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Biggles ficlet: Erich von Vulpine
An exchange which happened here:
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blackbentley: When I read this my brain immediately went "Erich Von Vulpine", and I don't really know what to do with that.
sholio: ERICH VON VULPINE. This makes me think of Biggles feeding an actual wild fox that keeps showing up, Algy names him this because OBVIOUSLY, and then EvS finds out about it.
blackbentley: That is 100% something Algy would do, and when confronted he would be cheerfully unrepentant :D
Obviously I had to write this.
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It was still a strange feeling for von Stalhein to be inside Bigglesworth's Mount Street flat. It seemed to him as if he should be sneaking in under the cover of darkness, not sitting in an armchair with a cup of tea and a biscuit while trying to make polite conversation with Hebblethwaite and Lacey, with Bigglesworth sitting on the sofa directly between von Stalhein and Lacey, as if prepared to throw himself bodily in the way if a brawl ensued. Erich had been here before, enough to know his way around, but this was the first time he had been in the flat when any of Bigglesworth's flatmates were home.
But, although awkward, it was not mortally so. Lacey asked after the Roths, and Hebblethwaite told a story about having to transport a water buffalo in a small cargo plane to a zoo that made Bigglesworth laugh quietly and von Stalhein smile. It was clear to von Stalhein that all of them were on their best behaviour, but he was surprised to find how much he did actually enjoy their company. Bigglesworth was certainly a large part of that. Von Stalhein noticed him relaxing, a slight frisson of tension easing out of his posture.
At least until there came a clatter from the dustbins below the half-open window.
"Oh," Lacey said, with a peculiar look in von Stalhein's direction that Erich couldn't decipher, "sounds like a visit from Eri—"
Bigglesworth cleared his throat loudly. Lacey made a small grunt, as of one who'd just had his shin kicked. "Yes, I put out some chicken necks earlier. I wasn't expecting anything until nightfall."
"Lucky if the cats didn't get 'em," Hebblethwaite said. He went to the window and peered out.
"Oh, is this the fox you've been feeding?" von Stalhein asked. He was honestly very curious. Bigglesworth had talked about it in passing—a wild city fox, somewhat habituated to people in the way of its kind but not at all tame. Bigglesworth, who—as von Stalhein well knew—had a soft streak for a wild thing in trouble, had begun leaving food for it, and had mentioned casually that he'd actually got it to take some chicken scraps from his hand.
"No sign of him," Hebblethwaite reported.
"If it even is a him," Lacey said. He had moved down the sofa, so Bigglesworth couldn't reach him. "It might be a vixen feeding her kits, we don't know."
"Not likely," Hebblethwaite said, with the air of someone engaging in an argument that had happened before. "If there were kits, we'd have seen them by now. Old Erich's a dog fox."
"Who?" von Stalhein said, thinking he might have misheard.
Bigglesworth looked like he wanted to sink into the sofa cushions.
"Erich von Vulpine," Lacey said. "The fox."
"Algy calls him that," Bigglesworth said. He had turned pink to the ears.
"We all call him that," Hebblethwaite said from the window. Bigglesworth's blush deepened. "But Algy named him. It's—he's rather—it made sense at the time," he finished uncertainly.
"I see," von Stalhein said, turning a mild look on Lacey, who appeared not only unrepentant, but cheerful.
"More tea, Erich?" he asked brightly, rising from the sofa and reaching for the pot.
"I'd love it, thanks," von Stalhein parried back, and held out his cup, while Bigglesworth, looking pleased and still a bit pink, bumped his knee lightly into von Stalhein's.
blackbentley: When I read this my brain immediately went "Erich Von Vulpine", and I don't really know what to do with that.sholio: ERICH VON VULPINE. This makes me think of Biggles feeding an actual wild fox that keeps showing up, Algy names him this because OBVIOUSLY, and then EvS finds out about it.blackbentley: That is 100% something Algy would do, and when confronted he would be cheerfully unrepentant :DObviously I had to write this.
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It was still a strange feeling for von Stalhein to be inside Bigglesworth's Mount Street flat. It seemed to him as if he should be sneaking in under the cover of darkness, not sitting in an armchair with a cup of tea and a biscuit while trying to make polite conversation with Hebblethwaite and Lacey, with Bigglesworth sitting on the sofa directly between von Stalhein and Lacey, as if prepared to throw himself bodily in the way if a brawl ensued. Erich had been here before, enough to know his way around, but this was the first time he had been in the flat when any of Bigglesworth's flatmates were home.
But, although awkward, it was not mortally so. Lacey asked after the Roths, and Hebblethwaite told a story about having to transport a water buffalo in a small cargo plane to a zoo that made Bigglesworth laugh quietly and von Stalhein smile. It was clear to von Stalhein that all of them were on their best behaviour, but he was surprised to find how much he did actually enjoy their company. Bigglesworth was certainly a large part of that. Von Stalhein noticed him relaxing, a slight frisson of tension easing out of his posture.
At least until there came a clatter from the dustbins below the half-open window.
"Oh," Lacey said, with a peculiar look in von Stalhein's direction that Erich couldn't decipher, "sounds like a visit from Eri—"
Bigglesworth cleared his throat loudly. Lacey made a small grunt, as of one who'd just had his shin kicked. "Yes, I put out some chicken necks earlier. I wasn't expecting anything until nightfall."
"Lucky if the cats didn't get 'em," Hebblethwaite said. He went to the window and peered out.
"Oh, is this the fox you've been feeding?" von Stalhein asked. He was honestly very curious. Bigglesworth had talked about it in passing—a wild city fox, somewhat habituated to people in the way of its kind but not at all tame. Bigglesworth, who—as von Stalhein well knew—had a soft streak for a wild thing in trouble, had begun leaving food for it, and had mentioned casually that he'd actually got it to take some chicken scraps from his hand.
"No sign of him," Hebblethwaite reported.
"If it even is a him," Lacey said. He had moved down the sofa, so Bigglesworth couldn't reach him. "It might be a vixen feeding her kits, we don't know."
"Not likely," Hebblethwaite said, with the air of someone engaging in an argument that had happened before. "If there were kits, we'd have seen them by now. Old Erich's a dog fox."
"Who?" von Stalhein said, thinking he might have misheard.
Bigglesworth looked like he wanted to sink into the sofa cushions.
"Erich von Vulpine," Lacey said. "The fox."
"Algy calls him that," Bigglesworth said. He had turned pink to the ears.
"We all call him that," Hebblethwaite said from the window. Bigglesworth's blush deepened. "But Algy named him. It's—he's rather—it made sense at the time," he finished uncertainly.
"I see," von Stalhein said, turning a mild look on Lacey, who appeared not only unrepentant, but cheerful.
"More tea, Erich?" he asked brightly, rising from the sofa and reaching for the pot.
"I'd love it, thanks," von Stalhein parried back, and held out his cup, while Bigglesworth, looking pleased and still a bit pink, bumped his knee lightly into von Stalhein's.
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And of course, the star of the show, Erich von Vulpine. This is sheer brilliance, and of course it made sense at the time, Algy. It will always make sense. :D
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I am very fond of EvS cautiously hanging out with Biggles's friends. Gradually they're getting used to the Worst In-Law. I think they'd honestly really like each other if they managed to get past the whole 30-year history that Biggles is totally fine with!
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Hahaha.
Bigglesworth looked like he wanted to sink into the sofa cushions.
Literally laughed out loud. One Erich sneaking up under cover of darkness, one who's no longer doing so.
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Biggles: It is a very beautiful, lithe and clever fox, of course he's a good namesake for it!
*realizes EvS is going to find out about this*
Biggles: ..... oh no. *tries to find out if he can hide between the cushions*
I'm so fond of all of them hanging out after everything, though! It's a bit awkward still - Erich probably would be more comfortable if he had broken in at night to steal something; at least that way he knows where he stands - but they're all learning to get used to each other.
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I loved the one (by you, I think?) where they take him back to their place to recover after he's drugged.
Maybe he breaks in to steal something while hurt or sick and desperate, and then has to hold firm against their cruel interrogation techniques such as "giving him soup" and "wrapping him in blankets."
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Also awww, Biggles bumping his knee against von Stalhein's at the end, in case he's feeling awkward about having a namesake fox.
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He dooooes! I mean even besides all the Erich-related implications, I love the whole thing about Biggles with animals <333
This is adorable!
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Why am I picturing the offscreen Bertie thoroughly charmed by the whole thing? XD "There's a time when one's a hunter, what, and then there's a creature in need."
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Sorry Biggles, you can't force your pet spy on them and not expect some revenge of the harmless and petty variety.
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Algy is ABSOLUTELY not letting this sort of prime opportunity for von Stalhein-baiting get away. And none of them are letting Biggles out of it either.