The Crystal Shelter buzzed gently with the soft sounds of the UvoSath Forest nearby. Skadicritt, the fluffy pink Merecritt with her starlight-speckled fur, was bouncing around the glades area, her mismatched eyes sparkling with curiosity. Meanwhile, Gilbud was lounging comfortably by the entrance of a miniature den he'd been working on while waiting for KiAera to wake up.

  "Yo, pink fluffball! You're turning our cozy spot into a trampoline!" he said, glancing down as he poked at the freshly dug soil with his trunk.

  Skadicritt paused mid-bounce and tilted her head, her ears perked up. "Bouncing is fun! Why aren't you bouncing? Don't you like bouncing?"

  Gilbud chuckled, tapping his trunk thoughtfully against the ground. "Yo, not really. Plelepuns don't bounce; we dig, y'know? Check out this masterpiece!" He gestured proudly at the tunnel he had crafted. "This is how we do it."

  Skadicritt crept closer, her eyes wide with excitement as she peered into the tunnel. "Wow! It's like a secret hideout! Can I go inside?"

  Gilbud feigned outrage, pretending to be serious. "Yo no way, fluffball! This isn't for hopping around. It's serious Plelepun architecture. You don't mess with the tunnel system!"

  She pouted, her ears drooping a bit. "But it's so cool. You're so cool! Plelepuns must be amazing at making homes. Merecritts just… run and pounce." Then she perked up, bouncing on her paws. "But hey, at least I sparkle!"

  Gilbud snorted. "Yo, I noticed. It's like you rolled through a star field. Can't lie, it's kinda nice. But you know, it's not all about flash, yo. You gotta have some substance too, like, uh… structural integrity!" He tapped the den proudly again. "This thing could hold up a whole crew, yo."

  Skadicritt's nose twitched as she leaned closer. "What's 'integrity'? Is it like being sparkly on the inside? My papa mentioned something similar to me!"

  Gilbud paused, scratching his head with his trunk. "Yo, that's… not too far off, I guess? It's about being strong and reliable. Like, no matter what happens, this den won't cave in. Same with monsters, yo. Gotta be someone your crew can count on."

  Skadicritt blinked, her gaze softening as she absorbed the words. "So… you're like a den for everyone? A place where they can feel safe?"

  Gilbud hesitated, caught off guard by the insight. "Yo, I mean… yeah, kinda like that. Guess you're smarter than you look, fluffball."

  Skadicritt giggled, hopping in place again. "Then I want to be like a den too! A sparkly den! I'll make everyone feel safe and happy. Just like KiAera does!"

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  Gilbud's trunk drooped slightly. "Yo, that's not a bad goal. But you gotta start small, you know, yo? Maybe stop bouncing all over my tunnels for a start."

  Skadicritt gasped dramatically, putting a paw to her chest. "I would never! I respect your tunnel!" She paused, then grinned mischievously. "But if you ever need someone to make it sparkly… you know who to call!"

  Gilbud groaned, but turned away with a snicker. "Yo, you're something else. Just don't go making my den look like the night sky, all right?"

  Skadicritt beamed. "Deal!"

  ??. .????. .????. .??

  The Crystal Shelter's common area buzzed with quiet energy as KiAera's companions went about their business. Nex was perched on a wooden beam near the ceiling, scrutinizing. Below, Skadicritt toddled about, her energetic hopping filling the space.

  Her gaze darted upward, locking onto Nex. With a bound, she launched herself onto the beam next to him, nearly sending him tumbling off.

  "Hi, grumpy bat! You're Nex, right?"

  Nex flared his wings to steady himself and shot her a glare. "Grumpy bat? That's Nex. And don't sneak up on me like that."

  Skadicritt tilted her head, her glittering eyes wide. "But you are grumpy, aren't you? You've been sulking up here for ages! Why don't you come down and play with everyone?"

  Nex folded his arms, his four eyes narrowing. "Play? I've got better things to do than bounce around like a hyperactive puffball."

  She gasped, pawing at his wing. "A puffball? That's rude! I'm a Merecritt, thank you very much. And besides, you're up here all alone. Don't you get lonely?"

  "Lonely?" Nex scoffed, flicking his tail dismissively. "I don't need anyone's company. I'm fine on my own."

  Skadicritt's nose twitched, and she leaned in closer, her face uncomfortably near his. "Hmm... You sound like you're fine, but you don't look fine. Your ears droop a little when you're sad, you know."

  Nex pulled back. "What are you even talking about? My ears are fine, and so am I!"

  She giggled. "If you say so, Mr. Lone Wolf. But you know, even the toughest monsters need friends. I think you'd feel better if you stopped pretending to be all grrr and rawr all the time."

  Nex's wings twitched as he bared his fangs. "I'm not pretending. I just… don't see the point in wasting time on silly things. I've got responsibilities. My siblings depend on me."

  Skadicritt's expression softened, and she settled down beside him. "I've heard you're really brave, Nex. But you don't have to carry everything on your own. Even big strong nexperbats like you can lean on others sometimes."

  He glanced at her, surprised by her sudden sincerity. "You don't even know me. Why are you acting like you care?"

  She grinned. "Because I do! You have a family. And isn't family supposed to look out for each other?"

  Nex was silent for a long moment, his gaze drifting to the ground below where Rox and Viz were playing with the Osseods. Finally, he sighed. "You're annoying, you know that?"

  Skadicritt beamed. "I'll take that as a compliment!"

  He smirked despite himself, shaking his head. "Fine. Maybe I'll come down later. But if you call me 'grumpy bat' again, you'll regret it."

  "Deal!" Skadicritt chirped, hopping to her feet. "See? You're not so grumpy after all! See ya!"

  Nex watched her hop away, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Annoying little puffball..." he muttered. He thought back to the deserter of himself and his siblings. In his last days, their father never deserved such betrayal from that miscreant. One day, he will be avenged. She will pay.