Akija and Chario left soon after breakfast, to explore the station, "see the sites", and go "shopping". The only shopping Cacopheny knew about was shopping for raw ingredients for dinner, and since Aedelian was providing meals, he wasn't entirely sure what they would be buying. He did know, however, that he didn't like the idea of going with them: Tiger was too volitile, he was too sleepy, and the station itself was too crowded for his comfort. That it was crowded with strange creatures, some with noisy shadows and some with secret shadows, only served to compound the nervousness.

Sentio apparently felt the same, for he stayed behind to watch a couple holo-vids, and Kenjista, preferring his company to Akija's, lounged on the floor beside him, though she complained the whole time. Cacopheny joined them, curled in one corner of the massive, dragon-sized couch, though he didn't even try to understand what they were watching. It was too much effort to attempt even translating it, much less make sense of what he heard, so he watched with his eyes but ignored the sounds that came from it.

There was enough to listen to inside his head, anyway.

Aedelian was in and out, but on one of his ins he caught Cacopheny yawning hard enough to make his jaw ache. He'd long ago learned that even if "he" was asleep, if one of the shadows was keeping his body up, he still felt as if he hadn't slept.

"Why don't you try some of this?" the Air dragon had suggested, offering him a large, steaming mug full of thick, black liquid. He blinked at it blankly, and Aedelian chuckled at him. "Try it. It'll help keep you awake-- hopefully, anyway. It works for humans and dragons, and I don't think demons are that different."

Cacopheny had tasted it gingerly, expecting something sharp or sweet or generally unpalattable, but it was none of those. It was... deep, and bitter, and coated the back of his throat with comfortable warmth. He closed his eyes at the first sip, and took another without opening them. Aedelian laughed and exclaimed, "I think we've got another convert," making him open one eye again to glare quizzically. "I thought you'd like it. Drink up; Vyly and I have already had our fill, so if you don't drink it, it'll go down the drain."

Since the thought of pouring something like this down one's sink would have been a crime, Cacopheny obediently drank up. Then again, he would have done the same even if he hadn't been told to. It was good. He made it last as long as he could, even resorting to using a touch of magic to keep it hot longer-- affecting the "shadow" of a container, he had learned, affected what was in it, though not very strongly-- because it wasn't quite as heavenly when it wasn't hot.

The drink did seem to do its "job" of keeping him awake, too. He felt a little more alert-- not a lot, but enough that he wasn't yawning every few minutes-- and didn't fall asleep over the holo-vids, as he'd been a little afraid he might have. It even soothed the shadows a little, oddly. He thought it might mostly have been the enjoyment that came with drinking it, though, rather thank the drink itself.

All that was needed, now, to make him content would be Akija, sitting on the arm of the couch and stroking his hair-- or scooted up on the couch next to him, so he could unwind her braid. But she was gone for what felt like hours and hours, what would have been most of the day if there was a day and a night on Star City. He didn't mind that she was away-- she couldn't want to laze around with him all the time, after all-- but he did sort of miss her, and found himself glancing at the apartment's door every now and then, wondering what she was doing and when she'd be back.

When she finally returned, heralded by Chario's shadow outside the door, laughing, Sentio had just made a new selection in the holo-vid menu and started a new session. The familiar shadow-laugh stood out against the theme music of Sentio's choice, whatever it was, so Cacopheny was already looking at the door when it slid open to admit the pair. Chario came in first, half-obscuring his bonded daemon, so it was a minute before he got a good look at her as she came in. It wasn't until Char got out of the way, leading the way to the short table-- short to a dragon, but quite as tall as a regular table to the rest of them-- to put down the bag he carried.

But then he made sure he got a very good look, as she set her own bag down, because Akija was wearing new clothes. And they looked good.

Though she had the same shirt on, fitted around her neck and backless to accommodate her wings, she had on a pair of pants unlike anything he'd ever seen on her before. They were black, with a pattern like white-hot fire down by her heels, vibrant against her black-furred paws, and fitted against her hips. She even had matching fire-patterned, fingerless gloves. The effect made her colors stand out brightly, and, for once, highlighted her actual form rather than hanging loosely over it and obscuring it. Cacopheny very much liked the effect.

"Well, that proved it!" Chario announced cheerfully. "I can't take Akija anywhere!"

Sentio looked perplexed, and Aedelian, peering down from the kitchen, amused. Cacopheny rumbled out an appreciative growl-- and was then immediately embarrassed to find he'd done it loud enough to be heard. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice. Only Sentio cast him a confused glance, but even that only lasted a moment, because Chario apparently wanted to explain his comment. Cacopheny had hardly noticed it.

"What, isn't anyone gonna ask why?" Chario asked, mock-pouting.

"You haven't exactly given us a chance yet," Sentio pointed out.

"You know yer gonna tell 'em anyway," Akija smirked, removing several articles of clothing from the back and laying them on the table. "Got enough green here?" she asked, commenting on the only color present in the pile.

"One can never have enough green," Chario sniffed.

"Especially not when yer bright orange, eh?"

"Hey, you like my orange," retorted the Fire, poking at the flame patterning on gloves.

"Oh, just tell yer story. Where're the books?"

Chario pushed his bag at her. "Akija got us kicked out of a store!" he announced cheerfully.

"She what?" Sentio gaped, looking horrified. Cacopheny wasn't entirely sure what that even meant.

Aedelian, coming down the stairs now, laughed. "Oh dear. Do tell-- what happened?"

"Well!" Chario beamed, apparently pleased to be the center of attention with a story to tell. "Nor including the little fight she got in with this floating copper ball at a 'cyborbot' store--"

Aedelian's snort of further laughter didn't quite drown out Akija's playfully indignant, "Hey, you dragged me out; we didn't get kicked out!"

Chario continued as if she hadn't spoken. "--the last place we went was this store that sold everything and then some, which is where Akija got those duds she's now modeling for you."

"Ha ha." Akija finished fishing around in the bag, coming out with a pair of books and some strange wire and glass thing.

Undaunted, Chario went on. "So! Akija spots the pants and gloves and decides she's gotta have them, because they match me, right? So she goes over to try them on, and I go looking for anything green, foolishly relieving her of my common sense and modesty, and thus!" He spread his hands dramatically. "Does she quickly proceed to bring every salesperson in sight a-swarming on her, and before you can say 'indecent exposure', she's been hustled out of the store and I'm left to pay for the items she's contaminated! --Gah, mine eyes!"

Distracted from his colorful narrative as the Fire threw his arms across his face, Cacopheny glanced at Akija and saw her bare-chested, dropping the balled-up brown shirt into the now-empty bag in front of her. "Apparently it's taboo to not use a dressing room," she drawled, rolling her eyes, "even when you've got nothing to show."

"Just listen to that," Char sighed, dropping his arms. "So disrespectful. See? I can't take her anywhere."

Sentio looked torn between hilarity and acute embarrassment; Aedelian wasn't torn, at all, and was laughing heartily. Cacopheny didn't get it. "Ssssssat's jzust silly," he commented, puzzled.

"Hah, there, see?" Akija pounced. "Coffee agrees with me."

"Caco doesn't know what he's agreeing with," Chario smirked, imitating her own drawl.

"Well, then don't enlighten him, I like it better when he's on my side," Akija sniffed, flicking her tail at her bond as she picked up the books and wire gadget again, and walked over to the couch.

"Vy vouldn't it be sssilly?" he queried, still confused, though really, he was content to be confused, as long as Akija didn't go anywhere again so he could admire her new look for a while longer.

"Because... that's just... the way it is," Sentio struggled for a response. "People don't like it when you go running around naked, if you look anything like a human."

"I us't to do it," Cacopheny grumbled back at him, and was satisfied to make him blush. He didn't manage to render him speechless this time, though.

"You didn't go anywhere," the Light pointed out.

"Though it woulda been fun t'see the people freak if it had been him in there instead of me," Akija smirked-- which, Cacopheny thought, was so unlikely as to probably be impossible, as he doubted he would ever bother trying someone on before he bought it. If he ever wound up buying anything, since he didn't have any money.... But then she changed the subject, shuffling her little burden until she had a book in each hand and the wire thing pinned between her fingers and recapturing his attention. "But when I'm not fighting with copper orbs an' freaking out human shoppers, I still manage to find gifts fer my buddies."

Sentio perked up in anticipation; he was still young enough that he was, at times, greedy for gifts. And since Akija was carrying books, those were obviously for him. Cacopheny chuckled at his expression, while Chario quickly clarified, "Though one of those books is from me!"

Akija held one of the books up to read from it's cover. "Lessee, first we've got The Many Cultures of Star City and a Comparison of Their Mythoi, complete with illustrations, 'foto-graphs', and interviews--" She switched books. "--and Firesands and Starfires: The Growth of Atu and the Birth of Star City. Enjoy them as we wouldn't!" Akija grinned, shifting both thick hardbacks into one hand and holding them out.

Mouth hanging amusingly open, Sentio took the books with almost reverent care-- probably necessary, what with taking them in clawed paws. Reverence which was abruptly squashed when Chario, in a long-standing joke, let out a very convincing snore, underlining what he thought of the kinds of books Sentio enjoyed. The Light tossed him a good-natured glare, refraining from flipping the books open and paging through them at least until he said, happily despite the look and slightly sarcastic tone, "I'm sure I will." Then, more sincerely, "Thank you... I didn't expect anything at all."

Akija ruffled the end of Sentio's furry nose with her now-free hand, still grinning. "Good, that means we're still unpredictable!"

He wrinkled said nose at her, glanced after her as she turned away to the couch, then gave into temptation and opened the one on top. Akija, however, apparently had further plans. "All right, yer turn," she chirped at him. "You coming down, or'm I coming up?"

After a twitch, a few blinks, and a brief but silent inner scuffle, he leaned over and wordlessly offered her both his hands, aiming to pull her up with him. She had to help with her feet and wings, the wire-glass-thing held in her mouth for the duration of the scramble, but together they managed to get her up onto the cushion beside him, comfortably close.

"Now these," she said, once she was kneeling next to him and had taken the wire-glass-thing out of her mouth, "are called 'sunglasses'." She unfolded them as she spoke, and he recognized the shape, at least: Lady-Professor Veshal had something similar, only with thicker, clear glass, for when she had to read something in small print. "Would be better called 'darkglasses', if ya ask me, but they're fer shadin' yer eyes from bright light, and hopefully they'll fit ya-- I had t'guess what size t'get ya." He blinked, gazing at them in mild surprise, seeing how they could be used for just that.

"Now, hold still so I can put 'em on ya!" Akija finished eagerly, tail twitching around behind her, and he smiled.

"Holding sssstill," he promised.

Practically humming, Akija leaned in and even made a bit of a show in putting the "sun"glasses on him: brushing his hair back over his shoulders and out of the way; slipping the thicker, somehow padded ends of the wire supports over his ears; balancing the contraption over his hooked nose; and finally setting his hair back in place. Cacopheny blinked at the suddenly dimmer sight that met his eyes through the dark lenses, everything tinted slightly grayer than it had been before, including Akija's face, as she sat back on her heels with her hands perched on her thighs, grinning at him. "Wha'cha think?"

Cacopheny took a moment to look around, part of him utterly confused and off-balance by the sudden change in perception-- and, moreso, by the brightness he could see on the very edges of his vision-- and part of him wondering why no one had ever thought of such a clever thing before. "Issss diff'rent!" was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"Is that a good different or bad different?" she asked expectantly.

"I sssink. Good diff'rent," he said slowly, then turned his grayed-out gaze back on her; she looked brown, instead of red, and he lifted the lenses up with one finger so he could smile at the real Akija, not the glasses-Akija. "Vill take getting used to-- but maybe vill help a lot on sunny days. Ssank you. Very mutch."

Akija looked happier than he'd ever seen her, smile stretched wide and pleased. He couldn't imagine why liking her gift could make her so happy, but he wasn't about to protest, especially as she shifted around to sit beside him, hip and shoulder actually touching his, while she said with cheery satisfaction, "Good. Good. You're welcome."

Cacopheny started trying very hard to think of more ways to make her happy like that more often. And tried not to think about how much he wanted to put an arm around her to snuggle her up against him more closely. He distracted himself by taking off the sunglasses, since he didn't really need them indoors, and he liked seeing Akija as red rather than brown when the latter wasn't necessary. The return to brightness made him squint just a little until he got used to it again.

"I think," Chario was saying, "I'm ready for a nap now. All that fun and walking wears you out!"

His voice changed mid-sentence from adolescent human boy to adolescent dragon, going deeper and broader: he'd shifted, apparently, as Cacopheny confirmed when he looked up again. And he was headed for the couch. Well, there was room for all three of them, and then some, really--

--especially the "and then some" part, as Chario promptly let out a dramatic sigh, dropped his head into Akija's lap, and pressed himself against her so closely that he pushed her against Cacopheny entirely, even pushing him more firmly against the arm of the couch. The usual warring reactions ensued, from purrs to growls to howls of laughter.

"Guess I'm stuck," Akija giggled, scratching the dragon behind one tufted ear.

"Keep that up and I'll keep you stuck," Chario crooned, closing his eyes.

Tiger twisted to free Cacopheny's hands from where they'd been half-smashed against couch and daemon, fully intending to grab those tufted ears and yank them away from Akija's reach. A warning growl even started welling up from his chest.

But if you throw a fit, she'll just move!

The reaching hands turned quite abruptly into an arm around her shoulders and a hand on her arm, the growl into a contented rumble, and Akija blinked in surprise, turning her head to look at him.

Good point.

Good point, indeed, since Akija didn't look particularly unhappy with the end result. She certainly didn't make a move to free herself. "Maybe I'll have a nap, too," she sighed, actually, and rather than turning away, she snuggled back and turned her head to pillow it on his chest.

You know, maybe we should thank mister fluffy over there, sometime....

Maybe so....

At the very least, he knew he wasn't going to be moving for a while, and he liked that prospect.