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Description
“So, a skeleton?” Calvin asked. The group of boys, which seemed to be steadily growing, had settled down on the chalky floors of Felix’s room. The candles that Felix had lit cast an ominous glow across the cluster. Tailia, who had been staring determinedly at a speck of dirt on the floorboards, snapped his head up to look at the human.
“You seem fixated on that. Why?” Tailia asked, his voice accusatory. Calvin flushed and stammered, twitching his hands against his thighs.
“Oh jeez, I don’t mean any harm by it, it’s just neat! I guess I’m just curious because you look like a human skeleton, but wouldn’t that make you a human? Did you die? Were you ever a human before?” Calvin snapped his mouth shut before he could talk any more. Tailia simply stared at him blankly for a moment, his eyes flickering like the flames dancing on wicks.
“I was never a human, I was born like this. I have skeleton parents, and skeleton grandparents. I guess we’ve just always been skeletons.” Calvin let out a small ‘ooo’ at this, his eyes widening in wonderment.
“That’s pretty neat. I don’t know much about skeletons, they’re sort of rare in Hallows town.” Felix said, biting his lip. Calvin turned to him.
“They’re rare here? Why? What happened to make skeletons rare? Oh, wait,” He turned back to face Tailia. “How do skeletons reproduce?”
“CALVIN!” Rory whisper-shouted, his face red, and his fangs glaring. Calvin snapped his mouth shut quickly and pulled the collar of his cotton tee up over his nose. Felix glared at Rory for snapping and turned back to Calvin.
“I’m not sure if you know this, but askin’ about reproduction habits directly after meeting someone usually isn’t the best manners.” Felix said, stifling laughter. Calvin pouted at him from behind his shirt and swatted at his arm.
“Shut up! I’m trying my best. I can’t help that I’m curious!” He said indignantly. Felix laughed, snorting a little through his upturned nose.
“Alright weirdo.” He said, shoving Calvin softly.

Hours passed, filled mostly with whispered conversations, and the generous snoring of Calvin once he passed out around midnight atop Felix’s dirt caked sheets. Felix was sat near the bed, his back pressed against the twisted frame, with one of his dark, clawed hands grasping Calvin’s. His eyes were tired, the red glow of his iris were dim, and every so often he’d rub along the bridge of his puggish nose to keep himself awake. His tail swished against the dusty floorboards, and his claws scratched against the oak when he stretched his toes. Rory, on the other hand, was wide awake, sitting with crossed haunches and a twitching tail, green eyes focused on Tailia. His ears tilted forward in the throes of conversation. The high, pale cheekbones along Tailia’s skull flushed a fae-ish purple.
Felix yawned, his eyelids drooping.
“Tailia, Rory, I think I’m gonna head to bed.”
“That’s nice, dimwit.”
“Don’t do anything stupid in my room.” Felix grumbled, clambering heavily onto the sheets and tucking his arm around Calvin’s thin sleeping form. Rory glanced at the two nine year olds, thumping one of his hooves against the ground absentmindedly.
“...What do you mean by something stupid?” He asked in a whisper. Felix raised his head up, squinting down at the saytar.
“I dunno! Making out or something gross.” At this, Rory squawked indignantly and raised his ears to the sky.
“Making out?!” He whisper-shouted. Felix shrugged, and buried his face down into the back of Calvin’s neck. Rory was about to retaliate when Tailia snorted, his eyes going dark and his jaw stretching into a toothy grin. Rory laughed nervously, eyes darting around the room.
“So. Rory. Why’re you staying with these two freaks?” Tailia laughed, shrugging a shoulder towards the two boys cuddling on the bed. Rory furrowed his brow.
“Because I’m basically homeless without it?”
“Ah. That’d do it, huh? I don’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay, I don’t think anyone is more capable of prying than Calvin.” Rory said with a grin. Tailia giggled, and Rory could feel his face go red hot.
“You’re pretty funny for a saytar. I’ve always heard they’re kinda stern.”
“That’s funny, because you’re a lot braver for a skeleton than I expected. I always heard they were kinda spineless.” Tailia laughed heartily at this, before lifting the baggy shirt from around his waist and tapping at the strip of bone along his back.
“That’s what you think!” He said with a snort. Rory giggled, but he could feel himself flushing further. What a night this was gonna be, he thought grimly.

Description
“So, a skeleton?” Calvin asked. The group of boys, which seemed to be steadily growing, had settled down on the chalky floors of Felix’s room. The candles that Felix had lit cast an ominous glow across the cluster. Tailia, who had been staring determinedly at a speck of dirt on the floorboards, snapped his head up to look at the human.
“You seem fixated on that. Why?” Tailia asked, his voice accusatory. Calvin flushed and stammered, twitching his hands against his thighs.
“Oh jeez, I don’t mean any harm by it, it’s just neat! I guess I’m just curious because you look like a human skeleton, but wouldn’t that make you a human? Did you die? Were you ever a human before?” Calvin snapped his mouth shut before he could talk any more. Tailia simply stared at him blankly for a moment, his eyes flickering like the flames dancing on wicks.
“I was never a human, I was born like this. I have skeleton parents, and skeleton grandparents. I guess we’ve just always been skeletons.” Calvin let out a small ‘ooo’ at this, his eyes widening in wonderment.
“That’s pretty neat. I don’t know much about skeletons, they’re sort of rare in Hallows town.” Felix said, biting his lip. Calvin turned to him.
“They’re rare here? Why? What happened to make skeletons rare? Oh, wait,” He turned back to face Tailia. “How do skeletons reproduce?”
“CALVIN!” Rory whisper-shouted, his face red, and his fangs glaring. Calvin snapped his mouth shut quickly and pulled the collar of his cotton tee up over his nose. Felix glared at Rory for snapping and turned back to Calvin.
“I’m not sure if you know this, but askin’ about reproduction habits directly after meeting someone usually isn’t the best manners.” Felix said, stifling laughter. Calvin pouted at him from behind his shirt and swatted at his arm.
“Shut up! I’m trying my best. I can’t help that I’m curious!” He said indignantly. Felix laughed, snorting a little through his upturned nose.
“Alright weirdo.” He said, shoving Calvin softly.

Hours passed, filled mostly with whispered conversations, and the generous snoring of Calvin once he passed out around midnight atop Felix’s dirt caked sheets. Felix was sat near the bed, his back pressed against the twisted frame, with one of his dark, clawed hands grasping Calvin’s. His eyes were tired, the red glow of his iris were dim, and every so often he’d rub along the bridge of his puggish nose to keep himself awake. His tail swished against the dusty floorboards, and his claws scratched against the oak when he stretched his toes. Rory, on the other hand, was wide awake, sitting with crossed haunches and a twitching tail, green eyes focused on Tailia. His ears tilted forward in the throes of conversation. The high, pale cheekbones along Tailia’s skull flushed a fae-ish purple.
Felix yawned, his eyelids drooping.
“Tailia, Rory, I think I’m gonna head to bed.”
“That’s nice, dimwit.”
“Don’t do anything stupid in my room.” Felix grumbled, clambering heavily onto the sheets and tucking his arm around Calvin’s thin sleeping form. Rory glanced at the two nine year olds, thumping one of his hooves against the ground absentmindedly.
“...What do you mean by something stupid?” He asked in a whisper. Felix raised his head up, squinting down at the saytar.
“I dunno! Making out or something gross.” At this, Rory squawked indignantly and raised his ears to the sky.
“Making out?!” He whisper-shouted. Felix shrugged, and buried his face down into the back of Calvin’s neck. Rory was about to retaliate when Tailia snorted, his eyes going dark and his jaw stretching into a toothy grin. Rory laughed nervously, eyes darting around the room.
“So. Rory. Why’re you staying with these two freaks?” Tailia laughed, shrugging a shoulder towards the two boys cuddling on the bed. Rory furrowed his brow.
“Because I’m basically homeless without it?”
“Ah. That’d do it, huh? I don’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay, I don’t think anyone is more capable of prying than Calvin.” Rory said with a grin. Tailia giggled, and Rory could feel his face go red hot.
“You’re pretty funny for a saytar. I’ve always heard they’re kinda stern.”
“That’s funny, because you’re a lot braver for a skeleton than I expected. I always heard they were kinda spineless.” Tailia laughed heartily at this, before lifting the baggy shirt from around his waist and tapping at the strip of bone along his back.
“That’s what you think!” He said with a snort. Rory giggled, but he could feel himself flushing further. What a night this was gonna be, he thought grimly.