Judy flopped onto her couch, content and relaxed. A smile played upon her face; it was her day off, and she was going to spend it with her favorite mammal. The hushed sound of water spraying trickled in the background. The gray bunny's apartment was still fairly barren, but it didn't really matter too much. That would change eventually, and in the meantime, it was only a hideout to stay in briefly. The whole of Zootopia beckoned to her like the cornucopia of styles and sights that it was.
There was a series of three precise knocks on the door. Judy shivered in mild shock.
"Wait wait wait...!" The bunny launched over to her phone and stared at the date. "No no! SHOOT! That was today!? Ughh...!"
With reluctance, Judy wandered over to her front door and slowly opened it.
On the other side were two bunnies. One was a taller bunny that looked much like her, but wearing glasses, a black sweater, and a red skirt. The other was Judy's size, but brown and white furred. She had lively brown eyes, with soft yellow and purple clothing that looked loose and nearly billowed.
"Violet!" Judy greeted with a wide, forced smile. "Sassy!"
"Judy! Judy Judy Judy!" The brown bunny rushed in and gave the bunny in question a big hug. "It's been so long...!"
"Hello, Judy," Violet said with a small smile. She gave a much less energetic hug to her sister, but no less sweet.
"Oh, oh..." Judy looked behind them and there were no further bunnies. "Okay, just you two today, huh?"
"Sorry to disappoint," Violet smirked.
"It's just... y'know, last time you showed up, you had a couple dozen with you," Judy said, holding a curved, perfunctory finger.
"That's because I thought you hurt yourself, Judy," Violet frowned, taking off her purse and retrieving a tablet from it. "You know how I worry."
"Right, right," Judy giggled.
"Plus, when I asked: 'who wants to come see Judy and help Saffron and I with her interior decorating?', there weren't too many volunteers."
"Ah," Judy giggled nervously, but looked a little relieved.
"Mmm... what a nice place you have," 'Sassy' wandered forward, paws behind her back, giving a little twirl. "This place is like a blank canvas, just waiting for a bunny touch!" She took a long sniff in, then a few more as she appeared confused, but then shrugged it off. "Ooh, is that... violet?"
"What do you mean, 'is that Violet'?" The bunny adjusted her glasses, taking a single guarded sniff at herself.
"Not you," Sassy giggled, "the flower violet, Violet. I don't see any flowers."
"Well, uh, you see," Judy bit her lip. "That smell you're smelling, it might be... um..."
The ambient sound of the rushing water suddenly stopped, quieting up all three bunnies, who exchanged glances. Before long, the loud sound of a step-in full body dryer started. Judy winced.
"Oh, he's here," Violet almost smirked.
"He's HERE!?" Sassy's jaw fell. "Oh, yay! ...Wait..." the brown bunny rubbed her cheek. "Why aren't you in there with him?"
"Ghh...!" Judy waved her arms in front of her face. "No no, that's okay! I uh... I don't think we're there yet, haha!"
"Aww... okay," Sassy smiled encouragingly. "Maybe someday, huh?"
"Still with the nudity thing, I see," Violet nodded conversationally.
"No... I mean yes, I mean- Violet!" Judy growled through her teeth, balling her fists and holding them to her sides. "This is different. We basically just started this whole... 'thing'."
"Well you can't learn everything about somebody with clothes in the way," Sassy proclaimed proudly.
Violet gasped when, as if on cue, a freshly-fluffed Nick came out of the shower with a towel around his waist. Judy followed her older sister's gaze and almost went into shock. Sassy meanwhile just beamed.
"Hey Judy, where did you say you put my change of clo-" Nick looked at the various bunny eyes all fixated on him. Actually, there were only two pairs; Violet was awkwardly trying to avert her eyes with her iPawpad. "Oh. Hi. I didn't know there were going to be guests."
"Yes, um, I forgot they were coming today, and that's on me," Judy said, "anyway, you're clothes are-"
"Nick! Nick Wilde!" Sassy rushed up to him, stopping only a couple bunny steps away. "I'm so glad to meet you! My name's Saffron Hopps, but everyone calls me Sassy. I've wanted to see you ever since I caught your ZPD award ceremony on TV! That look you gave my sister! And she gave you-! I just knew you'd be the one to finally complete her emotionally."
Judy buried her face in her paws.
"Well, hello...!" Nick smiled, honestly confused by such an open greeting from a bunny in his state. "Good to meet you. I'd shake your paw but, kinda using them. You seem like a very earnest bunny."
"Yeah, uhm, her nickname is kind of ironic..." Violet mumbled, stealing a single brief glance at the half-nude fox.
"Hehe 'nickname'," Sassy tittered. "Hey Nick, do you have a 'nickname'? Or cause your name is Nick, do you not need one?"
Nick huffed in amusement. "Well actually, in high school, my buddy Flash used to call me-"
"Nick, could you please clothe yourself!?" Judy said in a pinched voiced through her teeth, standing there with uncomfortable exasperation.
"No, no, that wasn't it," Nick chuckled, but then pointed at the bunny, seeing her ears were back. "Right. I'll be right back, ladies." He scooted out of the room, his tail provocatively peeking from out of the folded towel.
"Whew..." Violet let out a long breath and adjusted her glasses, seeing it was okay to look again.
"Sorry...!" Judy cringed. "Sorry about that. I wouldn't have invited him over if I'd remembered you were coming this week..."
"Don't apologize on my account," Violet said, taking in a nervous breath and adjusting the collar of her sweater. "Phew, definitely can't dispute that vulpine aesthetic pleasantness."
Sassy broke into a chirping laugh. "Is that Violetese for saying he's hot?" She giggled into a paw. "Well I agree! He's quite a hunky one."
"Vi! Sassy...!" Judy looked between the two. She sighed and pointed at them with her whole paw. "Can we please just focus?"
"Oh, right," Violet cleared her throat. "The decorating of the apartment. Hm... just didn't think I would be catching a serendipitous glance of a fox in his prime."
"Right?" Sassy giggled again.
"Wow, and here I thought it would only be monumentally embarrassing for you two to meet my boyfri-... my partner," Judy rolled her eyes.
"All right, I have the documents set up, Saffron," Violet looked at her sister. "What was to be first?"
"Well, first we need to take a look at the most important piece of furniture in your home," Sassy pointed at Judy.
Judy raised her brow. "...The fridge...?"
"No, dummy," Sassy rolled her eyes, "your bed." She composed herself, closing her eyes and pressing her paws together. "The place where you are renewed every night. If nothing else, your bed has to be perfect! Its aesthetic and comfort are all super instrumental in your well being."
Violet seemed to give a half-nod of agreement, though it was hard to tell.
"Okay, well, Nick is currently in there..." Judy pointed, wandering to her bedroom. Her sisters gathered behind her, and Judy hesitated before moving to knock. "...Nick, are you decent?"
"Aren't I always?" Nick quipped, opening the door right before her fist could make contact. He looked less smug after seeing Saffron glaring up at him with amusement. "Oh, hi. Oh, Fluff, I think I'm gonna go out to grab you all some lunch. Some kinda... salad sound good?"
"That sounds great- what a great idea!" Judy pointed at him twice with two index fingers. "Salad sound good for everyone? Vi? Sassy?"
"Wait," Violet said tersely, walking up to the small bed in the middle of the room. "This is your bed, Judy?"
"Wow, it's tiny," Sassy tilted her head. "It doesn't really frame the room well, or give it a sense of... I dunno, comfort. Hominess. Definitely could be improved on."
"Not only that..." Violet set her pad in her purse and took out a tape measure. "Nick, come here."
Nick surprised himself by immediately complying, vapidly walking up to Judy's straightforward, taller sister. Violet got on her tiptoes to bring the tape measure up to Nick's skull and extend it down to his feet.
"About four feet, roughly," she noted aloud, the sound of the tape zipping back filling the room. She then measured the bed. "...Judy, this bed isn't even close to four feet long. It's barely long enough for you, let alone him."
Nick cleared his throat and looked away while Judy's ears collapsed.
"...Violet," Judy said, her voice straining with squeamishness and mild anger. "We're not there yet."
"No...?" Sassy looked almost crestfallen. "But sleeping up next to someone is just... it's like the ultimate way to grow closer together in trust and intimacy and l-"
"I said...!" Judy squinted her eyes and fists shut and released them slowly, while sighing.
"Let's drop it, Saffron," Violet said, giving her angry sister a cautious look.
"But... where does he sleep when he stays over...?" Saffron pouted.
"The couch," Nick said mildly. "It's more comfy than it looks."
Sassy gasped. "That's...! Well we'll have to get another couch too, that one definitely could also stand to be improved."
"Agreed," Violet said, reading Judy's defeated body language. "Saffron, let's go into the living room and analyze it to see if we can come up with a cohesive theme to center Judy's apartment around."
"Oh, sure," Saffron nodded, immediately moving out of the room with her. "Cohesiveness will make the home just blend together and make it so much more comfortable."
Judy groaned and sat down hard on her bed.
"Doing okay?" Nick asked, his voice somewhere between teasing and genuinely concerned. He slowly took a seat beside her on the modest bed.
"I dunno, Nick," Judy rolled her eyes. "My ears feel like they're on fire. Are they on fire?"
"Nope," Nick said gently, touching them softly. "They are pretty hot, though."
"Those two... it had to be those two..." Judy grunted. "Violet has barely any propriety, and Sassy doesn't have any."
"She kinda reminds me of someone we know..." Nick grinned.
"What, Clawhauser?" Judy smirked, huffing.
"I was gonna say Yax. I get that whole 'free spirit' vibe."
"Uh!" Judy looked nearly offended. "I mean, a little, but... hey, she's not always naked. And she never stinks. She'll talk your ear off about shampoo."
Judy gave a nervous little laugh that Nick humored her by joining.
"What're you so upset for? They seem into it," Nick softly rubbed her back.
"I think that's just it," Judy exhaled. "They're too into it. I feel like if they weren't, at least I could fight about it. Give them a challenge."
"You know, that is so 'like you'?" Nick almost looked impressed, but pat her back with a note of pity. "Just like you to want to make things difficult. I'll say it's much nicer to have supportive family. Shoo... you should have seen my mom when I told her I was dating a bunny."
"Oh...?" Judy's expression weakened. "Must be because... of the press conference fiasco, right...?"
"Not you," Nick smiled softly at her.
"You've dated a bunny before!?" Judy's ears perked up.
"Another thing I wouldn't have told you had it not become relevant," Nick sighed. "But no, we're lucky, my Mom likes you, on account of the whole 'changing the course of my life' bit and all."
"I guess we have that..." Judy giggled, "and if I really wanted to be assaulted by conflicting views, I could always bring you to Bunnyburrow."
"Sounds... like an adventure," Nick said unsteadily. "But hey, if it's a fight you want, I'll happily get yelled at by a bunch of bunnies."
"Well, that probably wouldn't be the worst worry," Judy said. "It'd be the kits. They'd swarm you."
"You think so?" Nick tilted his head. "They wouldn't be scared?"
"Maybe cautious, at first," Judy looked at him sneakily, "but Cotton, one of my younger sisters. She loves and idolizes me, and by extension, you. She'd hug you right away."
"Aww," Nick looked pleased by this speculation, narrowing his eyes in a grin.
"Then, one of Cotton's siblings would join in, then another, then another," Judy made "scary fingers" at him. "They'd overwhelm you."
"Is that how it'd go down?" Nick chuckled. "I dunno, being smothered by bunnies doesn't sound like the worst way to go."
"It's group psychology, just ask Vi," Judy shrugged, giving an uneasy sigh. She looked at her sisters through the crack in her door. Sassy was going around with "ooh, what about...?" and her sister was agreeing with "yes, that can fit here, and then...".
"You know, this is going to be a weird thing to say," Nick ran his fingers along his pant legs. "But do any of your relatives actually fit the 'country bunkin' stereotype?"
"Plenty," Judy huffed.
"Those two... hm," Nick grinned, following Judy's observation of them. "So different, yet they seem to be working in perfect synchronization toward a goal. Just, completely opposite personalities, I'd say."
"Yeah, remind you of anyone?" Judy playfully lolled her head in her fox partner's direction.
"Sure," Nick stood up. "Fangmeyer and Wolfard."
Judy laughed brightly, springing up with him. "Well, I mean, that is true..."
Nick started to walk to the front door of the apartment, catching Judy's older sisters' attention.
"Hey, got my chance to escape," Nick smirked.
"So take it," Judy said. "Probably spare me a few more awkward moments today."
"I meant what I said," Nick leaned in. "I'll get you gals some salad, and then we can watch you squirm some more." He leaned in and kissed her briefly on the nose.
"Great," Judy smiled wryly as Nick made his escape.
She'd barely half-turned around before Sassy was in front of her.
"Aaa! He's so CUTE!" Sassy clapped twice. "Keep him! Keep him!"
"That's the plan..." Judy said with a kind of tired fondness to her voice.
"Saffron, I don't think you can just call a fox 'cute'," Violet shook her head. "Wounds their pride. Anyway, Judy let's work on some of the details and possibilities Saffron and I have put together for you."
Judy nodded, looking over at Violet's pad. "Wow, all that? That one looks really cute."
"Well, Saffron is an expert interior decorator," Violet said, betraying a tiny note of pride in her littermate.
Sassy pulled off a little curtsy. "I am getting a li'l hungry, though. Remind me to thank Nick for lunch! Ooh, what kinda salad dressings do you have?" She rushed to the fridge and glared at it in slight offense. It was too small, too blocky, and just... this weird greenish color. "Judy, we're going to have to do something about this fridge, too."
"Okay, but for now it's functional, right?" Judy winced.
"Second most important furniture item," Sassy held up a finger and smiled.
"I'd have to agree," Violet twisted her lips and nodded sagely. "Food and sleep are quite important."
Judy gave a relaxed sigh, throwing an arm around Sassy's shoulder. "It's gonna be a long day, isn't it?"
Sassy closed her eyes and responded in a chirpy voice: "I hope so!"