daybreakacademy | [OPEN] unexpected finds

Who: Keith & YOU!
What: Various shenanigans involving a space doggo
Where: All over Daybreak
When: Early June
Warnings: None expected!

A. On a mountain trail
[If anyone's feeling particularly adventurous and out exploring the mountain terrain, they may or may not come across a clearing that's smoldering a little. Thankfully the fire's under control and there's just what looks like it might've been a large exoskeleton still sending up smoke.

However, that is all besides the point. A puppy sized good boy is found tentatively approaching Keith who is holding out his hand towards it.

It's clearly some kind of Outland creature, and seeing as this one doesn't seem hostile, it means diplomatic attempts must be made. Witness the mastery. Or you know. Help.]

Bon...jour?

[For the record, Keith's French accent is atrocious.]

B. Around Dorms
[Well, now that he's decided he's keeping the doggo, it's time to very stealthily sneak him into his dorm room. And when I say "very sneakily" I mean, he's shoved the space woof under his shirt and is furtively trying to get to his room while pretending there is no wriggling lump under his shirt.

It's honestly not at all suspicious. Especially not suspicious when he just kinda goes super tense if anyone approaches and leans forward like he's got a stomachache.]

Uh, hi.

C. Marketplace
[In the afternoons after class, Keith's heading towards the marketplace on campus groun with the pupper in tow. He's spending a lot of time by, wouldn't you guess it, the weapons dealer stall, eyeing several daggers and knives with various runic inscriptions. Heavily preoccupied, he probably won't notice if someone's sly about approaching, but they'll hear him mutter under his breath:]

None of these match.

D. WILDCARD!
[Come at me!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've had a pet scorpion before.

[Nonchalant and also not very helpful, woops.]

[ ....... ]

Okay, a.) that's not even remotely the same thing.

And b.) why did you have a scorpion of all things?

Because it was in my shoe?

[Stated like this is the most logical thing in the world.]

I showed my dad and he took me to the pet store to get stuff to help care for it. [A beat, frowning slightly as he watches Cosmo paw at his chair.]

Never said it was anything like raising a wolf, I was just telling you what pets I've had.

[ ....................................... ]

That sounds so much like you, I don't even know what to say to it.

[ It's somewhere solidly between disturbing, sweet and utterly random. ]

I never had any pet. I've only played with the pets of friends from time to time.

[Raised eyebrow.]

What's that supposed to mean?

Extraordinary pet, weird way of pet acquisition... Taking care of something you just found in less than fortunate circumstances... That's all very like you. Spontaneous, out of the norm, but... kind of nice.

[ James shrugs a bit. It just fits with Keith's vibe, that's hard to explain any better. ]

[He blinks. Somehow he wasn't expecting that to wind up as a compliment of sorts, and it's easier to just keep his eyes on Cosmo who has finally managed to jump up and curl up on his chair like a furry cushion.]

...oh.

[Expression softening a little, he clears his throat.]

Thanks...I guess.

[ .... ah. It's nice that they can have this kind of conversation now, that leads to Keith making such a gentle expression. James is not sure where to look either, so he just goes to sit down on his own chair. ]

So... what was your scorpion called?

[ If that one had a name. ]

[The question makes Keith freeze for a moment, looking away shiftily before grumbling:]

Scorpius.

[VERY QUICKLY:]

I was seven, okay?

[ James snorts in amusement nevertheless, Keith gets no mercy here. ]

Cute.

[ Scorpius the scorpion... Well, it is definitely better than waiting for the scorpion to name himself. ]

The most exotic pets my friends had were Kyle's aquarium of tropical fish.

[Despite telling himself he doesn't need to feel embarrassed at all, he still blushes at James' laughter, then metaphorically trips over that final assessment of "cute."

He bites his lip, willing the feeling far far away.]

... fish are kinda lame.

They're apparently very cool, if you know anything about fish. Expensive, too.

Unfortunately, I also don't know anything about fish, so it fell flat on me as well.

[ A scorpion is, in fact, cooler. ]

[There's a beat of silence as Keith decides to take a seat as well, if only to quickly snag Cosmo off his desk. Puppy has apparently decided it's worth exploring that area, too.]

....weird. I thought you were the fish type.

[ James blinks at that. ]

Really? Why's that?

[Cosmo squirms around in Keith's grip, then when put down on the floor, immediately busies himself with tugging on Keith's shoelaces with his teeth.]

They don't make a mess? Don't distract from all the studying you insist on doing?

[Seems pretty obvious to him. Keith ducks down to prise his shoelace from Cosmo's teeth and scratch his stomach.]

Super weird watching you babytalk to this guy.

[ James shudders a little. He really comes off as deadly boring, huh......... ]

I always wanted a dog, actually. A cool big one, German shepherd maybe.

[ Not that he'd been too sure of this, most of these plans had been made when he was around 10. Later in life, he'd simply accepted he wouldn't have a dog until he was much older. Sometime past Nightfall. ]

Huh.

[He continues scritching the wolf's belly idly.]

Dunno if I ever wanted a dog. [The thought hadn't really occurred to him as there just wasn't a whole lot of room to be thinking about luxuries. And even then, despite everything he'd heard about the loyalty of man's best friend, he was always pretty sure it was just a myth. Or something that only applied to people that weren't secretly monsters.]

Thought Scorpius would be the only pet.

[ Before the whole werewolf confession, James wouldn't have been surprised if Keith had always wanted a puppy. He'd have even said "huh, thought you'd always been a dog person" - but that's not something you can say to a guy who fights the urge to turn into a wolf once a month.

So instead of commenting on any of that, James looks at the way Keith is playing with Cosmo, and says: ]

Lucky coincidence that you found Cosmo then.

[ As much as James has reservations about keeping him, it is already hard to deny that he makes Keith happy. ]

Cosmo's not a pet.

[Hard to call any Outland creatures "pets" when they're not domesticated animals. Keith holds one of Cosmo's paws in his hand.]

He's a friend.

[There's a pause, and he looks up at James.]

KInda like you.

[Kinda.]

[ That admission has James staring in disbelief. He'd resigned himself to knowing that any labeling of their dynamic would always be minimal. Keith had made very clear that he wasn't ready to call him a friend yet and now---

Though he smiles, he has to look away. Direct eye contact is just too much for this moment. ]

Well, I'm glad for it. Both of these things.

[OPEN] unexpected finds

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