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The bite of tiny claws through his jacket brought a slight wince to his face as he strode down the sidewalk. The addition of the small kitten had come as a shock to Benjamin and frankly to the kitten. She was adorable, black as sin with bright amber eyes that were always laughing at him as he floundered through trying to figure everything out. Who knew acquiring a shifter kid was going to be so difficult? If someone had asked him some time ago he might have been the person to say it couldn't possibly be that hard.

But it was.

Far more than he would have expected and so much more stuff that was necessary. She might have been a toddler but she far out stripped any human child in ability and there were times Ben was certain she was going to be either the death of him or the death of herself. So far he'd managed to keep her alive and not diving off the edges of cupboards. A soft meow in his ear had him looking towards the side to study her. "You're the one who wanted to go shopping," he told her with an amused shake of his head, "I told you it was going to be chilly and you should go as a girl in a stroller."

He was chuckling as he unzipped his jacket just enough for the small kitten to clamor inside before turning so she could look out at the world as Benjamin walked to the next shop. He wasn't really paying attention, adjusting her tiny body to fit snugly and comfortably against his warm chest and didn't see the person coming until it was too late. She was no help, simply digging claws into his skin instead of making noise. "Youch. That wasn't necessary," he hissed and danced a little before jerking his head up, "Ah... I didn't see you there. My apologies."

Mirabelle was having a blast, darting through various stores in the strip and picking out the best Halloween decorations for the upcoming holiday. Her long hair was braided, with pretty flower pins dotted down the rope, and she was dressed in a (handmade) winter frock with leggings and ankle boots. Another handmade piece, a duchess jacket, kept her warm and was buttoned up front. On her arms, several reusable bags hung, each filled with her purchases from various other stores before the one she was currently in.

Pulling out her phone to make the payment as she passed through the checkout – she really loved mobile phones. They were so useful! – and made her way out of the store. Mirabelle was still fiddling with her phone, trying to put it in the pocket of her coat (best thing about making all her clothing herself, was everything had pockets!) when the doors slid open and she stepped right into the path of another person.

“Eep!” Mirabelle squeaked as she ran into the rock-solid form of a much taller person, skipping backwards a couple of steps to regain her balance. She was usually pretty well balanced, but being surprised took away such a natural edge. She looked up – and up – and blinked hazel eyes at him. “I’m small, not invisible,” she chirped back at his apology, raising an eyebrow and putting her hands on her hips, bags puffing out awkwardly. “You should look down occasionally,” she added, tilting her head with an annoyed look. “Not everyone is a freaking giant, you know!”