Skull Kid eyed the mask that the salesman held out to him. It was so plain. Nothing special about it at all. The face itself was fairly nondescript with the exception of the oversized smile. The hair on the top was clearly made with some kind of soft animal fur and the the paint was thick and smooth. It was a fine piece of craftsmanship, but left the Stalfos child unamused all the same.
"I don't want that stupid mask!" He shouted and backed away from the salesman. The taller figure just stood there with an unchanged expression on his face. The ever-present grin was starting to freak the child out. The mask was still held out and the boy stepped slowly forward again "It's so boring. Why would I want to wear something so laaaaame?"
The Happy Mask Salesman retracted the mask, his smile faltering a little "Because it's a gift. One I wouldn't likely be able to afford on other terms." The smile turned completely downward into a frown of equal intensity. "If you don't like it, then fine. Don't take it." He turned away and went back behind the counter, leaving the mask within reach of the boy. It was hard to say whether or not he'd done it on purpose.
The boy stared at the mask, more intrigued by the salesman's reaction to his insults that by the mask itself. He would never admit it to the salesman, but he did like the mask. He could wear it and feel like he was a Hylian, just like the others. Of course, that would defeat the purpose of wearing a mask at the celebration. The point was to not be Hylian.
The salesman went back into the storage room and began rummaging through the boxes. Somewhere in the room was a spare blanket and a pillow. The ones he'd carry when he went on trips. It proved to be rather difficult to locate the bedding.
In the main room, Skull Kid stared at the mask, its intrigue suddenly piquing his interest. He moved towards it and, when he was sure the salesman wasn't looking, picked it up and bolted for the shadows again. He looked at the mask in his hands. How sweet it would be to be Hylian. To be mortal again. To fit in. To have friends. Unfortunately, no mask would ever help achieve such things.
He frowned and flipped the mask over, examining the back. A small "x" was carved into it at the bottom. Skull Kid ran his thumb over the "x" and wondered briefly what it meant. It was clearly not an accident that the mark was present. Perhaps it meant that the mask was imperfect in some way? The salesman had mentioned that it was free.
Skull Kid's eyed suddenly flicked back to the man as he slipped out of the back room with a blanket and a pillow. He huddled a little further into the shadows and watched him with his piercing amber gaze. The man didn't seem to think anything of it.
"When you're done hiding, there's a blanket and a pillow here. I don't know if your kind sleep much, but it's here all the same." He said, laying out the articles as he talked about them. "I personally need sleep myself. So sleep I shall. I'll leave a candle lit for you." He went around the room, putting lanterns and candles out until only one was lit. He bowed towards Skill Kid's corner and then disappeared through another door.
Skull Kid watched him with interest, counting the lanterns and candles as he put them out. When the man was gone, the child's attention went back to the mask. It felt heavy in his hands. Thick, real wood. He stood up and moved towards the bedding and sat on it without removing his eyes from the mask.
He stared a moment more before shrugging. It was just a mask right? He held it up as if he were about to put it on. Then he remembered Link and his magical masks. What if this was one of those magical masks? What if it turned him into a Hylian wen he put it on? Something akin to a smile played at his mouth. If that were the case, he'd never take it off. He wouldn't need Majora then because he would be able to make real friends.
He determinedly put the mask on his face and slammed his eyes shut, waiting for the magic to course through his body. He opened his mouth, ready to scream like Link always did when he'd worn one of his magic masks. Images of him as a Hylian flitted through his mind. Adrenaline pumped through him. It would be amazing-
-But nothing happened. He sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes opening slowly and one at a time. He looked around the room, the world being reduced to two small circles as the mask hinders his peripheral vision. He jumped to his feet and looked frantically for a mirror. He found one after a moment and ran to it. He looked into it and saw that he had, in fact, not changed at all.
He still wore his tattered forest clothing and two small spots of amber glow peeked through the eye holes of the mask. It was a rather creepy sight to behold. A Hylian child with glowing orange pupils and black sclera. He wouldn't lie to himself, he liked what he saw... to an extent. However, a growl arose from him and he began screaming in anger as he tore masks off of the walls and threw them around.
"ANOTHER FAKE ANOTHER FAKE ANOTHER FAKE!!!!!" He shouted, rampaging through the main room and then bursting through the door the salesman had disappeared into. He stopped mid-rampage when he saw that the room was empty. The window was open and the dreary drapes blew inward as the breeze chilled the room. A shiver ran down the child's spine - a combination of being freaked out, cold and angry. He'd been ditched again.
