Chapter 2: Box competition
Nick had a problem. Ten kits wanted to reenact the next scene on the show – a bunny posing as a box. He didn't have a preference towards any single one.
The kits knew whoever he chose would receive gifts.
"Just play rock paper scissors or something," Nick said.
"But I can be a better box," a kit said.
Nick closed his eyes and pointed at a random rabbit. "Fine, you can."
"That's not fair!" a kit cried.
"I'm telling." Another kit stormed away in a huff.
Judy arrived shortly after. "What the heck are you doing?"
"Getting swarmed by kits, obviously," Nick said.
"We need to talk. Now." Judy dragged him away to where the kits didn't follow. She shouted, "What the heck is wrong with you asking one of my siblings to pretend to be our kit?"
"I'm sorry?" Nick did not expect this.
"Waylon said you wouldn't let him be a box."
"I only want one. He wasn't lucky."
"So, it's true! You're asking them to act as a rabbit-fox hybrid. What is wrong with you?"
Nick blinked. "You lost me here."
"A box is a rabbit-fox hybrid."
"So, you have the wrong idea. The more conventional use of the word means a container with a flat base and sides. Usually square or rectangular in shape. And with a lid."
"And how would that make sense?"
"Makes more sense than what you were thinking. But I didn't realize you wanted us to be something more so quickly. Are hybrids even possible?"
Judy shook her head. "No, you're not getting out of this. Just because you thought of a convenient explanation, that doesn't change what you were going to do! Stop lying to me. A bunny as a box doesn't even make sense!"
"You're cute when you're angry." Nick patted her on the head. "There, there."
"Is that all you can come up with? Honestly, apologize."
"Are you forgetting that Ziva acted as a scarf last week? And you didn't see her?"
"That's completely different! This will never work."
"That's where I agree with you," Nick said.
"Then why are you trying it?"
"To see if it can. For science!" Nick let her in on his plan. He wanted to go shopping while a rabbit was acting as a box. And he would see how far he could get.
"You won't get past a single store."
"That's certainly the hypothesis."
Nick and Judy finished their meeting and went to find the kits.
"I know you didn't pick me but what does the costume look like?" a kit said.
"I'll find some straps." Nick found something that the kit could hold on to.
"I'm confused. Didn't you want someone to be a box?"
"Ahem, mind explaining yourself?" Judy said.
Nick shrugged. "Don't look at me. They came to me."
"For the gifts," the kit said.
"I didn't pick you anyway."
Nick found the kit he chose but the kit was confused.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" the kit asked.
Nick explained what he needed to do as a box.
The kit said, "Oh, I didn't realize box meant that. Not interested anymore."
"How did you even know? Who told you?" Nick knew Judy was becoming less impressed by the second.
"Vedant."
They went to find Vedant. Nick desperately hoped that Vedant wanted to be the right kind of box. It didn't make sense otherwise why ten kits would come to him like that. He never even considered the possibility that they wanted to be a hybrid of a rabbit and a fox. Something that was born of myth and not reality.
Nick sniffed the air to track him down. "Vedant, do you want to be a box?"
"I certainly do," Vedant said. "Didn't you pick someone else?"
"There's been a misunderstanding."
Vedant tried to act as a box, holding on to straps that Nick was using.
Judy said, "This is ridiculous. It obviously wouldn't work."
"Do we even have another among the seven?" Nick said. "Who else watches the show?"
"B-boxes do not speak," Vedant said, mimicking the show.
"Right…" Nick took Vedant off his back. He asked again.
"There's Waylon, and Yasmin."
"I'll go find Yasmin," Judy said.
They found Yasmin easily enough. Judy also found straps for Yasmin to hold on to so she could hang on her back.
"Aren't they more like backpacks?" Judy said.
Nick shrugged. "I didn't write the script for the show."
They set off for a nearby store at once. The kits would only take their positions after they arrived. Judy had to park far enough away from prying eyes for this experiment to have a chance at working. The kits chatted about what they wanted to buy with a fairly large budget for them to spend.
Judy parked far enough away so the kits could have time to get in position.
Nick put the straps on, and Vedant took his position. Judy did the same with Yasmin. They marched towards the store.
"Excuse me, why do you have children on your back like that?" a cougar asked.
Nick turned his head to see a cougar.
Judy said, "I knew this wouldn't work."
"Well, we were trying to recreate a scene from a show," Vedant said.
"I'll just leave you alone…" The cougar scampered off.
"Come on, that one doesn't count."
"A deal is a deal." Nick decided to halt the experiment before they even entered the store.
"That's not fair. Ziva got so much stuff."
"You can blame Judy for that."
"You got lucky," Judy said.
"Pretty sure I can do it again sometime."
"You can wait in the car if you want." Judy marched into the store just the same with Yasmin posing as a box.
Vedant said, "Come on, let's continue until someone finds out again."
Nick didn't want Vedant to feel left out and he also wanted to observe Judy so he went into the store just the same. He saw someone noticing Yasmin already and Judy had only taken a few steps into the store.
The experiment was conclusive. Bunnies could not camouflage as boxes.