Bad call

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Justin chuckled slightly at how the wolf acted and nodded. "Fine," he said and rubbet his palms against his pants before he carefully stoke his fur. He stroked his neck and scratched him behind his ears, like he used to do with Bocko. He at least always loved it. "Amazing fur, dude. Don't tell Bocko, but your is a lot softer," he said and grinned. "Cleaner too."
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇

Lydia grinned. She tossed the spices, chicken, onion and tomato paste into a frypan, filling the large penthouse with complex aromas. "He's very pompous," said Lydia. "He only accepts the most prestigious shampoos and conditioners and demands to be brushed every evening. He never walks on dirt, so his fur stays pure white." Lydia smiled affectionately at Saia.

While mixing the yeast concentration for the flatbread, Lydia asked, "So, where in the city are you two from, Justin?"
 
"Uhm, here and there," he answered while he kept petting Saia. He wasn't getting any complaints and he enjoyed the feel of his fur. "Don't really keep to one spot..."

Well, now she probably understood they were homeless. He hadn't ment to say that much, the words just fell out of his mouth. He glanced at her, expecting her to throw him out. Who would want a street rat in their apartment?

Bocko made a sort of grunting sound and his noise started wriggeling, as if he was smelling something. "Bocko!" Justin yelled ad jumped up from the stool, and leaned over his companion.

Boscko opened his eyes and a single word ringed in Justins mind. Food!
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇



Lydia watched as Justin leaned over his companion. "Well, that's convenient, the stew is almost ready," she said softly. "It's probably too spicy for him, though."

Lydia took the stew and flatbread off the heat, crossed to the fridge and extracted a carton of milk and a bag of figs. She handed the figs to Justin. "Here, that should help him," she said. "Saia eats them sometimes, he loves them."

Lydia gave the two a moment alone, dishing out the stew and flatbread and pouring two large glasses of milk. She also poured some milk into a small bowl for Bocko.
 
"Thank you," Justin said while helping Bocko get out of the blanket and hoodie. He rolled on to all four and shook his body before he sat down on his hind legs. He pulled on the bandage around his neck. What's this?

A bandage. You got hurt, remember? Justin answered.

You're covering up my battle wounds?! Bocko complained.

Justin chuckled and opened the box with figs, and placed it in front of Bocko. Here. I think it's food...

Bocko picked up a fig and sniffed it before he took a bite. Weird food...

You should probably eat it, to be polite.

Bocko ate it up before he crawled to the milk bowl and drank some. Mmm, this is the best milk I've ever had!

Don't get used to it, justin sighed.

Bocko sat back up and looked around. Where exactly are we, and why have you never taken me here be-OH MY GOD! He jumped when he saw Saia and the fur in his back stood up.

"Wow, calm down, Bocko!"
Justin said and petted his head. "Saia is a friend."
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇

Lydia passed Justin's food and milk to him and returned to her seat with her own food, coming into Bocko's view for the first time. "Hey, mate," she said kindly to Bocko.

Saia put his two front paws on the bench -- he was allowed to do whatever he wanted, pretty much -- and sniffed at Bocko. What is this thing?

It's a raccoon.

What?

A raccoon.

What even is a raccoon?

Bocko is one.

Your lack of explanation disgusts me

Your lack of raccoon knowledge disgusts me.
 
Bocko flattened his fur as he calmed down, and sat back on his legs before waving at Lydia. I just made a complete fool of myself, didn't I...

Pretty much, Justin answered and grinned. "Bocko, Lydia. Lydia, Bocko. She's the one who fixed your wound," he said and smiled at her. "Really, thank you so much. We'll repay you somehow."

Bocko crawled over to Saia and stroke his paws over his face. Hello fluffy friend!

Justin started on the food and soon felt it burn in his mouth. It only made him smile. "Wow, this is amazing!"
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇

"Thank you," she said, regarding the compliment of the food. "It was one of the few recipes my mother could make."

Lydia, get this repugnant creature away from me.

No. Make friends. You never do anything social.

Hypocrite.

"Justin, honestly, you don't need to repay me," said Lydia. She tucked a stray piece of white blonde hair, the same colour as Saia's fur, behind her ear. "It's fine."
 
"But we want to do something back, as a thank you. Right Bocko?" Justin said and looked at his friend, sighing when he noticed what his friend was doing with Saia. "Stop that, you rude little rodent."

He picked him up and Bocko started screaming while wriggeling. Stop, it's tickling!

Bocko got placed in Justins lap, and the figs put in front of him. "There, eat," Justin said and scratched him between the ears. Bocko sniffed the figs before he jumped back on the bench, stole a piece of the flat bread and then ran to the other end of the bench.

"Bocko!" Justin yelled and stood up. "Shit... Sorry, we'll just leave, since someone can't behave." He bent down and picked up his shoulder bag.
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇
"No, no, Justin, it's fine," said Lydia, standing up before Justin and Bocko could leave. She didn't know why, but she had a lot of respect for Justin already. She admired the care he took of his companion and the honesty he conveyed when he told her they were homeless. She didn't care where Justin lived, or rather, didn't live -- Lydia was practically unable of regular human interaction, yet she felt completely comfortable with this strange, homeless man she just met, eating her food in her apartment.

"You don't have to leave," said Lydia. "It's fine. He's a raccoon, it's in his nature, I guess. Please don't leave."
 
In my nature?! Bocko chimed in, obviously offended. What is that supposed to mean?

That you are behaving like a stupid animal! Justin snapped back before looking at Lydia. "You're sure...?" he asked and eyed the bowl. He hadn't had time to eat that much, and where were they going to go? No friends to stay at, no money to buy them food or shelter, and the homeless shelters where always full...

"Bocko promise to behave, don't you?" he asked and looked at the raccoon, a slight sharpness to his tone.

Bocko lied his ears flat, like he was ashamed, and then walked on his hind legs over to Lydia, holding out the flat bread he had stolen towards her.

Don't get why only you two get the tasty food though, the raccoon mumbled in Justin's head.
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇

Lydia chuckled. "Aww, it's alright," she said to Bocko, who looked spectacularly ashamed for a small animal. "I guess figs are a little hard to get used to. You keep the flatbread, mate, I can always make more."

You're too nice.

You're too skeptical.
 
"Thank you," Justin said and sat back down, feeling incredibly awkward. "I feel really bad for putting you two through all this. We'll get out off your hair soon enough." And you get over here, stop making me look like an idiot! Sit on the news paper so you don't spread crumbs everywhere.

Bocko carried the bread in his mouth and quickly returned to his earlier sleeping place, where he dropped himself down on his side and started nibbling on the food. Justin rolled his eyes a little and went back to eating.

"This really is amazing, some of the best food I've ever eaten," he said to break the awkwardness and smiled at her. That was probably not a compliment coming from him, but he really ment it.
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇
"Thanks," said Lydia. "If you're so intent on leaving, at least let me pay for a cab." She reached for her purse and extracted two hundred-dollar bills from her wallet. "That should cover anywhere in the city, I think. I usually walk, but that's just me."
 
Both Bocko and Justin froze at the sight of the money. "No no no," Justin started saying. "You've done enough, really." Had he offended her? He was just trying to not be a bother, and now she was suddenly ready for them to leave after all?

Bocko's head snapped towards him. Take it!

I'm not taking that, Justin said and scowled slightly at him.

Don't be an idiot, that's A LOT of money! Bocko insisted. Take it, and grab whatever you can on the way out. I have my eye on the phone there, we should get a very–

We're not stealing from them, Bocko! Justin scolded. They saved our lives, so stop it!
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇
"Really, it's no trouble," said Lydia kindly. "I don't really want you to go, you've been such great company, but I guess you have to get on with your lives and such, and I'm practically swimming in this stuff, anyway. My parents were billionaires."

In all honesty, Lydia would gladly give Justin and Bocko half her inheritance if she could. She didn't need forty billion dollars, sitting in a bank account, but they did. They needed to get off the street.
 
Justin looked at the money, feeling two things. The first was a great need to take it. He had never been offered anything without any strings attached, and he couldn't really belive there wasn't any now. Maybe there was though, she just didn't say it before he actually took the money... The other was disgust. Did she look at them as some charity case? Two poor homeless souls that needed a savior? Rich people loved that kind of stuff, but he didn't. He and Bocko could take care of themselves, they didn't need anyone to take pity in them.

"What about you keep your money, and we'll stay a little longer?" he asked her and smiled a little. He guessed she had to be pretty lonely to want their company, especially after how bad they had acted the short time they had been there. She had really enjoyed that? "Bocko could really use some rest anyway, and he is a lot more comfortable here than anywhere I could take him."

TAKE THE MONEY! Bocko yelled in his head. And ask for more, she's loaded!

Stop it! If you mention the money one more time, I'll throw you out the nearest window, Justin answered. We're not some charity case.

More like a nut case... Bocko muttered.

Window!

Animal abuser!
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇
You offended him, said Saia.

What, no I didn't.

Yes you did. You have the mental capacity of a meagre human, you are an antisocial butterfly and you're terrible at reading emotions. You offended him.

How?

I don't know. Just apologise and let him stay.

"Alright," said Lydia. She slipped the money back into her purse, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry if I upset you." She stared at her hands.
 
"No, you didn't," he said and continued eating from his bowl. Well, maybe she had a little, but he would never admit that. "Thank you very much for letting us stay. You just tell us when we need to leave, okay?" He smiled again, for real this time.

Bocko finished his flatbread and the bowl of milk before he jumped down on the stool, and then dropped himself down on the floor.

That's not relaxing, Justin pointed out.

Bocko completely ignored him and started running around on the floor while sniffing the air, tail raised and making chirping noises from excitement.
 
∇♥∇ LYDIA VONNEVERE ∇♥∇
Lydia watched, amused, as Bocko ran around her penthouse. "What's he doing? Whatever it is, it's adorable."


I'm going to watch him.

No you most definitely are not.

He could get something dirty.

We have three cleaners to tidy up this penthouse, Saia.

And would they really want little dirty paw marks on our sofa?

Lydia ignored him. "I guess I won't be taking any pictures today," she said, remembering her plans for photography.
 
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