The Magic Box, Saturday

[livingartifact]

"Do you mind?" Jenkins made a third attempt to get the front door to the Magic Box open, shoving it against the rump of a truly massive rabbit that had taken up residence on the sidewalk. "Look, I'm certain it's a perfectly nice spot to have a nap, but you're blocking my customers and I have truly had quite enough of being blocked today." His back

Comments

[2_old_for_this]

Peter, his own Byzantine sword in his hand, had run up when he saw the rabbit charging, then changed it to a stroll when he saw Jenkins had it well in hand.

He nodded as he walked up. "That's the third I've seen so far. Any idea where they came from?"

[livingartifact]

"An extremely large country meadow," Jenkins said. "I suppose I could try selling the feet. . . ."

He poked one of the rabbit's toes with his shoe. Bit big for a key chain, really.

[2_old_for_this]

"Or the meat?" Peter guessed. "If it's not contaminated by whatever magic this is." He gave Jenkins a crooked smile. "And if you know how to butcher a rabbit this big. I don't think I have a knife sharp enough and big enough."

[livingartifact]

"It has been rather a long time since I've field dressed anything," Jenkins said. "Though as I recall it was not the size of the blade that counted."

[whoisalicewhite]

Parker had had plans this morning; plans that did not involve exploding eggs or violent rabbits. She was kind of offended on behalf of all bunny-kind by this stuff. She was making her way along the rooftops toward the diner, and decided to swing down and somersault into the Magic Box when she saw that it was open.

"Why are they trying to ruin bunnies for me?" She frowned at Jenkins. "This is a magic thing. Do you know what's going on?"

[livingartifact]

"Haven't the foggiest." Jenkins admitted. "No feathers, so it's not the Mother Goose Treaty of 1918. Perhaps Aesop's Lyre, though I would expect those bunnies to be . . . chattier." He shook his head. "I'm tempted to simply blame it all somehow on Beatrix Potter." A sigh. "I always hated that woman. Naming twins 'Flopsy' and 'Mopsy' - just cruel."

[whoisalicewhite]

Mopsy was a really dumb name, Parker had to agree. "I could interrogate one and ask it what's going on," she offered, looking speculative. "I usually *like* rabbits. I have a stuffed rabbit. A toy, not a taxidermied one, because that's just ick." She made a face. "And, and, there's no internet, and Hardison is going to start freaking out about then pretty soon, I just know it." She'd left him a note not to turn on his computer. Like that would work. But at least she tried.

The abruptness and mention of Hardison might ping Jenkins' memory of the skinny guy he'd met on gender-swap day, if Parker's entire affect hadn't clued him in yet.

[livingartifact]

They certainly had similar enough mannerisms that Jenkins was beginning to pick up on, yes. "So the blockage is digital as well as magical, is it?" he asked. "I haven't managed to contact my people all morning, either."