Log | | Complete

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

When; Last night/this morning [01/10-01/11]
Rating; PG at best
Characters; Robin Goodfellow [tehpuck] & Kurama [banditfox]
Summary; Robin Goodfellow goes... shopping, and meets a friend.
Log;

If anything good could be said about alien invasions, it was the wake of chaos they left behind. Really, that much was true of any large wars or battles or mass panics of the sort they’d all just experienced.

Of course, it wasn’t as if Robin thrived on mayhem, it was really that it made things so much easier for him to, at times, maneuver about as he wished. People, when frightened for their own survival, often left doors unlocked. Houses were ritually... exploded. The police force was more interested in the continued survival of the race than petty larceny. All in all, for the first and best trickster, a good deal.

...If it wasn’t so messy, that was, but this trial was a cross Robin was willing to bear; really, who said he didn’t make sacrifices? They were obviously lying or misinformed.

Or just dumb.

Or all three! It didn’t really matter, though, Robin had no intention of crawling too far into the collective psyche of the perpetually obtuse, he might escape irreparably tainted.

Oh, was that some jewelry? Possibly.

Robin bent down to retrieve it, manicured figures gingerly seizing something... shiny. -ish. Further inspection would, of course, see if the object-in-question had any real merit at all worth mentioning, but life was full of surprises, like an oyster, box of clichés, et cetera.

He disappeared the thing onto a holding place that wouldn’t further dirty his person with the prestidigitation he’d learned in during that whole… Gaul... thing, and continued to majestically trudge onward, green eyes scanning the area for more trinkets and the occasional... water bottle. Well, he could use that, too.

Really, no reason to be picky. He could do that later.

He had the time.

Comments

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

Another set of green eyes watched in no little amusement as Robin set about gathering lost, purposeless items and rehoming them on his person. The puck was by no means the only light-fingered individual roaming the City streets, and quite probably wasn't the only one whose recovery efforts weren't entirely focused on altruistic intent. Kurama, however, was more concerned with items of immediate value. Finding them happened to coincide with making certain the area around the apartment he shared with his mother and friends was secure. The injuries he had sustained during the Stewards' efforts to "rescue" the City's residents were an annoyance, but not enough to keep him indoors.

In truth, Kurama's current efforts weren't entirely altruistic either. The recent conflict had left him restless, impatient with the expectations of a human friend and demon partners, and fully aware that he was doing a rather poor job of playing the good son to a human mother just now. Company that didn't expect him to be either Shuuichi or the youko would be welcome. Besides, it would be rude to pass by Robin without at least saying hello.

If that hello happened to be in the form of a slender vine picking Robin's pocket (or at least making the attempt), so much the better.

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Robin would tell you, if you asked him, that he predated the pocket, and for that matter, trousers and pants as we know them, too, and thus knew when his were being fucked around with. He would also tell you that he was on the scene when said pants were invented, and that he had contributed somewhat to their design, though that fact is neither here nor there at the moment.

“If you’re trying to feel me up, you might as well just ask; it’s sculpted in marble.”

He pretended to busy himself with another shiny object (smells like a coin, feels like a coin, looks like a coin… is probably a bottle cap. No deal), but he was really more focused on whatever was... trying to get into his pants, yes.

Generally, that’s where his attention was most of the time, anyway.

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

Smothering a chuckle, Kurama manipulated the vine to coil around Robin's arm. Unsubtle, perhaps, but briefly entertaining and as good a way as any to identify himself. He left the marble comment alone. For the most part, Kurama wasn't terribly concerned with the state of Robin's posterior. The remark also illustrated one of the reasons he would never attempt to pick Robin's pockets with his own hands. He wasn't going to willingly invite the kind of trouble that could bring.

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Seeing the vine, Robin dropped what had by then been positively identified as a bottle cap on the ground, using his now-free hand to delicately poke the vine wrapped around the arm connected to the other hand. Curiosity momentarily abated, he half-turned his head.

“Kurama, there’s this strange plant wrapped around my rather strapping right arm, you should come and inspect it for future reference; it could be of some use to you.”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

"Is that so?"

Kurama took his sweet time coming forward to inspect the plant, which by now was behaving like a particularly annoying snake. It wasn't a specimen native to the human world, and had something of a mind of its own. "It seems to be enamoured of that arm of yours. Maybe we shouldn't part them."

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

He sighed. Dramatically. Like usual.

“Thus is the vast blight of merely being me. Even plants are feeble when in my presence, harmless against my inert charms.” With the other hand, he continued to swat the serpentine little thing away from his clothes (Zeus above only knows what some type of freakish sap would do to that green silk). He shrugged his shoulders theatrically, “It’s a curse, really, but I’ll soldier on.”

Another spectacular sigh brought on a change of mood only Robin Goodfellow could produce, (momentarily) wordless, he gave Kurama a look clearly stating, ‘No, really, I’ll need this arm for later.’And to punctuate it, a completely angelic smile. No, really, angelic. He did that some times. Really.

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

The plant tightened briefly in protest, then retreated. It disappeared under the pavement, only to reemerge as a seedling at Kurama's feet, one that was summarily plucked from the earth and stored beneath the fall of his thick, red hair. "As Makai specimens go, it's rather fragile." He glanced at the abandonned bottle cap. "From petty larceny to bottle-cap collecting? I didn't think you had it in you."

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Robin shrugged his shoulders, muttering under his breath, “ Mus uni non fidit antro,” before turning to Kurama with the full intensity of a grin not worthy of the name ‘Loman’.

Taking the bottle-cap from Kurama’s hands, he ran it through his fingers with notable ease, tucking it in one sleeve, out the other, “Collecting is a good word.” The cap suddenly disappeared again, “I prefer property relocation,” with a twitch of his wrist, it was abruptly found in his shirt pocket, “of course, one must survey said property to see what is worth relocating.”

He held the cap out, for Kurama to take it back.

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

The cap disappeared, whether into a pocket or back into the rubble was impossible to tell. Younger than Robin, yes, and less practiced by virtue of his relative youth, but Kurama was nothing if not good at what he did. His life was as much built on deception and tricks as the puck's.

Kurama tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Have you been relocating property long?"

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

The smile that appeared on Robin’s face answered the question much better than the words did, speaking volumes of trickery and dishonesty.

“Yes.”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

There was another soft chuckle from the fox. "I thought as much." There was, after all, little danger to speak of and a number of unguarded buildings to take advantage of. How could Robin resist? Kurama was somewhat tempted himself. If he went home with more than guaze and hydrogen peroxide on his person, he was simply assisting the City with clean-up efforts.

"I'm glad to see that you still have your talent for coming through disaster unscathed."

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Robin rolled his eyes, leaning delicately back on one heel, “Do you ever doubt? Hopefully not. I’d hate to think I’m doing such a terrible job inspiring faith upon this City’s citizens.”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

"It isn't doubt, simply habit. Even the best incur injury from time to time." He crosses his arms and leaned his hip against a wall. "What about your associates? Did enough of the talent rub off on them?"

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Robin was, of course, happy to take the credit for someone’s survival. He was happy to take the credit for a lot of things. He was happy to take things, really.

“Everyone survived intact, for the most part, save Niko, but that boy is so unflappable even someone such as myself has trouble...” A self-contained leer flashed across the puck’s features, “rubbing off on him.” A shrug, “Still, he’ll survive.”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

"My sympathies." Quite frankly, the sympathy was probably as much for Niko as for Robin. "It's a shame when someone of your particular talents and experience is stonewalled." His answering smile was something of a friendly challenge. How much could Robin rub off on him?

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Robin would, hypothetically, answer that his talents for... petty larceny had rubbed off on Kurama so well that they were simply ingrained in Kurama and some could even mistakenly think he’d been in such a state for several millennia, or however old the fox was.

Hypothetically, of course.

“A terrible, terrible shame. Think of all the good I could be doing the world, and yet—no.”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

Kurama snorted, a skeptical but good-humored response. "Such a pity that it's been denied your immeasurable services." He straightened, and the motion pulled at the healing gash in his side. "You couldn't think of a better means to mark the end of the invasion than picking through the scraps for gold?"

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

“What are you thinking of—a party? You’re inviting me? How kind.”

Robin ignored the gash, humans may think offering help is good manners, but seeing as there were, currently, few if any present, nonhuman manners dictated ignoring weakness. It was rude to imply any type of Achilles’ heel—not that Robin had one, but surely someone else out there did.

Just not him.

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

"What would you say to a drink?" It was a small concession. Kurama rarely drank, but he knew Robin appreciated the indulgence.

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

And another predatory grin, a glare, “I would say yes,” He displayed a quick flash of a wistful look, “if someone asked.”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

"Someone just did, and the alcohol was even legally obtained." To see Kurama's expression at that moment, there could be no doubt regarding what he was beneath the veneer of Shuuichi Minamino. "Mostly."

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Brown brows rose in subtle amusement, “Oh, really, now, was it? How good for the economy.”

He shrugged, “Still, I can hardly turn down such a polite offer.”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

"If we still have an economy after the past week." The kitsune turned and began to lead the way back towards the apartment. "There was sake and wine the last I checked."

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Robin looked momentarily taken aback, mockingly shocked, “Your lack of faith in the good people of this,” a sneer, “City is astounding, Kurama, whatever shall we do with you?”

“And how often do you check?”

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

"That would be telling."

[tehpuck.livejournal.com]

Another grin, "Yes, it would, wouldn't it be?"

"Still, a drink is a drink, onward we go." And he did go, with much of a hop in his step as he could muster.