Mother Nature must not like me very much!

First the sunny day that turned cloudy and then the normal day that turned rainy! Was it too much to ask for a nice day so that she could not stay in the Sanctuary at all times? That was boring. To Dahlia's mind there was only one good thing to be done inside and that was pranks. When she didn't have anyone to prank with there was no point in staying inside. So Dahlia went out to find something to do. Of course she had to pretend like always that she wasn't ashamed of what she was but by now that almost went without saying.

Mother Nature vetoed with rain. Clouds and rain and Dahlia was almost pouting. It wasn't fair! But rain was rain so Dahlia needed to get inside. She dodged inside the closest store to dry off and wait out the rain. Dahlia hadn't even paid attention to what sort of store it was before running inside. As she dripped dry in the entry way Dahlia looked around her. Shelves and shelves of comics greeted her. Shame it wasn't a shoe store. Dahlia liked shoes! Comics not so much. Still it was someplace dry and warm so it would have to do. Her skin slowly shifted from a dark orange streaked with dark yellow and dark red to a blue and green combination.

The chameleon girl probably stood in the doorway for a good three minutes before starting to wander around the store. Chances were good she'd be here for a while so Dahlia figured she might as well look at the comics.

Akshay Malik had another promotional day coming up so that meant that he was going to have to be in costume. He had already picked out his character costume, but the skit that was supposed to be performed by himself and Rebecca was supposed to be a little more risqué. She was supposed to be the supervillain this time and he was supposed to battle her as the hero. But because of time restrictions, they had just never been able to meet together at a time that would work. Therefore the day was rapidly approaching and they had no practice.

That was supposed to be today. Unfortunately, because of the sudden weather change, Akshay was stuck without Rebecca. How was he supposed to practice now?!

Well, if there was one thing that he knew, was that nerds hated to get wet. More than likely he would have no customers today so he could probably get in some practice while he was working. That seemed like the best, win-win scenario.

That was why, at lunch break, Akshay had slipped into the backroom, after a long day of no customers, and proceeded to slip on his costume for this month’s promotional day. The light purple, striped with fuchsia costume actually fit pretty well on his lanky frame. Even the mask fit to snuggly perfection. Swords strapped to his sides and fake mustache dangling under his nose, Akshay sighed as he felt himself ready for practice.

Today, Akshay was…The Blade Master!

Rubbery sword in hand, the wordsmith grinned as he faced the emptiness of the supply room. He thought back to his lines and recited them to perfection.

“You shall not stand a chance, Professor Squidess!” he announced. As he hacked and slashed the invisible foe in the air. “You shall not steal these people’s fine comics!! Take that! And that! AND THAAAT!!!”

Akshay slashed and stabbed the air until finally he was outside, in the front part of the store with the fake sword thrust out before him…pointed in the direction of a young…chameleon?

He arched a brow as he titled his head to look at the young person.

“Um…hi.” was all he could say.

What a strange place. Dahlia looked at the titles on the shelf and wondered how someone had thought of the weird names and costumes she saw on each cover. This was what comics were like? Dahlia thought that maybe she'd stick to movies. Though she did look like she'd fit right in in one of those books.

Dahlia blinked. She'd had one eye on the comics in front of her and another on the rest of the store when she heard the commotion coming out of the back of the store. What was a Professor Squidess? Briefly Dahlia pictured a squid with glasses and a pink bow standing in front of a college class. She giggled a little at the thought. They'd never run out of hands at least! One arm could hold a pointer for the board, another could run the laptop, and the rest could pass out papers! Soon enough the source of the noise came into view in the form of a tall guy in a weird outfit with a...rubber sword? Dahlia blinked both of her eyes and swiveled the one that had been looking at comics so that she was entirely focused on him and the rubber sword that was pointed at her.

He looked just as puzzled by her as she was by him and in a few places streaks of bright red shot through the blue and green. His shy greeting startled Dahlia and a smile sprung up as she waved at the weird dressed guy.

"Hi! Nice, uh, sword!"

Yup, it was a nice rubber sword that went with the odd outfit that was pointed at her. Dahlia couldn't help thinking that that sword might be fun to use in a prank but threw the idea away as quickly as she thought it. Pranks were no fun without other people to play them with!

Was Akshay…really staring at a large, bi-pedal chameleon? Why he lived in New York and knew that such things should never really surprise him, for whatever reason, this time it did. He didn’t know why. After all, he had seen superheroes, giant talking slugs, and his girlfriend was even a werewolf! There should be no big deal that he was suddenly meeting a walking chameleon that is interesting in comic books. It was that thought alone that made him calm down enough so that he could actually remove himself from the state of shock he was in.

Quickly he muttered an apology as he sheathed the “deadly” weapon. It was just simply rude to have a sword pointed at a complete stranger all day, especially a stranger like this.

>> "Hi! Nice, uh, sword!"

He smirked as he rubbed the back of his head. “Hehehe, thanks.”

Akshay was slowly returning back to his normal state of being, but eyeing the young chameleon that had had suddenly switched to another shade of color, and the wordsmith knew that, beyond the shadow of a doubt, this was no costume. This was really what the creature looked like. A mutant, maybe? Heh, it had to be! What could be the next possible reason for why she looked like that?

It is not like his world suddenly became “Planet of the Chameleon’s” or something, right?

But as he stood there, watching this young chameleon swirl its eyes towards him, he really could not help himself. The riot of colors on her person, the fact that he was staring at a talking, walking, bi-pedal chameleon, it all just suddenly became so apparently to him. Eyeing her scales, her colors, and her swiveling eyes, the wordsmith suddenly found himself speaking his words outloud…

“Woooow….you are so pretty…”

The guy put the dangerous weapon away and Dahlia canted her head to one side and smiled a little. She might have gotten away unscathed from the encounter if he had stopped staring and certainly if he hadn't spoken.

"P...pretty?!"

Dahlia's scales shifted to a bright red quicker than they ever had before. No one but her parents, sister, and other family had ever called her pretty! Certainly not after she'd turned into a lizard. Because she wasn't pretty at all. So whoever he was had to be mistaken. Very very mistaken. A few tiny wisps of a deep dark blue joined the brilliant red.

"Uhh...it's nice to meet you. I-I'm Dahlia."

Just ignore it and it would go away. Yup. Totally. Just like the stares and the fact that her parents didn't care anymore. It all went away if she ignored it and smiled. Though now that she thought about it he was kinda cute AND he thought she was pretty! Even as a monster!

"So, um, who are you supposed to be?"

Because that was a very silly outfit and Dahlia could have picked out something much better!

Akshay simply could not help it. Just standing here, looking at the chameleon that stood before him, he just didn’t know what to think! The colors, the patterns, they truly were a testament to the beauty that only nature itself could possess. He would never be able to recreate such art! Not with his color pencils, markers, or even his computer! He doubted those colors could ever truly simulate exactly what he was looking at this moment. It would simply tarnish the memory of what nature had done before his eyes.

>> "P...pretty?!"

He nodded enthusiastically…then marveled as her whole body shifted into a bright red. It was a shade of red he really had never thought existed in nature and yet it was incapable of being created outside of it. At that moment, Akshay felt true longing and disappointment. He could never be able to truly create the colors that this chameleon was giving him, but it was a memory he would covet and hold onto for the rest of his life.

>> "Uhh...it's nice to meet you. I-I'm Dahlia."

“Oh!” he beamed sweetly. “Sorry about that. That was rude of me.” he chuckled as he pulled off one of his gloves and offered his hand to shake hers. “My name is Akshay Malik. I work here.”

>> "So, um, who are you supposed to be?"

“Oh, heh, sorry again,” Akshay reached up and pulled off the mask that he was wearing. Once he was free of its confines, he ran his fingers through his hair and smiled his usual big smile. Akshay really did have the cutest dimples but he never liked to acknowledge it. Instead he just grinned at the chameleon before him. “I was just practicing for a skit. Sometimes, on his job, I need to perform and play a superhero.” He beamed and nodded to the comics around the store. “Are you looking for anything in particular? No one, and I mean no one, knows more about comics than me.”

Goodness there was no way she was turning anything but a brighter red anytime soon. He'd only nodded when she'd stammered but it was enough to keep that red going bright and strong. His name was Akshay apparently and he worked here. That made sense. It would have been really extra weird if he'd done that in a store he didn't work at!

"Oh, uh, nice to meet you Akshay. Oh but I said that already!"

If Dahlia didn't know she was a lizard she would have sworn she had wool for how sheepish she felt. Akshay was apologizing an awful lot. None of this was his fault! Gosh but he was nice to keep apologizing like that to a monster. And he had a cute smile too. Yup, still red.

"Skits? Like acting? That's cool!"

His next question made her all sheepish again though.

"Oh gosh! I'm sorry. I, uh, didn't exactly mean to come in here. It's the rain you see. I'm, well, cold-blooded and it was getting a little cold out there with the sun gone in and the rain too. So I sorta decided to duck in here. I'm really hope I'm not in your way! I'll leave if you want me to!"

Dahlia looked around the store as she tried to pretend she didn't exist.

"You know about all these comics? Really?"

There was a hint of awe in her voice. There were an awful lot of comics after all!

>> "Oh, uh, nice to meet you Akshay. Oh but I said that already! Skits? Like acting? That's cool!"

He had to chuckle. That color of red that she had shifted into seemed to just be turning redder and redder. He didn’t know why and was oblivious that it had anything to do with what he was saying. Maybe he should pick up a book of emotional colors? Maybe that will offer him a clue the meaning behind those different hues. But, until then, Akshay would just satisfy himself with marveling at the brilliant shades that the chameleon was able to possess.

It was a gift that actually made him a little jealous. To always have such a palate of color at one’s disposal seemed like something that would come in rather handy for an artist. Sadly, he was such with his own lame mutation that he always hated to show. Sometimes he really did wish he had a cool power like Dahlia’s, here.

But when the conversation shifted to business, Akshay tilted his head a little at the chameleon’s further apology…

>> "Oh gosh! I'm sorry. I, uh, didn't exactly mean to come in here. It's the rain you see. I'm, well, cold-blooded and it was getting a little cold out there with the sun gone in and the rain too. So I sorta decided to duck in here. I'm really hope I'm not in your way! I'll leave if you want me to! You know about all these comics? Really?"

Those…were a lot of words strung together. Apologies, mixed with explanations, mixed with wonder. The young wordsmith had to actually smirk a little as he regarded the young lizard mutant that looked about at the interior of the store.

“Yup, I know allllllll about them. I have to. Otherwise, what is the point of my job?” he chuckled. “But seriously, I do have to know everything about comics. We get a lot of customers, some new who want to learn, some old who just want to have someone to discuss with,” Akshay said with a shrug. “it’s a living.”

A glance to the storefront windows and indeed Akshay could see that it was pouring outside. No wonder she ran in! If she was cold-blooded, she would probably either be fast asleep right now or moving slower than molasses! He smiled warmly at the chameleon as he shook his head.

“Nah, you’re fine here. We usually don’t get many customers on rainy days like this,” Akshay said with a nod. “I could use the company. Especially such pretty company as yours.”

If Dahlia's eyes could do so they'd be growing comically large at this point. He knew all of these comics? That was amazing! Dahlia could barely remember two pages of a book at a stretch! Akshay was kinda awesome! Dahlia certainly wasn't going to turn any less red while she was in the store with him so...

Well what was there to do in a comic book store when you didn't read comics and the guy that worked there was cute and nice? And he kept complimenting her! Goodness she felt like she might burst into flames!

"Erm...I'm not pretty but thank you so much!" Dahlia's eyes darted around desperately for a subject to talk about other than her.

"Um, which comic do you like best? I, uh, I don't read them but I bet there are some really cool ones!"

Because a cool guy like Akshay wouldn't like them and work in a store that sold them if there weren't some cool comics right?

>> "Erm...I'm not pretty but thank you so much!"

Akshay had to smirk but he didn’t say anything further. It was obvious that this was an argument that he simply was no going to win, no matter how hard he tried. He really and truly did thing that the Dahlia was pretty. He loved the colors, the patterns, but he would be hard pressed to convince her of that. She had apparently made up her mind about certain aspects of her life, and that was entirely her own prerogative.

The wordsmith only smiled in a friendly manner as he listened to the pouring rain outside. It was definitely not a day fit for man, nor beast.

Quickly, though the conversation switched back to the comic shop and to how they could spend the time sitting out the storm.

>> "Um, which comic do you like best? I, uh, I don't read them but I bet there are some really cool ones!"

He smirked; a subject near and dear to his heart. It was all the urging he needed to change topics and speak about something that he was both excited about and that he could teach someone else on. He loved teaching new people about comics; it had to be one of his favorite past times.

“Hmm, I think I have a few in mind that could spark your interest,” he grinned. He then motioned for her to follow him. After only a second or two of browsing he managed to pull out a pair of comics that seemed to fit the bill for the evening. “Ah, these should be pretty good.”

He smirked as he turned around to face her. Suddenly he presented her with a pair of comics. The first one was titled, Dragon Chick and had a half-dragon, half-woman on the cover. She looked sleek and powerful and seemed to be a character that Akshay greatly respected. The other, though looked a little darker and had a warrior-like redhead on the cover. The title of this one was simply “Slaggathor”.

“These are excellent,” he nodded and showed them over. “Dragon Chick is especially badass because she is just an awesome character, with great powers, and a head for solving crimes.” He then nodded to the other. “And Slaggathor is my personal favorite because of her constantly fighting the forces of true evil. And also because, you know,” he said and then pretended to cough into his hand. “Iwroteanddrewit *cough cough*” he explained with a shy grin.

Thankfully he was willing to switch topics pretty easily. There was no way she could be pretty! Monsters weren't pretty at all and she was a monster. Even though there were a lot of titles on the shelves Akshay seemed to know exactly where the ones he was thinking of showing her was. That was pretty impressive! It made sense though because how could you work in a place that you didn't know well? Dahlia looked at the comics he showed her.
Both ladies were so obviously heroic in ways that Dahlia would never be. She couldn't help but admire them, though she liked the red headed woman better. She looked strong and human and Dahlia envied that.

Akshay told her about them both and Dahlia smiled a little. He really seemed to like these things. Maybe they'd be fun? Dahlia looked a little closer as he talked but stopped when he admitted to writing and drawing the Slaggathor comic.

"What?! You wrote and drew that?! That's awesome! She's so pretty! You must be really good at these comics!"

To be so talented at something...Dahlia was shocked. It was amazing! Now she wanted to read the comic and see the rest of it. But she didn't have any money and hadn't been stealing since she'd moved into the Sanctuary.

Akshay spoke of the comics that he felt were perfect for the pretty mutant. She was seemed enthralled by all of them and peered at them each with interest. When he actually got to his own comic though, Akshay, of course, talked it up! Like a proud father showing off his new child, Akshay displayed his comic joyfully.

When he finally revealed that he was actually the artist and writer behind the piece, though, he was nearly floored by the young woman’s reaction…

>> "What?! You wrote and drew that?! That's awesome! She's so pretty! You must be really good at these comics!"

He blushed and of course he chuckled. Though Akshay loved to talk up his own piece of work, he really was not expecting such a fan-girlish type response! She obviously had never read the comic before but she seemed so happy and shocked by the fact that she was standing there, talking to the very artist of the piece himself! It was definitely the type of reply that made the young comic writer blush and feel just a tad bit shy.

But just as quickly as the notion came to his mind, he wiped it away. He smiled, warmly as the young woman eyed the comic. He always loved to make new fans.

“Haha, well, I try,” he responded. “Maybe one of these days I’ll break into the big market, but for now, I really just do it for fun.” He then thought for a second as he smiled. He moved over to his counter, plopped the comic onto it and grabbed a felt tip pen from his pen cup. Quickly he scrawled out the signature “Akshay Malik”. Once it was dry, he returned to the young woman and handed it over to you. “Please, take it, as a gift. I hope that you’ll enjoy reading her as much as seeing her.”

He beamed, brightly. Akshay…such a nice guy.