benji_mckenna | (no subject)

Benji is taking an invigorating evening swim in the river, enjoying the cool water against his skin instead of his fur for a change. He's off in his own world, not noticing any passing foxes or other local wildlife at all. Nothing much to see until it's time to get out and go back to the real world, and his head pops up by the riverbank -

"Excuse me, you haven't seen a pair of pants, have you?"

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From:

honour_among_thieves

Komaru blinks at that, carefully setting down the mouse he has in his mouth. He wasn't going to kill or eat it, but he does like to practice his ability to sense and catch mice running around under the snow. One never knows when something like that will come in hand.

Staring at the human, he shakes his head apologetically.

From:

benji_mckenna

Benji doesn't need X-ray vision to tell that is isn't an ordinary fox. Aside from the way he's treating the poor wee mousie so well, the scent is all wrong. Ordinarily, he'd keep himself to himself and not invite the attention of other shapeshifters just for the hell of it, but he can't see his clothes anywhere and this abnormal may be more sensitive to his plight than another passer-by.

Plus the fox shook its head in response...

He pulls himself out of the river, limping a little as he readjusts to walking on land and with feet instead of flippers.

"Really? That's a major bummer. I didn't see anyone go by, but I wasn't exactly looking."

From:

honour_among_thieves

The fox studies the notable lack of footprints in the snow for a moment, then opens his mouth and lets out a wheezy imitation of high wind, followed by a quizzical look and a shrug. He hasn't seen any clothes, or anyone else, so it's certainly possible that they got blown away in the blustery weather.

From:

benji_mckenna

"Gesundheit." He's tempted to pet the fox behind the ears since it's a cute little thing, but knows better.

"Perfect. I'm going to freeze my ass off walking home," he continues, untying a shaggy black hound from the fence and brushing snow from the dog's knitted sweater. He isn't shivering himself, even though he's almost naked in the wind. "Sure you didn't see a damn thing, bud?"

From:

honour_among_thieves

After a moment's deliberation, Komaru assumes a form that, if nothing else, will be easier for the not-quite-human man to communicate with.

"Sorry, no. Not a damned thing. I was focusing pretty hard on the mice," he apologizes.

For some reason, even though the fox wasn't wearing a stitch of clothes, the human is fully dressed in suede trousers, a leather jacket, and a roughly-woven tunic.

From:

benji_mckenna

Although Benji was expecting someone, he wasn't sure who to expect, and he grins widely at Komaru. It's always fascinating to see somebody else do it. His dog barks, though; the pair haven't met many other shapeshifters yet, so Neil has never had the chance to get used to any other animal than Benji's seal turning suddenly human without a moment's by-your-leave. Benj kneels in the snow and holds the dog back from jumping at Komaru until he's calmed down.

He's more surprised by the other man's height than his clothes. Not in a mean way, but he's used to being the smallest guy in any group and it makes a change not to be, for once. He doesn't really register that the tunic is a little strange. He wears a cape to the grocery store on occasion just because he can.

"That's okay," he answers eventually. "I'm the same way with fish. An earthquake could rumble on by and I'll hardly take notice when I'm locked onto a scent."

From:

honour_among_thieves

"Yeah, when I'm really concentrating, Liddi says that the building could blow up around me and I'd just wonder why I suddenly had a headache," he chuckles, kneeling and offering a hand for the dog to sniff. "Hi, I'm Komaru. And you are?"

From:

benji_mckenna

"Getting a mite chilly now," he admits. "Oh, you meant -- oh. I'm Benji McKenna and this great slavering beast here is Neil. He won't bite - " Neil has done a 180 and is now licking Komaru's hand with dogged affection. Benji gives his ears a scritch, gently pulling him back.

"He's just a hopeless case. Haven't seen you around here before, man."

From:

honour_among_thieves

"No, no, just travelling through," he answers, letting the dog continue to lick his hand and unhooking a small burlap sack from his belt with the other. "Here, let's get you warmed up."

From:

benji_mckenna

Benji eyes the sack quizzically, squeezing water from his dripping curls. The urge is to just shake himself dry like a big doggo, but it isn't polite to do that, even when his companion isn't human either. He kneels to rummage under a hedge for his glasses, thankful the wind didn't blow those away.

"So, what are you - a were-fox? I thought they were just stories."

From:

honour_among_thieves

"A were-fox?" he repeats, chuckling and shaking into his head. Reaching into the bag, he pulls out a large, thick, fluffy towel and tosses it to Benji. "I've heard they exist, but that's not at all what I am. I'm Kitsune."

From:

benji_mckenna

"Who-what-now?" he says, distracted again by the bag. It's hard to concentrate on just one wild new idea when this guy's full of them. If only he could ask all the questions all at once.

"Say, that must be a TARDIS you've got there. You know, bigger on the inside."

From:

honour_among_thieves

"Bigger on the inside, yes, but what's a Tardis?" he asked, producing a fair of heavy boots and some fluffy socks and laying them down between them.

From:

benji_mckenna

Benj should know by now that physics as normal people understand it isn't how the world really works (what with the changing into a seal thing), but this is still terribly exciting. He does an undignified little hop from one webbed foot to the other, trying to see into the bag and forgetting to thank Komaru right away.

"It's a spaceship shaped like a box that's so big I don't think anyone's ever found their way to the end of it. Man, this is nuts! Haven't you ever seen Doctor Who?"

From:

honour_among_thieves

The bag looks completely empty when peered into. This doesn't stop Komaru from reaching into it again and producing a pair of trousers and a tunic.

"No, I've never seen Doctor Who? What are they a doctor of? If they're important around here, I should probably go pay my respects."

From:

benji_mckenna

Taking the tunic and trousers, he realises his mouth is hanging open and closes it, though his eyes stay wide and wondering.

"They're a story, unfortunately. Probably. I couldn't say for sure... Anyway, they're not local. More's the pity. So what exactly is a kitsune?"

From:

honour_among_thieves

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you've never heard of us. Even in my own land, we're almost gone. In essence, we're creatures who resemble foxes who can also learn to resemble humans. I've always had an issue with my size, though. I just can't seem to get those last few inches right..."

From:

benji_mckenna

"God, tell me about it." Benji sympathises with all of his 5'4".

"It's a pain in the ass, isn't it? So where are you from?"

From:

honour_among_thieves

"There are worse things to be teased about; I should know. As to where I'm from, it's... hard to explain. It's just... not here."

From:

benji_mckenna

"You must think I'm always this rude," he says, finally getting a hold on his tongue before he can blurt anything else out.

"Sorry. I'm just excited! I should really buy you a drink before I start the interrogation, what'd you think? It's not every day a magic stranger saves me from turning into an icicle on the way home. I can't actually turn into an icicle, just a seal. Which comes with extra cold tolerance, but not infinite. There's a pub round here somewhere, I think."

From:

honour_among_thieves

Komaru chuckles and decides he quite likes this man. "You're not rude. You haven't thrown stones at me or called me a demon or tried to kill me. You seem civil enough. And I never say no to a drink. Do you need a coat before we go on?"

From:

benji_mckenna

"Oh, no, this is wonderful," he says without thinking. "Thank you kindly. ... Do you have a coat in that magic bag? Can I see?"

From:

honour_among_thieves

"Sure, if you like?" he laughs, reaching in and pulling out a fur-lined coat, stuffed with bird-down. "Any other rabbits you'd like me to pull from the proverbial hat?"