Metamorphosis, domestic Phylum: Vertebrata (suburban) Habitat: Mid-renovation, south-facing, partially carpeted The organism sheds its skin in stages— not all at once, as snakes do, but room by room, like a house learning a new language. During molting, the creature continues to feed its young, attend meetings, return calls, rotate keys in locks it does not yet recognize. Burgundy pile grows overnight across the floorboards like moss. The young adapt faster than the host. Note: specimens observed in Wellington exhibit higher tolerance for simultaneity than inland populations. Cause unknown. Possibly the wind.