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bony child gets story

acorn count fixed as of 06/11-2023 due to effort bonus on previous challenge done as stated here: discord.com/channels/890778764…
20/654
tracker

3229 word
Pipbuck felt his fur bristle slightly as he felt a shaking shiver down his spine, slowly opening his eyes. Last he remembers he was walking alongside Tiny, then he felt a little off before things just kinda went dizzy and then black. As he came to his senses and his eyes opened clearly, he pushed himself off of the cold, old yet sterile tile floor beneath him. The tiles were an off white pinkish color before his vision cleared up fully, revealing themselves to look perhaps more like a desaturated magenta. Come to think of it, everything felt a little darker and... Red-ish, the walls even having a tan, almost bare skin color to them. He quickly noticed the walls were cracked, like they were ancient but still held up and he realized he was in a room by himself. It looked almost like a patient's room, maybe a little more old fashioned than the hospital in the grove, but still. It didn't take him long to notice and hurry to the door, finding the place rather unsettling, even more so not knowing how he got there. Heck, he hadn't even realized he wasn't in his costume anymore, even though the lack of red paint on his paws should have been rather obvious.

As he gets to the door he opens it carefully, barely even noticing his own ID number on it's outside. Looking outside the door there are empty halls and as he's about to leave his room, he hears the unmistakable sound of footsteps. large, terrifying footsteps. There seemed to be 3, then 2, then 1 set of footsteps coming closer and closer, yet he doesn't even see what's coming in his direction as he backs back into the room, away from the door as it closes and yet, when its about to click shut, it stops, and opens back up and a silhouette enters the room and stands in the door.

For a moment, Pipbuck felt a sigh of relief before he felt his phylakardia metaphorically drop. Who or what stood in the doorway, what he thought was his mother at first glance, was not her. The form was almost perfect, enough to fool at a glance and a distance, but not enough. The metal arm was replaced with bones covered in what he could only assume to be ether, like the folk in the grove he'd seen with the same thing on them and the face, oh god the face.
"Her" face seemed to have the right shape to it, yet the teeth if they even were teeth, jutted out and seemed to blend with her lips, creating more of an almost formless jagged mouth shape, not to mention the red miasma floating out of the same mouth, seemingly endlessly. And the eyes, there were two of them! Why were there two of them?! His mother only had one and none of them glowed the way they did.

Pipbuck didn't even hear what this 'thing' said to him as fear filled his head and his ears with nothing but panic and screams as he began to scramble around the room, trying to get out with the stranger taking up the doorway. He scrambled around widely before managing to back himself into the darkest corner of the room, fur bristling widely and his whole body shaking in absolute terror as this thing pretending to be his mom came closer. And then it stopped. It stopped and sat down a little distance away from him, keeping an eye on him and saying something to him he still couldn't hear, and there it stayed.

Neither of them moved for what felt like forever, Pipbuck bristling and shaking so much you'd think his fur would fall off and his bones would rattle and that thing, Just sitting there, waiting. It took him a while to realize that it really wasn't going to come any closer, that it wasn't going to try to get him, and only then did he begin to calm down a little. Had it been talking to him this whole time? He couldn't be sure, but now he could swear it was telling him, in a definitely deeper voice than the face it was coming from, that it wasn't going to hurt him, that it was here to help him, if he would only calm down so they could talk.

It took a little bit longer until Pipbuck calmed down enough, catching his breath properly and getting better control of his shivering body. His fur still bristling he could finally actually hear what the thing was saying.
"Can you hear me, little one? I promise that I mean no harm."
It took him a moment, but Pipbuck eventually, shakingly, nodded his head as a response.
"Good, good. It seems like you have calmed down quite a lot by now." The stranger spoke softly, the disconnect between the face and the voice still clear to the poor kit "I am so, so sorry for scaring you like this" The voice continued, sincerity mixing into their voice " I thought that i would scare you less by showing up to our appointment in a more familiar form. But it seems that i only managed to scare you more. Again, I apologize greatly for that. It was not my intention."
The stranger paused, allowing for the words to settle in for Pipbuck. That's not their actual form? What the hell kind of nightmare creature could it be if this wasn't their actual form? At the same time, Pipbuck was happy that this fake, terrifying version of his mother was not their actual form. His thoughts were interrupted when the stranger spoke again "I've noticed that you are still very scared regardless. Would you like for me to take on a smaller version of my regular form?" They quizzed him, giving him a moment to think before he slowly, but cautiously nodded.

The stranger replied with a knowing nod before starting to change form. Pipbuck wasn't sure what he was seeing as they were changing, but when they were done, their form looked like a skeleton dragon covered with what he could only assume might be translucent red skin, or red ether. The new form was maybe 8ft long, maybe a little longer as it curled up comfortably, keeping the respectful distance between them. "Is this better? I figured i should not use my full size, as it may scare you as well"
Pipbuck took a moment to look over this new, unfamiliar form, yet he felt himself relax more. He wasn't shaking much anymore, although the longer parts of his fur were still standing on end, probably owing to the unfamiliar environment and situation as well. He nodded cautiously in response.

"Perhaps now is a good time for introductions. We won't be able to get anywhere in this appointment until we do after all." The dragon spoke with a slight chipper in his voice, but there it was again, 'appointment', what was he talking about? Neither he, nor his mother had scheduled some kind of appointment in some run down hospital looking place.
"I am BLOODMONEY, although perhaps you have heard me referred to as 'Azalhai' among your fellow folk" The dragon spoke with a kind and courteous tone of voice the reminded him of how he'd heard his mother speak to sick and injured folk when she helped at the hospital.

I almost flew over his head, what the dragon said but when he realized it, his ears peaked faster than he had ever lifted them before, although they lowered a bit right after as he was still cautious. 'Azalhai', that was the name of the deep one related to the gravekeepers! To his own mothers profession! The profession he wanted to get into when he grew up! but... Why was he here, in this strange place, with azalhai himself? And why was he calling himself BLOODMONEY?
"w..w-w-wh-why a-are you..? W-where..? H-how..?" Finally, Pipbuck managed to say words after who knows how long he had been here. "Of course, I'll happily answer any questions you have, but perhaps we can start with your name? It would be helpful to know my patient's name"

The kit hesitated for a bit, sitting more upright as more of his fur rested from its bristling. If this really was Azalhai, regardless of what he called himself, then he wasn't in any danger here, right?
"Pi.... Pipb-buck..." He answered with a slightly shaky, uncertain voice "M-my name.. Is Pipbuck"
BLOODMONEY spoke up with a delighted chirp to his voice "Welcome! It's so nice to meet you, Pipbuck.'' The minor progress in conversation seemed to delight the dragon, but given the last while, that wasn't much of a surprise.
"Now, i know this is all very confusing and you must have a lot of questions, but everything in due time, let's take it all a little bit at a time" BLOODMONEY spoke with care and almost clinical kindness, making sure to not show any kind of threat towards the kit. "You are here because you need to be here. Why that is, is what im here to help you find out, ok?"
Pipbuck looked at him with a puzzled expression, why would he need to be in a place like this? He was doing fine, right? He wasn't injured or anything and last he remembers, he was trick or treating with Tiny.

"Perhaps we could start with telling me a bit about yourself?" The dragon asked quizzically, yet getting nothing but a stare from the kit. "Not much of a talker huh? That's alright. Perhaps we could talk about something else" BLOODMONEY took a moment to think and make sure Pipbuck was up to speed "You are still young, perhaps we could talk about what you aspire to be when you grow up? If you have even thought about it yet, that is of course" Pipbuck looked at him just as quizzically at that suggestion, but instead of being just as standoff-ish as with the first suggestion, he turned and tilted his head a bit, thinking it over. It couldn't hurt to tell Azalhai himself that he wanted to be a gravekeeper like his mother, right? He's with them after all and even if he didn't say it now, he'd find out when Pipbuck joined the gravekeeper when he grew up "I... I want to be a gravekeeper... When. When i grow up. Like mom..."

Pipbuck could swear that if BLOODMONEY had ears in this form, they would have peaked up at his answer "what an excellent aspiration, although i hope that you understand it won't be all about fighting predators. I know that seems exciting, but it is only part of it." BLOODMONEY added with some seriousness in his voice.
"I know.. Mom compares them to a.. Mix of things from where she's from" Pipbuck responded, a bit cautious at the tone change, but understanding. "She says they're a bit of.. uh.. Guards, Graveyard keepers and Morgue workers? She says I'll understand more when I grow up, but... I don't think she's told me everything."
"Of course, that is understandable." BLOODMONEY chuffed "You are still a kit, you need not worry yet. You'll learn in time."

The words felt oddly comforting to the kit and yet, his mood shifted a bit, feeling a little down. How could he become a gravekeeper? Surely they needed to be brave and not just walk away from problems, right? His subdued mood was rather easily noticed, no doubt from body language as opposed to his expressionless, cranium face.
"What is the matter, little one?" BLOODMONEY asked concerned "What is on your mind? I promise i won't tell a soul."
Pipbuck hesitated a bit before shuffling his feet slightly, his skull tipped tail curling around his feet. "Aren't gravekeepers supposed to be brave? Like aren't they supposed to face not just predators but.. other folk?"
"Well sure, they do need to be able to handle other folk, especially during certain difficult times" BLOODMONEY nodded in acknowledgement "But some gravekeepers do like to keep to themselves for the most part. But perhaps that is not what you meant?" the dragon raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for an answer from the kit.

And he hesitated. Pipbuck knew that he should be better at these things, at interacting with others and all that, but he almost didn't want to say it. As if saying it made it more real, less able to ignore them. "Do... Does having like... One friend, walking away from conflict, answer that question" He asked, his head tilted down as if to try and avoid eye contact.
There was a pause, the silence filling the room before BLOODMONEY broke said silence "I understand. It does not come easy to everyone and sometimes it just feels easier to walk away than to stand up to other" He said softly, lightly nodding his head "You may need to become better at standing up to others if you wish to become a gravekeeper one day."
Pipbuck sighed, looking at his paws. He knew this, but he kinda wished it hadn't been like that. He wished he'd just be like his mother, completely fearless and what felt like unstoppable, but he wasn't. He wasn't his mother, and he probably could never be.

"Do you remember how I said that I am here to help you?" Pipbuck looked up at the question "Yeah...?"
"I can help you become better at those things. I will gladly teach you and help you improve as the folk your are." His words made Pipbuck raise his head up some more, looking more directly at the dragon before him. "But I cannot help you, if you won't let me, so i have just one question for you to answer for now." BLOODMONEY spoke "You need only to say yes. you don't have to shake my hand or come any closer to me if you don't want to right now, so" Pipbuck peaked his ears a bit, expectantly at the waiting question. He wasn't sure how many times he had heard it, but his mother always made sure that he knew always and ever that, its ok to ask for help and it is ok to accept help. That no one can do everything on their own and that was ok. Was Azalhai really telling him, right here and now, that he was willing to help him, a random kit?

"Pipbuck, will you let me help you? Help you become a better you? Better at making the friends you want and better at standing up for yourself and others, regardless of who it is?" BLOODMONEY reached out his hand, not expecting the kit wanting to shake it, but leaving it there in chase the kit wanted to also shake on it. Pipbuck looked at him with some suspicion "....What do you get out of this?" he asked cautiously. Not many with such potential power would offer something without wanting something in return, right?
"Ah of course, a reasonable question" BLOODMONEY nodded, acknowledging the kits suspicion "Hopefully a confident, and perhaps strong, gravekeeper in the future. One that will work to help me to help the folk around him too."
The answer actually felt pretty good and reasonable to the kit, yet he hesitated a bit. Even though he made no to reach out his paw, he looked at the dragon before him and spoke "Y-yeah. Sure! I'll... I'll accept your help."

Was that a smile that crept across BLOODMONEY's face? He wasn't sure, the face wasn't much more than a cranium afterall, kinda like his own. "Now perhaps we should end this appointment for now. You have been here for a while and I'm sure some folk are getting concerned." His words reminded Pipbuck that he wasn't actually in a familiar place, he still didn't know where he even was but he didn't get to think too much on it before BLOODMONEY spoke again "For now, i think, recommend even, that you go talk with Alice when the gravekeepers return from their hunt. I'm sure that she would love to tell a future gravekeeper more about the vocation. And before you go-" He pulled his hand back, making some kind of gesture for a brief moment before reaching it back towards the kit again, a flower now in it. "Could you give this to her, when you go talk with her of course?"
Pipbuck looked at the flower. He's not quite sure but he thinks its one he had heard being called a 'marigold' "You can tell her it's from me, Azalhai" BLOODMONEY added, waiting for the kit to take it. A small gift for someone, sure! he can do that. Gifts always meant a lot to him, even if it wasn't one for himself. For once Pipbuck reached out to the red, bony hand and carefully took the flower, holding its gently in his own.

Suddenly, as he pulled his hand and the flower back to himself, he felt his vision seem to go dark and as he did, he heard BLOODMONEY's voice one last time. "I request that you don't tell anyone that I am BLOODMONEY. it will only.. confuse them. I am Azalhai, and that is enough for them"
Then he abruptly woke up. He looked around as he breathed quickly, his breath calming down as he looked around, recognising that he was in a bed in the den. He must have been carried here, no way he got here on his own. He almost didn't register that there was a flower in his hands, a marigold. The same marigold that he had been given moments before. So this whole strange thing... It was real? But then.. What did that mean to him now?
He took a look around again, noticing a different flower in one of the sockets of his tail skull. He wasn't sure which flower it was, how odd. Then it finally hit him, he wasn't alone in the bed! He looked to his side, recognising the kit sleeping by his side, Tiny.
He realized Tiny must have stayed with him, however long he was gone and he almost didn't think too much of it before he softly nuzzled the other kit's head, making sure to not wake him. He felt great relief knowing he was never actually alone, even wherever he had been and with that relief he decided to sleep some more, actually sleep. He set the marigold and the other flower on the bedside table so he wouldn't crush them before curling up more comfortably, resting his head right next to his friend's.

Once the gravekeepers were back from the wyld hunt and everything seemed to calm down, he'd go ask his mom to help him find Alice so he could talk with her, although something told him to have that talk with her alone. He was sure his mother would trust him that everything would be fine. Could he really be a good gravekeeper one day? Guess time will tell. Atleast, he guessed, he had Azalhai in his corner about that. Maybe if they got a nap, they could get a little more trick or treating in, before the hoot was over.
Yeah. That would be really fun!

Description
bony child gets story

acorn count fixed as of 06/11-2023 due to effort bonus on previous challenge done as stated here: discord.com/channels/890778764…
20/654
tracker

3229 word
Pipbuck felt his fur bristle slightly as he felt a shaking shiver down his spine, slowly opening his eyes. Last he remembers he was walking alongside Tiny, then he felt a little off before things just kinda went dizzy and then black. As he came to his senses and his eyes opened clearly, he pushed himself off of the cold, old yet sterile tile floor beneath him. The tiles were an off white pinkish color before his vision cleared up fully, revealing themselves to look perhaps more like a desaturated magenta. Come to think of it, everything felt a little darker and... Red-ish, the walls even having a tan, almost bare skin color to them. He quickly noticed the walls were cracked, like they were ancient but still held up and he realized he was in a room by himself. It looked almost like a patient's room, maybe a little more old fashioned than the hospital in the grove, but still. It didn't take him long to notice and hurry to the door, finding the place rather unsettling, even more so not knowing how he got there. Heck, he hadn't even realized he wasn't in his costume anymore, even though the lack of red paint on his paws should have been rather obvious.

As he gets to the door he opens it carefully, barely even noticing his own ID number on it's outside. Looking outside the door there are empty halls and as he's about to leave his room, he hears the unmistakable sound of footsteps. large, terrifying footsteps. There seemed to be 3, then 2, then 1 set of footsteps coming closer and closer, yet he doesn't even see what's coming in his direction as he backs back into the room, away from the door as it closes and yet, when its about to click shut, it stops, and opens back up and a silhouette enters the room and stands in the door.

For a moment, Pipbuck felt a sigh of relief before he felt his phylakardia metaphorically drop. Who or what stood in the doorway, what he thought was his mother at first glance, was not her. The form was almost perfect, enough to fool at a glance and a distance, but not enough. The metal arm was replaced with bones covered in what he could only assume to be ether, like the folk in the grove he'd seen with the same thing on them and the face, oh god the face.
"Her" face seemed to have the right shape to it, yet the teeth if they even were teeth, jutted out and seemed to blend with her lips, creating more of an almost formless jagged mouth shape, not to mention the red miasma floating out of the same mouth, seemingly endlessly. And the eyes, there were two of them! Why were there two of them?! His mother only had one and none of them glowed the way they did.

Pipbuck didn't even hear what this 'thing' said to him as fear filled his head and his ears with nothing but panic and screams as he began to scramble around the room, trying to get out with the stranger taking up the doorway. He scrambled around widely before managing to back himself into the darkest corner of the room, fur bristling widely and his whole body shaking in absolute terror as this thing pretending to be his mom came closer. And then it stopped. It stopped and sat down a little distance away from him, keeping an eye on him and saying something to him he still couldn't hear, and there it stayed.

Neither of them moved for what felt like forever, Pipbuck bristling and shaking so much you'd think his fur would fall off and his bones would rattle and that thing, Just sitting there, waiting. It took him a while to realize that it really wasn't going to come any closer, that it wasn't going to try to get him, and only then did he begin to calm down a little. Had it been talking to him this whole time? He couldn't be sure, but now he could swear it was telling him, in a definitely deeper voice than the face it was coming from, that it wasn't going to hurt him, that it was here to help him, if he would only calm down so they could talk.

It took a little bit longer until Pipbuck calmed down enough, catching his breath properly and getting better control of his shivering body. His fur still bristling he could finally actually hear what the thing was saying.
"Can you hear me, little one? I promise that I mean no harm."
It took him a moment, but Pipbuck eventually, shakingly, nodded his head as a response.
"Good, good. It seems like you have calmed down quite a lot by now." The stranger spoke softly, the disconnect between the face and the voice still clear to the poor kit "I am so, so sorry for scaring you like this" The voice continued, sincerity mixing into their voice " I thought that i would scare you less by showing up to our appointment in a more familiar form. But it seems that i only managed to scare you more. Again, I apologize greatly for that. It was not my intention."
The stranger paused, allowing for the words to settle in for Pipbuck. That's not their actual form? What the hell kind of nightmare creature could it be if this wasn't their actual form? At the same time, Pipbuck was happy that this fake, terrifying version of his mother was not their actual form. His thoughts were interrupted when the stranger spoke again "I've noticed that you are still very scared regardless. Would you like for me to take on a smaller version of my regular form?" They quizzed him, giving him a moment to think before he slowly, but cautiously nodded.

The stranger replied with a knowing nod before starting to change form. Pipbuck wasn't sure what he was seeing as they were changing, but when they were done, their form looked like a skeleton dragon covered with what he could only assume might be translucent red skin, or red ether. The new form was maybe 8ft long, maybe a little longer as it curled up comfortably, keeping the respectful distance between them. "Is this better? I figured i should not use my full size, as it may scare you as well"
Pipbuck took a moment to look over this new, unfamiliar form, yet he felt himself relax more. He wasn't shaking much anymore, although the longer parts of his fur were still standing on end, probably owing to the unfamiliar environment and situation as well. He nodded cautiously in response.

"Perhaps now is a good time for introductions. We won't be able to get anywhere in this appointment until we do after all." The dragon spoke with a slight chipper in his voice, but there it was again, 'appointment', what was he talking about? Neither he, nor his mother had scheduled some kind of appointment in some run down hospital looking place.
"I am BLOODMONEY, although perhaps you have heard me referred to as 'Azalhai' among your fellow folk" The dragon spoke with a kind and courteous tone of voice the reminded him of how he'd heard his mother speak to sick and injured folk when she helped at the hospital.

I almost flew over his head, what the dragon said but when he realized it, his ears peaked faster than he had ever lifted them before, although they lowered a bit right after as he was still cautious. 'Azalhai', that was the name of the deep one related to the gravekeepers! To his own mothers profession! The profession he wanted to get into when he grew up! but... Why was he here, in this strange place, with azalhai himself? And why was he calling himself BLOODMONEY?
"w..w-w-wh-why a-are you..? W-where..? H-how..?" Finally, Pipbuck managed to say words after who knows how long he had been here. "Of course, I'll happily answer any questions you have, but perhaps we can start with your name? It would be helpful to know my patient's name"

The kit hesitated for a bit, sitting more upright as more of his fur rested from its bristling. If this really was Azalhai, regardless of what he called himself, then he wasn't in any danger here, right?
"Pi.... Pipb-buck..." He answered with a slightly shaky, uncertain voice "M-my name.. Is Pipbuck"
BLOODMONEY spoke up with a delighted chirp to his voice "Welcome! It's so nice to meet you, Pipbuck.'' The minor progress in conversation seemed to delight the dragon, but given the last while, that wasn't much of a surprise.
"Now, i know this is all very confusing and you must have a lot of questions, but everything in due time, let's take it all a little bit at a time" BLOODMONEY spoke with care and almost clinical kindness, making sure to not show any kind of threat towards the kit. "You are here because you need to be here. Why that is, is what im here to help you find out, ok?"
Pipbuck looked at him with a puzzled expression, why would he need to be in a place like this? He was doing fine, right? He wasn't injured or anything and last he remembers, he was trick or treating with Tiny.

"Perhaps we could start with telling me a bit about yourself?" The dragon asked quizzically, yet getting nothing but a stare from the kit. "Not much of a talker huh? That's alright. Perhaps we could talk about something else" BLOODMONEY took a moment to think and make sure Pipbuck was up to speed "You are still young, perhaps we could talk about what you aspire to be when you grow up? If you have even thought about it yet, that is of course" Pipbuck looked at him just as quizzically at that suggestion, but instead of being just as standoff-ish as with the first suggestion, he turned and tilted his head a bit, thinking it over. It couldn't hurt to tell Azalhai himself that he wanted to be a gravekeeper like his mother, right? He's with them after all and even if he didn't say it now, he'd find out when Pipbuck joined the gravekeeper when he grew up "I... I want to be a gravekeeper... When. When i grow up. Like mom..."

Pipbuck could swear that if BLOODMONEY had ears in this form, they would have peaked up at his answer "what an excellent aspiration, although i hope that you understand it won't be all about fighting predators. I know that seems exciting, but it is only part of it." BLOODMONEY added with some seriousness in his voice.
"I know.. Mom compares them to a.. Mix of things from where she's from" Pipbuck responded, a bit cautious at the tone change, but understanding. "She says they're a bit of.. uh.. Guards, Graveyard keepers and Morgue workers? She says I'll understand more when I grow up, but... I don't think she's told me everything."
"Of course, that is understandable." BLOODMONEY chuffed "You are still a kit, you need not worry yet. You'll learn in time."

The words felt oddly comforting to the kit and yet, his mood shifted a bit, feeling a little down. How could he become a gravekeeper? Surely they needed to be brave and not just walk away from problems, right? His subdued mood was rather easily noticed, no doubt from body language as opposed to his expressionless, cranium face.
"What is the matter, little one?" BLOODMONEY asked concerned "What is on your mind? I promise i won't tell a soul."
Pipbuck hesitated a bit before shuffling his feet slightly, his skull tipped tail curling around his feet. "Aren't gravekeepers supposed to be brave? Like aren't they supposed to face not just predators but.. other folk?"
"Well sure, they do need to be able to handle other folk, especially during certain difficult times" BLOODMONEY nodded in acknowledgement "But some gravekeepers do like to keep to themselves for the most part. But perhaps that is not what you meant?" the dragon raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for an answer from the kit.

And he hesitated. Pipbuck knew that he should be better at these things, at interacting with others and all that, but he almost didn't want to say it. As if saying it made it more real, less able to ignore them. "Do... Does having like... One friend, walking away from conflict, answer that question" He asked, his head tilted down as if to try and avoid eye contact.
There was a pause, the silence filling the room before BLOODMONEY broke said silence "I understand. It does not come easy to everyone and sometimes it just feels easier to walk away than to stand up to other" He said softly, lightly nodding his head "You may need to become better at standing up to others if you wish to become a gravekeeper one day."
Pipbuck sighed, looking at his paws. He knew this, but he kinda wished it hadn't been like that. He wished he'd just be like his mother, completely fearless and what felt like unstoppable, but he wasn't. He wasn't his mother, and he probably could never be.

"Do you remember how I said that I am here to help you?" Pipbuck looked up at the question "Yeah...?"
"I can help you become better at those things. I will gladly teach you and help you improve as the folk your are." His words made Pipbuck raise his head up some more, looking more directly at the dragon before him. "But I cannot help you, if you won't let me, so i have just one question for you to answer for now." BLOODMONEY spoke "You need only to say yes. you don't have to shake my hand or come any closer to me if you don't want to right now, so" Pipbuck peaked his ears a bit, expectantly at the waiting question. He wasn't sure how many times he had heard it, but his mother always made sure that he knew always and ever that, its ok to ask for help and it is ok to accept help. That no one can do everything on their own and that was ok. Was Azalhai really telling him, right here and now, that he was willing to help him, a random kit?

"Pipbuck, will you let me help you? Help you become a better you? Better at making the friends you want and better at standing up for yourself and others, regardless of who it is?" BLOODMONEY reached out his hand, not expecting the kit wanting to shake it, but leaving it there in chase the kit wanted to also shake on it. Pipbuck looked at him with some suspicion "....What do you get out of this?" he asked cautiously. Not many with such potential power would offer something without wanting something in return, right?
"Ah of course, a reasonable question" BLOODMONEY nodded, acknowledging the kits suspicion "Hopefully a confident, and perhaps strong, gravekeeper in the future. One that will work to help me to help the folk around him too."
The answer actually felt pretty good and reasonable to the kit, yet he hesitated a bit. Even though he made no to reach out his paw, he looked at the dragon before him and spoke "Y-yeah. Sure! I'll... I'll accept your help."

Was that a smile that crept across BLOODMONEY's face? He wasn't sure, the face wasn't much more than a cranium afterall, kinda like his own. "Now perhaps we should end this appointment for now. You have been here for a while and I'm sure some folk are getting concerned." His words reminded Pipbuck that he wasn't actually in a familiar place, he still didn't know where he even was but he didn't get to think too much on it before BLOODMONEY spoke again "For now, i think, recommend even, that you go talk with Alice when the gravekeepers return from their hunt. I'm sure that she would love to tell a future gravekeeper more about the vocation. And before you go-" He pulled his hand back, making some kind of gesture for a brief moment before reaching it back towards the kit again, a flower now in it. "Could you give this to her, when you go talk with her of course?"
Pipbuck looked at the flower. He's not quite sure but he thinks its one he had heard being called a 'marigold' "You can tell her it's from me, Azalhai" BLOODMONEY added, waiting for the kit to take it. A small gift for someone, sure! he can do that. Gifts always meant a lot to him, even if it wasn't one for himself. For once Pipbuck reached out to the red, bony hand and carefully took the flower, holding its gently in his own.

Suddenly, as he pulled his hand and the flower back to himself, he felt his vision seem to go dark and as he did, he heard BLOODMONEY's voice one last time. "I request that you don't tell anyone that I am BLOODMONEY. it will only.. confuse them. I am Azalhai, and that is enough for them"
Then he abruptly woke up. He looked around as he breathed quickly, his breath calming down as he looked around, recognising that he was in a bed in the den. He must have been carried here, no way he got here on his own. He almost didn't register that there was a flower in his hands, a marigold. The same marigold that he had been given moments before. So this whole strange thing... It was real? But then.. What did that mean to him now?
He took a look around again, noticing a different flower in one of the sockets of his tail skull. He wasn't sure which flower it was, how odd. Then it finally hit him, he wasn't alone in the bed! He looked to his side, recognising the kit sleeping by his side, Tiny.
He realized Tiny must have stayed with him, however long he was gone and he almost didn't think too much of it before he softly nuzzled the other kit's head, making sure to not wake him. He felt great relief knowing he was never actually alone, even wherever he had been and with that relief he decided to sleep some more, actually sleep. He set the marigold and the other flower on the bedside table so he wouldn't crush them before curling up more comfortably, resting his head right next to his friend's.

Once the gravekeepers were back from the wyld hunt and everything seemed to calm down, he'd go ask his mom to help him find Alice so he could talk with her, although something told him to have that talk with her alone. He was sure his mother would trust him that everything would be fine. Could he really be a good gravekeeper one day? Guess time will tell. Atleast, he guessed, he had Azalhai in his corner about that. Maybe if they got a nap, they could get a little more trick or treating in, before the hoot was over.
Yeah. That would be really fun!