, relief, exhaustion, and, disturbingly, despair proved that Cacopheny knew who they were now, at least, though what that meant to him, Sentio didn't know.

Relax, welp, he heard vaguely, a familiar voice. He's not gonna hurt you, or anything.

Gulping a bit, he cauciously stepped forward. He didn't really trust that shadow, even if it did save their lives... or at least tried its best to. "Cacopheny?" He didn't manage more than a whisper.

Cacopheny didn't manage more than that, either. "Ko avay."

"Cacopheny, c'mon, I've been worried-- you've slept all day, and all day yesterday--"

"Ko avay. I to not-- to not-- vant--" His voice faded weakly into nothing, but his thoughts did not. ::I don't want to talk. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk to her. I don't want to be here. I don't want any of this. I don't want-- I don't--:: Something shuddered along their link, like-- like he'd tried to put up the block, and failed. ::Just go awaaaaaay,:: another thought moaned.

Sentio sat down abruptly, feeling suddenly as tired as Cacopheny, who'd managed to at least turn his face away, hiding his expression in the blankets. "He won't-- he won't talk to me," he said. It came out like a whimper. "What'm I supposed to do if he won't talk to me?"

Going to cry, are we?

Such a baby.

The shadow-voices were faint, as if they were tired, too, but they still hurt.

Akija came up next to him, crouching down to stroke the back of his neck gently in silence. For a moment he was afraid she'd be as stumped as he was, but then she gave him a final pat, rose again, and knelt down just within arm's reach or so of the bedspread. Sentio swallowed hard so that maybe he wouldn't cry, watching. "Come on, no more sleeping," she said, somehow sounding very much like her mother. "You've been out fer over a whole day now."

He couldn't warn her of the sudden flare of passionate fury, he didn't have time. The half-demon managed to shove himself out of the blankets, one hand raised threateningly, in a reaction so fast, despite weariness, that it had to be reflexive. "I sait ko--" Thankfully, he didn't have to. As Akija fell back on her rump with surprise, the growl died unfinished, turned into a choked sound, and Cacopheny's claws wavered and dropped as he collapsed again, shaking. Sentio couldn't see his face, but at the guilt, pain, and sorrow making his resolution not to cry even harder to keep, he could guess.

"No," Akija said quietly, pulling herself back together and scooting closer. Sentio held his breath as she reached out a hand, laid it on his sleep-tangled hair, but he didn't jerk or lash out again. "Sorry, but no." All Cacopheny did was shift a little, not saying a word, still shaking. "It's all right," she murmured. "It's all right."

Watching, Sentio almost didn't notice Char until the Fire was suddenly at his side, instead of at his spot by the door. "She says for you to come up-- go up, too," he whispered. Gulping a bit, he nodded and got shakily back to his paws, creeping closer, belly almost touching the ground. Cacopheny had curled himself up against and even partially around the kneeling Akija, his face buried in her lap and hands clutched reflexively at the fabric of her trousers. Hesitantly, glancing at Akija and getting an encouraging smile in return, Sentio slipped in behind him, settling down between him and the wall. His bond didn't so much as twitch, this time, though he knew he'd been at least noticed. He settled his chin down carefully on the bony shoulder and added a rusty purr of his own to Akija's comforting thrumming, while they let him cry himself out.