Author's Note:
These multiple scenes bounce back and forth between the Wednesday and Thursday following the events of chapter 27, arranged for literary aesthetics and how they connect between each scene. That said, enjoy!
This is ZNN
"Good evening, I'm Fabienne Growley."
"And I'm Peter Moosebridge."
"Our top story tonight is the arrest of infamous Pred-Scare sniper, Doug Ramses, whose whereabouts over the past year were unknown until he resurfaced at the Tri-Burrow Reunion on Monday. Sheriff Rachel Longmare released a statement earlier today about his activities:"
"…As of this moment, we can say with certainty that Ramses was set to cause trouble at the TBR by means of a new Night Howler drug snuck into the whipped cream at the pie-eating contest. Thankfully, a dual effort of the sheriff's office and the ZPD stopped a possible repeat of the Pred-Scare from a year ago…"
"Sheriff Longmare goes on to explain that the new drug was a product of noted food processor and philotherian, Magnus Hopps, who hired Ramses to develop the drug and test it at the TBR. Hopps was arrested last night in Bunnyburrow after assaulting House of Blessings representative, Nivins McTwisp, and is being held without bail pending an investigation. Felix Oswald Lapis has come forward in full cooperation with the ZPD to turn over all information in his possession on Hopps:"
"…This is a meteoric shock not only to Knotash, and not only to bunnies all over the city but mammals everywhere. I've known Magnus for years, he's my brother-in-law, and to find out everything he's been up to… it's hard to believe, to say the least. But then I found his secret partition in the servers of Knotash, which might as well be a brick through the window, signed 'I did it'. And if it wasn't enough that he admitted to hiring his own father's assassination… excuse me… no, thank you, I'm fine… but there was also a video of him practically pushing a rabbit out a window… gleefully! And that's just what we found in the last two days…"
"'Meteoric', indeed. Reginald Hopps has long been a pillar of the rabbit community in Zootopia and his passing will surely be felt by many."
*bzzt*
Magnus tossed the remote onto the bed beside him and hunched over, alone in the dimly lit cell with the light from beneath the steel door reflecting off his eyes and scarlet-stained paws. He played along so far as to get into the orange jumpsuit. And into the holding cells. And locked up… it was when the larger mammals got too close that he couldn't abide them. That's when fingers were snapped. Hooves, cracked. Wrists, broken. Magnus was knuckles-deep inside someone's arm and wringing the artery before the guards requested he stop… at least he didn't have to bleach his fur to hide the blood anymore. At least he didn't have to pretend anymore… and how freeing it felt.
When was the last time he really got to hear a heartbeat reach a frightened pitch? He didn't get to hear it stop that time, though… that abrupt cease would have been a climactic duet with the lungs breathing their last… His ears sprung at someone outside the cell, the shadow of feet there only for an instant before something slid through the tray chute and stopped a few inches from the rabbit's toes. It rang.
And rang.
And rang.
Magnus watched it illuminate his austere cell, bathing all in ghastly blue, vibrating as though some miniature lightning storm thundered all for him.
The phone stopped. And then it rang again.
And again.
And again.
He stood up from his seat and over the phone, hunching down to examine it as one would a spider, a snake, or a millipede. It stopped ringing. And started again as he picked it up, returned to the bed, and sat down to flick it open before the final ring.
"Magsy, there you are."
"Foxy," Magnus answered, "How kind of you to call, I was beginning to wonder how long they'd let me stew in my own abject terror. Thank you for the TV, by the way, it only gets one channel and I hate it. When can I expect to get out of here?"
The fox on the other end of the call laughed. "You won't because you messed up big time, old bun. You and your little tantrum burned everything to the ground and they aren't happy about it."
"Well gawrsh, I guess that makes me the 'pound of flesh'?" Magnus chuckled, "Quaint, but don't mince words with me, everyone knows that I know who they are; all of them. I know their families, their businesses, everything they care about… and I know everything you care about so let's try this again: When can I expect to get out of here?"
"…Eventually," he growled and then cooed, "But I wouldn't hold my breath. You might not stay in that cell but you'll never run anything ever again. Remember when you called me an 'over-glorified paper pusher'? Guess who's at the bottom of the totem pole now?"
Magnus sneered as his fist tightened around the phone, "Watch yourself, fox."
"Foxy," he clarified, "And you can't touch me. Quote: 'Undermine the faith of the masses in their leaders', unquote. All those funny little bunnies you had by the ears all hate you now, and I know exactly how to tug their strings with none of them the wiser."
"Quote: 'By use of flattery, insignificant mammals can be made to look upon themselves as born leaders,' unquote," Magnus retorted, "Don't flatter yourself into thinking you can take anything of mine."
"Oh…" the fox taunted, "I can think of one thing…"
"…You would dare take credit for all of my planning and my sacrifice!"
"Every ounce of it, old bun, and it's been ages in the making," Foxy snickered, "Years under your thumb because you blew up Honest John for me but don't kid yourself, I was biding my time. So… thanks for the foot in the door, Magsy! I'll be sure to give everyone at Pleasure Island your regards."
Magnus's eyes darkened as laughter - high and mocking - rang through the phone until he could stand it no longer and snapped it shut. "Foxes… it's always foxes…" he growled, plagued with the memory of Nick Wilde, "Johnson." The rabbit vaulted from his bed, bellowing in unmitigated rage as he hoisted the television set overhead to demolish it against the cell floor. The knuckles in his paws cracked as they balled into fists, chest rising and falling with each breath. "No one can take what's mine."
ZHKNA, "No Worries" Radio~
"Good morning in the morning, Zootopia, you're on air with Tim O'Nare."
"And talking big with Mr. Pigg. Perk your coffee and butter your toast because we've got a lot to get into today."
"Far more than you'd expect for a Thursday. Like, how about this Magnus mook? I'm sure everyone's, at least, seen his food byproducts sitting in the back of the freezer section of your local grocery store, but has anyone really met this guy? Take a few seconds to zoogle 'Magnus Hopps' - be sure to text-&-drive responsibly, folks - and let me know what comes up. Bob, how about you, what did you glean from a cursory glance?"
"Well, it brought up the dictionary definition for 'psychopath', 'super villain', and 'CEO'. I'll be honest, I'm surprised this guy isn't in real estate - wait, turns out he owns an upscale housing company under a false name. Yep, that checks all the boxes."
"Yeesh, every layer we peel back on this onion just makes me cry more and more. And speaking of crying, let's hop on over to last night Knotash and a press release from Magnus's wife. Have a listen:"
"…For too many years, I have been kept silent… and afraid… not only for myself and my son but all my children… I was not strong enough to come forward, but by the love of my brother I found the will to speak up… Magnus… you can't hurt me anymore!…"
"Wow… that's some powerful stuff… I really don't know what else this guy is capable of…"
"You said it, Bob. For those of you who haven't seen the video, we've got Clea Hopps here on the verge of tears, and then engulfed in tears, and then it looks like she peels back her face-"
"That's because she's an albino, Tim; let's not be insensitive."
"Absolutely, and our many albino listeners will understand me when I say that she dyes her fur on a regular basis; that's what I'm getting at."
"More to the point, she used the fur dye to hide bruising on the side of her face. Except in this clip, she revealed it to the whole world."
"And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, Magnus was brought in for weaponizing pies. Pies!"
"And whipped cream! Is there no depths to this guy's depravity…"
"Suffice to say, social media is ablaze. Especially when you've got this guy in cahoots with… someone who deserves even less introduction: Doug Ramses."
"Brrr… I still get the shakes thinking about him…"
"I'd say he needs no conclusion, either, so let's move right along in this thread of woolly news. For the first time in over thirty years, our southern neighbors will be visiting Zootopia for the quinceañera of the youngest Supai, Yzla."
"A 'quinceañera'?"
"It's like a sweet-sixteen party if the daughter were born one year later. C'mon, Bob, try and keep up."
"Sounds like a big deal."
"You've always had a talent for understatements, my friend, because word is that Gazelle's performing at this posh, private little shindig."
"Wait a minute; I thought Gazelle was performing at the Luau this year…? It took months to book her!"
"Gosh darn it, Bob, you've always been terrible at keeping secrets…"
"Sorry…"
"Well, cat's out of the bag on this one, Zootopia, so I might as well capitalize on this timely slip of the tongue. It's that time of year for the 'Dress in Drag and Do the Hula' Luau for Lost Youngin's, and this time we'll be auctioning off tickets to dance on stage with Gazelle and the Tigritos-"
"Holy smokes; this is a chance of a lifetime!"
"Well, we needed something to out-do the Tri-Burrow Reunion. Heck, I'm tempted to swipe one of these tickets myself but this is all for charity and the King family would be super cross with me if I did, since they're the ones who keep this Luau going every year (for some reason)."
"Come on, Tim, the Kings are one of the most charitable families on this seaboard. They were one of the few that opened up business relations with Reino del Sol all those years ago, you know, really helped the country enter into the first world."
"Alright, buddy, you sold me, but in all seriousness, Memphis and Sarah are some of the nicest lions I ever met. I'm not sure where this city would be without them."
"And what about Tycho?"
"'Eh."
"Tim…"
"What; any livelier and the guy might break out into a eulogy."
Judy Hopps sat amongst her relatives, both nuclear and extended, out in one of the back fields of the farm; several other families were also spread about, each with their ears erected to the burnt orange of the late Wednesday sky. Bo sat with her, watching as Stu stood in black garb next to a photograph of the departed Reginald Hopps.
"They recovered his body," he began, fighting back the choke in his throat, "It… it wasn't in the best condition, so it'll be returned to Knotash to be fixed up for an open-casket ceremony soon enough. My dad… we didn't always get along, and after he dropped out of touch over the last few years… and meeting him again on Sunday… I regret not forgiving him… for not talking with him. One of his last words to me was that he never felt more at peace than when he was out here. As some of you may remember, he actually helped with a harvest one year," Stu chuckled and was agreed with by a quiet, respectful response, "The Hopps Manor will be going to Grav… Graham as soon as he gets out of the hospital… so there's nothing I have to worry about with that.
"I think… I feel in my heart that Dad always wanted to be out here… that's why it would be best if he, in proper bunny tradition, be buried amongst our crops, that his body be returned to the soil it came from; I've already gotten Pop-Pop's blessing, and Clea's blessing, too," Stu said, "So we'll have ourselves a proper memorial for him in that time. Thank you for coming out, everybunny." Bonnie came up to touch his arm and shoulder, and then gently touch their foreheads; the crowd of relatives thumped their feet into the dirt to cause an ankle-high cloud that succinctly settled.
"Let us not forget," Bonnie then added as the thumping quieted, "that we are all joined here, at this time in remembrance of bunnies all over the world, for all those that came before us, live alongside us, and to those who come after us. Reggie will always be in our hearts… so it is on us to keep his memory and wishes alive. Blest be."
"Blest be," the bunnies responded.
"Blest be," Judy soberly answered. She stayed behind as everybunny else folded chairs and readied for the cleaning up and settling down of the day; it wasn't the same ecstatic havoc of Tuesday morning. Judy and Bo were actually over at the Greys' house earlier since it was already past midnight, so advised to stay in Preds' Corner by Judy's parents. They woke up to an amazing pancake breakfast (as well as a house full of foxes, one lion, and a wolf) but kept their chins up the entire time. After it all, Judy finally had the peace of mind to let her parents know they were on their way home… that was when she found out that McTwisp had already contacted them about Grandpa Reggie… He, perhaps in a gesture of recompense, had covered for them and their "trying times", and so Judy received comfort rather than scolding. Judy was thankful for it.
"Are you ready?" Bo asked her after returning inside and packing up their things, the hustle and bustle of an extended bunny family in full force once more, with by far more somber.
"Yep," she decided, luggage in paw, "Madge gave me a clean bill of health and Bogo's okayed me to for duty, starting Friday. The question is… are you ready?"
Bo flexed with confidence. "I still have a lot to decide… I want to meet with the Lapises in Knotash before coming out about who I am… I've already given my badge back to Sheriff Longmare since the emergency is over, and Phil said he'll start my training when I get back from the city."
"Zootopia's a big place for such a little bunny," she teased.
"Maybe," he grinned, "but I've got you with me, so I think I'll make it."
"Hey, guys," said a low voice, long ears and round head poking around a corner, the splotches of his orange and white fur quite evident.
"Hi Fat Frank," greeted Judy, "what's up?"
"Pop-Pop wants to see you; says it's important," the rotund rabbit reported with a thumb tossed over his shoulder, and then disappeared again with his heavy footfall.
She sighed and smiled softly.
"It's probably nothing," Bo consoled.
"He did say it was 'important'."
"He says knocking on wood is 'important'."
Judy shot him a playfully indignant look. "The train doesn't leave until later, so we have plenty of time to hear what Pop-Pop wants to tell me," she said.
"Want me to come with?"
"Please. With any luck, he'll forget why he called us and we can be on our way."
The trees and telephone poles rolled by, the occasional semi-truck or minivan joining Lanny on the open road of the Zootopia Sound Highway.
"Nose finally cleared up, huh?" asked his imaginary passenger, the glowing, blue fox named 'Dawson' having shrunk to the size of an action figure and stood comfortably on the lion's dashboard (if in a grass skirt, flowery lei, and ukulele, hips gently bobbing with the motion of the truck).
Lanny freely breathed through both nostrils. "Only after Gideon made pancakes," he softly grumbled if smiling, glancing over to the carry-out container next to him (along with a small bag of tissues, red with the coagulated blood he managed to dislodge from his sinuses), "But you know what… maybe it's time to stop for lunch."
"I see a clearing over there that should fit your truck," Dawson pointed out, directing through the windshield, "Do you plan to put on a shirt?"
"Nah," the lion dismissed and scratched his bare chest, "I finally got a whiff of my own laundry… this shirt wasn't so bad but I think the foxes were grateful that I volunteered to sleep out under a canopy last night…"
"Summer ni~ghts… in Bunnyburr~ow…" the small blue fox sang, dressed instead as legendary lounge crooner Samson Wild and spinning a microphone around. "They at least didn't say anything about it. So, Champ, you've got a lot of thinking to do between here and the city."
"I really do," Lanny agreed as he pulled into a lookout spot over the Sound, killing the engine and opening the windows before picking up the syrupy, buttery pancakes and breathing in their rich aroma, Still warm… and then opened the box and took up the plastic fork he was provided with. "I really like the idea of working out in Preds' Corner but I can't just burn bridges like that," he pondered around mouthfuls of pancake.
"But," the hallucinatory fox countered, "If you accept the hospice position and are immediately fired - as you wholly suspect will happen because the old guy is a loony - you can leave without any guilt, 'You tried your best', and move on without worries."
"And it'll give me a chance to wrap up things at the docks, like find another alpha for the pride there, if my uncle doesn't want the position again," Lanny then concluded and licked his syrupy lips, "Foolproof." He then extended his fist to the glowing, blue fox, to which he received a hearty fistbump, "Y'know… I'm gonna miss you when you go away."
Dawson groaned dismissively and endearingly. "You don't need me, Sport, you've got plenty of real friends."
"I'd still like to know who you are, before you disappear."
"Could always ask John to do that memory thing on you," the tiny fox suggested, "Esther said it worked for her and she didn't even know about it."
"Yeah… I probably would've done it last night if not for my… hygiene situation…" he lamented awkwardly while gnawing on the plastic fork.
"Oh, you don't smell that bad."
"And… I was afraid of what I'd find. I think… I think it'd be better to see what Nick can dig up with his efforts before going into some kind of… hypnosis therapy. Plus, what if I started screaming or roaring and fly completely off the rails because of a repressed memory?" the lion rationalized, "No, it's better to approach this carefully, right? Dawson?" Lanny looked about for the tiny blue fox and then squinted his eyes at the tinier wisp of light on the very end of his nose. "Oh, there you are. I guess you're heading out, then?"
"I'm ri-ght here, S-on, don't wor-ry," he said in that strange, broken speech. And then he was gone.
Lanny's ears swiveled and eyes scanned, but the glowing blue fox was nowhere around. His absence was felt for but a moment, as the lion then laughed so his chest and shoulders shook, before scoffing in all due playfulness, "Foxes." He then put the sticky box inside of a plastic bag and started up his truck again to continue his return to the city, softly singing, "Summer ni~ghts… on the oas~is… reflect for me~… your starlit ey~es… even as the sun ris~es… we'll always ha~ve… those lo~ng… summer ni~ghts…"
"Dear vlogosphere,
"We'll keep this entry short and sweet since I'm visiting with family out in the country. Now, I know what you're all thinking, 'Esther, visiting family is so boring', to which I would look at other vloggers and wholeheartedly agree, but unlike all you lucky (or unlucky) mamms out there, I grew up without a lot of cousins or siblings.
"We had other fox families in the area - call-out to the Tweeds! - but, as you already know about me, Pa's side is off in a foreign land while Ma's side… well, they've never really been around… until last night! I met two of my uncles (step-uncles, technically speaking, not related by blood, we'll go ahead and clarify that up front, thank you) and some of my cousins (step-cousins…?), but let's talk about Uncle John and his mate, Aunt Jackie, first.
"Where to begin with him… how about a plug for his business? He's a tailor, owns a little shop in Conifer District called 'Suitopia' (I know, right? I'll share a link to his FuzzBook later; spread the love!) and as you can guess, he's a fellow farm-fox but you'd never know it by talking with him, he just sounds like a city-fox; and to all my city-fox lovelies out there, you know exactly what I'm talking about~ Alright, so here's the big reveal: their son is - drumroll, please - Officer Nick Wilde (yep, he took his mate's name; how modern!). Now it makes sense what I pointed out about step-uncles, right? I really dodged a bullet on that one…
"Why bring that up at all, you ask? Well, as some of my closest friends know, Nick and I have been… sort of courting each other on-and-off over the past few months (for those of you just tuning in, check out one of my earlier posts about fox courtships) so imagine my complete and utter shock to find none else but Nick Wilde staying with my brother for the TBR. I'll be honest, gang, this whole dance-of-avoidance we were doing felt just a little one-sided so while I was blown away by his sweet tail in a police uniform… I must confess that I was beginning to doubt if he really felt the same way about me…
"And then this weekend happened. I can't go into details (upstanding student of the law that I am) but I can say that Nick and I were in something of a 'Mr. & Mrs. Fox' situation where we ended up saving each other from an ill fate… You know me, I'm as hopeless a romantic as they come but I never bought into those old stories, not really… 'How quaint, fate brings them together and they fall in love, la-dee-da', is what I'd say… Well, my fellow cynics, forgive me but I got a very convincing counter-argument~
"I think it runs in his family because his parents, John and Jackie, met in similar circumstances. Uncle John was fresh off the train with less than two dollars in his pocket and gave Aunt Jackie a single red rose as his favor… after fighting off a singular bunch of thugs. Only one petal of the rose remains today but she had it preserved in a locket and here's the clincher: it was a red rose with white tips. Aww~! It's great to see such old-timey romances lasting for so long. And… forgive me, my fellow single vixens, but I accepted Nick's favor just last night~"
"Ta-da! I don't know where he found a tiny, ceramic robin with a crown but he did, and I love it. And yes, it is supposed to resemble a certain tattoo~ 'Hail the King Robin', y'all.
"Alright, so, my other step-uncle, Uncle Corbin, a real mysterious tod. I got to meet his niece and nephew, and my goodness, the tension was thick last night… not between them, sorry, but him and Uncle John. They kept calling each other their kithood nicknames - the ones used to annoy, you know? - but then they started treating each other like adults and it was just the most heartwarming thing because they embraced and licked each other's cheeks, 'As siblings should', as Ma would say. I think they'll be happy to get back in touch with each other.
"Oof, I said this would be short but I hope it's still sweet…
"I met with my bestest best friend Judy again last night, which was something of a surprise because I was sure she had lots of bunny family business to take care of. Not that I would ever complain to see Judy, she introduced me to Nick after all, but she and Bo - her bun-boy - came around to get his shirt fixed. Bo's been on a… waiting list for me, you could say. I like him, he's nice and all that but he always seemed… like every other farm-bunny I ever met (with the obvious exception of Judy). Always trying too hard to get along and yet, has this nasty habit of letting slip some backhanded comment… meant with the 'best of intentions', of course.
"And then I found out something huge about him, something that struck to the very core of my being… I won't say what it is, you understand, but know that this is something that could define you as an individual and he only found out about it last night! I've known about mine almost my whole life, but poor Bo… he came to me for advice on how to deal with that revelation… It was the first time I felt like I really… clicked with him, you know? Those of you with bunny-friends, or really, anyone with prey friends will understand how it feels to connect with them on an emotional level. Suffice to say; yesterday's been a tidal wave of emotions. And I haven't even gotten to the biggest one yet…
"Literally, the biggest one is this sweetheart named 'Lanny', newly befriended by Nick and Giddy. He's a lion and knows about me from the Lionheart Trial. Yeah, let that sink in. Turns out he was on Leodore's side which was such a relief… as some of you might know, I've gotten some flak for defending the former mayor; those that actually recognized me, of course. Every time I think I've gotten away from that whole thing, it decides to crop up again… Guess I should stop pretending it was some debacle and just stick that feather in my cap; I've already been commended for it twice today, after all… Oh, who was the first time? That's my little secret~
"Speaking of Giddy, I have some great news for everyone: remember that pie-eating contest I told you about? It went amazingly, and the funniest thing is, both Bo and Nick were in it! Nick won first prize and Bo won second. Turns out Lanny was also there but he didn't participate (I think that would've been an unfair advantage). So, 'congrats and all that', I hear you say but here's the best part: Bo has this tractor-pull competition he does at Carrot Days and did at the TBR. Well, guess who was also in it? No, not Lanny (again, unfair advantage). Not Nick, either. It was Giddy!
"I was so surprised to hear that, but am so proud of my baby brother; we all are. Giddy's never been the athletic type and he's always had a lot of self-doubt, so he never takes off his shirt around others, ever since he was a teenager. Well, somehow Nick convinced him to not only pull that tractor but did so without a shirt, and he won first prize against Bo! Bo might be a bunny but he's one strong carrot-farmer, so don't discount baby bro's big, blue ribbon.
"And if I might segue into one more bit of sweetness, I found out today that a good friend and neighbor of mine, Lory, was at the tractor-pull competition. 'Okay, so?' you're wondering, well, Lory and Giddy were part of this outdated 'arranged marriage' kind of deal our Pas tried, to settle old grievances between our families. They were only kits at the time so it didn't pan out and blah-blah-blah. But hey, turns out Lory was maybe just a little bit wooed by Giddy's performance at the tractor-pull. Wish him luck!
"And I'm definitely smelling pancakes, so let's go ahead and wrap this up with one of the cutest things I've ever seen: this is Nick, deep in slumber… look how his claws twitch! And that smile~ I never see this smile when he's awake, only when he's dreaming… otherwise, he just smirks or grins with a thousand different ways to snark at the world… But this smile… it feels like he doesn't yet know how the world views foxes, like everything's the best it could possibly be… I just want to see that smile all the time…
"You know what… memo to self: keep this vlog private but share Nick's smile with Jackie… and Judy, too, she'll get a kick out of it~"
"She really is beautiful," Corbin admitted to his brother John as they lounged atop the roof of the Grey house in the witching hours of Wednesday morning.
"Who, Jackie or Zootopia?" John asked, looking out over the landscape to the shimmering aurora in the distance, tucked away behind the mountain.
Corbin chuckled, "Let's go with 'both'."
"Smart answer," he said and shared in a laugh, "I'll bet it's a relief to spend a night inside, assuming the Scouts are as they've always been, capable of sleeping in nearly any wilderness (so long as it includes trees)."
A low sigh escaped his lips. "Sadly, that won't be for us."
"Why not?"
He tapped his visor. "Not enough time."
"You must be exhausted, though."
It was Corbin's turn to boast a leer. "Scouts of the Knottedwood have changed since you left, little brother; we can run for days on end without rest. Our only limitation is how long these ironroots last."
"Cory, that's no way to live. Just tough out the affliction; it's only a few minutes of screaming, flailing, and bloody pain, but after that? Easy street," John suggested with a lazy slice of his paw through the air.
"Trust me, I've tried, but maybe you're just made of tougher stuff," he confessed.
John softly moaned his appreciation, "How sweet of you to say."
"I'm fairly certain Death gave up on you long ago," Corbin laughed.
"Every time 'Jacky Savage' or 'John Wilde' comes down the tube, it's an immediate 'Send back to sender'," John merrily agreed, "So what have you, Becky, and Jeri been doing this entire time?"
"Dealing with bunnies, actually."
"You, too?"
"They've been all over Bunnyburrow, and I don't just mean the farmers," he clarified, "There were spies everywhere; couldn't swing a sack of rocks without hitting one…" Corbin then sat up and opened his coat, pulling back his shirt and lifting some shaggy fur on his chest, "I got this beauty of a burn mark from one that shot me on Saturday. Jericho's arm is recovering after it was nearly broken and Rebecca's still sore after getting hit in the head with a brick. Never thought bunnies could be so violent…"
John rubbed his chin in sympathy, "I had noticed they were both carrying themselves a bit oddly…"
Corbin then chuckled. "No need to worry about us, John, we are Scouts, after all, our stuff is plenty tough."
He huffed with a grin and a quirked brow. "Have you actually made it to the city?"
"I was there recently, as it so happens, keeping a bead on Nick… he came out here and we decided it was time for us to follow," Corbin said and lay his head back down on folded paws, one leg crossed over the other, "We were following this one lead that seemed to be connected to him, whispers about the Supais."
John sprung upright. "You knew about them?"
"Only the name for they are some of the most volatile information we've ever come across. Brother," Corbin continued, also sitting up, "I know they are the reason that Goliath and Esther escaped north… and there was a reason I wanted to talk with you tonight; alone. I was hesitant but, by Aslan's guiding paw, I am thrust into your company."
"Don't need to be so dramatic about it."
"I'm being serious," he glared at the rolling eyes, "The whispers we heard made so little sense they were hardly worth holding on to but I suspect it's a good thing I did."
"Enough teasing, Cory, you already have my attention."
Corbin scoffed. "You're much more involved in this battle than I am, John, so I wanted to pass this by you, first. Nick and Esther were courting these past months (I think) and by observing him we chanced on chatter about her… calling her a 'pet robin'."
John's eyes went wide… and then eyebrows quirked. "When Nicky gave her that ceramic robin as his favor… you weren't just in awe, you were connecting the dots."
"Especially when I found out that she had a tattoo of a robin… somewhere?"
"You can ask them about that yourself."
"No, thank you," Corbin kindly snorted, "Anyway, I think the 'robin' that the Supais are after might be referring to Esther… it's a stretch, but I know you'd be the fox to tell this to."
John pondered. "It's possible that they found her during the Lionheart Trial last year, and then traced her purchase of the robin tattoo. I'll bring it up with her tomorrow. They're fast asleep right now and I wouldn't want to wake them. I should get some sleep, too, both Jackie and I have actual obligations and jobs to get back to tomorrow," he leered.
Corbin laughed dryly. "Yes, while Rebecca, Jericho and I only have to run back to the Knottedwood before our brains melt out of our ears."
A heavy exhale responded first, "Honestly, that sounds much more preferable to some clients I know I'll have to deal with tomorrow…"
The oven warmed with its mechanical rumble. Water poured over the pastry chef's paws to wash them clean. Flour and sugar and eggs and cream were mixed, beaten, kneaded, rolled, cut, and shaped to contain fruit, nuts, and meats of all kinds. Gideon had expected his Wednesday to be like his Tuesday, devoid of customers, until he got a call from a neighbor about clientele asking about "Gideon Grey's Really Good Baked Stuffs". "Publicity is what it is" Nick answered of his cousin's incredulity for not only had he gained notice from the pie-eating contest but also the proximity of Tad's pawn shop and all its infamy… and not to mention the hearsay of whom Doug Ramses shot at. It was not what Gideon had wanted to be known for… but it brought attention all the same, and "Perhaps it'll help in what you really want to be known for?" Judy suggested.
Come Thursday, pies, cookies, and cakes were flying off the shelves almost as soon as Gideon could bake them. His shop was full but there were still deliveries to be made… So, he called a new friend with a scooter, Lory Mallupe, to shoulder the task of getting those orders to where they needed to be. It was a busy two days for them both but at the end of it all, they felt accomplished in all they'd done.
"A'ight, Lory, that was the last one," Gideon said after bidding a farewell to the final customers and sauntering into the kitchen with a mixture of exhaustion, elation, and pride. "Jumpin' Jehowlsephat, I ain't ever had so many!" he declared, stepping outside when he heard the motor of her scooter-bike die down but then asked of the wolf, when he heard a soft sniffling, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Oh, it's… it's nothing," she attempted, "I'm fine…"
Gideon frowned his concern… but also his empathy. "If you don't wanna talk about it, I won't press ya'… but like you heard my Uncle John say last night, it's better to get your troubles and secrets out in the open, rather than someone else do it for ya'."
Lory couldn't help but giggle. "That's not how he put it, Gid, but I hear what you mean. It's just… I'm worried about Mack," she said, pulling out her phone, "He sent me this text message but hasn't responded to any of mine… he normally does go silent but… I don't know, it feels diff'rent…"
"Nick did mention he'd be poppin' in for a visit yesterday…"
"But it's already the day after!" the wolf worried and plopped down next to her bike, "He says 'I left it here' and then nothing."
"He left what where?"
"Exactly!" Lory fretted, tilting her phone to show a photograph attachment to Gideon.
"Is that, like, a P.O. box or something?" he wondered.
The wolf's head shook, sleek mane bouncing about as she did. "That's what I thought at first, but then I asked Jaguardo about it because he's such a knowledgeable guy, and he said it's a safety deposit box…"
"Well, how 'bout we go there and pick up whatever he left for ya'?" Gideon suggested, smiling as he did.
"Oh…" she moaned, "Tha's sweet of you, Gid, but I was about to mention that it's in the city…"
Gideon grunted. "I see… well, I'm not about to go back on my word because of a little inconvenience like that," he articulated.
Lory's eyes brightened. "Really? I s'pose since I have a clean record I can board the train without too much to concern but… I ain't ever been to the city and neither have you… and the bakery is only jus' picking up business?"
"Them's some good points… so let's put all that into one column and in the other column, we'll put, 'We do what we gotta, for fam'ly'," he said with a grin, "We's foxes, but that don't mean we shy away from stuff, I mean, remember what Essy said when she found out that them Supai llamas are coming after her?" he prompted, to which Lory happily nodded.
"She said, 'If they got the cajones, then they can see me in court'!"
"After all, ev'ryone else is already in the city… Uncle John and Aunt Jackie, Essy, Nick, Judy, Bo, and Lanny… Travis, too. I know it's only been a day, but I kinda like havin' all of them fam'ly and friends about. So how about tomorrow, we'll make plans for Zootopia and I'll get a hold of Stu and Bonnie Hopps; they always said they'd be happy to help when business got too busy."
"Thank you, Giddy. You are just the sweetest there ever was, you know that?" she commended, leaning in to give him a swift kiss upon the lips, only the seventh in the last two days, but it still made both their ears flare up like beacons. "I s'pose I should be gettin' home, now," she then said while standing up, and made to straddle her moped, "give my pack the news about where I'm goin', and all that."
The fox stuttered incoherently for a bit and twiddled his fingers. "Well… long drive as it-it-it is, you could always… umm… kick up your feet here? My apartment ain't the Ratz Carlton but it's cozy, and you're short for a wolf so you should be able to-" he rambled, stopping only with the tip of Lory's finger touched his dark lips.
"Okay," she accepted with a single wag of her tail, "Let's close up shop and call it a day."
"Y-Yeah!" he agreed with a single sweep of his tail, "Then I'll get dinner started and we'll just have ourselves, y'know, a nice, quiet evening."
The once quiet evening rang out with gunfire. Officers Hopps and Wilde were hunkered behind the artistically designed grating of an apartment complex gate, off which shots ricocheted.
"How far out is T.U.S.K.?" Nick asked Judy, reloading a cartridge into his sidearm, "Scamper ten paces and then dive a hard right into that stairway. I'll cover you. And don't get hit, Bo would never forgive me."
"Less than a minute," Judy answered Nick, holstering her own sidearm to brace into a full-on crouch, ears surveying, "Aim for 7-o'clock, 9-o'clock's gun jammed, that should give you plenty of time to follow. Or get one of them to clip your ear; I'm sure Esther would like the rugged look."
Wilde peered around the gate for an instant, "Go." As Hopps raced along the wall, bullets chasing her shadow, the fox spun around to fire on an open window and the criminal inside, deterring them from further violence as they ducked behind cover once more. He swiftly holstered his own gun, unloaded to drop to all fours and then scampered right behind his partner onto the stone steps, laying low and out of sight.
"T.U.S.K.'s around the corner," she reported with another swivel of her ears and then crept down the staircase to the sidewalk, low profile kept all the while. Nick followed only to crouch again as a small explosion rattled the windows of the apartments they just fled from.
"Oh, smell that?" Nick pointed out, "They're using some kind of high-grade jet fuel."
"How high grade?"
"Military grade?" he guessed and sniffed again, "Yeah, non-civilian stuff. That just complicated our report…"
"Those olfactory classes the wolf pack is putting you through is really paying off, Slick," he said and punched his arm, "How come I haven't seen you with them recently?"
Nick sighed and lounged on the staircase, off to the side as the heavily armored boars with their tactical gear charged in. A mini gang war had waged after a routine call on a domestic disturbance lead to the fox sniffing out a cache of NH Pollen. "Captain Kela is livid after Mack was spotted heading to the airport instead of Preds' Corner, so we're just… giving him space."
"And acting on your best behavior," Judy pointed out with a nod at the fox's uniform, "You're all tidy and everything."
Green eyes narrowed at the bucktoothed smirk as he wrenched his tie loose and undid the top button of his uniform. "Alright, enough kidding around, let's wrap this up and grab some grub, I'm starving."
"When aren't you?"
"Hey, I have a condition, I'll have you know; I would wither away to nothing if I don't keep food in me," Nick argued.
"That's right, you do. By the way, have you been doing those exercises Bo taught you, the ones he developed specifically for those with muscular hyperatrophy?" Judy poised.
"…Yes."
"You know you can't lie to me, Nick."
"No…"
"Alright, let's do those exercises together and then we'll grab dinner."
He groaned.
"And after that, some ice cream."
"Deal," the fox concurred as he and his partner returned to their cruiser, "I'll drive."
"I can drive," she assured.
"Fine, I'll do the report."
"…You're going to include the part where my ear caught in the air vent, aren't you."
The fox grinned his sharp-toothed grin.
"You drive," Judy ceded, "And find us somewhere with tacos. Good tacos."
Nick cooed. "Only the best for my bunny. On the way, you can tell me what your gramps wanted to talk with you about."
"I told you, he forgot why he called me."
"Carrots, you know a mammal always tells more than by what they say."
She sighed. "As best I can figure, he muttered something about a 'white book' but couldn't remember where he misplaced it, even with the several dozen white-cover books he already had in his study."
"Well," Nick said, "isn't he just the most helpful."
Author's Notes:
A lot of the references here are callbacks to previous chapters in Loyal. For instance, Fabienne Growley and Peter Moosebridge are the same news anchors as in the movie (the snow leopard and the moose, respectively).
Tim O'Nare and Bob Pigg are references to The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, and the most popular shock jocks on Zootopian radio (ZHKNA "No Worries" Radio is, itself, a reference to their motto, "Hakuna Matata" or "No worries"). We delved into their involvement with Memphis and Sarah King back in Brave, chapter 17 and 22, and what's brought up here is their "Dress in Drag and Do the Hula" Luau for Lost Youngin's, an annual charity event sponsored by the Kings. While the events surrounding Simon King have straightened out the child protection laws twenty years prior to this story, the Luau's purpose has expanded to represent the kidnapped children outside of Zootopia, as well as children lost to sickness or accidents.
"Rabbit tradition" involving the passing of a loved one, as you read here, consecrating their body into the soil of their farms/gardens to nourish the soil. It is a solemn act and treated with the utmost respect, even if outsiders insensitively mistook the terms "rabbit graveyard" and "compost pile"; in several, if not all modern cases, the soil is used for flower gardens rather than crops, in memory of those on the other side of Eternity.
"Samson Wild" is a reference to Samson the lion from "The Wild". In this story, he is a famous singer and the song, "Summer Nights", was first performed at the Palm Hotel in loving memory of his mate, and quickly became his most popular hit.
Esther's video blog, "Grey Matter", is something she's kept up with ever since he could record herself on the phone; one could argue this was done in direct opposition to Goliath's overt aversion to cameras. The act of recording her activities goes back to when she was a kit and snuck into Gideon's room while was asleep to awkwardly posed him and snap a picture (Brave, chapter 16). The vlog is only ever about her personal life or opinions, though, never about work and she never mentions anyone by name that she hasn't asked permission to do so, "upstanding student of the law" that she is.
The Tweeds she calls out to is a neighboring family of farm-foxes, Tod and Vixey Tweed; they are a reference to "The Fox and the Hound".
Her reference to "mamms" is similar to "peeps", in that it is a slang term for "mammals" (being the analog to "people").
This pun would make more sense to a society of animals, but "singular" is the term for a group of boars, ergo, the group of porcine thugs that accosted John and Jackie.
What Esther mentions about fox courtships was covered back in Brave, chapter 18, namely the "dance-of-avoidance" where one fox teases and taunts the other fox to make the first move. In this circumstance, one could argue that Esther "won" the courtship because Nick kissed her first, but an astute observer will recognize that Esther did agree to Nick's terms in the current situation; a win-win situation.
The bunny spies that Corbin told John about were discussed at the end of Trustworthy and in Brave, about a network of ears run by Grav to make sure that the NH drug test smoothly.
The "Ratz Carlton" is a reference to the "Ritz Carlton" hotel, a sort of standard for classy living arrangements (and was a reference used back in Trustworthy).
"T.U.S.K." was the government in original Zootopia renditions (and according to the art book, depicted armored boars). For the sake of this story, it is a special task force in the ZPD (still with boars, notably). I've not seen anything official for what I stands for (one thing I came across was "Tank Urban Survival Kit"). One thought is "Tactical Unit Strike…" umm… "Knights"? "Komandos"? "K" is a hard letter to put in an acronym… I'm sure it works in Zootopia. It could also be that it was originally a "special task force" that, due to its notable usage of tusked mammals, was called the "special tusk force" and the name stuck.
Thank you for joining me on this adventure, I hope you had half as much fun reading Loyal as I did writing it. I'll see you again in 2019 with the fourth and final part of The Neverwere Moments, "Helpful".
