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The tour, as far as Christof was concerned, was uneventful. This was the laboratory he spent most of his life. Here was the doorway to the (oh god) stairs, which he carried Barth up. This was the wheelbarrow he usually used when sent on errands, and Barth was dumped inside with Christof's scarf for a pillow. This is where he spent most of his childhood, digging for parts. 'Learned-good-from-bad-parts' he signed by way of explanation before moving along.

The castle itself, he did not spend much time showing off. He had stopped at the gate, ready to escort them outside of the grounds very pointedly, but somehow, mostly through Calder's intervention, they were lead back to the castle once more. It was getting late, it was getting dark, and no one had had much sleep.

Clearly not thrilled by the idea of them spending the night, he lead them back up to their bedrooms all the same, hands twisting anxiously the entire elevator ride. 'Will-be-staying-downstairs. Will-keep-an-eye-on-things-regardless. Sleep-with-one-eye-open.'

Dinner with Fell, it seemed, had been avoided. 'Can-bring-you-something-safe-to-eat,' Christof added, a flair to his wrist putting emphasis on "Safe".

Calder smiled at how predictible he was, having not gone to his own room to rest but moving to Barth's instead. He wanted to talk, and Barth knew he wanted to talk. While he couldn't deny that the bed looked inviting, what with the allure of warm, comfortable, maybe a tad delicious hay ( he had barely eaten that strange brunch they had ), he had other things on his mind.

Taking one of the only chairs in the room, just as stiff and lacking in much of detail, Calder sat down facing the bed. "I wish Christof was more up for this visit, but he seems a bit tired. I don't see why he was this paranoid or upset with our visit. No one has bothered up, and while his master is not throwing any great parties, he's not booting us out the front door either. You think Chrsitof will feel better and be less jumpy after he gets some sleep?" He twisted his hands in each other. "I don't want him to think of us visiting as a bad thing. This was supposed to be a nice time."

Calder was a little unclear on the gravity of the matter, though he was circling it. "Do you think, he'd try and sell us? But, well, you're a demon and from what he said, one that other demons know. Won't someone miss you if you just don't show up back at school? And, well, Christof is here, and it's not like I'm weak. I could trample him no problem! He's not really...strong in any way." Calder seized up Dr. Fell in his head and thought of how the man would fair against him if the man tried to sell him to anyone. Calder felt rather confident he could break ropes and get out.

"I'm more worried about Christof. The guy was working on him for days on that table, and then forced him to do chores after." He frowned, thinking of the fact that Calder had added on to that by asking Christof to show them around. "But Dr. Fell hasn't done anything to us. He even fed us some lunch and then went to bed. More of an old man than someone to shiver at."

Calder looked around the room. "The castle is big and large. I know most of my kind would kill just for an acre of it, but I don't like the idea of Christof living here. He may have grown up here, be used to it, but being alone all the time, and ....being alone again. What if Christof graduates and then just comes back here to be sold or kept working in the dark as a novelty prize? I don't think all his hard work, his taste of what he could have from being out of this place, should be rewarded by that. It would be like locking him away forever. Christof loves his master because, well, he's like his dad I guess. He made him. I get that, but ..............." He looked back down at his hooves before looking up at Barth.

"If Dr. Fell sold him, who knows if someone worse will buy him. Doesn't that....bother you? He's our friend."

Well, at least Barth was agreeing with him, and Calder went right along. "Okay, we both know Christof isn't going to say anything. If Dr. Fell wants to sell him, Christof will just mope that it's what his master wants and go to a new master, and if Dr. Fell wants to keep Christof locked in his place forever to live in that corner of a laundry room, he'll do that too. Don't you think that's horrible? Even worse, if he does get sold, we might loose track of him and never see our friend again. The new owner could keep him like Dr. Fell does but worse, and just lock him up and tell him he can't talk or write with anyone. The only reason Dr. Fell let Christof come to school was because the guy said he was smart. I don't think other masters would be that nice. No offense." He said, knowing Barth was both a master and a demon.

"So we gotta do something in case that happens. Maybe we should.." What could they do? What could they do? "..ask Dr. Fell what he wants for Christof if he decides to sell him? Haggle or something."

Calder's ears dropped. It wasn't the type of news he wanted to hear. "...I don't want something bad to happen to him....because he wouldn't say anything to save himself." Calder's voiced dropped, and he was silent. It didn't seem like he had much else to say.

"Thank you for bringing dinner up," Barth said, composed again, "Calder was just chatting, although he's welcome to stay. You are too, if you don't have to head back downstairs immediately."

Christof's eyes were still locked on the tray, his hands trembling at his sides now as he gave them both a somber nod, raw, stitched brows furrowed as though debating something.

It evidently wasn't the desire to stay as he took a step back towards the door, face looking even more miserable as he glanced up at either of them. His hands rose as though about to sign something, but suddenly the digits convulsed and dropped to his sides again.