The Park- Tuesday morning

[throughaphase]

Kitty had gone to Caritas this morning to get her administrative stuff done, and also to make sure the bunnies were gone. They were, save for the one that had been sleeping in her desk drawer and had since made himself way too comfortable in her office. So she'd brought him out to the park, figuring that being a wild bunny, he'd hop off.

"You're home," Kitty told him. "Go... hop to your family."

The bunny did no such thing, probably because he didn't understand English. Instead he chewed on some grass, and Kitty found she felt bad just abandoning him, which was why she was going to sit on a bench till he left first.

[Oooooopen.]

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[filleauloup]

Éponine was slowly and somewhat groggily heading in to work, taking a detour through the park, when she spotted Kitty and the bunny.

"Oh, hello," she said, "you've made a new friend."

[throughaphase]

"Yeah, he slept in my desk, so we're close now," Kitty said with a little smile.

[filleauloup]

"Good morning to you, monsieur le lapin, in that case," Éponine told the rabbit with a solemn nod, then turned back to Kitty. "But where'd he come from? Did you find him somewhere, or is it more that he found you?"

[throughaphase]

"Caritas was filled with bunnies last night," she explained. "This little guy was left over today, so I figured I'd help him home. Also because my bill drawer is not a nest."

[filleauloup]

"Isn't it now! That's what you think, but clearly he thinks differently." Éponine reached out a hand to the rabbit and added, considering, "You don't seem to be in much of a hurry to get home, do you?"

[throughaphase]

The bunny was pretty friendly, and maybe wondering if she had food.

"I think we're playing chicken to see who leaves first," Kitty admitted.

[filleauloup]

"Dreadfully sorry, my furry friend, but I finished my breakfast earlier," Éponine informed it, but she did make an attempt to pet its ears because look, floppy.

She gave Kitty a faint smirk. "Gotten a bit attached, just maybe, have you?"

[throughaphase]

Kitty tilted her hand in the so-so gesture. "He's adorable, but I have a dragon and Clint has a dog so getting too attached is just a bad idea."

[filleauloup]

"Ah. Yes, that'll put a wrinkle in things." Éponine nodded knowingly.

"Listen here, now," she said, bending forward to address the rabbit, "you've got to think of yourself in the long term. You don't fancy getting eaten, do you? You seem like a more sensible rabbit than that."

. . . yes. Yes, she actually was trying to convince the rabbit to leave first.

[throughaphase]

"...Are you trying to reason with the bunny?" Kitty asked.

[filleauloup]

"And why not?" Éponine wanted to know. "At this rate, neither of you will be the first one to budge, and then where will everything you've got to get done today be?"

[throughaphase]

"Waiting to be done tomorrow?" she tried.

[filleauloup]

"And if you're both still here then?" Éponine shook her head. "It'll get cold here at night, and you haven't got the advantage of fur like your little friend there does."

[throughaphase]

"I could call Clint to bring me a blanket." Now she was just teasing. But she could be this lazy if she wanted to.

[filleauloup]

"And food while he's at it, more likely than not!" Éponine laughed and settled into a cross-legged position in the grass. "You are stubborn, aren't you?"

[throughaphase]

"I consider it one of my better qualities," Kitty nodded.

[filleauloup]

"It's useful, all right," Éponine agreed. "Though you might have met your match here."

But such a cute fuzzy floppy-eared match.

[throughaphase]

"Considering he tried to stick around in the bar, that would not surprise me at all," she admitted.

[filleauloup]

Éponine looked back at the rabbit. "You do know that's not a suitable place for rabbits, don't you?"

From the girl who took her cat to work.

"I think he'll be all right if you leave him here," she offered, as if it were some kind of consolation. "But imagine if you come back this time next week and he's still right where you left him!"

[throughaphase]

"Then he'd be an emotionally manipulative bunny," Kitty decided.

[filleauloup]

Yeah, Éponine still didn't quite grasp that there was anything wrong with being emotionally manipulative.

"Clever little bastard, too, if he did. He wouldn't even have to stay all the time, only make sure to be there whenever you passed by."

Which meant he'd have to watch her a lot and learn her routine, and that was a little, no, a lot creepy, and people shouldn't do that, Éponine.

[so_hawkward]

On his way through the park with Lucky, Clint spotted Kitty and her bunny and headed over. "Are we still getting a bunny invasion?" he asked, keeping a good hold on Lucky's leash in case he decided... well, who knew how he felt about rabbits?

[throughaphase]

"Just this one," Kitty said with a smile. "I came in and he'd taken over my office so I figured I'd give him a lift home."

[so_hawkward]

Lucky sniffed at the bunny and just poked him with his nose, so Clint relaxed a little. "Home being here?" he asked. "He doesn't seem to be settling in very much."

[throughaphase]

"Well I didn't want to just open the door and let him loose on the streets. But all the others headed out so I figured he'd be better with them," she said. "Maybe he's just really lazy."

[so_hawkward]

"He seems really adorable for someone lazy," Clint said. "But it's kind of hard to not find a bunny cute, I think."

[throughaphase]

"Yeah, there was a reason yesterday was pretty much the cutest day at work ever," Kitty said. "But that's only because Lucky's never been in there."

Had to compliment her favorite dog.

[so_hawkward]

"I have no idea what he'd do with the zombies," Clint said. "Or what the zombies would do with him. And I don't know if you want dog smell on everything. He's been getting into garbage again lately." Oh, the joys of dog ownership.

[throughaphase]

"Oh, Lucky, you are adorable but that is not a habit that's good for anyone," Kitty said.

[so_hawkward]

"See, Kitty agrees with me that you need a new hobby," Clint said.

Lucky put his head down and put his paw over his eyes, and Clint sighed. "Aww, don't do that. That look doesn't work on me." Except for how it totally did but shhh lying was better.

[throughaphase]

Yeah, Kitty kind of felt bad now. "Has he always known how to lay a guilt trip or did he learn that dealing with us?" she wondered. Since she totally recognized that she spoiled Lucky too.

[so_hawkward]

"I have a feeling his previous owners wouldn't really have cared about being guilt tripped." Freaking bros. "But that's a sign he knows we care, I think."

[throughaphase]

"And that he's probably getting a present later because I feel bad," Kitty said, but she was smiling. "Just look at his little face."

[so_hawkward]

"You spoil him worse than I do," Clint said, squatting down to pet Lucky and scratch him behind the ears. It was hard to not spoil him, really. "So what are you going to name your rabbit?"

[throughaphase]

"He's not my rabbit," Kitty said quickly. "I don't want to risk him becoming barbecue for a dragon."

[so_hawkward]

"Are you not allowed to have any other pets?" Clint asked, frowning a little. He was assuming Lucky didn't count.

[throughaphase]

"I'm sure I could, but Lockheed's pretty protective of me-" Clint may have noticed. "-and I don't want him thinking he's been replaced, you know? I'm sure Lucky's fine since he doesn't live with me."

And as long as Lockheed didn't see how much Kitty spoiled Lucky. That'd lead to glaring.

[so_hawkward]

"It'd be pretty hard to replace a dragon. He should probably feel pretty safe," Clint said, like what he thought would ever have a bearing on Lockheed.

[throughaphase]

"Yeah, but it's tough when you've been away a while," Kitty said. "I really don't want to feel like a bad mom."

[so_hawkward]

"Aww, you're not a bad mom. You check in and make sure he's okay, right?" Kitty pointed out.

[throughaphase]

"As much as I can," she admitted. "Kinda hard to call a dragon who can't talk on the phone. But we meet up when we can at least."

Okay, so she just didn't know he could talk, whatever.

[so_hawkward]

"I'm sure he knows you miss him," Clint said, trying to be reassuring. "Is he going to come and see you again soon? I think the school's doing something with having people visit." And Clint would like to be prepared.

[throughaphase]

"Maybe. If he's free," Kitty said, and got a little more serious. "I did put out the invite to a couple X-Men this year. Looks like Logan might be coming."

So... worse than Lockheed. Sorry, Clint.

[so_hawkward]

"Should I be planning a mini-vacation or...?" Clint trailed off, shifting on his feet. He could totally go into hiding if needed.

[throughaphase]

"No, I'm sure you're fine," Kitty said, looking amused. "He already knows the you from back home, and he doesn't have a real history threatening my boyfriends."

Except for that one time.