Author's Note:
I am getting some more time to write, and I am taking full advantage. I still want to go back to at least two posts a month, possibly three if we count my fare. It is important to me to be victorious with my writing schedule! It's good for my mental health. ^^ We are rejoining Finnick's story after what feels like way too long.
If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time, you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big.
Zootopia is owned by Disney. I hope they appreciate it.
Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for so many seasons and shorts as this series has progressed. His keen eye means fewer readers tripping over my generously provided typos. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading and constant support!
Radio Fin
Chapter 3: Pachyderms and Personality
"I think he just wants to meet you is all," Jian expressed, soft paws out to Finnick.
"I'm not scared, Boss," the fennec laughed, "I just wanna know more about the guy."
"Why?" asked Collin, flittering a fluffy short hyena tail.
"Whaddayamean why? I gotta work with the guy." Finnick returned. "We just fired my predecessor. What's he like? What's he lookin' for in a radio personality? Guys, if I blow this you'll be the one's in the booth, to fill me in."
"Morton's an elephant," offered Jian.
"Real big guy, and he's not afraid to let you know that," the hyena added.
"Right, so I don't discuss peanuts so I don't offend him - Did you tell him what I am?" asked Fin.
"Not… not yet, but it didn't come up." Jian said with a flourish. "I don't think it'll matter. I mean, there's no bias or anything. Flint is a snow leopard and that was never a problem for Mort."
"I'm not worried about offending the guy, I wanna actually impress him!" Finnick argued.
"You already did, or he'd not be coming by today to meet you," Collin laughed, obviously trying to seem less freaked out.
"What's the guy into? What kind of movies does he like? What kind of music is his favorite? Who's his favorite band? Why did he buy a freaking radio station – give me something to start with, Collin!"
"It's a meeting with the boss, not a speed date, dude!" laughed the rainbow-maned hyena. Finnick sighed loudly. Finnick rubbed his paws down his face. These guys were so excited yesterday, but the mere thought that the boss was coming to check in on them had them in a death spiral and it was frustrating.
"I get that, but look... you guys might not be doin' this radio thing out of a trailer in the parking lot of a defunct strip mall if you were paying closer attention to what the guy puling the purse strings actually wanted."
"Hey now, that's not fair!" Jian countered. "I have meetings with Morton every single week. I ask him directly what he wants, what he expects, all that stuff. I'm not being negligent."
Finnick glared at Jian. This red panda was his manager, but this was not a normal placating manager conversation. Every single clear indication showed that this was a failing radio station, doomed to obscurity and eventual release from the airwaves. If he wanted to do this new thing as a career, he needed to grab the wheel. "Right, so, in these conversations, he said to you, "What I really want is for my investment and social platform in the city of Zootopia to downsize and lose viewers at a rate that necessitates we don't show up in a non-specific Zoogle search?"
"Dude, ouch," Collin complained.
"Pick up your phone you have your nose pushed to during half your shift and tell me I don't speak tha damned truth!" Finnick barked. It was harsh, yes, but if he was moving forward, he needed to know that everyone was moving in the same direction. At least with Nick he could be blunt with the facts. If a thing wasn't working he could depend on Nick to actually look at the reality of what was going on and adjust the approach to make sure that the pair made a profit. That was the difference between mammals working to stay employed and mammals working to get ahead.
The only time Finnick had ever been wrong was when his former partner hitched his wagon to the firecracker bunny who turned his life upside down a couple years back. The little fox was only thinking in terms of money back then, but once he understood what kind of wealth Nick was actually after, he knew Judy had been the right choice, even if the end result kind of cost him the best thing he had going for him at the time.
It was time to move on, however, and he was grateful for the advice of his friend.
And Nick was genuinely that now. No longer was he just work partner or a boss. The other fox supported and believed in him, and he was finding that to be more valuable than the cash he was pocketing at the end of their popsicle days.
After the dominant nature of the small fox's discussion, however, Jian and Collin appeared somewhat despondent. Perhaps they just weren't used to having reality dropped on their heads like that. Finnick glanced down a moment, then back at the seated pair.
"I'm not judging you guys. This is not me attacking what you've done. You've been dealing with some… disadvantages here." He wasn't sure what to say, though. Both were shackled to their roles in the station. They had not been able to, on their own, make it even remotely successful. Yes, this was in part due to their being held back by someone who was dealing with his own personal demons, but they had to understand that for the station to be successful, it could not just be up to Finnick alone.
The red panda gestured slightly toward Fin. "Look, we're just a little..." Jian lacked the backbone to continue.
"… We've had folks come in and change the flow before," Collin continued. "The previous manager, for instance. And it looked good. It sounded good at first. But… it didn't last. The money wasn't good for them, or they had other issues, or they got involved in other things, and we're the ones who stuck by the station and … we love that you wanna just… grab it by the ears and go, really we do..." The hyena rubbed the back of his head. Jian continued.
"… but its scary too, because change, y'know? If it succeeds, it's good but if it fails… well… We don't have other prospects in the short term."
"I ain't here to fail," the fennec replied in his deep, somewhat graveled voice. "… but for us to not fail we all gotta be willin' to get behind each other and make it not fail. That means learnin' new things, and bein' on yo game. No mixed up pages, no mix up when folks are callin' in… that kind of thing. I'm gonna do my part, and short of bein' forced out, I ain't bailin' on you guys. But what I need right now is for you to take the direction of the station seriously for the guy who owns the thing. We need to take it in the direction that guy wants it goin'."
"He doesn't know what direction it's going," Collin sighed. "It's kinda like… a vanity project for him. He's an advertiser and it was originally a way for him to get his name out there in the ad world, but it's kinda not necessary for that anymore," he explained frankly.
"Doesn't need it, or it didn't work?" Finnick inquired seriously.
"Probably both, but clearly as he has slashed our budget like… four times, he doesn't regard it as a necessity in his whole plan. Impressing him probably isn't a big deal because he's already got this on a serious back-burner and a few cool interviews or a slight uptick in viewers ain't gonna change much about that."
"It sho ain't gonna change if that's how ya really feel, and that tells me that nothin' I do is gonna change it. Is that… really the message you got for me?" Finnick asked. Jian sat back down and sighed.
"No… but it's been a while, right? It's hard… to just run full speed ahead with something different and new. That's the reality of this station. Can we keep the status quo with you running the booth? I bet yes we can. But can we just cheer and say this is suddenly turned around after a day? That's a hard sell, Finnick."
"Then give me the energy for a few days, Jian. Don't give up right as I get in the door."
Collin drummed his claws on the desk by the control console. "We'll do that it's just… Mort comin' in here usually ends up bein' a bunch of 'change this, do this, try this', and it's arbitrary... and it's offered up by a guy who owns a station but doesn't run a station. We don't wanna see you get pissed at the guy and then we end up in the booth."
"You let me worry about bein' pissed at the guy. I've got my own way of dealin' with big mammals throwing their weight around. Just… have my back while I'm on the air. That's what I want right now." Finnick wasn't really ahead when it came to his original intent on getting some information to make dealing with his new boss any easier, but Jian was terrified of pretty much everything, and Collin seemed to have a personality created by having to deliberately not care about the opinions of others. It might have related to his rainbow mane, but the little fox wasn't about to ask.
"Half an hour 'til you're on," warned Jian.
"I'm gonna get my coffee from the van," Fin replied. "Make sure my papers are actually in order."
"Don't go rogue this time," laughed Jian.
"Oh no, do!" laughed Collin. Their better humor was encouraging at least. They were 'on' for the morning music.
Finnick went to his van and shot a message at Nick that he would be going live again. Nick would be getting set up for work at the station so he might not hear it, but knowing his friend was pulling for him, even if he couldn't be listening, helped. Judy made such a big deal about it yesterday. He'd not really had that kind of encouragement before. He wanted to make this work.
The first reply on his phone wasn't from Nick, though.
It was Jack.
You there? You going live this morning too?
Having the actor pulling for him made the fennec even happier.
Yeah, bud. Like… twenty minutes.
He sipped his coffee. Yesterday pretty well assured the small fox that he had this shot, so he appreciated Jack. The bunny was worth a few moments of his short time this morning.
Trivia again?
Finnick flicked his ears. Did Jack want to do the trivia show again? Surely he didn't have that kind of regular free time.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, yeah.
A short pause, and then another message from Jack.
Can I call ya real quick?
Finnick looked at his phone's clock. He did not want to start late on his second day on the job but he felt like he had plenty of time.
He answered in the affirmative. He could talk for a few minutes. Jack immediately called. It was still kind of weird just having this level of celebrity call directly on his phone. They'd spent considerable time together around Nick and Judy, but it was different being the one talking to him without his actual friends there too.
He answered his ringing smartphone quickly.
"Nick… told me they decided to make you a more regular voice on the radio," the rabbit immediately stated.
"That's all yo fault, pal," the fox laughed.
"Nah, you got stuff goin' for you outside of me," laughed Jack. "So…" He seemed to be trying to decide what to say next.
"I appreciate yo help though. I mean it," Fin said in a softer tone. He didn't want the bunny to think it wasn't appreciated. It may have changed his whole life.
"You earned it," Jack insisted solidly.
"I ain't done nothing to deserve it. You always too modest."
"Hah… If you told Skye I was modest she'd slap your ears backwards for lying," Jack chuckled. "No, I'm serious. You maybe don't realize it but you changed my life too."
"I changed… what?" Finnick leaned back in his seat, forgetting his coffee, or even the time for a moment.
"Remember when Nick's apartment got busted into by the guys Darmaw had chasing me?" the rabbit asked casually.
"Sho, that was fun. Heck of a party, as I recall." Finnick remembered how scary the incident was, but he was already dealing with a lot of anger over Nick leaving him for his new life and he really enjoyed getting to vent without consequence that day. It was as guilty a pleasure as the small mammal could ever have.
"Well, I never forgot it. You ain't a big guy, Fin. No offense."
"You get a pass, Squeaker," Finnick laughed, getting an exasperated huff from the bunny. "So what, it scared you straight or somethin?" he asked. How did that change Savage's life?
"No, actually. See… I watched you take on two mammals who had names that probably weighed more than you. No offense."
"You can't keep sayin' no offense and it never offends," Finnick grumbled. "It ain't never worked like that." He thought he understood where Jack was going with the conversation. "So, you felt more … confident because the little guy didn't take it lying down?"
"You coulda stayed locked in the other room. You could have played it safe. It wasn't about you not taking it lying down, it was about you coming out fighting." Finnick felt a rush of emotion that he wasn't sure how exactly to quantify. He was definitely awkward in this kind of conversation.
"Yeah well… the streets of Zootopia can be rough for a little guy," the fox murmurred. There was a long pause before Jack spoke again.
"I was face down in hot, wet foliage, Finnick..." the lapine said in a wavering tone.
"Finished yo pint before you made it to your salad, huh?" laughed the fox, wanting to deflect this strange mood.
"In the jungle of the interior, Finnick," Jack stated in a firm tone, making it clear that he wasn't going to be distracted. "We had death on our heels, and Judy was captured by a mammal who wanted nothing more than to break you to pieces to make them pay for the trouble we'd caused them. I was hidden. I was small. I was quiet. I could have stayed there and while it might have been terrible for Nick and Judy, I might have survived."
Finnick swallowed loudly. Okay, this wasn't the direction he thought it was going.
"Look, it was hard. Nick told me about it. But no one would judge you if you were scared. I'd have been scared. I was scared the night of the apartment fight. I was." He didn't want to give the idea of false bravado if that made Jack feel like he was lower than the fox. Finnick wasn't a hero. He wasn't on some moral high ground. Dropping those big dummies was a dessert that tasted amazing for six months in his head. He did that for him.
"It was scary. I thought getting up in the middle of that would be the worst experience of my life… but when I stood up that day, Fin… nothing ever felt so incredible. And later, I looked into Skye's eyes and had what... what I promise you was the real bravest moment of my life… I said the words, and I gave myself to her without regret. I knew how small I was, that I was a bunny, that I was different… none of that mattered. I wanted it for me, and the whole world couldn't take it away from me. Thinking about you in that apartment... I stood up in that jungle… and I have never gotten back down."
Finnick found himself breathing faster. Why did it have to get so heavy?
"I'm … glad you did. Skye's real cool." He honestly had no idea what to say.
"I think… I might not have gone into the Interior at all had you not shown me who I could really be if life demanded it. I helped fight those guys in Nick's apartment because of you."
"Yeah, but you thought I was a kit," the little fox laughed.
"Uh-huh. But it proved who I was. Me being wrong about who you were doesn't change that. I went home that day with the ZPD telling me that I had zero obligation to go back and help Nick fix up his apartment. I could have stiffed him. There's nothing he coulda done."
"I can't believe he made you do that," Finnick admitted.
"I went back because as I went to bed that night, I took a hard look at myself and everything that happened. I took on a mammal many times my size without a second thought. I thought he punted a little kit, and I was gonna stop him. I play heroes on the big screen all the time, but for the first time… I discovered I was that guy in real life. I couldn't deny it. I wanted to go back just to hold on to that feeling a little bit longer."
"It was already in you, dude… That was you, not me..."
"Had you stayed in the bedroom, I promise I'd have done nothing," Jack sighed. "But when I went back, I met the most important mammal I would ever meet. And I took her to the Interior because I was willing to take a big risk because of you. And I vowed myself up to her because you showed me that who and what I was didn't matter. So no, Finnick… Me helpin' you out yesterday wasn't some… gift to a friend of a friend. You had this coming."
Finnick could barely swallow. What the hell had Nick actually gotten so tangled up with since he met his bunny? Were all bunnies emotional landmines?
"I… appreciate that..."
"I'm not done helping you out," Jack said resolutely.
"Seriously, you don't gotta do the trivia show again," the fox laughed.
"Nah, I helped out differently, in this case. I believe it'll be good for both of us," he laughed. Finnick folded his headsails back. What?
"I… Thank you, I think?" he offered. "I'm… about out of time though..."
"I have another treat for you today for your morning show," the bunny quipped with a tone of genuine mirth.
"You don't gotta do this," the fox grumbled in his deep voice. He got it. It was appreciate the little fox day in Zootopia.
"Not me. I'm havin' someone else call in to the station. It's a mutual buddy who knew Judy a while back too. Your listeners are gonna blow out their coat for this one. Like before, no charge, and have fun with it. He's a good guy. Big on the charity scene. I know, I know. You gotta go. You're welcome."
And he hung up. Finnick looked down at his phone as he had received a text message that Jack had already typed to him which included a number he wasn't familiar with. That message had been replied to with the other recipient explaining who they were.
"N… no way..." The little fox barreled into the little mobile home based station as fast as his little feet would take him.
"Wake the hell up, crazy animal city!" called Finnick in his big fox voice. Jian and Collin gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, keeping their energy as requested earlier, but seeming further energized by Finnick's loud and playful demeanor. He had a reason, though. He continued his morning greeting to the airwaves of Zootopia. "I'd ask how you slept, but let's be honest. Half of us don't, and the half that did had to be up so early you gotta listen to my goofy tail!" Jian appeared worried about whether or not that would have been self-deprecating, but Collin laughed hard enough top make it clear he didn't care. Fin continued in his morning routine with a quick capture of the local news, the weather, some light political banter about Oak and some acorn references, the usual radio stuff.
Finnick finally introduced a commercial break with three pre-recorded spots and a final where he would recognize a sponsor for the station then tapped the plexi-glass of his booth to get Collin's attention. Collin called the booth so they didn't need to yell muffled things back and forth. The little vulpine explained that they would have a caller to help with the morning trivia again, and to just patch him through.
"We said don't go rogue! Is it Jack again?" pressed the hyena excitedly.
"Nah, that'd be boring two days in a row, dude!" the little fox laughed.
"Who is it?" barked the colorful hyena. Finnick hung up and prepared his commercial slot. He got to watch the flailing conversation with Jian in the other room who clearly freaked out a bit. Wonderful.
He knew he wouldn't be getting away with this all the time, but this was fun and he felt like he'd sell himself far better with his role here if he was clearly having fun.
"The waters of Zootopia have come a long way," the fennec expressed in his commercial slot. He had some initial misgivings about doing commercials and whether or not it was beneath him, but ultimately he'd done more embarrassing things for far less money, so with his foray into the broadcasting world, he decided that he was willing to play along. "We are far removed from the days of 'Canal District Grey', where you knew where an otter was from based on the waters where they played." This was a reference to conservation measures that purified the waters of the canal district that once were far more acidic than was good for anyone's fur. "Still, even though we can see the bottom again, if my otter and beaver pals spend a lot of time frolicking in the waterways of this fair city it can still dull the fur. Get back your youthful sheen and natural color with Lutra-Glo, now offered in 8 and sixteen ounce sizes. Lutra-Glo…" Finnick turned the page.
Oh, they were absolutely joking, right?
Jian and Collin looked horrified. Guess what they messed up. Finnick darkened his tone.
"Lutra-Glo… Enjoy the pretty otter-y, not the city watery." Finnick winced at his own delivery as Collin fell out. Oh he was dead. He did that on purpose. He had to.
This followed into final commercial that was pre-made but he couldn't call Collin to give that hyena a piece of his mind because he was already on the phone with someone who was instructed by Jack to call in.
Collin's face went from his restrained hyena laughing to immediate shock. Yeah. That's what Finnick wanted to see.
"Welcome back, my lovely mammal-tropolis!" Finnick greeted again. "I know we had a bit of unexpected fun yesterday while I was filling in and I might have made some unrealistic expectations, but we're gonna roll with it!" He saw that his caller was on hold as he watched Collin gesticulating to Jian wildly on the other side of the glass. They both pulled out their phones. "We have another mammal that probably doesn't need much introduction joining us for our trivia fun today, and a little extra incentive to call in and join the fun." Collin held up his phone in Jian's face, making the red panda throws his paws up high again. The little fox secretly delighted in that expression of surprise.
"Good mornin', mammals of Zootopia and esteemed KRUF listeners!" came a slightly countrified voice on the other end.
"Good morning!" Finnick barked back enthusiastically. "KRUF critters, we have the new lead guitarist and back-up vocals for the iconic band 'HISS', Bobby Catmull!" Collin looked like he was standing in front of an oncoming truck, almost expressionless as he hit a key that resulted in applause.
"Good to be here, Lil Monster Fin!" It absolutely delighted the fox to hear his radio name used by someone else and he wasn't entirely sure why.
"Whatcha got coming up in the next little while here?" inquired the fox.
"We'll be doin' Caterwaul, the feline arts and music festival in the Meadowlands next Catterday!" chimed his guest. This was the least Finnick could do for this kind of favor. Give this popular rocker some bandwidth as he brought listeners to the station.
"Look forward to seein' ya there!" Finnick called back with cheer. "Any other questions or announcements before we move on to the harder questions?"
"Yeah, furballs! Anyone who gets a Q right, I'm gonna make sure they get a seat at the show, and whether you get it right or wrong, I'm givin' a hundred bucks in whoever's name you want to the Charity 'A New Coat', who has been at the top of mange research and treatment for over 25 years." Finnick paused. Even he didn't know that part of it, but this definitely extended the invitation to more callers. He beamed at the gobsmacked pair in the other room. He was so getting chewed out for this, but it made up for them making him mess up another commercial.
The next twenty-five minutes filled themselves with a bit less confusing journey through trivia. Bobby was not as dominating a personality as Savage had been, but the small fox took command of hosting the game with Jack's example in mind. He worked to figure out who his caller was and tried to match them up with an appropriate question and give them praise and cheer the way the bunny had done.
Being super friendly and sweet wasn't the fennec's style though. He cast little hedgehog needles of playful insults and admonishments to his callers because that was absolutely more his style. He suspected he'd get called out for it, or it would sound awkward but because of his voice and personality, it actually worked. They seemed to eat it up, and even ribbed back a few times.
It felt natural. It felt like how he and Nick ripped on each other. They were having fun, and no one rally cared if it didn't appear professional. He didn't think he could ever get away with that much snark with any other job he had, but he got a lot of genuine laughter.
They had a few hard core fans of Bobby Catmull or HISS call in, and a few had questions about him or the band, but he was good about pushing them to their trivia question after a short interaction. It wasn't as funny as Jack, and Bobby was a lot more goal oriented in terms of getting through the calls, but the fox filled in the spaces a little and made it, to him, just about as fun.
There were, fortunately, no instances where they needed to cut anyone off. Catmull didn't have the added controversy of dating a fox to provoke anyone. In total they raised 1200 dollars for the charity and gave out 7 tickets as the questions seemed a little harder this go round. Still, those calling in sounded happy just to get to talk to the acclaimed rocker, and he showed plenty of passion for his fans.
It was another sincerely good experience.
The trivia ended and they went into another commercial and music block. Finnick exited the booth to the hard stare of his coworkers.
"Is there anyone else we should be aware will call in?" Collin asked.
"Depends on what Gazelle's doin' tomorrow," the little fennec teased. Jian squeaked.
"No." Collin huffed.
"I'm teasing, I don't know Gazelle," Finnick laughed, shaking his big ears side to side.
"Our listener count went up tenfold from yesterday, and that was before you rolled out another A-list guy," the hyena indicated on his computer. Finnick couldn't even tell what chart he was looking at, but it was still good news. "This is how we get big ad revenue," he added excitedly.
"Sorry we seemed… doubtful earlier," Jian said, wringing his soft paws. "This was… not costing the station a big amount, yes?" Of course he was still worried about that. That was his job.
"Nope. Another favor from a friend," Finnick answered without elaborating.
"You're gonna spoil the listeners," Collin chuckled.
"Maybe. We'll just have to keep them entertained ourselves!" With that, Finnick got to enjoy a breakfast sandwich and some now cold coffee he retrieved from his van. The mood was different. The doom that was hanging over them that morning had largely dissipated because another morning went very positively. Maybe it just took a few days of things not utterly falling apart because their radio jockey was passed out drunk somewhere.
After the next batch of songs, there was a repeat of the news and the weather. Finnick had some fun with that as he unloaded some weather puns and made fun of a pretty outlandish report of a dire wolf being seen in Deerbrook County, a location that had become known for such sightings in the past couple of years. This time the great beast was seen by children, for however many grains of salt that was worth. It was popular news on the radio circuit, however, so Finnick had some fun with it.
Finally, after the noon hour, the booth was turned over to Collin for a bit. There were no real speaking parts for a couple of hours after the news spot because that was the KRUF Lunch Jam. It was a big solid block of music for mammals to enjoy with only one commercial interruption. This would have been something Finnick looked forward to because it meant his lunch break and he would, for the moment, have pretty long days.
Not this time though. Today it meant going to a cafe across the street and meeting the new boss. He had to admit there was some trepidation there. He took a seat in a metal bar-style chair pushed up to a huge table on the patio. He ordered a buggy burrito which was kind of a usual for him if it was offered. This one had cheese and a spicy sauce that worked well for him.
He hadn't been served yet before there was suddenly plenty of shade.
The lumbering form of an elephant took a seat on a groaning metal chair. Finnick was immediately concerned about the fate of the seating, but it valiantly held. He wore a nice pale blue button down dress shirt with a darker blue vest and a tie. Black slacks completed the appearance of someone who was dressed like a business professional, but without the starched, rigid three-piece suit. His tusks were easily almost three feet long, and had been gilded with silver fittings and had clearly been polished to make them look somehow new and executive.
"Morton, I assume?" queried the small fox.
"I am. And you must be the appropriately named… Fennec?" he asked.
"Finnick, actually," the small vulpine corrected. "Fin is fine as well."
"Or… Little Monster?" he qualified without expression. He seemed super serious, so Finnick dialed back his normal fun-mode.
"Just on the radio," he informed.
"I will keep this meeting short, Fin," expressed the pachyderm.
"Fair," the vulpine replied, perking up as he got his order. Morton ordered banana pudding which Finnick immediately craved upon hearing it requested. Maybe next time.
"I feel like you have fun in that booth," Mort explained. Finnick nodded, staring back.
"I uh… It's different, but that's not a bad thing." He wasn't sure what to say. This guy wasn't just saying 'here's what I want, do it and I will pay you'.
"How do you know … Jack Savage?" This question was pretty predictable.
"He's the friend of some friends," Finnick countered.
"What friends?" asked the elephant. He didn't expect that question, honestly, but it was fair too. How many points of contact resulted in Jack helping?
"Nick and Judy Wilde. They're cops. They're friends with Jack," he explained.
"The blood-soaked police mammals from that Palm Market video?" Morton qualified. That was also a fair link. A lot of mammals knew who they were by that.
"Yeah, those guys." Finnick hoped the guy wasn't gonna try to get them on the radio. Judy and Nick went out of their way to avoid the notoriety that came along with that fiasco. It was pretty solid PR for the fox and bunny but it could be argued that it did not make the ZPD look great at all. They stopped searching for the fox. That was not so positive.
"And today's co-host for the now much more… popular trivia game… How do you know him?" Finnick munched on his food a moment and finally answered.
"Never met him personally, but he was kinda pointed to us by Jack."
"You have an abrasive personality," Morton stated after some quiet reflection as his pudding arrived.
"I was told to be myself," the fox defended. If he was told to reign it in he would, but it might make this way less fun.
"You are not abrasive right now," the elephant pointed out.
"I'm being professional." Fin explained.
"Why?" asked the very calm, cool pachyderm as he took a slow and savory bite of his dessert.
"Because it's a meeting?" he offered. He didn't understand why it was odd that he would be polite in a meeting with his boss.
"It is that, yes, but… I rather like the voice in the booth. It's why you are sitting here now." He indicated the patio.
"Yeah, maybe. I just don't wanna seem disrespectful. I appreciate the opportunity I've got here." He felt like it was pretty starched even for him, but he genuinely felt that way.
"What happened with the commercials?" queried Morton.
"Collin mixed up the pages so I didn't see how the commercials ended," defended the fox. He'd roll his coworker under the bus for that, certainly.
"They do have something of an… organizational challenge there," the elephant said in a warm tone. "You handled it better than he would have, I assure you." He took another bite of his food, seeming so relaxed and casual.
"I have heard as much," the fox agreed.
"And you came up with your new… endings… on the spot?" he asked.
"I kinda had to," Finnick admitted. "Sorry if I got complaints. We will get it under control."
"Oh no… Musk Mask was initially curious about what happened, but when the clip started making the rounds, it generated buzz. They stated that they would prefer that you use your version going forward, but it's apparently to be entirely yours as it was your tone that sold it. I suspect our friends at Lutra-Glo will enjoy being on the hype train too, if you wanted my opinion on it." Finnick quietly sighed, his posture relaxing. Oh good, he wasn't in trouble. Now he had to get the sound byte so he could remember what he even said.
"I will… I will do that," Finnick verified.
"What do you think of Jian and Collin? Are they easy to work with? I must admit that they have, thus far, not helped the station move in the most lucrative direction." The fox sucked in a slow breath. Right. He was new and hadn't formed a bond that would make him want to protect his clearly overwhelmed coworkers.
"They've been struggling with operating either outside their comfort zones or with very little support from the guy in the booth." He didn't want to bring up that they felt that Morton had been unhelpful. It might be a misunderstanding fostered by the previous radio jockey and manager. Pitting them against each other right away was not going to make Finnick's job easier.
"I see..." Morton mused on that a moment. "I wish to have Jian communicate more with me about the things he needs… so that he does not have to feel that he lacks support." Finnick folded his ears back at that. That didn't match the concerns that the red panda appeared to have. It was pretty helpful.
"I think he's just… I dunno… maybe intimidated by you," the small vulpine offered.
Morton held his spoon up in front of him with his trunk and looked at his distorted reflection in the back of it. "I have witnessed that your manager is also intimidated by blueberry muffins, pictures of boats, and any utterance of the word 'teat'." Finnick was unable to restrain his laughter there. Once he got himself under control, the casual elephant resumed eating with his mirror spoon. He continued, "I suspect my size may be to blame there. Being very big or very small can be a frustration." Finnick pretended not to be bothered by the implication. "I would like to ask, if you can, to be an intermediary and perhaps communicate with me if you think that Jian is uncomfortable and anything is needed. I may be pretty trunks-off about it, but I do want my media platform to at least carry some weight within the advertising world."
Finnick nodded slowly at that. It sounded reasonable, yes. He finished his buggy burrito. It was nice and spicy so he felt the warmth in his ears. "I will keep an open channel with you, sure," he remarked.
"I have another question, if I may, about your friend, Jack." Finnick nodded, wiping his paws on his napkin.
"Sure, shoot."
"You said you know him through your police friends… but you know him personally too? You have met with him? He mentioned doing trivia with you in the past."
The little fox nodded at that. "That's right. We hung out with my friends and stuff. I actually do see him sometimes, though it's been a while."
"In the interest of our open communication, I should tell you… he placed a very sizable advertising contract with KRUF for his various charities and for his movies and associated sponsorships." Finnick stared back.
"He hadn't told me that he did that," the fox swore.
"Well, when he gave the amount, I didn't understand how he came to that number, so… I was curious if you understand why. When I asked, he told me you would love it."
"How much was it?" Finnick inquired. He didn't request for Jack to give the station any money. Still, he was known for giving a lot of his wealth away.
"It was eighteen point five million."
The amount might normally have made the little fox's eyes bug out, but the second Morton said it, he sighed and pulled his ears down over his own face.
"So, it is… significant?" inquired the towering elephant, spoon clinking in his bowl as he took another bite of pudding.
"I'm 18.5 inches tall," the fox growled, releasing his ears just in time to be greeted by a face full of banana pudding ejected through an elephant's trunk at high velocity from across the table.