Instruction:
At the last part of this chapter, "…" means the narrator is narrating, and (…) means what they are talking in the surveillance monitor since the surveillance camera does not record the voice.
CHAPTER 7 'CREAM STEW'
9.00 AM at the Front of the Setthim Waterfront Residences
"Yes, sir… That's very kind of you, sir… I knew that yesterday footage was short but… Alright, thank you again, sir…" The sound of director of the filming crews talked on his phone.
Today, at the Acacia Street, the weather was good, and the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful as usual. It was another morning of the crews to be preparing for filming the life of Ryan. As the rest of the crews stood by the side of the front door waiting for Ryan to come out of his apartment, the beaver director walked back to them after finishing his morning briefing with the mayor of Zootopia. James returned to the crews, put his phone back in his pocket, and then he stood by.
"What's up, boss? What did the mayor comment about our past works?" Jenny, the female rabbit assistant, asked the director.
"Oh, he said that the day before yesterday show was very exciting as an action movie. But, the yesterday show was boring and short," James answered and let out his unsatisfied sigh.
"C'mon, boss. It couldn't help, since our human threatened us like that, and also, yesterday, he didn't do anything except hiding and stalking those two officers," Barksy, the fennec fox observer, joined in holding his lectures note.
"Yeah… and, we can't shoot at those two officers without conflicting his rules… If we had the footage of those officers kissing, our rating would be sky high," James continued.
"Yes, I agree, boss. But, I don't know what will happen to them if the public saw them kissing. Even, they can be the cutest couple, and the public would prejudice them," Jenny sighed making the rest of the crews remained silent on this topic.
"Alright, guys. I may now understand why Ryan wanted us to leave them alone. He tries to protect them. But, I know two things… One is the new generation mammals like us are more opening to accept new kind of things easier than the previous gens. They prepare to learn and study those new things via Internet, social media, and other media including TV. Let's hope our new gens viewers accept Ryan, the interspecies lovers, and other new things," James broke the silence and looked at his team.
"Two is to make the public learning more about the new things, and we need to genuinely present them the truth and set the right path for them to walk on. That's our duties, and I hope you mammals ready to guide the public opening their heart to accept the new things, right?" James continued.
"Yay! You're the boss, boss. That's why the mayor chose you to be the director of this show… Wait… I heard something coming from behind the door. Boss, he's coming," Steve, the rabbit host, heard and prepared himself, picking up the microphone.
"Alright, everyone knows your job. Then, let's start in five… four… three…" James announced as he finalized counting in silence with his fingers from two, one, and signaled for the action.
.
"Greeting, every mammal, and again, welcome back to 'How do This Human Live?' with your favorite host, Steve Toothart… This is the fourth episode of the show, and I hope you viewers ready for the adventure of human life named Ryan Young again. But, since our human doesn't come at the front door yet, I'm gonna read some of the yesterday comments first…" Steve introduced the show and picked some short notes from his pocket. He read the notes and announced,
"First one, from the home viewer, she commented that yesterday's episode was a bit uneventful, but she liked how our human wore his clothes, and she asks whether we told him to wore so… Hehe, I have to tell you again that this is a reality show, believe it or not, we don't interfere his life, and you can see that sometimes, he annoyed us…" He finished and flipped the first note back reading the second one,
"Second one, from the Sweeper, 'Why he didn't ride anything at the park, what was he doing, taking a photo or spying? And, were that Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde? What were they doing there?'… Well, this guy has a lot of questions… From my point of view, he was studying on the amusement rides to see that they were safe for him to ride on or whatever reasons. But, since he was only human here, to avoid making the uncomfortable situation to most of the mammals, he had to survey laying low as much as he could. And, were that Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde? We can't be sure… Maybe the coincidence that they were hanging out together or doing police thing undercover," Steve stopped as his ears perked up and turned to the front door of the apartment.
"Well, viewers, I heard something coming from the door… Humming? He is humming happily. What happens to him today? Let's see," He said in a low voice, turned himself to the door holding the mic with his left paw as the camera operator, Jonathan, panned his camera to the door. Then, the humming sound got louder and louder, and the door was opened.
"… Today's a good day… good day… Today's a good day… a good day…" Ryan softly sang and walked out of the apartment complex, smiling.
Then, he stopped and flinched, blushing as he saw the camera focusing on him. For a second, he set aside his embarrassment, smiled, and winked at the camera. He continued humming and walked.
"Uhh… Is he winking at us?" Steve turned his questioning face to Jonathan who nodded back making camera shaking up and down for answering.
"He's winking at us…"
.
The camera shot Ryan walking along the sideway as the crews followed him. He was walking and humming happily on the way, making the rabbit host more confused. Steve looked back at the camera with a skeptical face from time to time. Then, for a moment passed, Ryan turned and walked into the convenience store, 'Zoo24'. The 24-hour convenience store that happened to be everywhere in this world, selling everyday items.
"Well, folks. Let's see what our human is buying today," Steve whispered to his mic looking back to the camera, then they tailed Ryan into the store.
Ryan walked up to the checkout counter but, there was no mammal there. So, his stood waiting for some employees to show up.
"He's waiting for an employee to show up patiently. He must in need of assistance, or maybe, he wants to buy something specifically, and he doesn't know where it is…" Steve narrated as the crews hid behind goods shelves. Then, the store employee who was a female raccoon wearing a yellow with white vertical striped store uniform and black pants showed up.
"Good Morning… Oh, you're the human on the TV. I'm Erie Lavadories. What can I help you, sir?" Erie greeted cheerfully.
"Do you have any shaving products? I have to shave my… facial hair off," Ryan asked as he was rubbing his chin.
"Oh, they're rare, but we happen to have them. The razors, shaving foam, and aftershave lotion were over there. At the end of the third shelf."
"Thanks, Erie."
"Sure, Ryan!" Erie replied and smiled friendly at Ryan who walked to the direction she told.
"Wow, this store employee sure is one of our viewers. Okay, back to Ryan…" Steve said to the camera and signaled Jonathan to follow him. He sneaked around the shelf looking at Ryan. But, they seemed to be noticed by Erie with a doubtful face questioning of their doing. Later, Ryan walked back to the cashier with his desirable things, a razor, a can of shaving foam, and a bottle of aftershave lotion.
"And, do you know where I can get my haircut, Erie?" Ryan asked again and placed his set of shaving kit for checking out.
"Umm… There is a salon, a few blocks from here. But, I don't know if it can do what you ask…" She replied and leaned closer to Ryan, using her right paw signaled him for whispering.
"Do you see that crews following you?"
"Yes, I know them following me all the time. But, I have to ignore them," Ryan whispered replying, stood straight, and said,
"How much?"
"Total, 21 Zollars."
"Here, see you next time, Erie."
"Thanks and have a wonderful day, Ryan," Erie smiled and waved her left paw goodbye after her customer had walked out, following by the filming crews.
.
"Hmm… a few blocks from here, huh… Let's see," Ryan mumbled and picked up his phone out, opening the map app while walking. He silently muttered scrolling with his right thumb and searched the place where Erie said earlier. While he was searching and walking aimlessly, Steve described,
"From what I learned, the doctor stated that human was a hairless mammal that there were only some parts of his body grew hair. As you can see him, he has rather long hair on his head, and short and stubble hair on his upper lip, chin, and cheek…"
"There it is… 'Goatee Salon' and it's not far from here…" Ryan mumbled again and walked to the direction he got from the app.
"Well, everyone, he seems to know where to get his haircut. Let's go," Steve turned to the camera and continued tailing Ryan. The crews had followed him and sneaked around him for more camera angle without making him noticed or annoyed. Ryan kept walking on the way to his destination according to the map.
A few minutes passed, He reached the salon, Goatee Salon where classically decorated with dark blue painted, white wooden door, transparent window for showing inside the salon, and barber's pole with a helix of classic colored stripes revolving. Inside the salon, the floor decorated with black and white chessboard pattern, four barber chairs facing toward the large mirrors, four tables with other barber equipment on them, and a long waiting seat on the other side of the wall. As Ryan walked into the shop following by the crews, he did not see any mammals here. Then, he said,
"Hello? Any mammal here?" He stood waiting in the middle of the salon. Then, a wild goat with dark brown fur and lighter color around its neck opened the back door and walked toward Ryan.
"Ahh… Customer… Good Morning, sir. My name is Capra DeGargus. What would you like me to do with your… hair, today?" Capra greeted as he observed his customer.
"Oh, yes. I would like to get a haircut, and I want it to be like this…" Ryan picked out his phone showing his old picture of him as the reference.
"Hmm… A side swept undercut, huh? Okay, have a seat… And what about others?" Capra pointed his hoof to the filming crews asking.
"Just ignore them…" Ryan whispered and sat on the barber chair making the male wild goat huffed and prepared for the haircut.
Capra pushed a small chair next to Ryan and jumped on it. He used his hooves sweeping Ryan's hair, then he jumped down, turned Ryan's seat, reclined the seat down to the sink, and started to rinse his hair. After finishing hair rinsing, Capra grabbed a towel drying and massaging Ryan's hair making him moaned out in relaxation. Then, he reclined up the seat, turned toward the large mirror, and began hairdressing.
"Also, there was a little number of mammals who had hair, for example, Gazelle and other famous celebrities. But, most of us didn't grow hair and didn't need to. However, for human, it's usually grown according to the doctor's interview, the doctor stated that human grew hair mostly on his head but, somehow Ryan said to the doctor that they could be vary, some had no hair at all, and some had it on every part of the body. Furthermore, the hair color could vary too. And, all of it depended on the genetic…" Steve still narrated while Ryan was getting his haircut.
After Capra had finished hairdressing and shaving Ryan's facial hair, he hopped off his small chair and jumped back on it again with a pawheld mirror reflecting the backside of Ryan's head showing it to Ryan. Ryan had taken a look checking his haircut and nodded in confirmation back to Capra who smiled back at him in reply. Then, Capra rinsed Ryan's hair again, dried them with a hair blower, and began setting his hair.
"You have pomade, don't you?" Ryan asked while he checked his hairstyle in the mirror.
"Of course, I have. And, I made my own pomade," Capra answered back.
"For sale?"
"If you want, I could sell it for you."
"Great, how much is it, plus my haircut too?"
"Pomade is 25, and your haircut is 20. Hmm… you're the first customer of the day, so 40 in total."
"Oh! Thanks, Mr. DeGargus. I'm sure to be your usual customer next time." Ryan smiled and gave his 40 Zollars to Capra. Then, he left the salon, waving his hand to his hairdresser goodbye.
.
Ryan put his phone out looking in it, and now it was already midday as his stomach growled. So, his began his journey again.
"It is 12 o'clock in the afternoon, now. I could hear his stomach growling. He's hungry and let's see what will he have for lunch today. And, I bet he would have prey based today…" Steve stated to the camera making Ryan blushed as the rabbit said he could hear stomach growling.
However, Ryan ignored and walked, humming along the way. He walked back and passed his apartment. The host confused where Ryan was going as he still continued walking. Nevertheless, the host and the crews still followed him in the distance. After a while, Ryan and the filming crews saw the recognizable place, FurrMarts, and he made his way into it as the crews tailed him.
"Yeah… Bugburga… It seems that I lose the bet…" Steve sighed and continued, "Well, let's what he would order folks."
"Good Afternoon and welcome to Bugburga! What would your order be, sir?" Bugburga waitress greeted.
"Hmm… One Big-Bug and water," Ryan ordered.
"Okay, it would be 6 Zollars, sir," The waitress replied as Ryan nodded and paid to her.
"Your order will be served on your table. Thank you and have a great meal."
After that, Ryan walked to his usual seat that He and Nick sat for two days ago. He sat down, rested his chin on his left hand, and looked into his phone studying its new functions. It seemed similar to its previous version after Judy had given him back at Peponi Cafe. While he continued messing with his phone, the waitress served his order. Then, he put his phone down and chomped the Big-bug. A few minutes passed, his burger was gone.
"Wow, you could see that how hungry he was… He finished his Big-Bug within five minutes." Steve commented. And, now, Ryan rolled his eyes and sighed. He stood up quickly and walked out from Bugburga, continuing his today quest.
Ryan walked into the supermarket zone and grabbed a shopping cart. He looked his shopping in his phone mumbled in silence, and then he started to walk. He stopped at the fruit and vegetable stands. Ryan picked up two onions, two carrots, two radishes, two king oyster mushrooms, and broccoli. After he had checked them for freshness and poked ticking on his phone, he carted to next section, the frozen food. Ryan opened the frozen storage door looking for something. Then, he picked out a pack of frozen corn kernels placing in the cart. Ryan looked around and walked to the daily products chamber, leaving the cart.
"Look like he is gonna cook himself a dinner, folks. Let me take a look what he picks." Steve quickly walked to Ryan's shopping cart and jumped on it, "Hmm… onions, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, and… Oh! He's coming back."
Steve hopped off the cart and hid as Ryan walked back with a carton of soy milk. Then, he carted away quickly into shopping aisles. Steve and the rest of the crews tried to follow him, but they lost him. They began to panic as they looked around and there was no sight of Ryan. For a moment, they sighted him at the end of the aisle, but, as they moved to him, they lost him again and again.
"Is this a supermarket or a maze?" Steve groaned forgetting that camera was still recording him, "Oops, my bad. I think that we lose him, but we'll try to find him again. Don't worry, folks. Hey! There he is, let's go."
While Ryan was at the checkout counter, the crews slowly sneaked to him and observed him. Ryan picked up the products and placed on the checkout counter, and the cashier scanned the barcodes and put them in the bags.
"Do you have a member card, sir?" the cashier asked.
"No…" Ryan replied.
"Would you like to subscribe one, sir?"
"Hmm… Next time…"
"Uh-huh, it is 34.64 Zollars total."
After Ryan had paid for his ingredients, he picked up his bags of goods and walked back to his apartment.
5.00 PM at the Setthim Waterfront Residences
While Ryan was on his way to his apartment, Steve commented and described what Ryan was doing, some information about his doing, and gave some of his opinions. From time to time, Steve and the crews could hear Ryan sighed and snorted on some comments, but Ryan did not excuse or defense himself. Then, they reached Setthim Waterfront Residences. Ryan quickly paced himself into the building leaving the crews outside.
"Aww… He gets back into his apartment, folks. We can't follow him, but again, we can watch him from our surveillance cam in his room." Steve announced, and Jonathan stopped recording.
"Phew… What a day, huh?" Steve complained and walked to their black van with his colleagues.
"Yeah… We almost lost him again today," Jonathan said and set down his camera on the small shelf in the van.
"Hey… our job's not finished yet. Turn the surveillance on and continue your job, Steve." James ordered.
"Yes, boss." Steve and Jonathan stated in unison. Then, Jonathan turned on the monitor screen showing the image of Ryan who placed back his shopping bags and took out his shopping items. And, Steve picked the microphone and began narrating.
.
"Now, he is checking his shopping items and looking something on his phone." Steve narrated accordingly as Ryan did.
"He places down a chopping board starting to peel and thinly slice the onions. Then, he peels and cuts the radishes into small wedges."
"And, he slides the wedged radishes into a bowl and the sliced onion into a deep pan, but not cook yet. He continues to slice the carrots, the mushrooms, and the broccoli into bite-sized portions. Then, he sautés the sliced onion."
"Next, he adds the wedged radishes and sliced carrots into the deep pan. And, he keeps cooking."
"Then, he adds the sliced mushrooms and broccoli into it. He stirs the pan and lowers the heat. He covers the lid."
"Oh! His phone is ringing. He picks up his phone and walks around the room."
(Ryan: Hey, Judy. Finish your shift yet?)
(Judy: Almost… But, we'll be late. Nick forgot something at his apartment.)
(Ryan: That's okay. When will you guys come?)
(Judy: We'll be there around 6 o'clock.)
"We don't know what he's talking, but, now he walks back and open the cover stirring again."
(Ryan: That's good, I could finish cooking by that time.)
(Judy: Do you need anything else before we arrive?)
(Ryan: No, I'm good now. But, you can buy anything if you want.)
"Now, he sets the pan aside and places his pot on the stove adding the heat again. He slides cooked ingredients into the pot, adding water."
(Judy: Okay, if you need anything else, call us. Bye.)
(Ryan: Alright, bye.)
"After he stirs the pot, he pours the soy milk and adds bouillon powder, and continue cooking."
"Now, he's setting his dining table, placing salt and pepper, forks and spoons, and glasses."
"He walks back to the kitchen again. Putting a cup of frozen corn, mm… maple syrup? And two teaspoons of flour."
"Then, he adds water again and mixes in large stirring."
.
"Oh, he walks to the door and… His friends arrive, our famous Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde."
(Ryan: Hey guys, c'mon in. I just finish the food.)
(Judy: Hey, Ryan. Thanks for inviting us.)
(Nick: Yeah. What do we have for dinner, Ryan?)
(Ryan: You'll know soon. Oh! Fair warning, there is a surveillance cam here.)
"Yup, he points at us… Now, his guests place down their shopping bags picking out the bottles of soft drink."
(Nick: Ryan, we have to tell you err… two things.)
(Ryan: What would they be, hmm?)
(Judy: We'll talk after dinner. By the way, what's the occasion you inviting us here, Ryan?)
(Ryan: Oh! Just for thanking you two.)
"He pours the stew into the bowls and serves them on the table. Now, they are eating the food."
(Judy: Good smell and… Oh! Taste good too.)
(Nick: I agree, Carrots. I didn't know you can cook, Ryan.)
(Ryan: Thanks, guys. It was a part of my job when I was in my old world.)
"Wow, I hope the stew is delicious that they don't put down their spoon yet."
(Ryan: So, what's the news you want to tell me?)
(Judy: Err… our landlords want us out tomorrow, and…)
(Nick: And, we're gonna move in here.)
(Ryan: Here… that's great! But, is it too expensive for you?)
(Judy: Together…)
(Ryan: Oh…)
"They finished their dinner, and now, they are talking something. Maybe some news about our human."
(Ryan: That's great, and what's another news?)
(Nick: Ryan, since we are friends, and I'm really grateful for what you said two days ago…)
(Ryan: Uh-huh.)
(Judy: We're a couple now…)
"The news must be bad as you see him widening his eyes. Uhh… wait, he smiles… so, it's good news."
(Ryan: Yes! I knew it! Hahaha… You're my new neighbor and my new couple. What a good day!)
(Nick: Uhh… not gonna ask why?)
(Ryan: No need, what we need now is celebration! More stew?)
(Judy: Thanks, but I'm full now.)
(Nick: Me too.)
(Ryan: Aww… there is more left… Oh! I know who's gonna help me finishing them.)
"He walks back to his kitchen again, pick up the stew pot, and walk out of his apartment. His guests' following him."
"Wait! Where would he go at this late with stew?"
.
As the filming crews tried to find out where Ryan went, they heard knocking sounds from the van's back door. The beaver director walked and opened the door. He and the rest of the crews shocked of what they saw. Ryan stood outside and held the pot of stew with Nick and Judy who were standing behind him, smiling. Then, the crews moved closer and looked at the pot as the smell of the food attracted them.
"Can you guys help me finishing this stew… it's non-meat."