Lucky Rabbit

Kaoru Naito

Kaoru kept to himself again as the aftermath of the verdicts rolled out, and when he’s next seen, lacking a few piercings…

He’s sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, legs crossed, with the jackalope on his lap. He’s staring down at it, holding it by under the arms.

“…… yer deadass just a bunny.”

He moves his thumbs to wiggle the rabbits arms up and down delicately.

“Like, a bunny bunny.”

He lifts it up and stares into its eyes, squinting with all the world’s suspicion. Then, he sets it back down on his lap and starts petting its head, poking its horn with his other hand, touching his finger against the tip of one of the prongs. He didn’t think it’d feel all real when he grabbed it; he hadn’t wanted to try with the wardens around, but as soon as they were gone he snatched the little thing out of the hallway. But all he’s learning is that it’s literally a bunny wabbit.

Robert McCay

"…Well, I'll be damned. Y'can just pick that thing right up?"

Robert had entered the kitchen to find some grub, but instead stood there for a few moments watching the odd interaction unfold. He had tried not to think too hard about the Jackalope's presence previously, but now that it seemed to be their only supervision, it was growing increasingly hard to ignore. Just what was this thing?

He knelt down next to Kaoru (awkwardly, with the straitjacket impeding full movement of his arms) and looked the creature over with a hum. All signs pointed towards "just a little bunny wabbit."

Kaoru Naito

Kaoru lifts the peaceful, passive rabbit up again to reach out its paw to bap his face with it.

“‘s a bunny wunny wunny wabbit.”

He says that as flatly as the rest. It’s simply a bunny wunny wunny wabbit.

“Oh shit, what’s that? Y’hear?”

He leans down to set his ear against it. It’s saying nothing obviously.

"He’s tellin’ me he’s gonna rid th’ world ‘f all sinners ‘n shit, damn, that’s craazyy. Woah woah, hold on bunny, you can’t be sayin’ all that. Damn, now ‘e’s tellin’ me I got sent here cause I didn’t vote ‘nough…”

A little into the bit, he’s just laying his head on the jackalope because it is soft and he likes it.

Robert McCay

Robert prodded the Jackalope lightly on its fluffy little belly, still a bit amazed it was putting up with all this. It sure felt real. What about those antlers? They didn't look glued on, either...

Kaoru's bit genuinely fooled Robert at first, but it got a little laugh out of him once it clicked.

"Y'got my hopes up fer a second! That's the most "talkin' animal" lookin' animal I ever did see." He leaned over to make eye contact with the Jackalope, his voice rising in pitch comically. "What's goin' on in yer lil' peanut brain? Whatcha got t'say t'the wardens that y'can't say to us? Huh?"

He held out a finger for the creature to sniff. It did not do that.

Kaoru Naito

“Riight? Like, damn, what’re you late fer, bunny? I dunno where Alice is, I think yer in th’ wrong place. Shouldn’t a killer animal be like, a bear ‘er somethin’?”

He keeps petting it normal style, then taps its head with a finger.

“Hey, help me get ‘is hat off? I gotta keep holdin’ ‘im. Gotta see ‘f ‘e ‘as a third eye under there ‘er somethin’.”

It’s really, really important that he keeps petting the bunny.

Robert McCay

"Hmm, I can try…?"

Robert reached for the Jackalope's tiny hat, but… A mere inch away, his hand stopped and drew back. His brow furrowed. He poked the hat a few times from different angles, poked its horns and its fluffy little nose, then seemed to try again quickly-- no luck. The most he could manage was squishing it lightly with his palm.

"It's that same shit with the wardens. It's like it can tell when I'm actually tryin' t'take it off… and I just… can't do it. It's too cute with its little hat! That's what my brain is tellin' me… Fuckin' with my head…"

He grimaced and steepled his fingers as he pondered the rabbit.

"…now I might have an idea. But it might be a bad one."

Kaoru Naito

“Annoyin’, ain’t it?”

He’d already tried, he wanted to see if it was the same for Robert. He grins up at Robert, whistling in admiration.

“Yer full a’ bad ideas aren’tcha, Robbie boy? Didn’t realize y’ were such a loose cannon! What’re ya cookin?”

He delicately covers the rabbits ears. No spies.

Robert McCay

Robbie? His eyes grew wide for a split second, but he caught himself before the awkward laugh. It's okay, it doesn't have to be weird, he doesn't know…

"I-I guess I am, huh? Been cooped up in this damn place fer too long. Y'shoulda seen Miss Kuro chewin' me out fer the shampoo thing…"

Robert sighed and shook his head, focusing on the Jackalope again.

"So I've been tryin' t'talk with the... other fellas some more, right? Now that I know what they are. And if one a' them was able t'get past the warden bullshit, what about the other? That's what I'm thinkin'. But see, I know they can-- get in the driver's seat, so t'speak-- but I ain't ever done it on purpose before..."

"So, uh… I have no idea what this is gonna look like, or if it's even gonna work. Muse is yappin' in the back a' my head, sayin' I can just ask 'em, but…"

At least Robert was already on the ground, in case he was gonna faint or something. He set his hands on his lap and glanced up at Kaoru for… not really reassurance, more like he needed someone to egg him on.