"Our knowledge is like a receding mirage in an ever expanding desert of ignorance." - Will Durant
Hiding behind the rippling and prismatic folds of illusion lies a vast and unexplored reality of false hopes and blatant lies.
Too many wolves frolic through the fields in the clothing of sheep, disguising their true selves until the time turns right.
Both the fox and bunny had miraculously similar feelings in regards to this philosophy, and as they drove back to their apartment so that they could finalize their situation, they spoke with one another about their roles and reprises in this new and daring mission.
"Soo... Who am I again?" Nick asked innocently, his paws hectically running through the case-folder in search of his falsetto-identity's information.
The bunny giggled and just rolled her eyes methodically.
"You'd better get yourself in character, Mister Felix Leyfur..." She said teasingly. "We wouldn't want Jack to single you out, now would we?"
It was at that moment that Nick finally pried out his falsetto identification sheets, courtesy of the ZPD's undercover department. Although a tad bit crumpled, he quickly skimmed through the traits and qualities of his new personality, attempting to get down as much as he could before their meeting with Jack.
The bunny sighed.
So unorganized... Dumb fox... She thought to herself.
The two of them were currently riding passenger in officer Fangmeyer's cruiser as he carpooled them both back to their apartment for a brief pit-stop before the wolf would drop them off at Jack's business department, which happened to be a large section of one of Zootopia's equally large sky-scrapers, right in the heart of the Downtown area.
Soon enough, they'd arrived back at their apartment-complex, and promptly exited the vehicle before pacing hurriedly back towards their apartment. Fangmeyer had promised not to take off and leave them there, but Nick couldn't help wanting to be extra quick, considering the fact that the wolf's past pranks had often left him in sticky-situations himself.
As they hastily headed to their apartment, Nick decided to quiz Judy on the likes of her new personality.
"So, Carrots... What's your real name, hmm?"
"That's Alaina Ryder to you, fox! Come on, make it a challenge!" She pressed.
Nick momentarily pondered another question before inquiring her of her background.
"Well then, Alaina..." He began flamboyantly. "What type of rabbit are you, exactly?"
Judy answered without hesitation.
"Polar rabbit, also known as the arctic hare, also known as Lepus Arcticus, also known as-"
"Okay, okay! I get it, I get it!" The fox chuckled, rubbing the bunny's shoulder affectionately before thinking of another question to ask her.
"And you want this job because...?" He inquired.
"Because I've been searching for a higher form of occupation that..." She trails off before sighing heavily, a frown encompassing her facial features.
"That appeals to cute little bunnies like myself." She said sarcastically, her tone laced with disapproval. "Sound about right?"
Nick nodded slightly and gripped her shoulder with a tad bit more pressure in an attempt to reassure her alongside his coming words.
"Come on now fluff... Eh, and I'm speaking to Judy carrots, not Alaina carrots here..." He corrected himself with a smirk and half-lidded eyes.
"Hey, I'll do what I have to to get information out of him." Judy claimed, her gaze wandering off and away from Nick when she spoke her last statement.
"This mission is important, carrots... This might prove challenging to you and all, mostly because you're being forced to act as someone you're not... but just because you're adopting a new and temporary persona, doesn't mean that I see you as anything other than who you really are..."
Her mate's silver-etched words greatly soothed the bunny, who had been grasping for some shred of reassurance in that she wasn't some meek little bunny secretary to some top-dollar, multi-millionaire business tycoon... even though she kind of was going to be playing that part...
Nick stared into her eyes and saw this, and he too realized that he'd struck a nice chord in her.
Time to screw it all up.
"Yup. I know who you really are, carrots... You're a cutesy-wootsy, fluffy-wuffy, adorable little- ACK!"
He recoiled back as the bunny's elbow plowed into his chest, effectively knocking the wind out of him and shutting him up for good.
"Come on now fluff..." The fox choked. "That's animal abuse... and marital abuse... and abuse abuse..."
The bunny pursued her lips as she scowled at him. She then spoke her mind.
"Well it's gonna be a triple homicide if you call me cute one more time!" She snapped.
"What, so you'll kill me three times over, is that it?" The fox teased some more.
"Exactly."
And with that, Judy teasingly winked at him a single time and stuck out her tongue before picking up her pace, putting distance between herself and the fox behind her, who trudged along silently as he eyed the way her hips swayed back and fourth within the tight fabric of her purple-silk dress.
Sly bunny...
When they both had managed to reach their apartment, they made short work to pack up their most needed items before undergoing their undercover mission, all of which would start with the meeting with Jack Savage.
Both fox and bunny alike would be staying in a small back-water hotel for the first few days of their undercover work beneath Jack's business empire. Thus, they wouldn't need to be staying at their true home for a short while.
They packed up several things, including extra undercover-issued clothing that the department had gifted them. They were careful not to add anything that might give away their true identities, like Nick's green button-up shirt, as he was well-known on the streets for his awful sense of fashion.
As they began to wrap up their packing, Judy reverently lifted her left paw to her eye-level. There, she gazed at the glittering diamond, which itself was embedded in a golden halo that wrapped around her finger.
She knew that it had to be done for the mission, but something was still itching her at the prospect of removing her wedding ring.
It irritated her, as she'd oftentimes worked entire days without wearing her ring, as handling fire-arms tended to be dangerous while wearing them. So she wasn't sure why it bugged her so much this time.
Sighing, she tenderly slid the golden ring from her finger and placed it on her night-stand... right beside where Nick had earlier lain his.
That thought put a smile on her face.
Judy had just already finished packing, and had head out to rendezvous with officer Fangmeyer before he dropped them off at Jack's building. As Nick was double-checking everything, such as making sure all the lights were off and whatnot, he entered the bedroom for one last look-around.
A small and shining glimmer caught itself in the corner of his eye.
The fox turned towards it's source, which of no surprise, was Vladzot'z silver locket: Still resting undisturbed since he had last fiddled with it. Nick's feet seemed to move on their own, and soon enough, the fox found himself standing right next to the nightstand, holding the medallion in his paws.
He wasn't sure why... But he felt compelled to bring it with him.
Nick didn't see any apparent problem in doing so, though he still couldn't shake the feeling that it was strange to take it with him.
Shrugging, he slipped the locket into the pocket on his right pant leg, and grabbed his suit-case before heading out towards the door.
"So that's it?" Fangmeyer's voice questioned from the driver's seat.
Judy lifted her gaze and stared up into the sky; her eyes tracing the length of a tall and winding sky-scraper, which must've stood as perhaps amount the top five tallest buildings in the entire city. It was mostly clad in shining windows, of course, but concrete foundations and support columns could still be seen in and around the panes.
It didn't seem to be the most attention-catching building out there, but it obviously held it's purpose.
They'd already made the stop to their temporary settlement; the Hotel Alexandria, where they had checked in and dropped off their luggage.
Now, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, under the alias of Felix Leyfur and Alaina Ryder, were at last to hold their meeting with the rabbit business-mogul of Zootopia, Jack Savage.
Their false identification was already in Jack's employee archives, so all they had to worry about was a brief chit-chat with the rabbit before they went on their way.
Judy then took the time to answer the wolf's previous question.
"Yeah, that's it all right." She pointed to a nearby curb at the foot of the building. "You can just drop us off there!"
They then removed themselves from the vehicle, thanking Fangmeyer before setting out towards the entrance.
When they entered through the doors and stepped into the lobby, both mammals took the time to admire the awe-inducing interior of the complex.
The main-lobby was about as large as the ZPD's commons area, but much more educated, and elaborate, if you will. It wasn't 'super-fancy' or anything like that, but it certainly expressed class and higher-status. Coming from and built up by one of Zootopia's largest business moguls, it wasn't a surprise that he had enough bank lying around to invest in the glittering-generalities of his building.
He may be one of the city's top businessmammals, but he's probably one of the city's top frauds, too... Nick mentally told himself.
Fox and bunny strolled next to one-another until they reached the receptions-desk, where a lanky female camel was leaning over a computer, taking in calls and pressing various buttons on her computer.
Judy walked right up and placed her hands on the desk, ringing the little bell to catch the camel's attention. She rolled over in her chair, still sitting down, and scribbled something down on a sticky-note before turning her attention towards the fox and bunny.
"How may I help you today?" She said pleasantly, her voice surprisingly appealing for that of a camel.
Nick leaned in and gave her their answer.
"We're here for Mr. Savage. Have a meeting scheduled with him for around this time, I believe." He glanced over to Judy. "Right Miss Ryder?"
"Oh!" She stammered before catching herself. "Y-yes! We're here to speak with Jack about our new jobs here."
The camel nodded and pointed her hoof towards an elevator on the far side of the room.
"306th floor, room 893: That's where you'll find him: Best of luck with your new jobs!" She said before returning her attention back to her computer.
Nick and Judy made way to the elevator, where they dialed in the 306th floor, and the elevator shot upwards and to the sky. It was slow, and gave them plenty of time to discuss various topics.
They took the time to rehearse some more of their roles, speaking about their dialogue, personalities, and perceptions within their falsetto identities.
Eventually, a certain topic popped into mind.
"Hey Alaina?" Nick asked. He was gonna have to get used to calling her that around here.
The bunny turned her head towards the fox and made a questioning and soft hmm sort of sound.
"Our jobs are probably gonna have us working apart from one another for some time. We'll only be able to relay Intel during specific hours, like back at the hotel or during break in some secret spot."
Nick's paws fiddled nervously, his thumbs twirling around and in circles.
"Just be safe out there, Carrots. This is our first undercover mission, and we don't know how this thing could go down, in the end.
He momentarily trailed off, staring at the tiled floor of the elevator. He then resumed;
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something bad happened to you."
Judy blinked a single time, her gaze resting still and unmoving on the fox that stood before her.
Then without warning, she pulled him into a kiss; Their lips locking together in a passionate embrace. After a few seconds, fox and bunny pulled apart. They both breathed in and out as they re-accumulated the oxygen in their systems, all the while staring into one another's eyes. Nick watched Judy with intent as she spoke out her coming words;
"Since we may not be able to do that very often, I figured one last time wouldn't hurt." She whispered to which Nick nodded, a smile slowly forming on his face.
Judy spoke out once more, the hot air from her breaths flowing through the fur on the tip of Nick's snout.
"Besides: Don't worry about me, sweet-heart!" She said reassuringly. "I can take care of myself!"
And with that, she pulled away and administered a playful hip check to the fox.
"Don't worry," Nick began. " You can take on anyone, fluff."
"You got that right!" She confirmed excitedly.
A few short seconds later, the elevator doors slid open, and both mammals stepped out of the box and into the confines of the long hall-way, bound for room 893.
As they walked down the long and window-framed hallway, Nick gazed out of the glass-panels and across the Zootopian sky-line. The sun had just begun to set, and had started to bathe the farthest reaches of the west in a blanket of dreary redness, purple-tinged colors accompanying.
Nick couldn't help but think of it as beautiful... He envisioned it as a mirage, almost: The sun being an imaginary reality, only existing to be replaced by the darkness of the night as it swallowed up the unlit expanses of their world.
But yet... Every morning, the sun always rose up from its tender sleep, ready to bring life and light to the land with it's warmth... Nick appreciated that...
For as cynical and sardonic as he was; Even Nick Wilde himself couldn't deny the fact that he had inherited his father's artistic taste in perception.
Eventually, the two mammals reached the room titled 893, which was a smooth-oaken door stretching from the floor to the ceiling.
Nick knocked a single time, hoping for a response of some kind.
For a short while, he was met with only silence.
Then...
"Do come in, chaps! I've been expecting you long enough!" A milky but stern voice called out.
Looking down at Judy with a look of apprehension, the bunny simply nodded before pushing open the door herself, revealing the next room to them both.
It was a large and spacious office, with floor-to-ceiling windows aligning the farthest wall from the door that Nick and Judy had just entered from. The walls that rose parallel to the right and left were empty for the most part, but did have a few paintings and other accessories hanging from the walls. In the very center of the room, there was a large rectangular carpet, with intricate designs flowing through the fabric spread out across the floor. In the center of the rug, there was a small coffee table, which was flanked by two pairs of large and fluffy sofas; one on each opposing side of the table.
At the base of the windows in the back of the room, there was a big desk, with a computer and a number of other ornaments strewn across it's surface. In an over-sized black-velvet office-chair, Jack Savage lounged back with his feet planted on his desk, and his arms behind his head.
He seemed very relaxed and calm; His passive state reflecting upon Nick and Judy as they approached him. Nick knew all too well from his experience with Vladzotz that looks could be deceiving: At first glance, the bat lord seemed friendly and very gentlemen-like, but once he showed his true colors, it was clear that deep down he was a terrible and blood-thirsty monster.
Nick took Jack's laid-back appearance with a grain of salt, and decided to scan his new and temporary boss's form. He wasn't very tall, perhaps only a little bit shorter than Nick, but he certainly stood taller than Judy did. He was equipped within a formal black tuxedo, with a small blue-flower clipped to his right-breast. The flower complimented the light-blue color of his eyes, which pierced both stern and friendly at the same time. Physically, he looked pretty much identical to how he had in the photo-shoot picture that Nick had seen earlier that day back at the ZPD head-quarters. The tip of the rabbit's ears were black, as if they had been dipped in a pool of ink, and angular slashes of black stained the fur on his cheeks.
"Good to see you both!" He sat up in his chair, kicking his legs off of the table-top. "It's a pleasure to meet you, of course! The name's Jack... Jack Savage."
The rabbit leaned over and plucked a small stack of paper from another side of his desk, holding them at eye-level.
"And you two would be, eh..." He glanced at Nick. "Felix Leyfur, yes?"
Nick nodded, resisting the urge to shoot the rabbit with a finger-gun while he did.
Jack then turned towards Judy. He smiled as he read her name aloud to the room.
"Alaina Ryder! Mmm, very lovely name, my dear..." Jack reached out across the desk and grasped Judy's paw within his own, shaking it respectfully as he did. The male bunny then leaned down and planted a light peck of a kiss on the top of her paw before letting it go.
A frown found it's way to Nick's face: Why hadn't he gotten a hand-shake? And what was with that kiss?
Jack's rich-toned voice filled the fox's ears once more, derailing his train of thought.
"Now that we've gotten the formalities out of the way," He said glancing back and forth between the fox and bunny. "I suppose we must talk business now, shall we?"
Hey Everyone!
I certainly hope you enjoyed this latest chapter of 'When Instinct Falls' as much as I did! I found it quite entertaining to write about Jack, as he seems to be an interesting character as he is!
Speaking of Jack, I must ask: What did you guys think of him? Do you like the way I portrayed him? Are you excited about what's to come?
I know I am! :D
I got big things comin' everyone! And of course, I can't wait to share them all with you mi amigos! Stay tuned for chapter 29, coming your way soon!
As always, feel free to leave a review, favorite, or follow telling me your thoughts/ideas/opinions: They're all greatly appreciated!
Peace!