Data Dragon Danika 244 Familiar Expressions

"He said he's only going to eat when his girlfriend stops to eat, and not to worry about it. But he'll come say hi to you if you're still here when he takes a break," s.h.i.+nichi answered quickly.

"We never usually have any kind of set meal times or rituals anyway," Ryuske a.s.sured her.

Danika had wondered what having dinner with s.h.i.+nichi's adopted father would be like, but it turned out that it was pretty much like playing in 'Living Jade Empire' together. They talked about their guild, and the upcoming expansion. Both of them swore not to repeat any confidential information so that she was able to talk about her work on it more freely than usual.

In a way, Danika realized that Ryuske was just as curious about her career and life goals as her father had been about s.h.i.+nichi's, but he already knew some of it and worked his questions into the conversation far more naturally. By the time they finished eating, she was feeling much more comfortable. She even helped gather up and organise the leftovers.

The after dinner tour of the recording studio was fascinating. The piano was actually the least interesting thing in it as far as Danika was concerned.

The whole room was padded like an imaginary asylum, to damp any reflected sounds, s.h.i.+nichi explained. Unlike a hall designed for public performances, everything was arranged to reduce instead of magnify the sounds of the performers. There were dozens of movable microphones and leads for electric instruments, and a very high tech looking computer system to process it all.

Danika laughed when Akito darted out of the guest room and into the bathroom, while calling over the balcony to where they were all lounging on the couches and still talking, "I'm coming down to see you for real in a minute Zippy!"

s.h.i.+nichi rolled his eyes and Ryuske grinned. Danika defended Akito with, "That's the first thing I do after a VR session too."

"Me too," Ryuske agreed laughingly.

She adjusted her position beside s.h.i.+nichi a little. She'd let him lift her out of her chair and onto the soft low couch where he could sit beside her earlier. They weren't cuddled up in front of his dad or anything, although their hands were touching on the seat between them.

Akito bounded down the stairs a few minutes later and dashed into the living area. He halted in front of her and looked her over. Danika looked up at him in surprise. He wasn't as tall as s.h.i.+nichi, but she thought that he might be taller than Ryuske. He always looked a bit shorter than average next to his band mates. He and Naoki were the shortest members, so she hadn't realized how much of his genie's small stature was due to his race.

"You look more like your little dragon in person than I expected Zippy," Akito announced.

"Okay?" Danika replied uncertainly.

"Danika," s.h.i.+nichi corrected.

Akito stuck his tongue out at s.h.i.+nichi but repeated agreeably, "Danika then."

s.h.i.+nichi looked a little surprised but simply added, "Her expressions are just the same aren't they?"

Danika turned to look at s.h.i.+nichi questioningly, and Akito laughed and said, "Well, her reactions to you are at least, even if the two of you look too embarra.s.sed to cuddle in front of us as usual here." He turned and walked into the kitchen and began rummaging for food, leaving them both blus.h.i.+ng behind him.

Ryuske grinned at them and pointed out, "Akito is just the same too."

"He hasn't set anything on fire," Danika objected.

Akito complained, "Yeah, can't do that outside the game." He carried his full plate to the table a few short minutes later.

Danika regretted her lack of mobility here, since to move over to talk to him there, she'd need to ask for her chair back. s.h.i.+nichi was either thinking the same thing or read it on her face though, because a moment later he pulled himself up and brought her chair over.

Akito turned to stare as s.h.i.+nichi lifted Danika back into her chair. "Ah, sorry," he said quickly, and looked away as soon as he realized he was staring.

"It's ok," she a.s.sured him as she s.h.i.+fted herself so that she was seated comfortably.

s.h.i.+nichi said ruefully, "At her place everything is set up so that she can move around easily without any help."

"Well of course it is," Akito scolded s.h.i.+nichi with relief. "My room at home is set up so that everything's convenient for me too. You're the only person I know who looks like he's living in a hotel even at home."

"His room is amazingly clean isn't it?" Danika agreed laughingly.

"My room's clean," Akito objected. "It's just not freakishly neat."

"Our hotel rooms are never neat," s.h.i.+nichi pointed out laughingly.

Akito pointed at him between bites and said, "That's the problem isn't it? You feel more comfortable making a mess at a temporary place than at home."

As they gathered around the table, Ryuske stood and brought a plate of sweets out. "Woah," s.h.i.+nichi commented as he grabbed one of the small cakes. "Kiri must be home?" He didn't eat it immediately though, he turned and offered it to Danika.

"Yeah, both he and Hikaru," Ryuske agreed.

"Hikaru?" Danika repeated the familiar name questioningly. She knew they weren't talking about ZipZing's firefly. She tasted the little cake and it was every bit as delicious as it looked.

"My bandmate Hikaru and her husband Kiri," Ryuske explained.

"Is it weird for you that my pet in the game has the same name?" Danika asked.

"Of course not," Ryuske replied laughingly. "It's a pretty common name after all."

--

After the tray of desserts was emptied, Akito returned to the guest room and the VR system set up there, and Ryuske announced that unless they needed him for anything he was going out for a bit.

s.h.i.+nichi looked a little surprised and asked, "You're going out?"

"They're babysitting the newest grandbaby and her sister, and I was invited to come play for a bit," Ryuske explained.

"Oh, so not out, out," s.h.i.+nichi said laughingly.

Ryuske rolled his eyes at his son and told Danika, "I'll see you later or next time. Thanks for coming over."

"Sure," she agreed quickly.

After he was gone, Danika turned to s.h.i.+nichi and asked teasingly, "So is this our promised opportunity to cuddle? Should we go hide in your room?"

s.h.i.+nichi actually blushed and avoided her gaze as he asked, "Have you thought about whether you want to sleep here or there?"

"Can we just do one thing at a time and decide later?" she questioned.

He dropped his gaze to her face and then smiled. "Yeah," he agreed.