The Magic Box, Monday

[existencemisspent]

The shop was filled with little white and brown spiny things that hissed and muttered to themselves every time he had to step around them.

"Ugh. What is this, a British children's book?"

One of the hedgehogs tried to burrow up his pant leg.

[open!]

Comments

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon needed a distraction. He wasn't sure about the wisdom of visiting Eliot, though.

So Eliot was getting a text.

Did I ever tell you I have a cat now?

[existencemisspent]

Eliot read the text with a raised eyebrow and narrowly avoided ashing his cigarette onto a hedgehog.

mazel tov. and what is this creatures name?

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Issa. She came with it. Her owner might or might not come back for her, but it's nice to have someone for a while. How are you doing?

[existencemisspent]

that sounds like a very reliable cat owner, Eliot observed. I'd say you shouldn't get too attached but I suspect that ship has already sailed

Oh, Jon wanted to know about him now.

oh the usual. Margo killed all the plants at her shop, we still can't find a way back to fillory, somehow even the life of semi-leisure of this small buccolic town is getting stiflingly boring. Yourself?

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

I'm not sure about her owner. She was being passed around.

I opp;

Shit, I dropped the phone. Sorry.

I'll be fine.

Because that totally wasn't worrying, right?

[existencemisspent]

did the cat steal it?

That seemed most likely to Eliot.

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Of course not! She's a good girl. I just dropped it.

Because his hands were shaking.

[existencemisspent]

Eliot had a bad feeling about that.

it's a phone Jon what did you soak it in olive oil?

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

I'm not that bad at cooking.

Even if his current "food" didn't involve cooking at all.

There was a long pause as Jon tried to think of something else to talk about.

I got a new tenant today. There's something weird about him.

[existencemisspent]

darling you have just described half the island, including yourself.

please elaborate

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

I don't know. There was just som
ething strange abop

Damn it.

about his eyes.

[existencemisspent]

are you having a stroke

It seemed like a reasonable question.

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

No!

Jon scowled and typed his next message very carefully.

Just hitting the wrong keys.

[existencemisspent]

and why, precisely, are you having difficulty with accuracy? this is a bit atypical Jonathan

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon wavered and considered brushing it off, but... Well, if Eliot got too concerned, Margo would kill him.

He couldn't quite bring himself to type it, though, so he went with an oblique reference instead. Very carefully typed.

The same reason I'm not visiting.

[existencemisspent]

Eliot frowned, staring at the phone for a long moment. Why on earth would Jon not be showing up with the usual cup of --

oh sweet dead gods your starving arent you

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

The next message was a lot of "Jon is typing" as he backed over his errors to make it coherent.

Billy left town. He left me a few written statements. I'm trying to make them last.

[existencemisspent]

Eliot groaned.

and your starving

how long do you think before you start munching neighbors?

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

I won't!

I will figure something out.

[existencemisspent]

oh yes you will just happen upon another willing nightmare victim to snack on

we can all sleep comfortably knowing that will happen

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

It would have come to this eventually. I'll go back to what I was doing.

Which had clearly been working so well.

[existencemisspent]

ah yes

didn't that occasionally lead to you ALMOST EATING ME

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

That's why I'm staying home!

[existencemisspent]

yes I did work that out

but how long do you think you can last that way?

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

As long as I have to.

There wasn't really any alternative, was there?

[existencemisspent]

I’m sure that determination will be very reassuring when you’re foaming at the mouth

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

I don't FOAM!

Could you hear the indignation, Eliot?

[existencemisspent]

Just about, yes!

don’t worry by then you’ll hardly be you anymore anyway

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

That was exactly what he was worried about.

I've been hardly me for years now.