[Jaykobell]

He hadn't been on the streets for very long, all things considered. Some people had been homeless for much longer than he had, and not by choice, either. His situation was the result of his own choice, of his own desire for something else, to find a place he can actually call home.

But even during his short time as a wanderer, he'd developed some skills. He'd always been street smart, but now, he was even more so.

[Jaykobell]

So, he was glad when Lupin promised he was no shady crook, no one to be scared of. The red panda couldn't be sure of that, of course, but his body language and his tone of voice seemed genuine enough. And, frankly, were Lupin someone dangerous, he most likely would have attacked them or threatened them by now.

He relaxed just a little bit; but then his stress spiked once again, all at once, when another animal came crashing nearby.

[Jaykobell]

He watched silently as the two of them started talking and exchanging banter. It was...a little strange for the red panda, admittedly. It was early in the morning, he was stuck in the streets today, with raw fish, that he and his little pigeon friend just wanted to eat in peace. And here had appeared two weirdoes who somewhat spoke as if he weren't even there.

But, well, they had clearly seen it all, if they understood Cookie had been part of the heist.

[Jaykobell]

So, well, he figured he might as well humor them. Who could say what they would do with that knowledge, if he didn't comply or play along. The last thing he needed was for two weird strangers to report him to the police or to try and get him thrown in jail. It would be difficult to hop onto trains to wander and travel if he got trapped in a jail cell.

He was still a little wary as Lupin continued to talk, but the conversation seemed to be going somewhere.

[Jaykobell]

The two of them introducing themselves made the red panda a little less nervous. Despite Lupin's confidence, the red panda had no recollection of ever hearing the name. He mostly kept to himself, interacting very rarely with the other drifters and homeless folks. He never stayed in a town for very long. He came and went, by the hum of the trains running along the old tracks.

His mind had started to wander and wish for a nice train ride, right then.

[Jaykobell]

The mood was lifted and his mind came back to the present when Lupin mentioned that they wanted to steal something of their own. His ears twitched curiously at the comment. He couldn't deny it: that little piece of information had certainly caught his attention.

... What also caught his attention, this time more negatively, was Jigen's comment about the fish. Did this crane really think he had no idea he needed to cook the fish before eating it? Who was he, his dad?

[Jaykobell]

There was something primal in him that awoke when others implied that the red panda couldn't take care of himself. When people felt the need to comment on what he was doing, when they felt the need to tell him what he had to do.

Perhaps it wasn't so much the person's fault, but it was just an automatic reaction from the red panda. Those kinds of comments just came across as being condescending, infantilizing, even, in the worst of cases.

[Jaykobell]

He slowly got up from the ground. Cookie was still busy trying to gulp down those pieces of raw fish.

"Okay, so...uh, no clue who you are," he started with, once he had a little bit of wiggle room to talk. "Never heard your name. Uh, but mine's...Benny." He was unsure if giving these strangers his name was wise; but they had given him theirs, so it couldn't be that unwise.

"I know how to handle that fish." He couldn't help it: he had to address that comment, lest he let it fester. "Not my first time."

[Jaykobell]

Perhaps his tone and his words had come off a little bit more direct and abrasive than he'd meant them to be. He just absolutely hated it when people felt the need to comment this kind of thing; especially when it came from complete strangers.

Ah, but there was one thing Jigen had been right about. "But I ain't got a place to cook it." He paused so he could shuffle inside his coat pocket. "Got a lighter, though," he said as he pulled out just that: a dirty, old lighter.

[Jaykobell]

He looked at the lighter for a few heartbeats. "So, could use a bit of a break." He hated to admit it, especially to folks he didn't know. But he really could use a bit of free shelter. And it didn't sound like their asking price was all that high...maybe.

"Depends what you need, though. I know the place a little, not a whole lot though." He knew the major places, and he knew some specific hiding spots and abandoned buildings. You had to, as a drifter.

[zapdragon555]

Right away, perhaps simultaneously, the two thieves realized that they had insulted their mark. In different ways, certainly, and perhaps Jigen a bit more than Lupin. The crane grew a bit sheepish, a bit gruff, as he watched the red panda's expression change.

No recognition, either. Lupin wasn't offended at all, in fact, he was rather excited to be dealing with someone who had neither an ounce of intimidation, contempt, or admiration for him. A blank slate... now that was exciting. But a name! They had a name now. Lupin flashed a smile. "Pleasure, Benny!"

[zapdragon555]

Jigen was a little less quick to melt the icy state that he'd instinctively returned himself to, upon seeing his advice not well-received. A part of him felt just a bit guilty. He knew better than to underestimate an animal for its stature, but he had a habit of... not so much 'mothering' street rats, for this panda was clearly an adult, but at the very least... wanting to make sure one of them wasn't gonna die of bacterial exposure.

[zapdragon555]

"Hey, sorry, meant no disrespect," Jigen muttered, his tone something edging on apologetic as he bowed his pointed beak. "I used to run the streets, too, is all. Made some dumb choices. Make the wrong assumption that everyone makes those choices." He too had been faced with raw food with no way to cook it. Still, he spied the lighter with a flash of what could only be called affection in his heart. Yeah... he'd tried something like that, too, as a kid. It had worked. But it had tasted like shitty lighter fluid in the end.

[zapdragon555]

Lupin brightened when Benny seemed to crack, just a bit. When that stubbornness settled into something a little more practical. Really, how hard was it to accept an invite to a penthouse when all you had an alleyway? Lupin supposed he didn't know much about that. He'd been poor before, certainly, was often poor due to his terrible habit of letting money fly through his hands with the changing of the winds, but he'd never been destitute. Not like Jigen. If anything, Lupin's poverty had, too, been a choice at times. He'd never say it out loud, though, not in mixed company.

[zapdragon555]

"A little is already better than us, which is 'not at all,'" Lupin chirped, his tail swishing back and forth behind him in a kind of excited tic. "If you know a thing about a place called Paul’s Prawny Pawn Shop? Should be nearby? Run by some old-timer geezer type?"

Jigen stared at Lupin in disbelief. It... it was really called that? That was the title?

"I can't give ya too many details out here in public, though. But if you know the place, know the guy... know anything about his apparent, weirdly high-tech security system... you'd be a big help to us, Benny." Lupin flashed a sharp-fanged grin. It really was unfortunate that he had such a devious little face, because he seemed quite genuine when he spoke.