The man was impertinent in his liberties but... he was also gentle. Blue eyes opened a slit as the hand shifted and Jigano caught the lovely smile, radiant and innocent in spite of the gourd guts they'd both been spattered by. Even if he'd had any doubt before, that smile reassured him that the blond meant him no harm at all - that, perhaps, he found the fox as charming as the fox was finding the man.
And it wasn't as if there were anyone else around to see him like this, or any who could recognize him even if they did...
With a sigh somewhere between resignation (for the sake of his pride) and contentment (far more sincere) the fox leaned into the petting and scratching a few moments more, ears drooping with relaxation at the first ever attention they'd been paid by human fingers. Calloused fingers, and strong, well used to honest work, he thought idly. The man didn't carry himself like a farmer, though, and he'd wielded that weapon with an ease of long practice. Some sort of guard, perhaps? Or a hunter? His strength and skill had certainly saved the day!
And he was good with animals, instinctively so. There was a quiet to him, a sort of groundedness that made him feel oddly... safe. Reassuring. He didn't move fast or grab for what he wanted, and he didn't speak or try to treat Jigano with anything other than respect, even though the fox was so much smaller than him.
As a man he might have said so many things - introduced himself, offered his gratitude, joked to make light of the situation - but sometimes words just got in the way.
And if he let Rory scratch him any longer he was going to give up on his pride entirely and crawl into the man's lap, dignity be damned.
With obvious reluctance in the tilt of his ears and the droop of his tail, the fox shook off the gentle petting, trying to pretend he didn't let slip the soft whine of dismay at losing the contact. If Rory would let him he'd turn to give his hand a grateful nuzzle before scampering back a little ways, out of reach. For a moment he hesitated, leaning back towards the blond--
--But, no. They would meet again, he'd make sure of it, but for now he needed to clear his head. And let Rory get back to whatever he'd come into the woodlands to do, before Jigano had interrupted him with his game. With a soft sound of parting - somewhere between a whine and a trill - the fox turned and trotted from the clearing on three good legs, still favoring the fourth.
And it wasn't as if there were anyone else around to see him like this, or any who could recognize him even if they did...
With a sigh somewhere between resignation (for the sake of his pride) and contentment (far more sincere) the fox leaned into the petting and scratching a few moments more, ears drooping with relaxation at the first ever attention they'd been paid by human fingers. Calloused fingers, and strong, well used to honest work, he thought idly. The man didn't carry himself like a farmer, though, and he'd wielded that weapon with an ease of long practice. Some sort of guard, perhaps? Or a hunter? His strength and skill had certainly saved the day!
And he was good with animals, instinctively so. There was a quiet to him, a sort of groundedness that made him feel oddly... safe. Reassuring. He didn't move fast or grab for what he wanted, and he didn't speak or try to treat Jigano with anything other than respect, even though the fox was so much smaller than him.
As a man he might have said so many things - introduced himself, offered his gratitude, joked to make light of the situation - but sometimes words just got in the way.
And if he let Rory scratch him any longer he was going to give up on his pride entirely and crawl into the man's lap, dignity be damned.
With obvious reluctance in the tilt of his ears and the droop of his tail, the fox shook off the gentle petting, trying to pretend he didn't let slip the soft whine of dismay at losing the contact. If Rory would let him he'd turn to give his hand a grateful nuzzle before scampering back a little ways, out of reach. For a moment he hesitated, leaning back towards the blond--
--But, no. They would meet again, he'd make sure of it, but for now he needed to clear his head. And let Rory get back to whatever he'd come into the woodlands to do, before Jigano had interrupted him with his game. With a soft sound of parting - somewhere between a whine and a trill - the fox turned and trotted from the clearing on three good legs, still favoring the fourth.
