"Oh, in case you got covered in that Alt-Right Propaganda gel, here's some advice the lab boys gave me: DO NOT get covered in the Alt-Right Propaganda gel. We haven't entirely nailed down what element it is yet, but I'll tell you this: it's a lively one, and it does NOT like the human conscience."
-Furry Johnson. Black Lives Matter. LGBTQA2+ Rights Matter. Trans Rights Matter.
3rd Peelian Principle: To recognize always that to secure and maintain the respect and approval of the public means also the securing of the willing co-operation of the public in the task of securing observance of laws.
We follow laws, as best we can, as a rule, to exist in society. It's also important to note that it says 'cooperation', not forceful direction. Cooperate. And, if a law doesn't make sense, it is society's right to correct that and police's duty to help. But, what happens if you are observing the law, and the police still come for you? Then the public has a bone to pick with the police.
In this chapter, Nick prepares to leave for the academy. A time for celebration, excitement, and learning. But, in order to go, he must leave the rabbit behind. This will be the first time they're apart since the Nighthowler incident. . . How will they feel about that? And how will the two cope, only able to hear one another through a phone line?
Disney owns Zootopia.
Being Distant, but Growing Closer
"Y'know, it still doesn't seem fair that I have to clean an apartment I'm not staying in." The fox grumbled as he made his way up the stairs. He was carrying two boxes, stacked upon one another, while the rabbit was carrying the final one behind him. She rolled her eyes, as she steadied her grip when they reached the next landing.
Over the last week, Judy and Nick had spent most of their free time cleaning the apartment and starting to move their stuff in. For Judy, it was fairly easy, carrying her stuff between the apartments. But for Nick, he could only take one box or one big thing there every day that he came over to clean. After all, he still needed to have at least some stuff over at his house to live for the week.
Nick had come with her and signed the new contract a few days ago and introduced himself to the landlady. As per his natural self, the landlady quickly took a shine to the fox. Thinking back on when they first met, she was constantly amazed by how much natural charm he had. She could not help but think that he might even be charming enough to be thanked for writing someone a ticket.
A useful trait for an officer, for sure. Even if underneath it all, he was an ass. "Staying yet or not, I paid you a nickel a day. Wasn't that what your labour was going for? And, I ordered food each time, isn't that usually the 'moving fee'?" She teased. Judy had thrown a bunch of nickels at him when he complained the last time, with a slice of pizza hanging out of his stupid mouth. When they disappeared into the couch, Judy joked that meant that he was the one who had to clean the couch to be paid.
The couch was fairly comfortable, and not too ugly with its dark maroon cloth. She was glad it cleaned up well when she hit it with the rented steam cleaner. She didn't want to waste some of her savings on furniture and appliances, especially when she had to make some big purchases already.
Since yesterday evening, when Nick had helped her drag her new mattress' box upstairs, Judy had been sleeping in the new apartment. The view she had this morning alone was worth the extra rent, let alone the bathroom and kitchen.
Nick had ironically put up no argument to the idea of taking the smaller room. As he argued, the window in the small room was pointed perpendicular from the rising sun, giving the nocturnal mammal a little respite compared to her bedroom's larger side window.
The little bunny, on the other hand, relished the morning sun. It was such a good way to start the day, just rolling right out of bed to walk up to the large, panoramic window. But she also wanted new blinds. And they were expensive as hell.
"Hey, I offered to cook. It's not my fault you said no." The fox responded snidely, as they continued up another flight of stairs. That was true, he had offered. However, Judy honestly didn't want to deal with more dishes than necessary, on top of cleaning the entire apartment.
One step at a time, after all. Besides, this was the last box of kitchen stuff, finally, so they could unpack it all at once. She would be surprised if any of Nick's kitchen stuff was in good condition, anyway. "But you didn't have to, that should have been its own reward. Why not just relax after a hard day of cleaning and organizing?" She responded as they continued ascending together.
That was what they'd done for the past few days, as they slowly tried to get the place somewhat reasonably set up. And, today, Judy hoped, it would play out the same way. After all, this was the last of Nick's stuff from his apartment.
As Nick told it, his landlord's reaction to him possibly moving out was, to put it simply, 'whatever'. He didn't even ask to pay out the lease or complain, it was just simply a big shrug. Judy wondered if the landlord even knew Nick was there when she'd arrived to help him with the final set of boxes.
It was Nick's last day in Zootopia, after all. In the morning, he was going to have to board a bus to go to the Zootopia Police Academy, and then he was going to be gone for 24 weeks. For Six. Damn. Months.
However, luckily, Nick was going to be paid for that time, albeit only recruit pay, and with the caveat of having to pay for his tuition along the way. Judy always thought that sucked, but the pay was at least decent enough to survive otherwise.
And, decent enough for him to also pay his part of the rent here. Which is why he was complaining so much about having to clean. Why did he have to do all the cleaning if he wasn't even going to get to enjoy his apartment for six months?
Judy had to admit, it did seem kind of unfair. That was why she agreed that she'd pay three-quarters of the rent while he was gone, instead of a full half. It wasn't too bad that way, at least. She'd still have enough left over to afford what she needed to survive, and she wouldn't have to dip into her savings.
Nick, on the other hand, was completely broke until his first paycheque. By his description, he had one good moth he was hanging onto in his wallet at this point.
Probably to eat it, given his fondness of cricket burgers. The crunch always made her a little unsettled. Because of that lack of pay, unfortunately, Nick wasn't able to buy a new mattress so that he could stay in the apartment tonight. And, if Nick hadn't already said that he was not going to bring his mattress, Judy certainly vetoed it the moment she saw it.
It wasn't that it was terrible. It was only a little ripped. A little stained. A little full of dust. To be honest, If Nick hadn't showered after their run this morning, Judy would've made him wash again before touching anything in the apartment after seeing that.
But, to her relief, Nick doubled down on not taking it with him. If only not to have to carry it back to the apartment. And then up five flights of stairs.
A boxed mattress was one thing, trying to drag that horrible thing would've been ridiculous. And then, imagine if they'd dropped it, and all the dust and fur particulate hit the air. She would rather die.
But, since Nick had turned his key in when they came to pick up the last boxes, he had nowhere to sleep for the night. Luckily, Judy still had access to her old apartment, and a quick visit with the landlady when they got here bestowed the approval Nick needed to stay the night there.
As if the armadillo could say no to the fox, what with the way he suavely complimented her. He never pushed any intentions in it, but, a married mammal rarely turned down a few professional compliments, as Nick put it.
The manipulative bastard. But hey, no harm was done, right? Besides, anything would've been better than staying at Nick's little studio. She thought he'd been kidding about how bad it was, but, even a short look inside made Judy realize it was worse than he'd said.
But he was right. The odds of a police officer being curious about the apartment, which was actually in the basement of the complex, was very low. To call the new apartment an upgrade would be an understatement. Now he had a window and a proper bedframe.
And, a counter big enough to hold both his coffee pot and his hot plate, as he so eloquently pointed out. Only one of those things were going to go on the counter, though, Judy reminded him. That hot plate was not wasting space on the counter, not by a long shot.
Even if there was room on the small L counter that separated the kitchen from the living room, Judy didn't want that disaster of a contraption taking up space. Especially not burning down her apartment.
As they reached their floor, Nick finally responded. "That is true, I suppose. . . If things go as planned, I imagine we'll finish the bathroom and the kitchen today, mmh? I'm pretty sure my DVD player is in one of these boxes, we could set up the TV?" He saddled up to the door and pushed it open with his rump as they entered the hall.
Judy walked past the fox as he held the push door open, the tip of his nose barely visible past the end of the top box. "That's an idea if we finish. Thanks." She added as she headed down the hall with the fox close behind.
In all honestly, the bathroom was basically done. All it needed was a quick clean of the sink, another good tub scrub, and to put in the new shower curtain and bathmat stuff that she'd gotten. And, a few of the other bits she'd gotten needed to be put away and cleaned up, the toilet paper needed to go under the sink, laundry stuff in the laundry shelf of the bathroom, blah, blah.
The kitchen, on the other paw, had both easier and more things to do. They needed to finish sanitizing the cupboards and drawers and wash the dishes and cutlery that Nick had brought over.
And maybe find some spots for the kitchen appliances. Both Nick's toaster and the coffee pot would be going on the counter, but Judy had bought a food processer, a blender, and a rice cooker at the local department store.
Also, maybe a bit of new cutlery, and cooking utensils. . . She'd try and salvage what Nick had, but chances were some of it needed to be tossed or recycled. All of her experiences with bachelor mammals back in Bunnyburrow and college on Outback Island suggested they weren't exactly picky about the state of their cooking stuff.
But maybe Nick was different. They'd yet to open the boxes with 'kitchen' scribbled on them, so Judy couldn't confirm one way or another. And, she was well aware Nick was going to volunteer for the kitchen job as soon as they got there.
It was the 'easier' job. And, in deference to him, he was the one who started cleaning the bathroom, after all. He'd done a pretty good job, considering how terrible it had been. He'd nearly thrown his back out scrubbing the crap out of the tub yesterday.
He was probably still sore, considering how much he complained about their run this morning. They'd taken it easy since he was hurting that much. And, it was the day before her next shift block, so, she liked the idea of a light run.
"I'm pretty sure I'll finish the bathroom fairly quickly. I'll just need to borrow a chair to get the shower curtain put in. I can reach it, but I'm not busting my skull open the day before the Academy. Then, I'll set up the TV, and you can order some food." The fox continued, with a shrug.
Judy walked up to the wall beside the door and pressed the box against the wall with her chest as she reached in her pocket to grab the key. She looked at the fox, a curious expression on her face. "Really? You want to do the bathroom?" Judy asked, surprised that he'd be willing to tackle that tub again.
Nick scoffed, as she slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. "You think I'm going to let a bathtub win against me? Nicholas P. Wilde? I don't think so. That tub's going to be as white as an arctic fox's belly by the time I'm done."
Judy laughed, as she walked through the door with her box. "Familiar with the bellies of arctic foxes, are you?" She teased, shaking her head. Why was Judy not surprised? She set the box on the nearby kitchen counter, as Nick walked the other two boxes towards his open bedroom door.
"When you grow up in a community where the only ones who talk to you are other foxes, that's kind of what happens, fluff. Why, would you like a breakdown of High School Nick's escapades?" The fox returned fire, as he set the two boxes of clothes down in the doorway of his room.
She shook her head. "Not unless you wanna hear about mine, Nick, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that." Judy teased, as she looked in the cupboard under the sink and grabbed some cleaner, a scrubber, and the footstool. The kitchen wasn't going to sanitize itself, after all. She was happy she bought a new cutlery organizer, though. All she'd need to do was wash it in the sink and-
"Go for it." The fox responded, tone thick with amusement. She turned around to see Nick leaning on the doorframe to his room, with his arms crossed. He was grinning, as he looked right at the rabbit kneeling under the sink. "Hey, I'm all for sex positivity, Carrots, none of that bothers me. Let's hear it."
Judy felt the blush creep in her ears, as she turned back around and stood up with the supplies in her hands. "I'm going to start in the kitchen now, you can get back to the bathroom. I put some stronger cleaner under the sink, maybe that will work better. Let me know when you start getting hungry, so we can figure out what to order." The rabbit quickly reversed course, as she moved to the first drawer on the counter.
She pulled it open and sprayed it with the cleaning solution as the fox snickered behind her as he walked to the bathroom door. "Alright. . . Coward." Nick teased, as he stepped through the bathroom doorway. Judy shook her head again, as she scrubbed the drawer.
Judy wasn't a coward. But, at the same time, she wasn't going to talk about that kind of stuff with Nick, of all mammals. Nor did she want to hear about what Nick had gotten up to. They had an apartment to clean, and she only had one more night to take advantage of Nick's help.
And she was going to use that fox as much as she could before he left.
Nick had emerged from the bathroom after three hours or so, claiming great successes. The rabbit had gone into the room, and he'd shown his work to her with great pride. And, she had to admit, he did a decent job.
Judy, on the other hand, had cleaned all the cupboards and drawers and had gotten pretty far in unpacking all the stuff in the kitchen boxes. Now, she'd moved onto washing any of the cutlery and implements that needed to be washed.
To her surprise when she went through the boxes, the hot plate wasn't there. Maybe he'd listened to her and threw it out. But for some reason that sounded far fetched. It didn't matter since the stove could do everything a hotplate could, and more.
And, he brought his toaster and coffee maker, both of which worked just fine. As far as she knew, anyway. In a wise moment of foresight, she set up the coffee maker to turn on in the morning, just before she had to go to work.
Thank the mammal who invented that wonderful timed option on coffee makers. Judy was great at getting up in the morning, but even she didn't want to go through the hassle of making coffee in the morning.
They'd quickly decided on ordering another pizza since it was both cheap and very good. And, simple. It was supposed to come in about 40 minutes, which Nick claimed would give him just enough time to set up his TV and entertainment system.
Except, he confessed, he'd bought the stereo system second hand, and had no idea how it was supposed to work. Or, if it ever worked, since it had sat at the foot of his bed for about three years, unused.
As he fiddled with that, she continued washing both the new stuff and the old stuff that he'd brought over. Most of his cutlery was fine, she was surprised to see. Almost none of it matched, but that would be pedantic to complain about.
It just bothered her, so, she threw those forks and knives in the 'spares' section of the cutlery tray. They still existed, that was good enough right? Besides, not like he would have to do the dishes for the next six months. He wouldn't know, would he?
"If I get this set up in time, we could maybe watch a movie while we eat?" Nick asked, as he desperately tried to figure out where the other end of a cord was supposed to go on the TV. From the bewildered look on his face, Judy was starting to doubt whether he'd finish in time.
But it would be nice to relax for the rest of the night with a movie. It was starting to get late, after all. And, they had made a lot of progress, she just needed to finish a few small things like washing windows and such.
She shrugged, as she scrubbed another plate and put it into the drying rack. "Sure, if you manage to figure it out in time. I'm almost done the dishes, and, everything else is pretty little. . . Thanks for helping clean, Nick. I'm sorry your last day here wasn't that fun."
Nick let out a laugh, as he finally slotted the cable into the proper port. "Don't worry, I'll get my revenge somehow, Carrots. . . All jokes aside, it seems perfectly normal to spend today with the thorn in my side that made me do this. . . It's poetic."
Judy shook her head, snorting. 'All jokes aside' her ass, he was always joking. As she set another plate into the drying rack, she looked over at the silly fox. She watched as he looked at the audio systems numerous cords, as his ears fell flat with a quiet whine. "Okay. . . One of these has to go to power, right?" He muttered to himself.
Yeah. As if he was going to finish in time for the pizza to arrive.
"Thanks! Have a nice night!" Judy said to the delivery driver, an otter who looked completely exhausted. He nodded, as he turned and walked back to the stairs.
Maybe Judy should have warned the driver about the lack of an elevator. . . But, oh well. She closed the door and turned the lock instinctively as she turned to look at the fox sitting on the floor in the living room.
He looked up at her, eyes wide as he was reaching around the back of the DVD player. Ever since they buzzed the driver in, he was rushing to try and get it all plugged in. In all honestly, Judy figured his franticness probably hurt his progress more than anything. She smirked and walked towards the little coffee table in front of the couch.
"So much for finishing on time." She teased, as the fox continued working on whatever cable he was trying to deal with now. Judy set the pizza on the table and sat down on the couch with a light bounce. The rabbit, of course, had finished the dishes shortly before they'd arrived, and had started wiping down the counter for a second time by the time they knock on the door.
The fox plugged in the cord and looked over his shoulder at her. "That's what you think, I'm pretty sure. . . " He paused, as he reached and hit the 'on' button on the DVD player.
For a moment, there was nothing. But, then the little ring of light glowed green, as the box whirred to life. "Ha! See, Carrots, I told you I could do it." The fox exclaimed as he scooted to the side, out of the way of his masterpiece.
"Mhm. Why are there cords running every which way?" She asked as she cocked her head comically to the side. It looked like a disaster, with grey and black cords more in front of the TV stand than behind, and the small speakers set up randomly around the TV. There were stands for some of the speakers, but they were still laying on the floor.
The fox rolled his eyes, as he slid his rump closer to the coffee table and popped the pizza box open. They didn't have a table or chairs yet for the kitchen, but that didn't matter when you had a good coffee table. "Hey, I said I would make it work, not make it look 'neat'. I'm going to call that 'mission accomplished'."
Nick grabbed a slice of pizza, as Judy shook her head. "Let me guess, you're going to leave me to clean all that up, aren't you?" She asked, as she grabbed a slice for herself and began digging in.
The fox took a big bite of his slice, chewing and swallowing quickly. As he licked his muzzle, he nodded. "No. . . I'm going to move the speakers around a bit. But now you know where it all plugs in, it should be easy for you."
Naturally, he'd freeload the rest of it onto her, as he quickly polished off one slice and went onto another. "Well, Mr. Mission Accomplished. What movie do you have in mind?" She asked as she gestured to the small little movie rack he'd brought from his place. The rabbit grabbed another piece and ate it eagerly.
It was so much better than having to do dishes a second time, especially knowing Nick would nope out of that job immediately. Nick looked over at the rack and scanned through it silently.
"How about Meowana?" He asked, reaching, and grabbing the plastic case with a smile. Judy nodded, remembering seeing the film in theatres a while back. A good movie, with a good message, why not?
Her brow furrowed. Wait. That movie was only released on DVD recently. . . Very recently. "Where did you get that movie? I thought it just came out?" She questioned, as she leaned toward the fox.
He looked at her, unimpressed as he popped the case open with a sneer. "Really, Carrots? I pre-ordered it, and it came in last week. . . Considering how much ramen I've eaten lately, I wish I didn't. You think I would give a penny of my money to Duke Weaselton, of all mammals?" He shook his head, as he slipped the disk into the player.
Judy nodded, remembering how the two hadn't really been on good terms before the Nighthowler incident and probably wasn't on better terms after the whole Mr. Big thing. "Alright, fair enough. . ." Judy said as she settled into her seat.
The fox turned on the television and the audio equipment before he stood up and made his way over to the couch. He sat beside her and grabbed the remote as the main menu appeared on the screen. "We might have time for two movies. Unless you want to get back to cleaning?" He asked, as he leaned over and grabbed another slice of pizza as the intro credits began to roll.
The rabbit shook her head, as she grabbed another piece as well. "No, everything else is just tiny stuff. Might have to call it early, though. . . We'll see when I get tired."
Nick smiled at her, as he relaxed back into the couch. "When Carrots gets tired, huh? We'll be up all night."
Judy smirked at the fox, as she turned the TV off with the remote. Nick, on the other hand, snored back loudly.
He hadn't been wrong; she was up for all 'his' night. She rose from the couch, and quietly carried the pizza leftovers to the fridge. It would make a good lunch for tomorrow, or maybe a quick breakfast in the morning.
Either way, it was at least one meal that Judy didn't have to pay for or cook. After the pizza was tucked in, she walked back over to the couch, looking at the silly, snoozing fox.
You wouldn't think he would've been comfortable, the way he was propped up on his arm, leaning on the armrest. But the loud snoring suggested that comfort had been forgotten awhile ago. Finally beating that tub took a lot out of the poor fox.
She shook her head, as she walked into her room quietly. Part of her wanted to wake him so he could walk over to her other apartment to sleep in a real bed. Likely, he was going to wake up sore if he stayed like that. It was probably the kind thing to do.
Judy pulled the spare blanket out from under her bed and walked back into the living room to look at the sleepy tod, sawing wood heavily. The ridiculously cute, and silly tod. She shook her head, as she carefully draped over his body with the blanket, tucking it behind his shoulders delicately.
She couldn't do that. It would be a sin to disturb such a comfy mammal. Besides, he deserved to stay in the apartment one night at least, before he went off for six months. Too bad it wasn't a bed, but it was something.
She smiled at him, and at her handiwork. It was at least something, so he wouldn't get cold at night. As if he would anyway, of course. She reached out and gave the fox a gentle pat on the head. His ears twitched, but the fox still snored along.
Judy shook her head, as she walked around the couch and headed for her room. Tomorrow, they'd say goodbye in the morning. She had to leave first, as his bus wasn't until like 8 AM or something. At least with him sleeping there, she wouldn't need to worry about missing him.
As she reached the threshold of the door, she heard a soft voice from behind. "Juu. . . . dee." Nick mumbled, slurred. She looked over her shoulder, pleased to find that the fox hadn't budged. It was probably just some dream or something.
She smiled, as she slowly closed her door. "Good night, Nick. . . Sleep tight."
Beep-beep-beep-thwack.
The rabbit defiantly smacked the alarm, as she let out a yawn. Yeah, staying up late watching movies. . . Not a good thing when you needed to wake up at 5:30 AM. She rolled out of bed and started the ritual process of stretches before she hopped down and walked over to her dresser.
She robotically slipped off the clothes she wore yesterday, suddenly regretting sleeping in them, and grabbed one of her uniform sets from the dresser. In the same automatic fashion, she dressed and tossed her clothes into the hamper nearby. She'd wait to put on the belt and the protective gear, though, she had a process to go through.
Do some morning exercises, take a long shower, heat pizza from last night, check the news and do a light jog to the nearby train station to the ZPD headquarters to meet up with Wolfard before the shift started. That was the plan. But first, coffee. The nectar of morning life.
Hopefully, she could do most of that without waking the fox up. He needed as much sleep as he could get, what with the agony waiting for him at the academy. She wondered how much he'd hear that wonderful phrase coming out of the Major's mouth. . . Probably a fair bit at the start.
In the middle of a memory, she caught the smell of something, wafting into her bedroom. Something burning. Her nose twitched, as she walked to her bedroom door cautiously. She took in a deep sniff by the door, and caught the scent of cooking carrots. . . And tofu.
She opened the door, and immediately investigated the kitchen.
Nick was standing in front of the stove, frying pan and spatula in hand as he hummed to himself. His ear flitted towards her, and he turned to face her with a grin. "Ah, Carrots. Good morning." He spoke cheeringly, as he continued to cook carefully. "I figured this is my best opportunity to prove I'm not a terrible cook. . . Of course, I thought the fridge would have more in it, but I digress."
She rolled her eyes, as she walked over to the kitchen smiling. He was dressed as well, and she saw that he'd moved his little travel bag to the door already. Just yet another reminder that he was going to be gone for six months.
Well. . . At least it wouldn't be like the last time they parted ways.
Judy looked at what he was cooking, and it became pretty clear that he was mostly just winging it with whatever he found in the fridge. It smelled good, at least. And, given her other choice was reheated pizza, she'd take what she could get.
"Like what you see?" Nick mused as he looked at the rabbit with a grin. She snorted, as she walked up to the full coffee pot and grabbed a mug from the cabinet.
"I'll take what I can get this morning, I guess. . . Sorry, I didn't get you up last night, you looked very tired and comfortable. I hope my alarm didn't wake you." She muttered, as she poured the black gold into the cup, and quickly took a quick swig.
The fox laughed in response and shook his head. "It's okay, Carrots, I was already awake when your alarm went off. . . And, the couch wasn't so bad. I had pleasant enough dreams, at least."
"Mhm, I'm sure. I'm going to some quick exercises in the living room if you'd like to join me?" She asked as she leaned against the counter. Looking at the fox still poking the frying pan with the spatula, she nodded slightly. "Well, if you can, that is."
The fox shook his head. "Nah, you go ahead. By the time you're done, food should be perfect. . . At least somewhat perfect." He spoke, with slightly falling confidence. Judy drank half of her coffee before she set it on the counter and headed for the living room.
It was nice having a room where you could exercise without hitting furniture, at least. While the fox cooked, she went through her regular morning routine. First, deep stretches to prepare, and then fun parts. Crunches, push-ups, burpees. One-foot hip raises, planks, lunges, and mountain climber conditioning.
All the while she sweated, while the dumb fox in the kitchen cooked. About halfway through he commented on how he was so glad he didn't join. Judy responded by calling him lazy, but he merely laughed his way through it.
Then, they sat down and ate. It wasn't as bad as Judy was expecting if she was honest. But naturally, she didn't give him too much of an ego. After breakfast, she went and took her shower, and finished getting ready for the day.
They idly chatted like they always did. Like as if it wasn't the last time, they'd see each other for a while. She planned to visit if she got a chance later in the program. But, between her schedules and his, it was hard to tell when that might be.
It wasn't until she'd fastened her equipment belt on at the door that the two looked at each other, and allowed for the reality to set in.
They were friends. Good friends. And they weren't going to see one another regularly for a long while, nor be able to hang out and watch movies, clean apartments, or run together.
"Well. . . I guess this is it, Carrots." He muttered as he smiled at her. She smiled up at him, although she could feel a hind of sadness creeping in. She was the one who had to leave first, which made it harder for her. If he had to go, she could blame it all on him, and get over it just fine. But no, she had to go to work.
The fox was still nervous, no doubt. And she wouldn't be there by his side. They'd be able to text maybe, but that wasn't the same. "Yeah. . . Listen to your instructors, Nick. They'll teach you a lot if you let them, and they're pushing you to be the best you."
"But, I'm already the best me?" Nick responded teasingly, as he raised a brow to her. She shook her head and sighed at the stupid fox. The corners of his mouth drooped, as his ears fell slightly. It was clear that he was just as sad as she was, as he looked at the rabbit with genuine eyes. "It won't be that long, Carrots. . . It's just a-"
The rabbit silenced him, as she stepped into him and wrapped her arms around him. She squeezed him gently, as she rubbed her face into his chest. She wasn't crying, but she felt them welling. "I'm going to miss you, slick."
Nick's arms had splayed out when she'd grabbed him, but slowly they made their way to rest their paws on her shoulders gently. "Even my terrible jokes?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "Even your terrible jokes." She muttered, as she slowly pulled out of the hug. Looking into his eyes, she let out a small sigh. "I'll come for a visit sometime. . . Text me when you get to the academy, okay?" She added as she turned back toward the door. If she kept looking at him, it was going to get worse.
"I will. . . I'll make sure to lock the door before I leave." He said with a nod, as she opened the door and began to walk through.
She looked at him one last time and smiled. "See you soon, Nick." The rabbit spoke, as she let the door close slowly behind her.
Nick raised a paw and waved with a small smile as the door closed with a subtle click.
It wouldn't be too long. And when he came back, he would be in a uniform beside her.
Inside the room, Nick stood in the same spot, his paw still held aloft in that silly, childish wave. He might have wanted to say more before that hug hit him.
That hug reminded him of that day, back underneath the bridge. When the rabbit came to find him, to apologize to him and ask for his help. And then, he'd hugged her, gently. Right before she stood on his tail of course.
Slowly, he looked down at his chest, brow narrowing as he thought about how it had made him feel that day to hug her. And, how it made him feel now. The paw he waved with slowly moved its way to touch his chest, right where she'd rubbed her face into him so vigorously.
He scratched the area, absentmindedly. "Mmhm."
. . . Why was he thinking about that now?
Laying across the desk with his chest, his chin draped against the flat surface, Nick was busy doodling down some notes as the instructor continued talking. Not like anything she was saying, Nick hadn't read in the book they'd been given for the course.
Of all the time to think about that hug with Judy, why now in class?
Normally, Nick was more professional than the way he looked right now. He looked like a deflated balloon fox if he was honest. He was attentive, engaged, and involved in the educational experience he was undergoing.
They were on their. . . Seventh week? Maybe? He wasn't sure. They were starting to blur together if he was honest. In both good ways, and bad ways. It was hard work. He'd forever hear Major Freidkin's 'You're dead, red-tail', and all her other fun idioms, for the rest of his life.
But, after a while, he did exactly as Judy had told him. Use your strengths. Outthink, outsmart, and outmaneuver your problems. And, it was working as soon as he got the hang of what he was dealing with here.
Even the exercise runs were getting easy, even though they were extremely taxing some days when the Major would add fun new twists. Like yesterday, of course. That was a hard run and Nick had needed to take a break and get some good sleep after that day.
Which is where Nick came to the crux of why he looked like a fox sex doll that met an angry pin.
Nick hadn't spent a lot of time in bunking situations in his life. If ever if he was being honest. But, generally, Nick figured that there were standard rules and regulations to follow when you bunked in a dorm situation with another person.
Clean up your messes, respect each other's boundaries, keep your stuff where your stuff should be and don't touch other people's stuff.
And don't masturbate when your bunkmate is there, trying to sleep, on the bunk below you.
Y'know, what you'd expect to be followed. But Nick's buffalo bunkmate seemed to have forgotten the latter rule and had decided that the middle of the night was the perfect time to start watching "videos". Admittedly, Nick was pretty sure the big bull had no idea that Nick was still awake.
However, given the fact that he was blaring the little lewd video with no headphones, there was a certain point where he should've figured it out.
That was Nick's night. Laying there, middle of the fucking night. Listening to his bunkmate watch some adult video, while Nick just stared up at the bottom of the bunk above him wishing for death.
It was possible. Maybe the bunk supports could break from the weight of him, and it could come down careening on top of Nick. Death by horny buffalo; mammal, that would make for a confusing headstone.
While laying there, pained, Nick debated on speaking up. However, Nick was a little bit too scared of what he might accidentally interrupt.
So, he just kept hoping it would end. But somehow, this buffalo couldn't get by with only a few minutes of. . . "video". Unbelievably, it went on for what felt like hours.
Nick also considered revenge. Retaliate with similar "video". That would've been revenge, wouldn't have? That would be fair? However, Nick also didn't want to consider the fact that the buffalo might start talking with him about what they were watching. . . That was a fate worse than death. And besides, Nick didn't think he could wake that buffalo even with his phone at full volume.
Not judging by the snoring, anyway.
But. It wasn't fair. Nick followed the rules. Weren't they all supposed to suffer this together, rather than making someone else suffer?
By the time the buffalo finished watching it, Nick couldn't get back to sleep. He just lay there, and stared at the bottom of the bunk, horrified.
It was around then that he'd first thought of the hug again, staring at the ceiling. It seemed random at the time, but what else was he supposed to do? Admittedly, he also thought about her exercising that morning, watching as she moved her form around and around. Nick had tried not to stare, but, he nearly burnt their breakfast a few times. But, that was normal for the fox. He thought of a bunch of stupid stuff before the dawn light peeked through the window.
And then Major Friedkin took them out and worked them into the ground yet again. And thus, the deflated defeated fox was draped across the desk like some ridiculous cartoon. While listening to a lecture on Verbal Judo, and the act of de-escalation. Good stuff. The stuff he read in the early morning when he was still trying to forget his night.
"The first step in the Five-step hard style for dealing with difficult mammals is to ask or tell. Now, I'm not a fan of telling, I always try and frame my requests to asks. Most people are going to listen to you if you ask them to do something rather than tell them. Now, as for difficult people, these people are the ones who aren't going to do what you ask the first time you tell them to. And that's where step two comes in."
'Difficult' mammals was a bit of a misnomer, as on the face of it someone might interpret those people as being problematic. But, as the book explained, that wasn't the intention. There were three types of mammals, as the book explained. Nice mammals, the ones who did what you asked when you asked. 'Difficult' mammals, the ones who usually asked questions or don't respond immediately. And 'wimps', the ones who were nice to your face but would report to your supervisor, or their father, about you later.
Now, as a fox, he knew that most foxes could be labelled 'difficult' people. Almost always, they'd ask why. Or, on the other spectrum, always agree. . . But that was because they'd come to expect the persecution by the police. Foxes were scum, untrustworthy, criminals, in their eyes. And, often, they were stopped based on those prejudices rather than on whether they were doing anything wrong at all.
Foxes weren't the only ones, there were many other examples. But he understood the writer's intent in describing them as people who you'd have to work with, to get their cooperation. And quite frankly, he believed the police owed it to them to work for their cooperation.
Wimps were wimps. That was it.
"Step two. Set Context. Or, another way to put it, tell them why. If they ask why, or if they tell you 'fuck you, I ain't going to do it', this is where you tell them exactly why you're asking them to do something. Explain the law to them, in a way they understand. Now, if this is isn't immediately in your mind of why or what you're doing, then chances are, you're not supposed to be doing what you're doing."
Oh, man, if Nick had known that when he was younger. The number of times he'd been stopped and they fabbed their reason up later. . .
"If you don't have a legal reason to ask them for something before you ask, then you've fucked up already. See, this step builds ground and proves your authority in a situation. It also provides ground, of mutual respect, for them to step out onto. Everyone likes being told why it's a sign of respect in every species culture across the globe. And it's that simple."
Wise words if he'd ever heard them. Thinking about it now, he wished he could deal with his masturbating bunkmate with these principles. . . But, setting context would be pointless with him. The bull was dense as concrete.
"Step three. Give them options. Now, seven out of ten, at minimum, difficult mammals will respond to being told why. If you can explain it to them, they appreciate that kind of respect. The rest who tell you to fuck off, you go to step three. This is where you present them with the options available to them."
Nick had never been given options in his life. . . Like, ever. It was always the old way, which the teacher had mentioned at the start. Order/Ask them to do something. if refused, Order again. If refused, threaten, with jail or violence. If refused again, the officer hesitates, wondering if they have the arrest. And then, they act, arresting or hurting the person. Because after threatening and not having anyone listen, they've painted themselves into a corner.
Like a poor cop does, and like every cop had done accidentally in his life at least once. More did it on purpose.
"Present the options as so, give them specificity, and give them a good option first, and bad second. Tell them why it is better for them, and their interests, to listen to you in some fashion and present an option that shows what they have to lose. You are not threatening them, you are giving them the options. And, be specific, and be honest about those options. If you are bullshitting the good stuff, they're going to know, and the fight's on. Now, your success rate at this step, is at least nine out of ten difficult people are going to listen. So, then we move onto the fourth step."
It was very important to do step three correctly. Tell them why they would get what they needed by listening to you, appeal to their greed. There were only a few things that drove mammals. Money, time, love, etc. Use them. It'll be quicker if, it'll be cheaper if, your partner will be happier if. Nick was very familiar with using these hooks in his own 'businesses'. . .
"This step is 'confirm resistance', and I'll give you the way to say this. 'Is there anything that I or my partner can do to earn your cooperation? I'd like to think there is'. Now, isn't that a wonderful sentence? First, you put the ball in their court on what's about to happen here. You are giving them an out, to back down on their position. And, that little bit at the end, that hope. That positivity. This is exactly the way to phrase this."
That was true, though. It gave people an out. Sometimes, around their friends or family, or just situationally, mammals end up painting themselves into the same corner that the officer could. But by using this, you allowed them to feel the situation out and make a better choice.
They can ask the officer to do something and deescalate the situation by doing so. Have the partner talk instead. Apologize. Whatever. And the positivity at the end suggests you care and don't want this to go forcefully.
Of course, it also gave you the chance to close in, to gesture your partner to come over, and presented an opportunity when the person responded. A chance to evaluate.
"Now, if you hear equal or greater resistance, go to step five and act when they're talking. Arrest them, take them to the ground, write them a ticket, whatever you needed to do in the situation. But, if you notice either circumstance changing, or resistance waning. . . Dip right back to step two, and phrase it differently. Give it time to work, you may get compliance the second time around. . . That is the simple explanation for the five-step hardstyle for getting voluntary compliance."
Yep, it was. The short version, if Nick had to be honest. . . The book was way more detailed. But, back onto matters that concerned the fox. Thinking about it again, he didn't see much downside to watching whatever he wanted to, or doing whatever he wanted in the middle of the night anymore. What, was his roomie going to complain? He could turn it right back around on the damn bull.
And if he was going to be stuck here for another who knew how many weeks with this bull, he might as well get some damn time to 'himself'. The only question was, what would he do, exactly?
"Cadet Wilde!" Major Friedkin shouted, causing the fox to jolt up. Somehow, the bear had wandered back to his row and was now standing in front of him with a very angry expression. "Are you tired, bushy butt?" The bear growled down at him, frowning.
"Sorry, Major. . . I was unable to sleep last night. I've been listening, I promise. . . I'm just very low-energy right now."
The bear leaned down towards the fox, with a wide grin. "Oh, have you been, Cadet Wilde. . . Give me the Eight-step vehicle stop!" She shouted, at point-blank range. Her breath ruffled his fur, as he blinked. And then, he raised his paw in the air as he slowly began to count.
". . .Give a greeting. Identify yourself and your agency. Give the reason for the stop. Ask for justification. Request a driver's license, insurance, and registration. Ask for any necessary clarification, the validity of the documents. Return to your car and decide on what to do, ticket, warning, or otherwise. Give them your decision. Close on a positive note." Nick murmured, as he finished counting on his paw.
Yes, he got them all. But before she could respond, he continued. "I sincerely apologize, Major. I genuinely care about this subject and genuinely am listening to what is being taught." He spoke, in the nicest voice he could manage. He did mean it.
The major pulled away and nodded to the fox. "Good. . . I believe you, Cadet. . . However, I want you to give me an example now. . . Makeup whatever you want." She spoke, calmer this time. But, still the major.
Nick wanted to narrow his eyes at the major. But. . . If he gave her what she wanted, maybe he could go back to trying to think about what to masturbate to.
"Good afternoon, sir. I am Constable Nicholas Wilde with the Zootopia Police Department. The reason I stopped you here today is, you rolled through that stop sign back there. Do you have any justifi. . ."
". . . any justification for that, sir?" Wolfard paused, as he read the face of the deer driver for half a beat.
"If not, may I see your driver's license, registration, and insurance please, sir?" The wolf continued, gesturing with his left paw towards the driver. Judy was waiting in the police cruiser, but her ears were trained to the open window, and she was listening intently to the conversation.
It was always fun to see it in action. It was so professional, so respectful, and it answered a hundred questions that the driver might as when you got to the door. Who you are. Who you work for. Why you stopped them. By the time you paused during the question, they were suddenly unable to ask anything of you more than that.
The driver handed Wolfard a few documents, and he swiftly took them in his left paw. She watched as he quick-scanned the license, barely taking his eyes off the driver for a single second. "Is everything on these correct and up to date, Mr. Hornpoint?"
"Yep, it's all up to date." The deer responded for the first time, nodding.
"Alright, sir. For your safety and mine, I'm going to have to ask you to remain the vehicle while I go back and verify this information. Thank you, sir." The wolf continued before he started making his way back to the car carefully. He looked back and forth and took his time making it back.
On a busy road, that was just safe. But, also by security, he was keeping an eye on the person in the car. Unlikely to cause a problem, but, if you did the system every time you were always safe. The guy had only turned right without stopping at a red light, after all.
Wolfard crawled back into the car and closed the door before he began typing the name into the computer. It brought up the man's record immediately, as the wolf scanned the dates and information on the registration and insurance.
"Well? What'ya think?" Judy asked as the wolf looked over the information. The wolf sighed and shook his head.
"What do I think? Well. . . It's seventeen minutes till our shift ends. He doesn't have a laundry list of traffic offences. He was respectful when I talked to him. And I don't feel like filling out extra paperwork for a right turn. What do you think?"
Judy shrugged. "Sounds like a warning to me." She responded, as Wolfard already began scribbling one out. Looking at his file on the computer, he had three traffic offences over ten years of driving. That was damn good, in her book.
The wolf nodded, as he stepped back out of the car. "Correct. Now, I'll take care of this, then we'll head back to the station."
"Alright," Judy said, sitting back into her seat as her FTO returned to the car. As he saddled up to the car, he handed the driver back his licence and registration, as well as the written piece of paper.
"Well sir, I've written you a warning for this time. Now, I hope you have a good day, and be careful pulling out; we at the ZPD care about your safety, sir." He finished the stop, to a relatively pleased driver.
It was always good to know that the ZPD cared about your safety, right? The wolf walked back to the car and hopped in.
It wasn't long before they were back on the road, and back at the ZPD station. Wolfard discussed the traffic stop on the way and told her that next time it was going to be her turn to do one alone. She'd done them with him before, but never alone. According to Wolfard, it was time for her to prove how much she'd learned. And, Judy had to say, she learned a lot from him.
And she was ready. More than ready.
After all, they were more than halfway through her field training. And, according to what Wolfard had been saying and reporting, she was doing well.
When they walked back into the station lobby, Ben quickly waved them down, with a big grin on his face. "Hey, guys! How was your shift?" The cheery cheetah asked as they approached the desk.
"It was a good shift. Nothing going on downtown right now, surprisingly." Wolfard answered, with a shrug. Judy nodded in agreement, as the cheetah shrugged.
"That's the way it goes some days. Hey, Judy, if you're done your shift, Chief Bogo wanted me to tell you, that he wanted to talk to you." Clawhauser added, the rabbit smiling as the cheetah wasted so many words on a simple ask.
Wolfard nodded. "Well, I'm gonna head off to the locker room then. Good luck with Bogo, Judy, you did a good job today. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early." The wolf spoke, as he turned and began walking away with a distracted wave.
"See you tomorrow!" Judy chimed up, waving back at him as he headed for the lockers. The cheetah, on the other hand, watched the wolf with narrowed eyes.
"Mhm. . . Totally not because Fangmeyer just went in there, huh?" Ben mumbled as he took a loud sip from his pop bottle.
Judy cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean by that?" She asked, curious. What did Fangmeyer have to do with anything?
The big cat whipped his head back to the rabbit, a surprised look twisting to a big smile. "Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Bogo should still be in his office if I'm not mistaken. Unless he left when I wasn't watching. . . Hm." The cheetah pondered, scratching his chin.
Judy chuckled, with a slight shake of her head. "I'll track him down, thanks! Have a good day, huh?" She added as she began to walk towards the stairs. Ben waved to her, as he grabbed a donut from the nearby box.
With that, she quickened her pace to a mild jog up the stairs. Judy knew what Bogo was calling her in for. It was the request she made, wasn't it?
She walked up to the large door and gave it a quick knock. "Come in." The large buffalo called through the door, his voice as exhausted as usual.
Judy hopped up, turning the door handle deftly as she pushed the door open with her back paws.
The chief was sat at his desk, surrounded by paperwork as usual. "You wanted to see me, sir?" She asked as she walked towards the desk with a bright smile on her face.
He pulled the glasses off of his face and gestured to the chair in front of the desk. "Yes, Officer Hopps. Please, have a seat."
She nodded and climbed up onto the chair.
Without waiting for a second, the buffalo grabbed a piece of paper in the corner of his desk and began to speak. "So. . . I received your request, to be assigned as Nicholas Wilde's field training officer. . . And I must say, it is highly irregular for a new officer to request such a thing."
She nodded, as she scooted further up on the chair. "I understand, sir. However, there are several benefits to it. Both of us are smaller mammals, so we can support each other effectively when we go into physically smaller businesses or residences. We've already proved that we can be an effective team together. Also, I think-"
"You haven't even completed your field training, Hopps. And Wilde, despite decent reports, is nowhere close to finishing the academy. It's presumptuous to think you would be ready to take him on, even if you were done your training." The buffalo interrupted, shaking his head.
Judy had expected this, however. "Well, sir, I am due to finish my training by the end of the next month. Nick still has about five months left of the Academy, so, I will have several months on the job to prove myself before the opportunity arrives."
The buffalo stared at her, half-lidded eyes betraying his opinion on the subject. Or, his exhaustion. It could be either. "If you talk to-"
Before she could continue, the buffalo let out a heavy, loud sigh. "I have spoken to Wolfard about this. He was in my office yesterday, extolling your virtues and the virtues of consenting to your request. He argued about how fresher officers training recruits would expose a new officer to less cynicism and created biases. The wolf spent an hour speaking for your case until he'd nearly passed out in that chair. . ."
He paused, taking a deep breath. Judy's brows narrowed, as she listened to the buffalo talk about her FTO. Why didn't he tell her that he'd gone to see the chief? She told him her plan, but she never expected Wolfard to go out of his way to support her. . .
"I have no direct objections to the thought, Hopps. Merely the fact it is against protocol to do so. . ." Judy opened her mouth and was about to speak when he raised a single digit. "However. . . If Wilde graduates, and if you continue to do well with your FTO, I will consider this. . . After your training finishes, I will keep you assigned to Wolfard, and he has been directed to teach you what you need to know as a Field Training Officer. He will provide you with materials on the subject, and he will test your knowledge. If, by the time that Nick graduates, you've impressed me and Wolfard enough. . . I will allow this, just for the sake of my convenience. . . Because I'm sure I won't hear the end of it, between you, the fox, and the damn wolf."
Bogo leaned back in his chair. "You'll both be the on-call patrol for medium and small mammal calls, however. . ." He added, with a sigh.
She smiled, widely. Judy needed to thank Wolfard tomorrow. . . For everything. And, maybe get those training books ahead of time. She liked to read ahead. "Thank you, sir. I promise I won't let you down."
The buffalo rolled his eyes, as he placed his glasses back on his nose. "I have learned to expect that of you, Hopps. . . Now, go home, and have a nice day. I need to figure out how to reverse an order of $200 worth of donuts on a company card. . ."
He mused as she smiled. Clawhauser put in the wrong card again, didn't he? "Thank you, sir." She repeated, as she hopped off the chair and headed out the door.
Well. . . That was easier than she'd expected. . .
What wasn't, however, was finding the whisk. She'd checked every drawer, every single spot that it would reasonably be in, and she couldn't find it.
Meanwhile, everything that would normally constitute carrot pancakes was sitting on the counter, waiting to be combined with vigorous physical activity. But she still didn't have the tool she required.
Yes, she was having pancakes for dinner. No, she was not taking judgemental comments currently. She was the cook; she could cook whatever she damn well wanted at any time of day that she wanted it. And she wanted carrot pancakes.
Nick had told her he had whisks, and not to buy any. In deference to him, she hadn't. But now, she was looking around the kitchen, and she couldn't find anything. And she didn't remember washing them either now that she thought about it.
Had he lied? Or, were they still in the boxes that he'd put in his room? Judy had debated on using a fork, and it was getting to the point where she was going to give in to that urge. But she decided to try one last thing.
It wasn't too late, so, Nick should have his phone on him now. So, she texted him, asking him if he knew where the whisks might or might not be. After all, he had to know the contents of what he'd packed, right? Maybe he'd moved them somewhere when he cooked that one morning.
She waited in the kitchen for about ten minutes, before her phone finally chimed with a response.
Nick: Oh, right, I think they're in one of the boxes in my room. There wasn't room for them in the last kitchen box I made, so I threw them in with my other stuff.
Naturally, he did. Why wasn't she surprised? Well, they'd need a wash now. She texted him back quickly, hoping to be able to catch him before he put his phone away or something.
Judy: Do I have your permission to go into your room, and go into your boxes get them?
Judy respected boundaries. She didn't want to just randomly go through his stuff without consent, that was a huge violation of roommate rules.
Nick: Sure, I don't care. So long as you promise not to go sniffing my underwear or stealing my shirts, I don't care what you do.
Judy rolled her eyes.
Judy: Why would I ever do that? And what the hell would you do if I did, anyway? Thanks.
She responded as she walked over to his bedroom door. The little bubble of typing popped up for a moment before it paused. She opened the door, watching her phone curiously. What was going on in the fox's mind, all the way over at the academy?
After about a minute, it resumed typing, as she walked over to the two boxes.
Nick: Get new underwear, I guess. And new shirts. It should be in the box that's not full of clothes.
She snorted and put the phone back into her pants as she opened the first box. Inside, it was packed tight with clothes. Immediately, the heavy smell of fox hit her again, and she felt a little bit sad on the inside.
In all his time at the academy so far, she hadn't had the opportunity to visit him yet. Not even once. And, she felt bad about that. But, they did text every day, and every once in a while they even had a phone conversation.
But she still couldn't wait for him to be back. She sighed and picked up the box of clothes and moved them to the side. When she opened the next box, she let out a heavy snort.
it was full of mostly 'not clothes' items, such as pictures and things. But there, right at the top, was the cruddy, faulty hot plate. Of course, he hadn't gotten rid of it, why was she not surprised at all? He'd probably hid it here, to keep it away from her. . .
She picked it up and looked it over. It had to be at least ten years old, or something. And, it was definitely worn and deserved to be thrown out by now. She shook her head and set it on the floor beside her.
And then, she saw it. A glint of glass reflection, and beneath it, there was the face of a fox.
Familiar, yet different. She reached into the box and pulled out the little picture frame.
It was clear the photo was older, but, not ancient. In the picture, there stood a tall female vixen. Older, and smiling pleasantly towards the camera. She looked like a nice person, in her little sweater, and a cute dress.
Her paws rested on the shoulders of a much younger fox, who was beaming at the camera with a huge, toothy grin. A very familiar grin distilled into a little kit.
That must be his mom. And Nick when he was younger. She smiled softly, as she rubbed the dust off the picture frame. Of all the things they'd talked about, Nick didn't talk about her very much. And despite her curiosity, Judy didn't want to pry.
But. . . It was nice to see a picture of her. The rabbit shook her head and walked over to the nearby dresser. She propped the frame up, with a grin. She deserved to be on display, and not in a box.
However, she was there for whisks. And pancakes. Judy walked back to the box and looked around again. She immediately found them, as well as a few other utensils that belonged in the kitchen. Not that she really needed extra spoons at this point, though.
She pulled out her phone and texted him.
Judy: Found them, thanks. I hope you have a good night
He texted back immediately.
Nick: I probably won't, but I'll make the best of it. You sniffed my shorts, didn't you?
Nope, he was out of conversation privileges for the day. Dirty fox didn't deserve a response, why would she sniff his underwear. Besides, she wanted her damn fucking pancakes already.
One week later
At the electronics recycling depot, there was an unwritten rule between the employees. If you found something that you wanted, you could test it and take it home, if you wanted. And that's exactly what the pig was doing when he plugged the little appliance into the wall.
He was a scrounger. If he didn't have to pay for it, he wasn't going to. And this little beauty, if it still worked, was something he could use.
The light came on. He turned the dial and held his paw over the element. There was warmth building, confirming the fact that it was indeed functional.
He snorted, shaking his head.
"Who would throw out a perfectly good hot plate?"