Judy Hopps was an early riser. It came naturally, what with being born on a farm, and being a police officer.
But early, and before the sun had even thought about rising, were two very different things. And one thought tore through the groggy rabbit's head:
I really, really need to go to the bathroom.
And so, without thinking, she crawled from the bed and dropped to the freezing cold floor. The feeling of rough carpeting against her feet was both a welcome sensation and a shocking one: The carpeting was freezing. Actually, everything was freezing.
Judy rubbed her arms with her paws as she made her way down the hallway, dark teal paint and no lights making it hard to see. She ran a paw along the wall, until she felt the outline of a doorframe beneath, and she poked her head into whatever room was there.
Due to the cold tile beneath her, she figured it was either the bathroom, or the kitchen. After fumbling around for a light switch and shielding her eyes, she found that it was exactly what she had sought: The bathroom, with some kind of tile that resembled very tiny pieces of hardwood, given a deep shade of blue bordering the night sky with thin streaks of burgundy and lime greens.
After a minute of shivering on the porcelain, Judy had done her business, washed her paws with cinammon scented soap, and began making her way back to the bedroom before something dawned on her.
She had no idea where she was.
Panic set in at the realization, before the rational portion of her brain kicked in.
You're clearly not in any danger. Relax a bit, calm breaths, take in your surroundings.
I'm completely calm, she argued with herself.
Sure, right. Your heart rate begs to differ.
Shut up, she thought. Judy began to take in her surroundings: A bare, dark teal hallway, with an opening to a quiet living room, four doors in the hallway. One to her left, the bathroom, and one that led to the bedroom she had emerged from. A third, thinner one sat at the end of the hallway, a linen closet. And, the last one, midway into the hallway. It was closed, and faint music drifted through it.
With a twitching nose of curiosity, she approached the closed door. She knew, in the back of her mind, that it was Dust's room, the memories of the day seeping back into her mind. The arcade, the bigger arcade, the car chase, "talking" with Dust, and then... Darkness, where she had fallen asleep.
So how had she gotten to the bed? She didn't recall waking up at any point before now.
Shaking her head, Judy began to shuffle her way back to the bedroom where she had woken, only to pause at the sound of a thudding from Dust's room. One ear rose up and turned to the door as she listened intnetely, curiosity taking hold of her.
Another small thump, and what she thought was a groan of pain.
Now more alert than before, Judy walked back to the door and, without much care for manners, slowly turned the knob and peeked inside.
The walls were a warm, soothing blue shade, which she could just make out from the bit of moonlight streaming through the window. She could see the faint outlines of a few pictures on the walls, along with... Swords? A closet was to the right, doors shut, and a dresser beside it. The top of the dresser was covered in clothes and small tools. A large, messy bed with a lavender comforter sat in the left corner, a wooden nightstand with a lamp beside it. An alarm clock reading "02:12" sat atop it.
Dust was currently in an awkward position, half on his bed, half off, tail laid over his legs as his chin rested on the ground. He held both paws over his eyes and snout, and was shaking slightly. Judy could've swore she heard him whimper faintly, but it was so soft even she had a hard time picking it up.
"Dust?.." She asked, tentatively stepping into the room. His ear twitched, and he reached out with one paw to drag himself further from the bed. He pushed himself up and against his bed, indigo eyes piercing through the darkness to meet her worried gaze. A few dark lines traced through his fur under his eyes.
"Hopps," he said after a deep breath. She could hear a tremble to his voice, and it was evident he was trying to seem alright. "Wasn't expecting you to be awake. Do you need something?"
Judy approached the fox carefully, her eyes not leaving his as she walked further into his room. "I heard a thump, I came to check on you," she said honestly. "Are you okay?"
The reynard stared up at the rabbit for a long time, before bowing his head and averting his gaze. That alone told Judy all she needed to know.
"I'm here to talk, if you want to," she said. There was silence, lasting well over a minute, before the rabbit slowly began to backpedal to the door. It seemed evident that Dust wasn't going to take her offer.
"Can... You get something for me?" Dust said suddenly.
Another raised and turned ear, and Judy slowly turned around. "Sure, what is it?" she asked.
Dust pointed over to his dresser. "In there, the bottom left drawer, there's a bag and a lighter. I need them."
Judy nodded, offering a small smile as she walked over to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Inside was a few different items – books, a torn up mask that smelled of ash, several lighters (she grabbed one that had the same shade of blue as the fox's eyes) and a sandwhich baggy that held part of a stiff, white plant inside.
Walking over to him, Judy handed the items to Dust, which he took gratefully. He opened up the baggy, and took a deep breath. Judy's nose twitched at the smell: It smelled... Grassy, s[icy, but had a sharp, almost soapy smell to it. It was sickly white and stiff as Dust pulled it out, broke a small chunk of several stiff leaves off, and placed the rest back in the bag.
He then reached over to his nightstand and opened the bottom drawer, withdrawing a bowl and depositing the leaves into it. Then he took the lighter and set the leaves on fire, before blowing them out.
A sweeter version of the leaf's smell began to waft through the air, whisps of white smoke rising from the bowl. It held the faint, typical smell of burning plants with it, but otherwise was a pleasant scent. Dust held the bowl close and shut his eyes, breathing in the smell once before setting it on the nightstand.
The two sat in silence for a minute, quietly listening to the faint music and taking in the sweet, herbal smell of the plant. Judy broke the silence, asking a simple question. "So... What is it?"
Dust opened his eyes and looked at her, eyes turning to the bowl when she nodded to it. "White sage," he explained. "It's a shrub that mainly grows in plains. Very old cultures used it for many practices. It helps me calm down," he said, rubbing his eyes.
Judy nodded, quiet. The smell was soothing, but it was also a bit too sweet for her. She got the feeling that, too much of it for too long would upset her stomach.
"What happened?" she asked again. Dust stayed silent this time, looking down. She let a few seconds pass before speaking again. "If you don't want to tell me, it's alright. I understand." Almost by instict from all the times she'd comforted other mammals, she reached out and set a paw on his arm. A brief memory flashed in her mind, of her doing the same thing with Nick nearly a year ago. When she had done it then, she had reached out and given Nick all of her comfort and support, as a friend. Now, she was giving Dust a similar support and comfort – one of a listening ear or shoulder to lean on for the night.
"Judy, can you tell how I'm feeling right now?" Dust asked. He turned to her, his expression entirely stoic. Judy looked in his eyes, attempting to read what the held. Unlike Nick when he was hiding something, Dust's weren't glossed over. They held all his emotion, and Judy saw pain and sadness.
"You're hurting," she said. "But, from what?"
Dust looked away again. "Nothing new. I've always had this problem, but I can keep it down most of the time. Tonight, I couldn't. You just happened to catch me when I was, uh... Freaking out a bit, I guess."
Judy pursed her lips and nodded shallowly. "Do you want me to stay here?" She asked. Dust shook his head.
"You need sleep, and so do I. I... Should be better now. Thank you, Judy." He looked at her and gave a faint smile. She returned it, and slowly rose up, holding out a paw. Dust stared at it for a second before accepting it and pushing himself to his feet. Judy and the fox locked eyes for a moment, a silent understanding of not speaking of this passing between them.
Taking an exaggerated breath, Judy turned and started walking to the door. "Have a good night, Dust. I guess you know where we are if you need us."
"Sleep well, Judy. And, thank you," he said, nodding as she turned and shut the door behind her.
The room fell into silence as Judy walked down the hall, yawning. She would take time to process what had happened come morning, but right now, she needed to get back to bed. The day ahead promised to be a big one.
~ óÓÒò ~
The fox sighed and ran his fingers over the granite countertop as the smell of freshly-brewed coffee filled the room. The smell grew stronger as a large mug filled with the cream-colored substance, topped with whipped cream, was set before him. He looked up at the black panther as he turned to make another cup, muttering a thanks as he shifted in his stool.
"No problem," came the response, the panther's tail flicking as he went to work. He had been brought up to speed with most of the events of yesterday as he made the first mug, and as a result, the room settled into a comfortable silence.
Dust sighed, rubbing his eyes. He hadn't actually gotten any sleep until nearly three in the morning, and after that, he had woken around six thirty. I have got to stop letting myself stay up so late, he thought to himself, taking a drink. The flavors of caramel and irish cream washed over his tongue as whipped cream stuck to the outside of his muzzle, leading him to cast his tongue over it.
He turned his thoughts to last night, when Judy had entered his room. He had been laying in bed, relatively comfortable, before his mind took a darker turn than he had needed. Self-depreciating and overall negative things began to fill his head and he had tried getting to the dresser himself for the white sage when he had collapsed off the edge of the bed.
He had barely managed to get himself under enough control to seem presentable when Judy had actually entered his room, and what happened after he couldn't remember very well. He knew she had gotten him the sage, and they had spoken briefly, but beyond that it was hazy.
His ears flicked at hearing the spare bedroom door creak open, a bright-eyed yet messy-haired bunny stepping out and beginning to walk down the hallway. It was then that he realized he had forgotten to tell the panther behind him a very important detail.
"Hey, uh, King?" he said, not taking his eyes off the rabbit until she walked into the bathroom and shut the door. A faint "hm?" was the response. "I uh... May have forgotten to tell you something. I have company over."
He could feel the long tail behind him flick curiously in the small space of his kitchen. "Whaddya mean?" the panther asked, turning away from the coffee machine. He seemed to stiffen a bit, almost imperceptibly, at seeing a red fox in similar state to the rabbit walk out of the guest bedroom and down the hall. In silence, they observed as he went to the bathroom door, smacking his lips with barely opened eyes. He opened it, and took a step inside, shrieks of his name immediately sounding from within and him stumbling out an instant later, wide-eyed and bushy tailed, as the door slammed shut.
Nick was collapsed against the wall, arms spread out to get a firm grip as his heart raced. His eyes were darting to and fro before he calmed down, and he collected himself enough to climb to his feet.
"Wait a minute, is that-" King started, before Dust interrupted with a small "yup".
"Then, the one in the bathroom is-"
"Mhm."
Silence, before a large paw slapped the back of the fox's head. "You're nuts, you know that? But I guess I should make them some now, too, huh?" Before Dust could respond, the panther had turned around and begun making a third cup of coffee.
Aside from the sound of the coffee machine, a quiet settled upon the residence, Dust watching as Judy emerged from the bathroom, looking more awake and slightly groomed compared to before, and Nick entered. She walked over to the kitchen, taking up one of the two stools on the other side of the counter. King slid over an appropriately sized cup of coffee, which she took with a raised eyebrow. After a small sip, her ears stood straight up and her eyes widened, leading both the other mammals to chuckle.
"Good?" Dust asked, smiling faintly at her nod of approval, silenced by small slurpings of the drink. Nick emerged from the bathroom minutes later, taking a seat on the stool beside Judy. Another minute passed before he was given his own coffee, to which his ears rose with curiosity and he took a drink.
His eyes widened immediately as he looked down at the cup. "This is amazing!" he said, before immediately taking a long drink of it. Judy turned to him and giggled at the white that now coated his muzzle, as King did the same. He was making one final cup, for himself.
Dust had nearly emptied his mug around the same time as Nick, and Judy had only had half of hers. The bigger of the two foxes gathered the mugs and rinsed them in the sink before setting them down, taking his seat again as King leaned against the counter, the faint blowing sound he let out telling Dust that he had finished making his cup. The four mammals sat in silence, the rabbit and panther being the only interrupters with their drinking.
Dust could slowly feel the energy go from relaxed, to awkward, to anxious, to tense. He felt his pelt burning beneath the gaze of the officers before him, and he strained to keep his anxiety from taking hold.
Don't ask me yet. Don't ask me yet. Don't ask me-
"So," Judy said.
Dammit!
"So," Dust replied. "Good morning."
The officers let out a faint "good morning" before the tense silence fell back into place. After a moment, the fox looked behind him to the panther. He was dressed in gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt, dark brown eyes examining the room before him carefully. But, due to how his tail was flicking from side to side, he was both curious and nervous about what was going on.
"What should I let them know?" The larger fox asked, drawing the panther's gaze to him.
"Well, I mean, they're cops, so..." Was the response after another drink. Dust took a deep breath and turned back to the two before him.
"Alright. I guess I should start from the top?" he checked, gaze turning downwards at their nods.
"I told you about how we heard rumors of Night Howler trading going on in the underground a while back. I told you we looked into it, because we didn't have enough evidence to warrant the police actually getting involved. I also told you that the reason we couldn't go to the police after compiling enough evidence was because of self-defense that didn't look like self defense. So we got ourselves into a group. We made contacts, and felt we had to take care of this ourselves.
"So, we started finding out who was taking the night howlers from the florists. Then we started stopping them, taking the flowers and leaving them for the ZPD. Eventually, I suppose, you all found out and you two in particular were assigned the case." Judy and Nick both nodded, silently listening. Judy's cup was now empty, so King took it and rinsed it out, before leaving it with his cup in the sink.
"We figured out who Phraxus was through the cougar that gave us so much information. We know that they're a large group, made of mainly predators. Medium and small ones, at that. They have power, muscle, money. They've been gathering Night Howlers, but no one knows what they're for yet. They've clearly figured out who at least I am, since we were shot at, nearly driven off the road, and I'm pretty sure tailed often enough... Things are probably going to start moving very quickly now."
"What do you mean by that?" Judy asked.
Dust was quiet, looking away from them before turning back to the panther behind him. A silent message was passed along, and the panther nodded before walking out the front door, leaving the three of them in silence.
"I mean, we're going to have to actively attack Phraxus soon. The past few days, a contact of mine has been trying to locate their main base and the biggest players. If we can at least find that base, we can get all the information needed."
"And you don't think the ZPD can take it from here?" Judy asked. Dust shook his head.
"Honestly? No. Think about it, if the group is mainly smaller mammals with good training, how can the ZPD hope to stop them? They couldn't even get Bellwether without you two. These guys are a bigger threat, and are only now being noticed. It's not like the mayor is covering up a set of missing mammals cases, either. They're waiting until everything is in place and they can't be stopped to make a real move.
"The only mammals on the force that I can see being remotely helpful, are you two. And even then I didn't want you involved."
"Why not?" Nick asked. "It sounds more like we could've been useful in fighting them," he said. Dust nodded.
"But I hate involving more than need be. But, as it stands, you two are clearly a threat to them now, and you're in this with me. I'm not happy to say it, but... If you want to be, you can be a part of this."
Nick and Judy shared a look, before laughing. Dust leaned back, his ears pulling towards his head a bit.
"You make it sound like we had an option to sit this one out," Nick said. Judy nodded in agreement.
"Massive threat to the city, potentially overwhelming odds, and little chance of success? That's our specialty," Judy said. She looked over to Nick with a bright smile, which he returned, before looking at Dust with a lazy-eyed smirk. Judy held her joyful expression as she turned back to Dust.
The fox stared at them for a minute, before shaking his head and letting out a single chuckle.
"In that case, until this is over..." He leaned back and spread his arms open. "Welcome to the family."
It wasn't until he leaned back forward, arms resting on the counter that his expression grew serious again. "But, now we have more problems. For example, what's your chief going to say about this?"
His mouth curled into a smile as the two officers' ears both fell against their heads and a wide-eyed, somewhat scared expression grew on their faces, turning to face one another. Even though he didn't share the connection they did, Dust could tell exactly what thought had passed between the two.
Bogo.