Complete Summary
Judy and Nick have begun their partnership at the Zootopia Police Department with a bang, capturing the infamous downtown street racer in record time. Still, even six months after the Night Howler incident, the Mayor's Office remains acephalus while the different parties push their agendas onto the public and vie for support. Growing weary, the central government on Amazonia sends a team of auditors hoping to prevent any more delays. With new pieces soon to arrive on the board, all players scurry to make their move before the wreckage left behind by Lionheart and Bellwether - and the truth hiding under it - is swept away.
Chapter Intro
Hello there and thank you for checking my story out!
We will begin this prologue in the same manner the movie did, with a scene in the past that will - hopefully - set the premise for the entire story.
For the sakes of understanding the timeline, this scene happens around the same time Judy's play does in the movie.
In my original google doc version I added a bunch of footnotes for different things during the prologue but in this format I opted to move them to the end notes, please meet me there for some after story references and easter eggs!
Prologue
'I started missing that bus quite often.'
"Thank…" Hoffman starts anew after his closing statement.
He lets out a deep sigh and looks around the classroom. Ms. Schreber downs what must be her tenth cup of coffee since this torture started. He can't tell if the trembling of her hands is because of the caffeine or the parade of sloth presentations one after the other.
And she was so happy to have a full classroom at the beginning of the year…
Of course it would be full, every senior he consulted mentioned that Schreber's class was laid back and an easy way to get credits. Modern Animal Sociology sounds like a mouthful but is an easy course, one you can get through with minimum effort as long as you show up and participate in class.
"you…" Hoffman continues.
It's a stretch to say that it fits his curriculum but he thought it'd help him relax considering all the other theory heavy courses he is taking. At least that was the plan until he noticed the composition of mammals in the classroom...
Honestly though, this must be the most sloth heavy course at Amazonia University. What is it? Half the class?
He looks around. Most of the front row seats are taken by sloths - all of whom are completely nonplussed about the slog today has been - while the rest are sitting other mammals, all in their little cliques. He took a seat on the back on the first lesson - out of sight of pretty much everyone but the professor - and hasn't moved since.
I should have sat with the Clements at the beginning of the year… it just felt like I'd end up being the odd cub out in such a large litter.
"for…" Hoffman says while lowering his eyes towards his notes as if he was worried about missing a word.
Why is the heating always set for warmer climate mammals?
He complains internally as he unbuttons his collar and rolls up the sleeves on his shirt. Swallowing a groan, he rests one of his arms against the window's frosted glass, gaining a small respite from the vent above him. His bristled fur shows from his now exposed forearms and neck. As infuriating as the sloths' can be, that's just how his fur always is.
No, I'm not angry. Yes, I've tried using conditioner.
It's something he'd grown tired of explaining. No amount of argon oil will fix his genetics.
"your…" Hoffman looks up as he begins to smile.
He can see a handful of students making their way across campus, probably late to some class or meeting. Judging by the amount of tracks on the snow, not many have braved the low temperatures outside after it stopped snowing. He follows a bunny hopping towards their building until the ice on the window blocks his view and he's left staring at the eyes he inherited from his mother.
Just like Dad said. I've got mom's eyes… they are just permanently stuck in her scolding look.
"...attention." The presentation ends and Hoffman steps down from the lectern.
A few seconds later the sloths on the front row start clapping, which cues in the rest of the class. He can see Ms. Schreber sag into her seat as she puts down her mug and picks up the roster. A moment later she lets out a sigh that's full of dread.
"Mother Savannah preserve me…" She says in a tone so low only other predators could possibly hear.
And perhaps Ollie, if he wasn't so busy playing PeanutCrush™.
"Mr. Scott, you are next." The professor calls after clearing her throat.
What? In what world does "S" follow right after "H"?
He stares at Ms. Schreber somewhat confused when he notices the look in her eyes. A prey mammal might have been intimidated but he can tell that glint is a show of desperation. He sees Ipsley slowly start to raise her hand to signal that she has been skipped on the corner of his eye as terror creeps onto the professor's face.
"Right." He answers, picking up his notes and marching past Hoffman as he is making his way back to his seat.
Ipsley looks at him for a brief moment - for a Sloth - before giving him a trembling, uncomfortable smile. She looks away and puts her hand down.
You were chatting with the Clements before class! How come you find me intimidating?
"You are a lifesaver, Mr. Scott." Ms. Schreber whispers as he steps to the lectern.
Tell Ipsley that…
He gives her a barely noticeable nod and turns his eyes towards the class.
"Howling in the Modern Era." He announces his presentation topic.
Huh, look at that. The Clements perked up at the mere mention of the word.
"Howling has been a staple of the Canidae family since the beginning of time. While usually associated with wolves, every member of this category howls in a way or another and this tradition has endured to current days." He takes a moment to look at the audience, which seems to have finally woken up.
"It is said that our ancestors howled to attract attention, make contact with others or just announce their presence. Still, in this era where we all carry the means to communicate with anyone in the world inside our pockets, where status updates tells us where our friends and family are with pinpoint accuracy… Why is it that we still howl?" He stops for dramatic effect, sneaking a peak at Ms. Schreber. She nods at him with a smile, apparently satisfied as much by his choice of topic as by the fact he speaks more than 10 words a minute.
"Is it the Moon? True, it's a fact that most howlings start on nights when it's full and shining over us, however, that romantic view is usually shunned by the more science-oriented. Is it our DNA to blame then? Is howling a "tick" in our brains that simply triggers, no different from watching someone yawn and... yawning yourself?" He watches in satisfaction as his faked yawn spreads across the classroom.
"Is it a trend? Books, songs, movies, tv shows, all of them drilling into us 'you are supposed to howl'? You may think that unlikely but… How much are our lives dictated by the sources of entertainment we consume on an everyday basis? The clothes we like, the way we wear our fur, the music we listen to. Can we honestly say that we haven't been conditioned? Perhaps we aren't even aware that we are conforming to the norm." He says, eliciting a cringe from the pair of panthers in the classroom who have enough piercings to put Pinhead to shame.
"Well, the fact is that we simply don't know. And it's unlikely a simple student like me will come up with an answer here on this classroom. How-" The backdoor to the class opens and a bunny makes her best effort to rush inside while making the least noise possible.
"Ms. Zimmer, I'd say you are beyond fashionably late." Ms. Schreber chides her, probably more annoyed at the fact that she managed to avoid most of the sloths presentations rather than her being tardy.
"I'm very sorry Ms. Schreber. The snow caught us mid practice and then we had to put all the equipment back and I had to go back to the dorm for a sho-" The bunny explains as if the entire thing had been an odyssey. A few droplets of water fall from her ears.
"Fine, fine… You are going next though. Continue please, Mr. Smith." The professor says, waving the bunny's excuses away.
"However, my dad always says that if you don't know, then you get the privilege of guessing... So guess I shall." He says with what he hopes is a playful tone.
He checks behind him and finds Ms. Schreber eyeing him with amusement. While he is in no way confident about the quality of his closing statement, it's too late to come up with something on the fly.
"If you recall the beginning of my presentation, I said that in the past our family howled to attract attention, make contact with others or just announce their presence. These three statements speak of one thing to me… loneliness. We howled back then to find each other, to feel safe in the presence of those like us and tell them that we were there for them. In the wild, where our ancestors eked a meagre survival among the elements and other fiercer predators, this feeling got so ingrained into our very being that even today, surrounded by the commodities of the modern age, enclosed in dwellings of wood and concrete, in peaceful cohabitation with both those we hunted and those who hunted us... we remember The Howl. The call for companionship, safety and family. Yearnings that have endured across the ages and that even today are as sought after as in the times when we huddled in caves and didn't know the dirt walls around us from the rest of the world." He finishes, very aware of the heat rising to his face.
He looks around nervously for a few seconds until the first clapping starts, unsurprisingly from the Clements. It's nothing like a standing ovation nor is it thunderous - honestly he can barely hear the mice at the center of the classroom - but he breathes in relief. He is sincerely happy that he didn't embarrass himself and perhaps even managed to erase that image of the scary predator most of the class seems to have of him.
Now I just need to do this again for every other class and I'm golden…
"Sounded more like poetry than science at the end Mr. Scott… but well done. What is your major?" Ms. Schreber asks.
"Ah… Intelligence Studies." He answers after a bit of hesitation.
She cocks her head quizzically.
"Allow me to venture a guess myself… That silver tongue of yours will get you further in life than your fierce looks." She said with the nonchalance only a female twice his age could pull off.
It's not like I groom myself like this you know…
"R-Right." He answers as he steps down from the lectern.
"Ms. Zimmer, done drying yet?" The professor calls playfully.
"Yes! Be right there!" The bunny scrambles from under the handkerchief Ollie loaned her holding a handful of notes and hops towards the lectern.
Noticing that the lectern is too high for her, he places the stool for the small mammals before he starts towards his seat.
"Thanks!" She cries out with a wave.
He just nods, a bit overtaken by the bunny's overexcited disposition.
"The Costs of Hybridization." She announces.
He stops in his tracks for merely a moment but apparently long enough to elicit a few curious looks from the nearby classmates.
"Ever since the species decided it was a better idea to work together than eat each other we have struggled to accommodate the wide variety of beings who compose our current society. This has allowed mammals who would rarely cohabitate together to coexist… but at what cost?" She states the premise of her presentation eagerly, as if wanting someone to actually answer her rhetorical question.
A bit of an accent there…
"From the most basic of things such as the stool I'm standing on - thanks again! - to high complexity hospitals designed to be able to serve all size of mammals, the costs of hybridization are spread over all of our society's structure. While Zootopia itself may be the most glaring example of how far we are willing to go so all species can coexist, inclusion has become a prime directive for our entire culture. We have replaced the old maxim of 'where there's a will there's a way' with 'where there's a way there's a law that paves it'. The expenditure this implies - both to the state and the private sector - is underestimated by the current generation that takes things such as five different sizes of toilets and paper rolls in a public bathroom as a given."
"Let me guess… Accounting?" Ms. Schreber asks in a resigned tone.
"Yes!" The bunny answers cheerfully.
Really? Nobody is going to jump on that easy joke? I can almost hear dad groaning.
"Carry on, Ms. Zimmer." The professor says.
"Fievel's Fables - the world renowned printing company - caters almost exclusively to the mice audience. The law, however, forces them to print their publications in all sizes, equal numbers and sell them at the same price! This extra regulations translate into a wide variety of unneeded expenses ranging from extra labor to rented storage space meant only to store huge piles of unsold books that overshadow the main printing house itself!" She opens her arms wide so as to emphasize her point.
"That's surely an exaggeration, Ms. Zimmer." Intervenes the professor.
"Between an acceptable margin of error I'd say." The bunny answers with a wink.
Ms. Schreber rolls her eyes and waves at her to continue.
"But it's not only the state and the capitalists that suffer from hybridization. The common mammal indirectly pays the price of coexisting. Or does it make sense to any of you that renting a room at the Jungle Lodge right here on Amazonia costs the same to both small and large sized mammals? If we move into the issue of wages, you'll see that equalization of pay regardless of species has thrown scores of workers into unregistered jobs and conceived ridiculous situations as those seen in several construction unions acr-" Her fervent speech is interrupted by the professor once more.
"Ms. Zimmer, I remind you that this course is about sociology, not economy." Ms. Schreber points out, her face regaining the state it had during Hoffman's presentation.
"But in this day and age those two must be considered together! Where have the breathtaking winter quarters of the squirrels gone? The magnificent arcologies of the beavers? Both grow ever more hidden behind the massive projects built in masse to feed the need for cheap living quarters. There's no doubt we have gained much from the integration of the species, but we have also lost in their heritage and culture. Your average teenager can easily recall his favorite gags from Playmates but can barely tell you anything about Two Socks and the Legend of Sedgwick!" She insists zealously, making a point to look at the Clements.
Should I be happy she isn't looking this way or annoyed she thinks it doesn't concern me?
"This is why I decided to title my presentation 'The Costs of Hybridization'. A hybrid, by its biological definition, is a being that combines the qualities of different species. This is what we have been doing ever since we started this process of inclusion and while I'm no proponent of segregation and even less of going back to how things were for our ancestors, I can't help but remember that hybrids are often... sterile. Biology and Sociology are different branches of science, I am well aware, but when I look at our society today they have a foreboding resemblance." She finishes, her words truly filled with apprehension.
Ms. Schreber shifts on her seat and throws him a meaningful look.
Oh no… please don't.
"A bit too conservative and glum for my taste, Ms. Zimmer… but your point is valid. I take that's your closing statement?" The professor asks in a tired tone.
"Ah... yes. Thank you for your attention." She bows - somewhat deflated - and steps down from the lectern.
"Very well class that'll be all for today. Those who didn't get to make their presentations put them on paper and hand them in next time. Being that there are so many sl- students, we'll be doing the next ones in groups so everyone gets a chance to present their ideas. Start thinking about who you want to team up with. Ms. Zimmer, a moment please." Ms. Schreber says as she stands and goes to meet the bunny who was on her way back to her seat.
Better scram before things get awkward.
He picks up his things and heads out the door in enough of a hurry to make anyone in front of him make way. Remembering he still has an hour on the bus before he gets home - ironically one of those mass produced projects the bunny mentioned - he stops by the entrance's coffee machine and gets a cup for an animal one size larger than him.
"Talk about inclusion… nocturnals should get a discount on coffee." He grumbles.
"Hey, I pay the same for carrots than everyone else…" Her voice manages to bristle the fur on his back even more.
You don't just sneak up to a predator like that…
"Look, I kn-" He's immediately interrupted.
"I'm sorry." She says. Her eyes truly apologetic, not like the ones his classmates back in elementary school used to have after the teacher had told them off.
"Don't worry about it." He says curtly and starts walking off.
"I thought you were a bit large for a coyote but figured it was just a species thing. I haven't been in Amazonia long... I am truly sorry. I should have realized the moment I saw your eyes." She continues, following him outside the building.
The cold hits them like an air conditioner at full blast. He relishes the escape from the merciless heat inside but Zimmer is thrown into a fit of trembling.
"Again, don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean anything by it. Now go get your coat before you freeze your ears off." He says, stopping in front of the building so she isn't forced to walk any further into the snow.
"Yes!" She says cheerfully, running back into the building.
And there she goes. The next bus should come along in about twenty minutes. Guess I'll just wait at the stop.
He walks leisurely through the campus while sipping his coffee, glad that his mother's resistance to cold passed down to him. The snow crunches satisfactorily under his paws, bringing back memories of chasing his dad around as a cub.
And mom grabbing us both by the scruff when we were late for dinner...
It doesn't take him long to reach the bus stop. There he finds only a handful of other students waiting for a ride back home. He throws the empty paper cup onto the nearest bin and sighs in a manner only a student who just finished a long day can, taking in the sights, scents and soothing breeze.
Wintertime winds blow cold this season...
His humming is interrupted by the quick thumping of small paws on snow.
"Hey!" Zimmer says, somewhat annoyed.
"Yes?" He answers, turning around to find the bunny wrapped tightly inside a slick coat and carrying an oversized backpack that threatens to tip her over.
"You left!" She protests. Her agitated breathing filing the air with white puffs.
He just stands there not sure how to respond.
"If you ask a girl to get her coat that means you…are going to walk with her?" She says, her tone turning from affirmation to question as she notices the look on his face clearly stating he hadn't considered that.
"My bad." He says, his apology clearly not satisfying the bunny.
Oh yes, your silver tongue will get you far indeed.
"Call it… an error between the acceptable margins." He adds with a practiced smile that hides his teeth.
"Oh! You were paying attention!" To her credit, her sweet tone had him completely fooled until she kicked his shin.
"Soccer team?" He adds in a strained tone, resisting the urge to rub the spot where she hit him.
Damn... that actually hurt.
"If you were still angry you should have said something." She complains, going from angry to worried impossibly fast.
"I neither was nor am angry." He clearly states.
"Fine. Yes, soccer team. I thought it'd help fit in after I moved here... My name is Ana by the way, guess you heard Schreber call me out enough times to know my last name." She says after scrutinizing his face for any signs of deception.
"Pleased to meet you Ana. I'm Collin Scott." He answers with a small tilt of his head, the manners his mother drilled into him kicking in almost instinctively.
She looks at his sudden change in demeanor with surprise.
"You are weird." She says as if stating a universal truth.
"Not because you are a hybrid!" She corrects herself after a moment, back in her apologetic tone.
"I know that's not what you meant. Honestly, I find it more uncomfortable that you are so concerned about it. I'm 19, believe me when I say that I've had enough people calling me out on it that it doesn't bother me anymore." He explains calmly.
"Not that I believe you were doing it in the first place!" He adds as he notices Ana has obviously misinterpreted him.
"Okay… so... want to team up for Schreber's class?" She asks in a tone dangerously similar to the one she used before she kicked him.
A groan escapes him as he pictures the professor coercing her into this.
"Look, you don't h-" He's cut off by the bunny's raised hand.
"Yes, Schreber told me off for being insensitive... but the team up idea is mine! I really liked your presentation! Well, the part I got to hear at least. I think we should mix my down to earth style with your deep, I'm super proud of my heritage, cute style." If she wasn't being so serious he'd think she's pulling his leg.
"Cute?" He asks, not sure if his tone came off as teasing or angry.
"I mean… Romantic! No! Dramatic! Yes! Like predator brooding by the window dramatic!" She corrects herself in a rush.
It's hard to tell if she's embarrassed or just struggling with the language...
"I wasn't brooding, that's just how I look." He retorts with practiced ease.
She just nods along, obviously unconvinced.
Just keep saying it. Eventually someone will believe you.
"So? Down to earth, deep and dramatic. Sound like a plan?" She offers him an open hand.
He regards her for a moment. Now that they are side by side he finally notices she's rather tall for a bunny. He can almost feel one of her mother's terrifying ear flicks when his eyes begin to wander.
Let's just hope she didn't notice that…
"Sure. Just try to keep the spreadsheets to a minimum." He finally answers, not entirely convinced but nonetheless happy the whole hybrid thing is behind them.
"Deal!" She says with a smile as they shake hands.
"I'll walk you to the dorm, we can talk ideas on the way... Let me take that before you face plant into the snow." He says, offering to take her bag.
"Aren't you going to miss the bus though?" She asks, passing him the straps.
Yep. It's going to be a long walk home...
He just shrugs.
End Notes
Alright! Lets talk footnotes!
Hoffman is a two-toed sloth and takes his name from the german naturalist Karl Hoffman. The idea of having a class full of people who take ages to give out their presentations ringed very close to home for me and seemed like a great way to continue the gag from the DMV scene in the movie.
Ms. Schreber is a Cheetah, she gets her name from another german naturalist, Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber. I didn't really give much thought to how she actually looks, just thought it'd be funny to subject a professor of the fastest species to a class full of sloths.
While Amazonia might seem like the easiest choice when figuring out the name of a city populated by sentient animals I assure I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a cool name until I finally gave up and went with it. Since this is a work in progress feel free to suggest something more appropiate!
The Clements take their name from David Clement-Davies, the author of 'The Sight', a book about - as you can imagine - a pack of wolves.
When Collin says 'Yes, I've tried conditioner.' I intended it as a throwaway joke, I remembered much later into the chapter that this is a gag from Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. Vitaly fit my idea of a scary looking predator so well that I had to leave it in.
The comment about argon oil is a reference to Kyle Hill's Because Science show on YouTube. If you haven't seen it go check it out, it's amazing and he gives the best 'mantain' advice.
When I initially planned this story I had no idea what the subject of either of the character's presentations was going to be about. When I got to that part it ocurred to me that it'd be interesting to give the gag about howling from the movie a twist. Surprisingly, this ended up defining several aspects of Collin's personality that I hadn't fleshed out at the time. It also affected Ana a lot, as she grew into a bit of a counterbalance for him.
The trick of making people yawn on purpose I thought was a magistral way to prove Collin's point. In my mind it worked so well that everytime I read that line I feel like yawning myself (and I've proofread this chapter like twenty times already!). Did it work on you?
I'm in that sweet spot between adult and old (or what current youngsters call old) so I'm not sure how many people know about the character Pinhead. He's the main antagonist in the Hellraiser movies. Somehow I doubt that reference would get cleared by Disney...
Collin's line about 'not knowing the walls on our caves from the rests of the world' I took from Jack London's White Fang story. While they are used in vastly different contexts I think it fit the end of his presentation really well. That book is amazing, by the way, check it out if you haven't!
When Collin says 'really? nobody is going to jump on that easy joke?' I meant it as a bit of a jab at the movie. It references the scene where Judy is blackmailing Nick with his tax statements. As much as I love that line, I imagine that in the world of Zootopia it's been overused to exhaustion.
Faivel's Fables is a nod to Amblin's 'An American Tail' movie.
Playmates is what I pictured the Zootopia equivalent of 'Friends' would be. What animal do you think would represent each character?
When Ana mentions Two-Socks and 'The Legend of Sedwick' I'm referencing the movie 'Dances with Wolves'. Similar to the Faivel reference, I thought it'd be interesting to have fictional works like that be the stuff of legends or actual history in Zootopia.
The song Collin hums while waiting for the bus is 'Wintertime Love' by The Doors. If you know the song I'll let you draw your own conclusions about why he chose that one in particular.
I tried to clue you guys in about where Ana comes from several times but one I had to leave out simply because I found no organic way to put it into the story. It's right when Collin sees her again at the bus stop. If that scene was drawn you'd notice a particular brand on her coat that'll pretty much give away where she was born.
Ana Zimmer gets her last name from the german zoologist Eberhard August Whilhelm von Zimmerman. Her name switched a handful of times during writing, going from Maria to Marí to August to finally Ana (shortened from Analía). I settled on that simply because of personal preference. Her species is dolichotis patagonum if you were wandering.
Collin Scott gets his name from White Fang's mate, Collie Scott - Scott being her owner's family. He is a coywolf hybrid, having inherited his father's tan fur and his mother's distinct eye color. Ana makes a point of saying she should have realized he was a hybrid when she saw his eyes because the color is not present in coyotes.
And that's it!
Next time we catch up with Judy and Nick!