(Bunnygirl to Catgirl--BRIEF)


Mark fell through his portal onto the old armchair in his loft.  He grunted slightly, then picked up the old book he kept on the nearby table.  He flipped to where he left off, glancing up as Mira, his assistant, walked in.  She had a carrot in her hand and she bit into it lovingly, savoring the rich flavor.  One of her bunny ears twitched slightly with pleasure.
“You know, Mark.  I‘ve been thinking.”  She chewed the carrot pensively, then swallowed.  “Welcome back, by the way.”
“Remember what I said about curiosity?”  Mark returned his attention to his book.
Her ears tingled, shrinking and perking up, reforming into triangular points.  She felt one of them cautiously, confirming that they were cat’s ears.  A faint sensation from her backside told her tail had changed to match, stretching into a long, black-furred appendage.  She flicked an ear irritably.  Carrots didn’t taste quite the same when she was a cat.  “I do, but this might be good for you.”
He glanced up from the pages, not fully devoting his attention to listening, but not ignoring her either.  He’d had a full day, and just wanted some rest.  A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke up.  “In case you were wondering, this is me telling you to go on.”
She sighed with relief, then continued.  “What if we used your magic to change people for money?”
He blinked slowly.  “Come again?”
“Well, that job you just did got me thinking—if your friend wanted her nephew changed into a cow, how many other people, parents even, would want to do the same?  But with different animals, I mean?  More than that, how many people would want revenge, or maybe even volunteer to be changed?”
He set the book down, frowning thoughtfully.
Mira kept going.  “I mean, there’s probably some magical regulation against this—”
At last, Mark spoke up.  “There really isn’t.”  He said the words slowly, contemplating each one.  “This could maybe work.”
Mira’s ears perked up.  “Wait, you mean nobody’s even considered that before?”
Mark nodded.  “Nobody at all.  I can’t believe we didn’t even think of this before!”  He clapped a hand to his forehead.
“One other thing...”  Mira ventured.
“Sure.”  He nodded again absently.
“Why don’t we use your last name?”
He shook his head “Come again?”
Mira paused, thinking of the best way to phrase her “I mean... The Amazing Mark sounds fine and all, but your last name is Royale!”
“And?”  He was keeping his voice level.  That worried her.  Last time she told him The Amazing Mark was a stupid name, she’d spend the weekend as a donkey.
“I was thinking... we could maybe call ourselves Crown Royale Transformation Services?”  She offered a friendly smile.
Mark opened his mouth, then closed it.  Then he opened it again.  And closed it again.
“Mark?”  Mira waved a hand experimentally, her tail flicking from side to side.
“I just...  I need some time to rethink my life.”  He nodded, a thousand-yard stare in his eyes.  “First that cow thing, and now...”  He trailed off.
Mira nodded, then walked out of the room to grab some canned tuna from the fridge.  As she left the room, her sensitive ears picked up him mumbling.
“One month.  She’s been here one month and already comes up with this.”
She smiled and shut the door behind her.