Homebound
"Okay mom, I just had a text come through from Rosalyn. She and Mellida are still at the Twitchell's and plan on staying another night at least." Judy Hopps pocketed her phone and watched Bonnie amend her list of family members caught out by the storm.
"That'll be everyone as soon as Stu and Charlie get back from clearing the drainage. Now why didn't Roz send one to me?" Mom said as she checked her own phone.
"I got it, she must have sent it to several of us," said her brother Devin. A few others noted they hadn't received it either.
"I think at least one cell tower is out, so spotty coverage," Corey groused down at his own smartphone. "Internet's mostly down too. I keep telling them they need to upgrade!"
The back-to-back TVs in the center of the common room confirmed that with their frequently frozen and pixilated pictures. That's why they remained set on the weather channel, with its talk about a stalled front and atmospheric river, rather than something more entertaining. Their meteorologist in his rain slicker also kept repeating that their nearly three days of torrential rain would be followed up by at least two more.
With the outside world impassably waterlogged, Judy could see signs that cabin fever had already spread through a significant percentage of the warren. Her vulpine partner also realized the likely implications of that, and had chosen to remain in seclusion. Never a morning mammal, Nick still hadn't touched the breakfast basket outside his door, and it was already well past nine. He was being lazy—or considerate—not wishing to remind his hosts that they were trapped in their own home with a fox. After all, it was only his second visit here, and their first almost two months ago had been relatively brief.
As planned. That had just been intended as an introduction, and to allow the family to invite them back after they'd had time to consider and accept her ZPD partner. As they had. She and Nick were quite aware that revealing the true extent of their partner…friendship would be a gradual process.
Unfortunately, Mother Earth had decided to force the issue upon their arrival. Gone were the side trips and the postponed Berry Festival that would have kept them away from the warren during the days, and thus limited the family's cumulative dosage of fox.
"Hey Jude, what's with Officer Wilde? Nobody's seen him since dinner the day before yesterday." That was Heather of course. The brown and cream furred doe had aspirations of becoming a therapist and was fascinated by her sister's apparently unique friendship with Nick. Normally she worked as an assistant at the clinic in town—but today that was on the other side of a flooded out section of road. Her hesitant look revealed that she'd waited awhile to ask.
"I think he's being polite; after all we're stuck together in here and he doesn't want to cause problems. Unfortunately, he knows that a few of us like Pop Pop and Uncle Sid aren't happy with him being here." Judy realized that her well-meaning preparatory warning to him had now been able to fester.
"That will be a problem. That's going to let unfounded speculation grow on both sides. You need to get him out here Jude—at least for awhile. He's not that scary."
"Maybe not to you and me, and a few oth… Judy's eyes widened. "I think he might be a little scared of us! We outnumber him over three hundred to one, and foxes tend to be somewhat solitary by nature. He also told me he was worried about making a good impression on the way up."
"Solitary or not, he's gotta be bored sitting in a strange room all night and day—and we never really welcomed him properly since you came on the late train. And mom's running short on inside chores and some of us are getting bored too…" Heather had her thinking expression on. "Let's give everyone something to do and prepare a big welcome for him!"
"That's exactly what we all need!" Bonnie agreed, having heard the conversation and walked over to join them. "You're right Judy, we don't want to overwhelm him—we need to make him comfortable with us."
"I'm not sure what would do that," Judy said slowly, "he's already told me he doesn't think he can relate to a bunch of carrot farmers." Judy hurriedly waved her paws, prompted by their expressions of dismay. "He wasn't trying to be speciest, or stereotype us, we're just way outside his experience, he really is a city fox!"
"How about this then!" Heather enthused, "let's throw him in the deep end and get it over with. We can exaggerate the worst he might assume about us, and really give him a down-home country carrot flavored welcome!"
"He is the precinct's practical joker and master of verbal comebacks…" Judy mused, "and he hasn't seen much of the warren yet…so I say we go with Heather's idea and commence operation Stereotype!" Several others had gathered around to listen and devious grins began to spread around. Her cousin Jeremy started an enthusiastic cheer among them as the front door opened to admit a thoroughly soaked Stu and Charlie—briefly stunned to immobility by their unexpected welcome. Bonnie hurried over to fill them in while they peeled off their outerwear in the adjacent mudroom.
"Lets hear some ideas and see who wants to run with them!" Jeremy called out. "Let's try to put this together in say…an hour!"
Nick turned away from the window—the rain was heavy enough to limit visibility to under half a mile, and the gray was too dark for this late in the morning. That, and the inability of the warren's heavy earthen cover to completely muffle the roar outside, had allowed him the longest sleep-in he'd had in over a year. He opened the door to find his breakfast waiting as he'd expected, and to faintly hear the patter of small feet leaving in a hurry.
His waffles and jam weren't warm enough to have been freshly delivered, so there must have been spies waiting to see when he would make an appearance. No putting this off any longer—they knew he was up now and he'd better emerge voluntarily before an overly energetic bunny came and dragged him out before her family.
Fed, and having awkwardly groomed in the barely large enough bathroom, Nick chose a plain ZPD shirt as more appropriate for the family inspection—it would at least reinforce his and Judy's professional association. He opened the door to his guestroom again to find a corridor choked with bunny kits—all silently watching him. They had left him a bare semicircle of floor to stand in, so he ducked through the door and looked down at them with a careful smile.
One insufferably cute—bad word, bad word, delete from vocabulary—soft brown little doe in a peach colored carrot print dress, took a step forward.
"Hiya Mr. Nick, we're sposedta take you with us!" They mostly moved as a unit and slowly transferred his clear patch of floor down the hall—he was forced to keep their pace and keep his tail elevated to avoid brushing those behind him. He felt a bit of unease in that all of them wore carrot themed clothes, and the feeling intensified when he noticed that those with similar outfits clustered in distinct groups.
The children of the carrot dispersed once they arrived in the common area inside the front entrance. He didn't see where they went; his eyes being riveted on the scene before him.
Dozens of adult bunnies filled a dystopian carrot filled microcosm. In the center, several bunnies sat on evenly spaced cushions, raptly watching an agricultural program on the TVs—featuring carrots. Closer in front of him a circle of eight sat on the floor playing 'spin the carrot'. Each time it stopped the designated buck or doe would recite a brief paean to the carrot, then spin it again.
Nick's eyes flicked helplessly about the room, between carrot themed decorations, carrot filled and shaped snack trays, to activities like board games and a dartboard on the far wall with slender carrot shaped darts with leafy green fins with mostly silent participants—to an…altar?
A paw tugged at his pant leg. There was now a space in the circle before him with the carrot pointed through it at him. "Sit. Embrace the Carrot." Another beckoned him to claim an available field in their 'Farmville' game. Bonnie Hopps walked over…
"Third service starts in a minute, join with us!" She directed his attention back to the shrine in the corner where two Judys sequentially and symmetrically lit carrot candlesticks flanking a large golden carrot on an elaborate shiny base. He blinked and looked more carefully; one of the identically dressed…acolytes…really was Judy. A tone sounded through the room, most of the family rose as one and turned to silently walk towards the altar.
That is really freaky Nick managed to think as a few other voices pummeled him.
Mr. Fox? I doubt you're a Carrotism follower; I could show you the way of the Carrot instead," said a buck in a dreamy voice. "No," said another. "Let me tell you about Carrotology!"
That does it—it's a scam! Use the kits to provide an initial creepy vibe, then keep the mark off balance with unexpected rapid-fire novelty. Had me for a minute or two.
Nick could only feel admiration for the show the Hopps clan had pulled off on his behalf. After this effort, he needn't worry about his acceptance here. But the master would end this on his terms! He walked up to the altar as the others had done, gently pushing through those seated in front of it, and dropped to his knees in front of the rabbit height golden carrot idol on its purple cloth. On close inspection, it seemed to be just an award from some agricultural association with the citation turned away.
Nick closed his eyes and lowered his muzzle—carefully listening to place those close by him. "I choose to devote my life to the true carrots!" he shouted, as he turned and leapt in a single fluid motion before Judy—he had her paw and kissed it before anyone could react.
Multiple gasps and her utterly shocked look were more than sufficient recompense. Nick released her and stood, then smirked and chuckled to show this was justified retaliation and to save her from scandal—for now.
"Alright!" Bonnie made herself heard. "We've had our fun and you'll all have plenty of time to get to know Mr. Wilde after lunch—I want that on-time, so if you're signed up, lets go!" Over a dozen Hopps started to follow her down the main corridor towards the dining hall and kitchens.
Nick's silent wave around the room elicited multiple explanations: How they'd nearly cleaned out the warren of decade's worth of novelty items, stored away youthful décor, and as many matching outfits as they could find. Judy's cousin Jeremy had come up with the creepy choreography—based on a favorite science fiction episode. They'd managed to do all of it with only the briefest of rehearsals!
"As for you Mr. Wilde, I was able to get Judy's special request from Gideon delivered before the rains came." Bonnie had returned, and held a precious box behind her. "You can have it for dessert! Fresh carrot pie!" She showed the box, its printed label said 'Carrot Pie.'
Hustle or not, by daughter or mother, thought Nicholas Wilde, as he looked at Bonnie Hopps steady self-satisfied smile…This means war!