{HHIX} We're sorry, skeletons, you're so misunderstood

Today was... weird.

Imagine waking up to a commotion outside, slumping out of bed and pulling yourself to the window with the slow screech of a chair dragged over for a little more visual leverage. That was what Zero was experiencing today; opening their bright orange eyes to crowds of finley in all sorts of shenanigans with skeletons no less! Some older folk were in lively tousles full of headlocks, weapon swings and splintering bones, others scrambling in fear at these capricious shambling masses of bones and magic no matter the age; the whole town was alight with skeletal havok this Hallowturne. It made its tail wag with excitement, they can't just not go out and investigate right? It's SKELETONS, its not every day you get to meet skeletons; let alone LIVE SKELETONS. Hurriedly fiddling with their window to see if it could open it just wide enough to shimmy out, thank the spirits their room was a ground floor one for the sanity of the adults, squeezing its fluffy little black and orange body through the gap and softly thudding to the floor with a disgruntled oof.

What Zero hadn't noticed was the hulking Ivory frame that watched their entire attempt with curious intent. Stepping out from behind another building as a gaggle of children bolted at the sight of it, seemingly nyulop-like in stature with an almighty crack running from the forehead through the eye socket. Gazing at the small astralit who just pushed itself up from the floor with a huff of determination; it didn't seem to show the same fear as its peers just did, especially not as they set their sights on a clash of iron and bone not too far from where it stood. Fascinated by the skeletons that rose up again and again just to trade blows with the older townsfolk, every time one was reduced to ancient rubble only led to more joining the fray in their wake. How were the people even able to keep up with such supernatural might, why did the skeletons look like they were enjoying it? What would happen if they edged its little orange paws closer, just ever so closer to the fight just to see-

Zero was yanked back by the scruff of their neck-fur.
Feeling bony fingers around each strand gently carrying it away from the ugliest part of that battle, leaving them confused as anything at just what dared to stop its fun? Flailing a little before being willingly dumped on the grass, giving an ample opportunity to gaze up at the very thing that grisped them like that... It was a skeleton? Kneeling down to the level of the darkly coloured astralit with a head tilt, bright orange eyes staring directly into dark hollow sockets lined with cracks and missing chips. Zero wasn't even mad at being man-handled like that, even when so close to the action, it was just so... in awe! A skeleton, a real skeleton, sat on its bony haunches with one hand to the floor and the other close to its chest; well rib-cage if you wanted to be anatomically accurate. What on earth did it want with them anyways?

"Hi?"

...Oh right, skeletons can't talk.

"A-Are you friendly?"
It gave a sort of wishy-washy gesture.
"...I'll take that as a yes? I mean you haven't really hurt me yet so..."

Bloody hell this was a lot more awkward than Zero was imaginating it to be. Looking all sorts of uncertain as the silence only grew, nothing makes you feel more stupid and anxious like the dead silence of an awkward conversation of course! Thats why they were oh-so-excited for a skeleton friend after all, most talks with other youths its age were... rough. All sorts of misunderstandings of social cues and expectations with a dollop of oversharing, something even skeletons don't understand evidently...

"...Sorry! I'm not really good at talking."
It just put its hand behind it's back...
"Y-You can just- I dunno... Leave if you're bored?"

All the skeleton seemed to do to respond to the now fidgeting child was gesturing for it to open their palms, pulling out a closed fist from behind itself as a lightly sugary scent lingered in the air. Zero just followed along out of nerves at this point, it had already evidently messed this up enough to warrant just playing along in hope of getting by dumbing down their less-wanted behaviours. Though it wasn't exactly expecting the thing that dropped into their small hands as the skeleton's tail wagged ever so slightly, it was a small pouch of sweets it seemingly pulled out of nowhere. Watching the astralit's eyes light up with a tail wag of their own, maybe even a giddly little tippy-tappy of its toes in the excitement of recieving sweets for fumbling an interaction! Why can't more awkward conversations result in stuff like this!?

They didn't even clock how it got up as if its work was done, leaving just to become another hustling corpse in the distance. Zero was simply too overjoyed by a treat from its newfound skeletal friend; best they come to terms with that later eh?