From: nwilde
To: jhopps
Subject: Re: Noses
Carrots,
Be careful. I know I don't have to tell you that, but…be careful. Happytown is the kind of place your parents were thinking of when they got terrified about you being a cop. Write me as soon as you get back, okay?
I write my mom every now and then. I've sort of been not entirely truthful with her for her own good the last few years regarding my, ah, situation, but I did tell her I was going to become a cop. She's happy, sort of. But also worried. Happytown cops don't have the best reputation. I thought I'd be able to change that, but you know how that went. So she worried either that the other cops would hate me, or that I'd turn into one of those guys.
And she might not be wrong on that last point. I may never forgive you for this: I'm bonding with rhinos. Don't you dare tell anyone. They have a game on their phones, some kind of charge-at-blocks game, and they got me to download it to. So we're all playing it together and discovering that we all like superhero movies (surprise).
Wolferson got snippy at me again, said something about how I was clearly trying to pick off the weakest members of the class before moving on to her and Fangovic. The tiger joined in, the only time I've seen those two agree on anything, and none of my new "friends" spoke up to defend me (though they didn't like being called 'weakest' and Hornton did remind them that I'd helped capture a predator-hating criminal, which usually I don't like to bring up but it was a good time and his heart was in the right place, that being about four feet above mine). I won't lie, that hurt a little. But I'm trying to forget about it and keep the peace. That's what we're supposed to do at the ZPD, right?
Maybe I'll call Shaggy tonight. I know I shouldn't. I probably won't.
Let me know how it goes with the garbage collection. And while we're on the subject of parents, what's so great about harvest time?
Nick
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From: nwilde
To: jhopps
Subject: Re: Noses
Carrots,
I'm not going to say I'm worried because I haven't heard from you in two days. I'm sure you caught the weasels and have been filing paperwork and are super-busy. But you know, it'd be nice to hear how your work is going.
Graduation here is a month away and the big news is that we are the only class who hasn't had someone drop out yet. Usually, Bearester told us, there's one mammal who just isn't physically up to the challenge. She looked at me the whole time she said it, but I sat there and didn't say anything because I'm still the fastest in the class now that I'm not sore every day, and I can get through the marsh habitat in eight minutes twenty-four seconds which I mention so you know I have a month left to shave another ten seconds off my time. I'm coming for your record, rabbit.
Not everything's perfect here, though. Me, the rhinos, and Shaggy hang out together, while Wolferson and Fangovic have started palling up to Tusker. We haven't separated out into official teams or anything but we definitely cluster together during the physical exercises.
The other reason someone usually drops out is failing the mid-term, but you will be happy to know that all of us at the very least passed our test on the manual. Ironside and Shaggy barely got by, and I like to think that was thanks to my help/prodding. If not, we might be down one rhino and one buffalo.
You know, they're not my old friends from the neighborhood, but there's something nice about not having to be on my guard all the time.
Now get your work done and then write and tell me how clever I am for helping my friends (friends?) get past their tests.
Nick
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From: nwilde
To: jhopps
Subject: Re: Noses
Okay, Carrots, officially worried here. If I don't hear back from you tomorrow morning, I'm going to start calling people.
