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for a brief moment, a fleeting second, thomas thought there was something familiar about the dog-- about the way it smelled-- but he quickly discarded the thought and simply assumed his senses were picking up another, well, familiar. why would he have any reason to believe it was something more than that?

"how the hells did you do that?" thomas raised his voice as the other suddenly shifted back. he wasn't angry, he wasn't yelling, he was just excited. he had tried countless spells and charms to enchant his clothing so they would change with him, so that he wouldn't be stark naked every single time he shifted between forms, but all he'd been able to manage was tattooing the outline of his boxer briefs onto his body for about three weeks before it finally faded away. "you have to tell me how you did that. did you use a specific material? did you have to get a witch to help you with the enchantment? did you--" without caring about personal space, or simple politeness, thomas reached out and was brushing his hands over the other's chest and pulling at the fabric of his shirt as he asked his questions.

it took longer than it should have for him to realize how insane he likely looked.

"sorry." he offered with an awkward laugh as he let go of the other's shirt and gently patted his chest. "oh, and yeah. i'm fine. despite what you might think, i actually didn't hit my head that hard. i just get easily excited..."

With this human, maybe, on his back, Finlay slowly approached, coming up to the other's face and giving it soft licks to show that he was sorry. That he was friendly. That he didn't mean to knock him on his ass. He lay down next to him as he whined softly. He hoped the other was okay as the fall had been quick...dramatic. Plus, hearing the ow sounded painful.

As the other began to sit up, so did he as he sat beside him. He let the other pat at his fur while he wagged his tail to show that he was fine on that part. Sure, his tail was still a little sore but it would be fine. He sniffed over the other. The smell somehow felt...familiar. He couldn't place it. It felt like he should recognize it from somewhere but not sure were. Though, maybe it was because the other smelt like a familiar like he was. Maybe that was it.

After a few more pets, Finaly moved away from the other. It felt time to shift back and apologize in actual words. Giving a final bark, he began to change. His fur vanishing, all dog features turning human. Thanks to Aoife, he wasn't naked as he stood up. He only had a few sets of clothes he could wear that would remain with him during a shift. Ones he kept safe at all costs. "Hey...I am soooo sooooo sorry about that. I was just running off to grab some snacks and wasn't paying full attention. Are you okay?"

"it's not a disguise," he argued with furrowed brows and a dismissive shake of his head. "okay, well, technically i guess it is a disguise but that makes it sound like i was trying to purposefully hide who i am. this is me, but so is-- it's-- you know, the cat is just another part of me." he was doing a horrible job explaining himself. "either way, don't you think this is all a bit dramatic?"

right. it's not like thomas had broken into this man's garden, made a mess of his hard work and reaped the benefits of it for himself, left behind a miniature massacre of vegetation and fruits, and then attacked the man when cornered. though he was still going to argue that he wasn't trying to attack him, that was very clearly a nose boop and everyone loved those.

"oh my gods, dude, how do you not know what a boop is? everyone literally loves them. people go crazy when cute, fuzzy little animal's of any kind let them boop them on the nose-- wait." in that moment it hit thomas. this man was... something. he couldn't exactly smell it now that he'd reverted back to his human form, but when he was shifted into his tabby cat self he picked up hints of something supernatural but he just assumed that was because of where they were. it was all adding up now, though; not knowing what a cat was, not knowing what everything thomas had eaten was called, not liking or knowing about boops. this man wasn't human. he was something else. something more... removed.

"what are you, dude? that's, like, the second time you've made a reference to what human's do?"

"wait, hold on, what? eat me? did you just-- did you just say you were considering eating me? whoa..." thomas questioned, his attention span struggling to keep up; one minute he was looking at the man holding a shovel and a pair of shears and the next he was leaning back on the bench and swallowing his breath hard as the other crowded in front of him, cornering thomas on the bench.

"uh, hi... are we about to kiss right now?" he joked, weakly, in an attempt to diffuse the obvious tension between them. "okay, okay. no. you're right. i... i was in the wrong. i am in the wrong. assuming saying sorry isn't going to be enough here, what can i do to make it up to you?"

Holding a pair of garden shears in one hand and a shovel in another, Ed watches as the creature turns into a human. A subtle frown settles in. He doesn't remember those creatures being able to turn into humans... "I didn't know those furry things can disguise as humans or... talk." He says, still convinced that the furry creature is the true form. Tilting his head to the side, Ed just blurts out, "I am not mad. Humans hunt other animals."

Hunting something that looks like a human is probably not a good idea... so he lowers his tools. For now. "Not just eggplants. You also ate... whatsitcalled, the red berries." He just knows how to grow plants, not their names. "And I don't understand how that's cute or helpful. Or what boop is." Saying that flatly, he studies the now-look-like-human-creature. Maybe it is not a human after all. If it's a supernatural creature, than it's not food. He knows that much.

"We are talking." Ed points out. "I'm not going to kill you. That'd be too messy and you're too big for lunch." Deciding that, he puts down the shears and shovel. He then walks up to and corners the creature. "You still ruined my garden. Stole from me. My plants. And I don't like thieves. I used to punish thieves and debtors. So you are at my mercy."

"he was nice. it was... nice." while he wasn't lying, the man was easy to talk too and even easier on the eyes, the night didn't exactly go off without a hitch. dinner was incredible. they spent a few hours over a nice meal getting to know each other and laughing as they shared embarrassing memories and experiences. the drinks that followed were even better. even though keagan knew how to play darts, he didn't stop the man from holding around him so he could show keagan the best stance to use while playing. they flirted and bantered for what felt like hours until the other finally made the offer to take keagan home.

"he was super sweet, and easy to talk too. we had a blast, really, we did leofwyn-- you haven't lost your mojo." the lie lingered for a minute or two in silence, as if keagan was trying to make himself believe it only for the witch to let out a sigh and crack.

"okay, i still don't think you've lost your mojo-- this one was almost perfect-- but once we got back to my place? he kept calling me his ex's name and was concerned more with getting himself off than making it pleasurable for the both of us." but that wasn't leofwyn's fault. "when he left this morning he said he'd love to take me out again when i'm less distracted, which was hilarious." in his defense, keagan had spent most of the night telling stories about leofwyn; about his best friend and how much he loves spending time with him, and how he genuinely just can't imagine doing things without him around because even just having him to talk to makes things feel easier for the witch. "i don't know. i just... i think we were a good match on paper but not in person. maybe it was just a bad time for the both of us, which has nothing to do with you. we messed it up, not you."

keagan was trying to be nice.

@unveiledvagabonds; for leofwyn to interrogate keagan over lunch at a café.

"now come on, tell me. how did the date last night go?" he'd been trying to set his friend up for what felt like years now, on and off. it didn't matter that he was completely and utterly smitten, head over heels for the other. leofwyn had a job to do and he was going to do it to he best of his ability. though he was starting to wonder if he was too close to keagan for his magic to work properly... or if his own feelings for the witch was messing up his matches, unintentionally or otherwise.

it wouldn't be the first time in his life that the couples the cupid had brought together parted ways. contrary to popular belief, love wasn't eternal; and sometimes it fell apart. it occasionally had him a little weary, dejected by the outcome of it all, but he's seen how love could change people, heal their broken bones and hearts, make them joyful — he still believed in its power and it's kept him going all these years. leofwyn took a sip of his spiked coffee. it was midday, he was allowed. besides he knew he couldn't be sober for this. "couldn't be that bad right? it'd be pretty embarrassing if i'd lost all my mojo."