The Magic Box, Thursday

[livingartifact]

Jenkins had a large number of winter gourds at the shop today, set up on a table near the back where he could experiment on them with different substances while still keep an eye out for any potential test subjects paying customers.

Peridot's new pet had inspired a little extra "mad" in Jenkins' usual scientific curiosity. It wasn't that he desired to actually bring animate life to the no-longer-living, it was just that he wanted to know if he could.

"Well, that won't work at all," he said, looking over the previous literature he could find on the subject. "Not only are the skies nearly entirely clear, introducing that much electricity is far more likely to simply cook the things." He gave the butternut squash a measured look. ". . . Though that might solve the problem of what to have for lunch. . . ."

[open!]

Comments

[era_two_triangle]

While Peridot didn't have any spit with her today, she most certainly had her new favorite pumpkin. There was, after all, important science to be done.

"Oh, look, Pumpkin," she said as she stepped into the store, her pet in her arms. "New friends."

...

"I think."

[livingartifact]

"New friends, control group. . . ." Yes, because that was definitely why Jenkins has the other gourds. For control.

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot made her way across the room, and then stood up on her tiptoes so that she could peer at the gourds on the table.

"They're practically the same thing," she decided, setting Pumpkin down on the table so that she could investigate them. "What were you doing with them?"

[livingartifact]

"Experimenting," Jenkins said. "So far terribly unsuccessfully. Your friend's spit is remarkable indeed."

Not that, you know, he doubted that. But where would scientific inquiry be without people doing a few misguided experiments just to be sure?

[era_two_triangle]

"Tell me about it," Peridot replied, grinning a little. "Apparently there's an entire society of watermelons living on an island somewhere."

She hadn't met them, but Steven had rambled on about possessing one enough that she was willing to take it at face value.

[livingartifact]

"Did . . . did he make all of them? Or have they learned to breed independently?"

HE HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS.

[era_two_triangle]

"I'm... going to need to ask him," Peridot decided.

THERE WERE BABY WATERMELONS. AND A WATERMELON DOG. IT WAS ANYBODY'S BEST GUESS HOW THIS HAD COME TO BE.

[livingartifact]

Someday sentient watermelon would be the dominant species on Earth and Steven would have so much 'splainin' to do.

"Indeed," Jenkins said, still looking a bit perturbed. "But I suppose we have wandered off topic. You're here to learn more about what makes your little Pumpkin tick, aren't we."

[era_two_triangle]

"We are," Peridot agreed, as Pumpkin ran around the tabletop from gourd to gourd, sniffing and barking a greeting to each one. "Though I wasn't able to convince that a saliva sample in the name of science was imperative."

Some Stevens just didn't understand the importance of research.

[livingartifact]

"Unfortunate, but unsurprising," Jenkins said. "I suspect I'd need more than anyone would be comfortable collecting to run a proper series of tests, anyway." He went over to the cashier's desk and rustled around behind it a few moments, before coming up with a lab coat, a doctor's satchel, and a little silver head-reflector (which was entirely unnecessary, but added a certain flair to the get up). "I'm sure we'll get plenty of interesting information simply through our observations of your friend here."

[era_two_triangle]

"Do you hear that, Pumpkin?" Peridot leaned forward, grinning across the tabletop at her... dog. Her confusing, confusing dog. "We're going to observe you."

Pumpkin seemed pretty cool with this, looking up at Jenkins with her tongue lolling out and her vine-tail waggling behind her.

[livingartifact]

"Indeed," Jenkins agreed, as he cleared several of the gourds from the table and set down his satchel instead. He opened it up and pulled out a tongue depressor. "Now, Pumpkin. Say 'ah.'"

[era_two_triangle]

Pumpkin was at least mostly certain that the thing in Jenkins' hand was a toy of some sort, so, instead of 'ah,' exactly, she just barked excitedly.

"I don't think 'ah' is within her physical capacity to vocalize," Peridot noted, in all seriousness.

Human vernacular, bah.

[livingartifact]

"Yes, but saying it is traditional," Jenkins said. "We'll simply have to demonstrate it for her." He opened his mouth wide, stuck out his tongue, and went "aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh", then looked over at Peridot. "There's a stool behind the counter if you'd like to climb up and assist."

[era_two_triangle]

"Oh!" Peridot nodded and then ran to get the stool, coming back and setting it up near the table. That was much better. She could see what was going on up there without standing on her toes, now! "Okay! Pumpkin! Do like he did! Aaaah!"

Pumpkin looked at the both of them, puzzled, and then barked again.

[livingartifact]

"Very close," Jenkins told her. "But not quite. If I may . . ." He held out his free hand, palm up, and eased it towards -- well. Pumpkin didn't really have a chin, did she. "I suppose without any teeth, you can express your dissatisfaction with my technique without me fearing too much for my fingers."

[era_two_triangle]

"She is pretty harmless," Peridot allowed as she looked Pumpkin over thoughtfully. "Maybe I should change that. Pumpkin, how do you feel about lasers?"

Pumpkin just kind of tilted her head at Peridot at that, mouth hanging open. Which would, at the very least, help Jenkins with getting that tongue depressor in there, right?

[livingartifact]

It certainly would. Jenkins swooped in, getting the tongue depressor into place and a hand on the back of Pumpkin's . . . self to keep her from wriggling away from it before he got a good look inside.

At . . . pumpkin guts.

"Fascinating. If she were to swallow a flashlight, I'm reasonably certain she would glow." He glanced over at Peridot. "Where would you even put the lasers?"

[era_two_triangle]

"I'd figure something out," Peridot decided, waving a hand as if it really wasn't that big a deal. "Maybe I'd strap them to the sides of her body. Head. Her."

Really, pumpkin anatomy was a special thing to try to sort out, wasn't it?

[livingartifact]

"But then how would she fire them?"

Trust Jenkins to ask all the tricky questions.

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot was still waving that dismissive hand, yes.

"Oh, that part's easy. Voice commands. Bark a certain way, or growl, maybe. I'm certain she can be trained with relative ease."

[livingartifact]

"Do let me know when you plan to implement this idea," Jenkins said. "I will be sure to invest in a lead apron."

At least.

[era_two_triangle]

That was probably a good idea. The island really didn't need a battle Pumpkin.

Well. Maybe it would in a few weeks.

"I'll keep you informed of my progress," Peridot replied. Because of scientific reasons, of course.

[livingartifact]

"Please do." Jenkins exchanged the tongue depressor for a stethoscope. "Now, let's see if your little friend here has a circulatory system."

[era_two_triangle]

"That's the one with the heart and the blood, right?"

Peridot was slowly picking up on these things. She'd been in Dr. Lecter's first aid class, so she knew that bleeding out was bad and even had some idea of how to stop it, but that didn't mean she knew how organic bodies worked, exactly.

[livingartifact]

"In most animals, yes," Jenkins said. "There's often some sort of lungs as well. Though . . . I admit I'm not sure where your pumpkin would manage to fit them."

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot leaned up for a better look. Yeah, all of the inside of Pumpkin really just seemed to be the pumpkin guts that she used for a tongue.

"Well, I suppose it can't hurt to find out."

[livingartifact]

"Indeed." Jenkins put on the ear pieces of his stethoscope and pressed the scope to Pumpkin's side. And frowned.

There was no heart beat, nor any particular pulmonary sounds, but there, at the bottom edge of his hearing, was a faint echo of sound.

Of dogs barking Jingle Bells.

"Huh."

[era_two_triangle]

"Huh?" Peridot leaned in a little more toward Pumpkin, as though doing so would somehow let her in on whatever it was that Jenkins was hearing, too. "What huh? Why is there a huh?"

[livingartifact]

Jenkins straightened and offered her the stethoscope. "Take a listen yourself."

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot eyed the stethoscope, and then nodded and put it on... as best as she possibly could, mostly just squishing the earpieces into her hair before following Jenkins' lead and pressing the thing up against Pumpkin.

...

And then she blinked.

"Are there dogs in there?"

[livingartifact]

"A very interesting hypothesis!" Jenkins said. "Though I suspect they'd be rather louder if there were. Far more likely that it's a side-effect of the magic used to animate her."

[era_two_triangle]

There was a long pause while Peridot listened, and then she nodded and handed the stethoscope back to Jenkins.

"Steven did it, so... that makes sense, actually."

[livingartifact]

"A fan of novelty music, is he?" Jenkins asked, packing the stethoscope away again, and pulling out a reflex hammer. He tapped it against his palm as he looked for a joint to test.

[era_two_triangle]

"More like a fan of every music," Peridot replied, shrugging her shoulders. And then looking dubiously toward the hammer. "What's that for?"

[livingartifact]

"To test reflexes. With many organics, a soft tap just above or below a joint will cause it to automatically twitch, presuming the nerves are intact." He looked at the hammer, then at Pumpkin. "In this case, it is quite possibly mostly for show."

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot nodded and looked back at Pumpkin thoughtfully.

"... How do you know where her joints are?"

She was pretty sure there weren't any bones in there.

[livingartifact]

"Typically, joints are where the body bends. She is . . . somewhat noodly, though."

[era_two_triangle]

"Yeah. Unless you count her, uh..."

She was squinting again.

"Her... gravity connector... stumps."