Foxlover91 : Well most of their friends will be, really. Most of them already know. And those who don't aren't blind.
This chapter has been corrected and edited thanks to the help of Lord of Hentai.
Chapter 07 : A Party Contest
Middle of July 2019
He was so excited, well, that wasn't all that surprising, considering his love for hosting an event like this. He had sent multiple invitations, and knew that enough of his colleagues would come and the few that wouldn't would see the pictures and videos later. He went through the list of guests he knew would be there. Wolford, Blackfur, Fangmeyer, Delgato, Snarlov, Rhinowitz and of course Nick and Judy. He had invited officers from other precincts of course, but since few knew of the reason he had organized the festivities, he couldn't really be sure they all would come. According to his calculations, there would be between ten and twenty guests. Far from the biggest party he had ever put in place at his place.
He had spent most of the afternoon preparing the festivities. Punch bowls, salad, snack… basically a whole lot of options in drinks and food.
He had put his expensive record player and record collection in his room, knowing that sometimes, drunk mammals could be clumsy.
Wolford was silently humming a tune, happy that his work day would soon be over. He was one of the few to know why this party had been organized and was looking forward to the revelation. He'd have to make it quickly to his flat to change into his party clothes and help Clawhauser to finish the preparations.
He glanced at Blackfur, she too knew about it. He could see it at how she was smiling. In the past few months their friendship had evolved into something special. He sometimes got teased by his colleagues, especially Nick and Fangmeyer, on how close they were. The wolf didn't mind, knowing exactly where he stood with the panda. They were friends. Really close friends. Nothing more, of that he was certain.
By his own nature, as an omega, he always had trouble forming real and deep bonds with others, not that he had ever felt lonely. This close friendship was simply something new.
She felt strange going to second party in less than a year. Despite her ability to understand and see through most mammals, the panda wasn't an overly social mammal. Not in the sense that she fled social interaction, she simply wasn't a party mammal, and didn't really like large gatherings. But this party didn't feel like a chore, she would be going with friends.
Since the end of the case, and the moment she had left Judy's apartment she had felt a bit lonely. Her new place was way better than the one she had rented before, but it felt empty since she was the only presence in it. Maybe she'd find another larger place and a flatmate. She'd ask Wolford but she knew how cheap his place was thanks to Clawhauser.
Still, he was the only one she knew she could imagine as a potential flatmate. The wolf was beyond nice, and though she knew of the teasing he got from the others about it, he, in only a few months, had become her best friend.
He was a happy mammal today. Usually, his wife could be a bit pushy about him staying home after work, but this time she had not complained a bit. She knew how important the gatherings with his colleagues were. With the current pressure schedule and pressure from work, they didn't always have time to really get together, and the parties were a nice respite. Plus he bonding that resulted was important for morale.
When they were younger, Fangmeyer and his wife had been quite the party mammals, but now he preferred more quiet, and relaxing evenings. And aside from the surprise that was announced, he knew what he was getting into. A rather wild party.
And he if he played his cards right, he'd be able to start a drinking contest. Sure there would be a chance to make or lose a few bucks. But he was confident that they'd all get a good laugh out of it.
Delgato felt a bit guilty. It was unusual for him to have a free evening and when he did, he liked to spend it with his family. It was his wife that had pushed him to go. She had even helped him dress up, choosing clothes that were 'nice but not too classy'. The perks of having a mate working at a clothing store.
To be honest, part of him wanted to stay at home, there was nothing more that he wanted after a long day of work than to be at home and have a nap. But he had to go. His colleagues would be here and Fangmeyer, his partner, would never let him hear the end of it if he missed whatever the 'announcement' was, even if he had a faint idea of what it was going to be.
And with a bit of luck, he'd be able to bait Fangmeyer into a drinking contest. Despite his big mouth, the tiger never could handle his liquor.
Snarlov was a bear, and as such, he was not an especially social mammal. Despite this, he always looked forward to ZPD parties. It was nice to be among colleagues while off duty.
Not that he'd socialize much, he usually stayed on the sidelines, looking at mammals mingle.
Usually there was someone that would come to him and ask if he was bored but he really wasn't. It was his way to spend time around others, alone but not lonely.
And knowing the crowd, Fangmeyer would try to put up some kind of wager, a drinking contest maybe. And no one could drink like bears. Not even elephants, even if Pennington and Trunkaby liked to pretend the opposite.
Rhinowitz was rather solitary and enjoyed the tranquility it offered. But when there was a ZPD party, he would try to attend and make the best of it.
He wasn't big on gossiping or even talking for that matter. But if the food was good and the booze fresh, he wouldn't have any reason to complain. And after all, he had nothing against the mammals that would be present.
Hey, he already knew how the evening would end for him. In a corner, side by side with MacHorn, a beer in hand, without swapping a word. Yes, he would make the most of this party.
Nick felt that Judy was especially bouncy, not that he could blame her. Last week she had gone back to the hospital a last time and had finally got the news she wanted : she was fit for duty. Well, at least her knee was, because she had a lot of training to do to get back to full strength.
Considering how hard those last months had been hard for her and how she thoroughly hated her desk job, He was glad to see her in that mood.
And to top it all of, they would soon be celebrating her return to work with their close friends from work. But still, he liked her in her bouncy mood. He knew she would be the one to push the most reluctant mammals onto the dancefloor, helped by Clawhauser of course. There would be a few that would absolutely not join in on this activity, like MacHorn or Rhinowitz for instance, which was a good thing considering their weight.
Judy could see the fleeting little smile the fox had kept the whole day. She knew it was partly his reaction at her mood, but also at the perspective of the party. He'd never say it to them, but he really loved to spend time with all his colleagues, even the less chatty ones. He often had one way conversation with Rhinowtiz, doing the questions and the answers, which seemed to annoy the rhino, but not as much as he wanted others to believe.
She liked how the fox had easily adapted to the ZPD life. Or maybe he had adapted the ZPD life to himself. Probably a bit of both.
She was happy to be finally cleared for duty, but she had a lot of training to catch up on, and even if the chief had given her his go at getting back on the street, she didn't feel physically ready. But it wouldn't stop her anyway, she'd simply have to get back into shape fast enough. No more cute Judy, back to lean and fit Judy.
What she felt a bit less happy about, was that Nick had been able to back on the field a month ago and had refused. She knew that he didn't like the paperwork, but he knew the wait would be even worse for her if he was back on the street without her. And for him, it wouldn't have been the same.
Unsurprisingly, the first one to arrive had been Wolford, quickly followed by Blackfur. The last of the preparations were done and they hung out around the large table full of food the cheetah had put up. Unlike Blackfur, the two males had a hard time keeping themselves from digging in, so it was a relief when the first wave of guests arrived.
In no time at all, the room filled with at least twenty more guests who all quickly began to mingle. Overall more mammals than the cat had anticipated, though it was a pleasant surprise. Some of them were looking at Finnick's art with an interested eye.
It was fun to hear about the stories from the different precincts, and to see that most officers were working as hard as them. Those parties were also occasions to learn about the other precinct's work. For instance, recently there had been a drug bust in canal district. They had been tipped off by a white bear, and had stumbled upon a large shipment belonging to a certain Vladimir Zimovitch. As per usual in Sahara Square, the trade of hallucinogenic cactus was fluctuating. There had been a recent fox disappearance in Savannah central, the officers were confident in their lead to find him, and a suspect in a Lycus related case had disappeared from a hospital in Tundratown.
Like most party the Clawhauser held, the atmosphere was lively yet low-key. Yet like most parties, you never could be certain what it would eventually devolve into. He could fondly remember, years ago, how a drunken Fangmeyer had gotten a hold of a microphone and twisted it into a very drunken karaoke. His only regret was that he hadn't gotten the chief to pick up the mike.
Looking at his phone, he saw that it was almost time for the surprise. He went and fetched Judy and Nick. The fox had put back on his arm brace as a symbol, to accompany his mate onto the improvised scene with their ploy, which was nothing more than a table with a chair as a footstool.
The two small mammals climbed up and onto the table, while the cat turned off the music. Everyone turned to them and the bunny tapped the microphone.
"Hello ? Can everyone hear me ?"
"Yeah !" "Yes." " We can" Came a chorus from all over the room.
"Good, good. Nick and I have an announcement to make." She gave the microphone to the fox and began unstrapping her leg cast while he did the same with his arm cast, letting the objects fall to the floor. He then gave her back the microphone.
"We're returning to the field." She announced.
It was the felines' idea, to try and improve morale. Despite things improving as of late ofr the ZPD, and underlying tension was still present. Knowing that the heroes of Zootopia were back on active duty could only have a positive impact. And the gods knew that after the whole Lycus debacle, everymammal needed a little pick-me-up. With a bit of luck, those who had recorded the scene would upload it on Zootube, where it would be seized by the public as a good omen.
A collective roar of celebration, even from those that had never worked with them, filled the room. The cheetah winced, feeling that his neighbors wouldn't be too happy about it. The enthusiasm died down slowly, and when finally a relative calm came back they could hear a taunting voice.
"Talk about a dud. I thought they'd finally announce they were together."
The room suddenly fell silence, and all head turned slowly to the one that had said it. Delgato seemed to try and slowly scoot away from Fangmeyer who was cooly downing his drink, giving the stage an innocent side glance.
"I wouldn't want to make you jealous, kitty cat." Immediately shot back the fox. He couldn't leave this remark hanging, otherwise, it would be like an admission. And it was too soon to go public. The remark earned a few laughs.
"You wish, Wilde."
"Oh no, I don't. I wouldn't dream of becoming an obstacle between you and Delgato." And second wave of laughter shook the room, and the two lovers used the distraction to sneak away from the stage.
"Catastrophe averted, well played." Remarked Judy. "Not very subtle though."
"Yeah, well, I was a bit shaken by that. I'll do better next time."
"Let's hope there won't be a next time."
Nick made a quick double sidestep and reappeared with a couple of glasses. "Let's drink to that."
And they did. The party continued, a notch crazier than it had started. At one point, Fangmeyer jumped on a table, brandishing a bunch of banknotes. "Who think they can drink me under the table ?" Already a bit tipsy, Clawhauser didn't protest and the contestants gathered themselves around the table. It was a good thing most guest had brought a bit of food and alcohol, because otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough of it.
"Not participating Nick ?" Asked the tiger.
"I'm smaller than your leg. And it's a contest against your whole body."
"You can play as a tandem with Judy if you want." He proposed.
"Pass." Said the bunny with a smile.
"You two are no fun."
Judy was surprised to see Rhinowitz staying on the sidelines. Despite his discreet nature, he usually didn't stay away from a contest he could win. She was however very surprised to see Blackfur and Wolford around the table.
Nick and Judy installed themselves a bit away, on the table that had been a stage, to observe the contest. Around the table were Fangmeyer, Delgato, Blackfur, Wolford, Snarlov and a couple of others from other precincts. A moose, a buffalo, and a very large badger.
"A shame the chief isn't here. He would drink them all under the table." Remarked Nick.
"I'm not so sure." Chimed in Clawhauser, who had silently installed himself near them. "He's not a big drinker." The cheetah looked at those who had started to drink more seriously. "I'm going to get some buckets."
Nick and Judy went to help him and found that he had quite the stack of them.
"That's quite the collection. It take it this has happened here before." Nick questioned.
The cheetah giggled
"Far from it."
"They must have made quite a mess if you bought so many in advance."
"The first time, I had to have the room recarpeted." Simply stated the feline.
"Oh my gosh !" Judy grimaced in disgust. "And you're letting them do it again?"
"Well, that was the first time, and I don't want to spoil the fun."
"But who had to clean it up, let alone pay for it?" Judy asked in shock.
"Oh they all did, on both counts," the cheetah chuckled before freezing, "Wait, if Snarlov is participating, maybe we should tarp the floor too."
"What, he's a messy puker ?" Asked the fox with a smile mixed with disgust.
"No, but the mammals that try to follow him tend to be." Smiled the feline.
The participants were kind enough to pause the game while buckets were distributed and the tarps were installed. And they agreed that any expenses incurred from the game would come from half of the winner's gain. Once everything was set up, it could really begin.
Slowly but surely, the mood around the table changed. At first, it was rather cheery. Wolford's smile was goofier than ever. Without any warning, the badger fell from his chair. "I'm the biggest drinker in my family but those guys are craz-" he had to stop talking and put his head in the bucket, one of the guest was kind enough to escort him to the bathroom.
"First blood !" Shouted Nick, which made Judy giggle.
The next to fall was Fangmeyer. Well not exactly fall. He looked at his beer with disgust before declaring with a smile. "Delgato, sometimes I really have shitty ideas."
"Then why do you always follow through with them ?" The two feline bumped fist as the Lion downed his seventh drink. "Piss break soon !" He announced.
Two of the participants nodded and abandoned at the same time, extending paws and shaking them. It was Wolford and the moose. "We may be defeated, but we're still standing !"
"What an achievement..." Taunted Snarlov who didn't look tipsy at all.
"Do whatever you like, my big friend, but I'd actually prefer to walk home, rather than crawl." Smiled Wolford.
"Don't you live here ?"
"I do. But like me, my point still stands." Answered the wolf with a wide smile, going to place himself behind Blackfur to cheer for her.
"Piss break !" announced Delgato standing up. He must have done it a bit too quickly because he lept to his bucket and emptied his stomach in it. "Carrots." They heard him mumble. "Why is there always carrots ?"
After they all came and emptied their bladder it was time to resume this little championship. It was actually fun to look at each participant and look at how they handled their booze. Snarlov looked fairly okay but he blinked a bit more than usual, the buffalo looked like he was trying to chase an nonexistent bee flying around his head, and Blackfur's eyes were smaller than usual, and had the beginning of a drunken smile.
The buffalo finally caved in, falling forward and hitting his head against the table. "I'm still there ! Still the- Oh gods !" He fell on his knees just above his bucket and puked all he had eaten and drunk during that evening.
"Piss break !" Announced Snarlov, getting up. Wolford helped Blackfur get up and walk.
"Are you sure you don't want to give up." He asked. Still smiling she shook her head.
The two ursine were now facing each other, drunken gaze locked.
"What do you say we move up to something a bit more fun ?" Proposed Snarlov.
"Why not. The sooner you roll under the table the better." The panda shrugged.
"Haha ! Perfect !" He turned to Clawhauser. "I brought some bottles that I put in your freezer. Can you bring them please ?"
The cheetah nodded, left and came back with three bottles. They didn't wear any label.
"Everyone take a shot to bring us luck !" Said the polar bear while opening the first bottle. Most mammals were curious and brave enough to try it.
It wasn't a stiff drink. It was frozen hell.
"How much alcohol is there in this ?" Asked the moose that had accepted to try the beverage, while a tear slowly ran down his cheek.
"I don't know, I'd say around fifty percent. Try it warm if you want to truly feel the burn." He answered with a toothy grin.
Three shooters later and the two ursine still hadn't given up. The panda actually looked better than she did a few drinks ago.
"I thought pandas couldn't hold their drinks." Taunted Snarlov.
"I thought polar bears could." She answered in the same tone.
"Oooooooh snap !" Came Fangmeyer's voice. The rest of the room was shaken by laughter and one could even hear a howl or two.
"It's going to be like that, Wight ?"
"Better believe it, Rudin."
Wolford's eyes widened in surprise.
"Nick, I think Blackfur is completely drunk." Judy said, turning to her mate with worry.
"And I'm so not missing this !" He replied, phone in paws, filming the whole scene.
"Nick !" She elbowed him.
They were facing each other, fists tightly closed.
"Alright. Time to get serious." And the polar bear got rid of his shirt. "It's getting too hot in here."
They downed another shot. Judy had only sipped in Nick's glass and she wondered how they could actually keep drinking that. The fox himself hadn't finished his glass.
Fifth shot and the panda blinked a few times. "You're right Rudin."
"What, This panda can't handle her alcohol ?"
"No. It's getting too hot in here." And she got rid of her own shirt, which triggered another round of laughs, accompanied with whistling and howling. Wolford clapped his paws on his face and rubbed it. Guess he was sleeping on the couch and her in his room that night.
Judy went from slightly rosy to red in less than a second.
"This is gold. And I'm not saying gold-plated, but actual twenty-four karats gold !"
"Nick stop filming !" She said, trying to take the phone from his paw.
"Oh no fluff. It's for posterity. I won't make it public, but maybe she'll have a new wallpaper on her computer soon."
The first bottle was empty, and they had attacked the second. Snarlov didn't seem so sure about winning now, he looked like he was just about to pass out. Or puke. Or both. But the panda didn't seem far behind him. She extended her arm in what seemed like the biggest effort of her life, grabbing the bottle and filling both their glasses. She raised her drink and downed it. The polar bear looked at his own glass unsure, but the cocky smile she gave him made him down it too. Bad decision. His face turned red, blue, green and he filled his own puke bucket.
A last roar of applause exploded, Wolford raising the panda's arm. From the other she took her bucket and vomited in turn.
"It's not gold. It's platinum !"
"Nick !"
"Think Finnick could make a painting out of that ?"
"Nick !"
"What ? Paintings make nicer gifts than computer wallpaper."
"Where is your empathy ?"
"You're right, I need to think of my fellow officers. Sharing is caring" He replied with a sly grin.
"Dont you dare !"
"Aaaand… Sent. Hopefully our colleagues won't be too mad they missed that first paw."
The bunny pinched the bridge of her eyes. "I can't believe you."
The fox gave her a peck between the ear which earned him a punch in the shoulder.
Wolford helped a drunken and giggly Blackfur up, a state no one here had ever seen her in before She stumbled a bit and fell on her paws with a snort. The wolf put his head under her shoulder and helped her up again, glad he hadn't drunken that much and was in possession of most of his strength.
There wasn't a lot of cleaning to do afterwards. The people that were sober enough helped clean up. As he had foreseen, Wolford gave his bed to a completely drunk Blackfur.
It was around 2 when most mammals had left, Judy and Nick saying goodbye to the cheetah before leaving too.
...
The air was fresh but not very cold. Walking on the street side by side, they leaned against each other. They wouldn't have a lot of occasions to safely express their affection outside of their own home.
"Why don't we have a stroll, I always liked being out at night." Said the fox.
"You're a nocturnal predator, the night is kind of your thing. But I'm not tired yet, so why not." She said with a smile, happy to be out and without her brace. It was a thing on which the doctor Procyon had heavily insisted, despite the fact that her knee had technically healed for two months, he didn't want her to take any risk, and had restricted her physical training to specific exercises, and had forbidden her to not wear the articulated brace outside of those moments.
"You're taking us somewhere aren't you ?"
"What makes you think that ?"
"It's not your strolling pace."
"You know me way too well Carrots." He said before stopping. "But not well enough. we're already there."
She looked around her and didn't recognize the place until she looked up and saw the sign dimly lighted by a nearby streetlamp. "Jumbeaux's Café." She turned back to him with an interrogative gaze. She saw him, a knee on the floor.
"Oh gods."
"The first time I saw you, I knew I wouldn't be able to get rid of you." The bunny felt her throat tighten and tears coming up. "I didn't know at the time, that it was because I'd never want to let you go." More tears, she felt her paws shake. "So I hope you'll never let me go either."
"Never." She gasped silently, the first tears welling.
He took out a little box and opened it. "Judith Laverne Hopps, would you be willing to marry this sly fox ?" He opened the box. Inside was a flat open ring. She could see two little gems embedded at each side of the open part.
"Yes. Yes I do." She answered with a big bright smile.
The fox slid the ring on her finger and it fit perfectly. Turning her gaze from the ring she buried her now tear streaked face into his shirt. The fox hugged her in turn, stroking her ear. When she was able to finally stop crying tears of joy, she turned her head on the side to look at her ring. The two gems were amethyst and emerald.
"Only you could turn a puking contest into a marriage proposal."
"Thanks." He said, kissing her head.
"How did you get my finger size right ?"
"Natural fox slyness. I took a picture of you hand next to a ruler while you were sleeping. It took a few attempts. Do you like it ?"
"I love it. It's steel, isn't it ?"
"Yeah, I know you're not really into jewellery so I chose something sturdy. According to the jeweller, you could punch a rhino in the horn with it."
"Nice. You know how many rhinos I punch in a week."
"And you can turn it to have the gem on the inside to make it more discreet."
She turned her face up. "That's perfect."
"I didn't think you'd settle for less."
She put herself on the tip of her toes and kissed him. "I never did."
