(Dyn)

  Panig, Dyn yahe door open. It hit a stop just shy of striking the skeleton in the face. Dyn dashed outside, the bell g wildly as he bolted behind the grav-sb. His breath came in shallos as he peeked over the pile of clothes. “There are things in that shop!” he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger.

  Nathan raised an eyebrow, amused. “I see you’ve met one of the mprians.”

  Dyn blinked rapidly, his heart still rag. “There are things in there,” he repeated.

  “It’s not polite to call people names.” Nathan smiled, suppressing a ugh. “That’s the shopkeeper, and he’s a mprian. I was about to warn you about their unusual appearance before you ran off.”

  “Unusual?!” Dyn’s voice shot up a few decibels. He narrowed his eyes at Nathan, dropping his voice to a harsh whisper. “Unusual is a rge mole, or unibrow, or, or,” he stammered, “cross-eyed. But there are…” He jabbed a fi the shop. “Walking, talking, naked skeletons in there, Nathan!”

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean to scare you. Sounds like you startled him as much as he startled you.”

  Dyn shook his head, catg his breath. “So, these mprians—are they like the drai and okamijin?”

  “More like the drai,” Nathan expined calmly. “Remember whealked about the primal and mythical races?”

  Dyn nodded, still eyeing the shop nervously as the door creaked open again. A skeleton’s head peeked out, sing the street. Dyn ducked lower, muttering curses under his breath when he realized he was hiding behind a floating stone sb.

  “The mprians are mythical creatures that need a host to exist. They bond with mortals in a symbiotiion that starts during the host’s lifetime.”

  Dyn’s eyes widened in horror as the skeleton stepped out of the shop, walking toward them. “He’s ing!” Dyn hissed.

  “While bohe mpriaends the host’s natural lifespan.” Nathan turned, sensing someone approag behind him.

  “Greetings,” the mprian said to Nathan. Then it peered over the mound of clothes at Dyn, who was avoidio-eye socket tact at all costs.

  ‘If I don’t move,’ Dyn thought. ‘He ’t see me… Wait, that’s dinosaurs.’

  The mprian straightened, fag Nathan as he csped his hands together. “I fear there’s been a terrible misuanding.”

  “That sounds abht.” Nathaured toward Dyn. “I was just expining to my friend here about your people’s unusual appearance.”

  The mprian cocked his head. “He’s never heard of mprians before?”

  “He’s o our world. Just arrived this week.”

  “Ah, that’ll do it,” the mprian said with a nod. “This sort of thing happens more often than you’d think.”

  Nathan scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Please accept my apologies. I’m pretty sure I heard him screaming from out here.”

  “It was more of a shriek than a scream. Quite impressive, the pitch he could hit.”

  ‘I ’t believe I screamed like a little girl,’ Dyn thought. His cheeks reddened as he stared hard at the ground.

  “Anyway, I’m Echo von Sinata. But, as with all of my kind, you may simply call me Echo.” Echo extended a skeletal hand.

  Nathan shook Echo’s hand politely before introdug them. “Hi, I’m Nathan, and this is Dyn.” Dyn lifted his hand in a half-hearted wave, eyes still glued to the ground.

  “I’m curious if there’s anything I assist you with?” Echo asked. “I assume you came into my shop for a reason before my appearaartled you.” He turo face Dyn, who was still hiding behind the grav-sb.

  Dyn’s shoulders slumped further as he sighed. He felt bad; this skeleton guy was being really nice about everything. With a grunt, he used the grav-sb to help haul himself up. “Sorry about that.” F himself to meet Echo’s gaze, he stared directly at the skull.

  Echo chuckled softly, his bones king together. “No apology necessary. I know hoear. It’s rather ghastly.”

  Dyn studied the moving skeleton, his eyes flig between Echo’s bony fad hands, unsure where to look when talking to him. “Are you all skeleton people?”

  Echo tilted his head. “No, this is just my host. I’m the entity possessing and holding it all together.”

  “So, you’re like a ghost?” Dyn asked, frowning in fusion.

  Echo lifted a bony finger, as if correg a isuanding. “No, I assure you, I am very much alive.” His gnce drifted to the muted tones of the clothes on the grav-sb. “I take it these wonderfully crafted, yet criminally under-colorized garments were the purpose of your visit today?”

  Dyn’s eyes lit up. “Yes! I mean, just look at these. you imagine having to wear the same thing every single day?” He waved his hand toward the sb dramatically.

  Echo stared bnkly, his bony hands resting on his hips. Nathan winced visibly at Dyn’s words.

  Dyn frowned, l his gaze. “I feel like that oor choice of words on my part.”

  “Perhaps a tousensitive… but true.” Echo gave him a small, uanding nod.

  Dyn’s gaze shifted to the ring on Echo’s hand, curiosity sparking. “You wear jewelry.” He poioward the band. “Ever thought of ging the color of y? Even a minor ge make a difference.”

  Echo examihe ring as it rested on his fiurning it slowly. “No, but now that you mention it, it seems obvious. Given my vocation.”

  Dyn smiled, a little proud to have helped. He was slowly adjusting to the oddity of talking to a naked skeleton. “What colors do you have?” he asked, curiosity taking over.

  Echo’s frame vibrated with excitement. “All of them!” He motioned for them to follow, leading the way back to his studio. “Let’s go bay shop.”

  The bell chimed as they entered. Echo opened both doors, log them in pce while Nathan guided the grav-sb through. Ihe walls were an explosion of color—swatches upon swatches, packed so tightly they seemed to swirl like optical illusions. Dyn’s eyes widened as he took in the overwhelming dispy.

  “Whoa, that’s a lot of colors.” Dyn walked closer to the wall, fiips brushing over the swatches.

  Echo settled behind the ter, hands csped in front of him, watg them with i. “I’ve put together color palettes for patrons to choose from. People prefer to see their options rather thaing their own.”

  Dyn nodded slowly, still abs the sheer number of options. “I tell you’ve put a lot of work into this.” He stared at the endless cascade of hues.

  “I apologize for chasing after you,” Echo said with a soft ctter of bones. “Business has been slow tely, and I thought we got off on the wrong foot.” He waited patiently, his hollow gaze following them as they browsed.

  Nathan leaned in closer to examihe wall. “You weren’t joking. You really do have every color.”

  “There’s more I do, too. If you have a scrap with any pigment, hue, or saturation, I match it. I’ve just run out of wall space to dispy everything.”

  “This is all…” Dyn waved his hand at the wall, eyes sweeping over the colors. “A bit much. I’m having trouble pig.”

  “I get that often…” Echo’s voice trailed off, hinting at his disappoi.

  Dyn looked up from the wall, finally turning to face the mprian. “Ever thought about making a book?”

  Echo cocked his head in fusion. “A book?” He shook his head at the idea. “I’m not much of a writer—”

  “No, not a book of words.” Dyn raised a finger, grinning. “A book of colors…” He let the idea marinate for a moment before tinuing. “All of these,” he motioo the walls, “run into each other. There’s no space between the swatches.”

  Echo’s skeletal hand rose to his , pting. “Put all the swatches in a book?” he asked slowly.

  Dyn nodded. “Yeah. Maybe ahem by season, ocood—whatever you think is best. It’d be easier for ers to choose.”

  “A book of colors…” Echo repeated and then poi Dyn. “That’s brilliant! And when I run out of space, I could just start another book.”

  Dyn watched the gears turning in Echo’s head. “And use ral paper. Gray, maybe? Just not bck or white.”

  Echo held his elbow in one hand and his iher. “What should I do with all this space?” He motioned around the rge room. “I always thought I’d need a rge dispy area.”

  Dyn shrugged. “I’d get mannequins and dress them in some of the most popur colors, or your personal favorites. ge them up every so often to keep things fresh.”

  “A solution.” Echo seemed lost in thought.

  Dyn caught Nathan staring at him. “What?”

  “That was… smart.” Nathan seemed surprised.

  Dyn’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why do I feel like that wasn’t a pliment?”

  “It’s just…” Nathan’s lips parted as if to say more, but he stopped himself, gng at Dyn with a faint smile.

  Echo cpped his bony hands together, the sharp sound reminding Dyn of dice rattling across a table. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so inspired. If all you need dyed is on this grav-sb, sider it no charge.”

  Dyn smiled, a mix of gratitude and pride welling up inside him. “Thanks.” In that moment, helping Echo felt like the first step toward reg trol—like shaking off the weight of helplessness.

  “That’s very kind of you,” Nathan added.

  Echo had already started taking down some of the color swatches but paused mid-motion. “Sorry, do you need more time with these before I take them all down?”

  Dyn shook his head, waving off the overwhelming choices. “Nah, there are still too many options. Do you have any reendations?”

  Echo’s hands moved to his thoughtfully. “If I may, I have some ideas that would pair well with your plexion.” He was already gliding toward a se of swatches.

  “May away.” Dyn ged the moment the words slipped out of his mouth.

  Echo didn’t seem to notice, his bony fingers plug out a few swatches with an air of decisiveness. “This will take me a bit. You’re wele to wait, or you return tomorrow to pick it up.”

  “We’ll wait.” Nathan gave him a nervous smile, not wanting to anger a certain judge.

  Echo went to work with meticulous precision, lifting each item from the grav-sb and refolding them with a fluid grace that was oddly elegant for someohout flesh. He carefully arrahem on the ter—plete outfits and half-finished ensembles, all ly categorized. Dyn watched in fasation as Echo searched around the room, colleg seven different swatches and pairing them with each outfit like a master artist sidering his creation.

  “I think these would cover most occasions. Any objes?” Echo’s voice broke the silence.

  Dy pampered, like he was in some world css designer’s shop. Barely able to speak, he simply said. “Holy crap, those are great.”

  Echo hesitated, gng down at his transti. “Apologies. Does that mean you do or don’t like them?”

  Nathan nodded with uanding. “I know it sounds odd, but excrement is a versatile word in his vernacur.”

  The mprian’s skull bobbed on uanding. “Ah, I see.”

  Behind the ter, a metal bucket of water ged softly as Echo set it down. A few droplets escaped the pail as he pced it o the ly folded piles of clothes. He lifted each garment from the pile, ying it out ft, careful to avoid any creases. As he worked, a small brush appeared in his hand, summoned from thin air.

  Dyn leaned forward, eyes wide. “Is that magic?”

  “Yes.” Echo dipped the brush into the water. As soon as the bristles touched the fabric, the can to shift. Waves of new hues spread out from each point of tact, rippling across the material like a living vas. “It’s one of my abilities.”

  Dyn watched, utterly mesmerized, as each article of clothing transformed under Echo’s careful strokes. “You’re an adventurer?” His eyes remained glued to the colors blooming across the garments, uo look away.

  Echo spoke calmly as he worked. “Sinata, my host, was.”

  “You got to keep their powers?” Dyn asked.

  “We get to keep everything—abilities, memories, skills, and, well, the obvious.” Echo paused, raising his bony hand and flexing his fingers for emphasis.

  For the hour, Dyn watched Echo dye his clothes with a mix of water and artistry. Each batch made its way bato the grav-sb, perfectly folded and vividly colored. The entire process was oddly rexing, almost like watg a Bob Ross video on YouTube. Yet, a question had been lingering in Dyn’s mind, and he finally gathered the ce to ask it.

  “I’ve got to ask, but you don’t have to answer,” Dyn started, shifting on his feet.

  Echo looked up. “Alright.”

  Dyated for a moment, pursing his lips to the side. “Why naked…? Why don’t you wear any clothes?”

  Though Echo couldn’t smile, amusement colored his voice. “I am wearing something. Teically, I’m wearing this body. You don’t go around wearing clothes on top of your clothes, do you?”

  “Only in the winter. But I think I get your point.”

  Echo stepped baire his work. “It’s been illuminatiing the two of you, Dyn and Nathan.”

  Dyn stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking sheepish. “Sorry I screamed in your face.”

  “You weren’t the first, and probably won’t be the st. However, I appreciate the se.” Eoved toward the door, his skeletal hand closing around the handle. “May your newly dyed outfits brighten your day. And after I’ve made some ges, I do hope you’ll stop by to see what you’ve inspired.”

  The pair said their goodbyes ahe shop. Outside, Nathaured to Dyn to push the grav-sb while he guided it from the side.

  “That guy must be really old,” Dyn said as he pushed.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “He’s literally just bo this point…” Dyn’s voice trailed off. “Holy, now that I think about it. It’s probably for the best that I didn’t catch him during his zombie phase. I don’t even want to imagihe smell.”

  “Zombie?” Nathan’s voice took on an unfortable edge. After a pause, he forced a chuckle. “That’s not what happens. Lamprians preserve the body—flesh and all. It’s why hosts have such a long life before they die.”

  Dyn wore a fused expression. “Then why does he look like Nudist Skeletor?”

  “They strip the flesh from the bones by boiling them,” Nathan expined in a detached tone. “It’s unfortable, but tolerable for mprians. Then the boiled remains are cremated and given to the host’s family for funeral rites.”

  “That…” Dyn blinked in disbelief. “Is some intense imagery.” He worked up to his question. “But why?”

  “How would you feel if a friend or family member passed away, but someone was still walking around wearing their face?”

  ‘That’s pretty fucked up,’ Dyn thought. He shook his head, frowning. “There’s not enough therapy to ahat question.”

  Nathan guided the grav-sb around the er. “That’s why mprians choose to appear as they do—out of appreciation for their host and courtesy for their family.”