So, today has been a banner day for me as a writer. A new chapter finished here, another two finished for other pieces and a fourth has a solid start. I am feeling uber productive. The cherry on top is the new cover art for Barbed Wire Dreams, by WyvernsWeaver. It is an honor to have such a well respected fellow Zootopia fan show such an appreciation for one's work. Please, check out Weaver's Deviantart page, or follow the link (without the spaces) to the cover art.
thewyvernsweaver .deviantart art/Barbed-Wire-Dreams-711011488
Now that I've gotten my fangirling under a bit of control...
Here, gentle readers, we have the next installment of Barbed Wire Dreams. I hope it lives up to expectations.
::wanders off to continue fangirling::
Judy sat impatiently, waiting for her shift to end. A few weeks ago, if anyone had told her she would be more interested in the end of her shift than the beginning, she would have blown them off with a few rude words and a comment on their intelligence. Now, it was a whole new world. The idea that it was a brave new world only made her shake her head. "Insane" was a much more fitting word, but she was looking forward to the straight jacket if that was the case.
Walking into the precinct the morning after her evening out with a certain male fox had led to an absurd turnaround in her life. As much as the evening itself was an eye-opener, the next day was even more so. She'd taken her ribbing until Chief Snarlov had called an emergency meeting for all officers and sent her off to the showers to get her tail ready for the day. Ten minutes later, she was still damp and listening as the Chief rattled off case assignments.
Apparently, the previous evening there had been a huge gang fight. A call was received reporting major gang violence on the docks. Officers had responded and discovered that the Dockside Reavers had been caught up in something unpleasant. The gang had been a thorn in the ZPD's side for years and they never left enough evidence for arrests. Responding officers had found the entire gang unconscious, incapacitated, or in dire need of medical attention. There was also evidence of one hell of a struggle, as well as contraband weapons and narcotics. The forensic techs were already testing the weapons. The list of related crimes coming up was staggering. Blood traces, fur and fiber evidence had already linked the gang to dozens of murders and missing mammal cases. Ballistics was adding to the list with every test.
The gang members, as individuals and a group, were going to be facing charges that would leave them behind bars for decades. Those that would ever leave the hospital, that is. The gang leader would never walk again and would be lucky to ever eat solid food. Judy felt a momentary pang of remorse for her involvement in him ending up that way, but it quickly passed as the list of charges against him grew.
In addition to the remarkable turn of events with the Reavers, a building collapse was under investigation and there were reports of a Zootopian Aviation Association investigation into a complaint about an unscheduled flight. The Chief's grumbling about thrill seekers had Judy choking down a laugh in the bullpen. The strange looks she got only made it worse.
The following weeks were a blur. It was odd for her, seeing the results of her and Wilde's actions. Everything they did was outside the scope of law, but had done good things. Not all good, granted, but it was hard to see the bad in what they had done. It was made more challenging when she was out walking during her rare downtime. The Docks District and the surrounding areas felt less tense. The only way she could describe it was a similar feeling to the last time she put an abusive spouse in cuffs. The victims of the abuse were relieved; jubilant in that they were free of the pain; finally allowed to heal. It was a benediction to her anxieties and a balm to her soul; one she needed badly. She just had to reassess her sense of morality a bit. The self-reflection did her some good.
In the aftermath of her night out, her workload increased massively, as did the general business of the ZPD in general. The consequences of the Docks building collapse weren't limited to the contractors and investors. Dozens of other crimes and acts of negligence came to light as a result of the initial investigation. Mammals involved were getting it in the neck all over the city. Judy couldn't have been more thrilled, despite the absurd amount of overtime she was pulling.
Apparently, the contractor had a history of questionable business practices and cutting corners. This latest event presented new evidence in several previous investigations, some of which led to injuries, property damage and deaths, but could never be proved. Now that there was enough evidence to proceed, there were plenty of old cases to be worked on for everyone in the precinct, as well as every investigator they could beg, borrow, steal, or buy. It was the buying part that led Judy to her current preparations. She was in, possibly, the oddest situation she'd ever conceived of.
The madness of her job and the desperation of the ZPD for help led Judy to double down on over
working herself in the hopes that a little more effort might take some of the weight off. It would also alleviate another point of loss she felt in that she'd spend a little time with Wilde, for a change.
It appeared that for all the positive effects on the city it caused, he was just as pressed as she was. In all the time since their romp through the Docks, they'd only been able to meet up once for any substantial amount of time. True, they'd crossed paths and spent a quick meal or so together, but that was all. Wilde had kept his word and seen her that same week, but only for enough time to grab an ice cream at a local hotspot. Then, he was off again, back running through shadows and doing gods only knew what. Judy wanted to know. She wanted to know so badly she could taste it.
She kept telling herself it was envy that he was doing what she wanted to. She'd felt a craving to work magic since she snatched a fistful of lightening from the wires and blasted one of the Reavers. The little bits she'd done that night had whet her appetite, but she'd been fasting since. The one time she'd tried to do anything on her own, she'd managed to electrocute her iCarrot, destroy the radios of every officer within ten meters of her seat and knock out one of the servers. In retrospect, it hadn't been the wisest move on her part to do it in the station.
The fox had been insufferable. He appeared outside the precinct just as she was sneaking out, following a mass-electronic failure in the main office area, as the tech mammals were calling it. No one inside had suspected her. Wilde barely restraining his humor, his eyes full of knowledge about what had happened, had been the last thing she wanted to see. She didn't smile at all when she saw him. She bared her teeth and she experienced no relief or happiness. She was just glad to escape the scene of her little whoopsie. Her tail didn't twitch either.
"Well, Sweetheart, you don't do anything by halves, do you?" he chortled from behind her.
She bared her teeth, felt not-happy-not-relieved to see him and with a very non-twitching tail she called in that she was 10-7, out to lunch. Clawhauser was on dispatch and shot back, "Copy, Hopps. So is the rest of the precinct. Take your time, computers and radios are down for the foreseeable future," which sent both the fox and the rabbit into a fit of the giggles.
Feeling generous, and quite a bit like a kit who just got away with something, Judy treated her malnourished coconspirator to some food. It was a short lunch. Much too short for Judy's tastes and not because she craved the company. Absolutely not. It was the fact that their rendezvous was frustratingly short on information, satisfaction and results, but what could one expect from a food truck meal on a public park's bench?
"What do you mean affinity?" Judy mumbled around a mouthful of greens and root veggies.
"I mean what you have a talent for."
"Thank you for saying more, but explaining nothing. You ever considered a career in politics?"
Nick laughed before answering. "That wouldn't work out so well. Disregarding the whole species thing, sarcasm in an elected official doesn't fly."
"You never know. It could work in your favor. Sarcasm would be more honest than the voters are used to and less nasty than the usual mudslinging. It'd be good for a few votes just for novelty's sake."
"I doubt "I'm Snarky Because I Care" would be a good campaign slogan, but I'll consider it. Now, back to topic."
"For once," Judy snarked around another mouthful.
"Play nice, young lady, or you'll get a spanking."
"Is that a promise, or a threat?"
"If I say it's either, I'm screwed."
"If you're lucky."
"This isn't getting us back on topic, Carrots."
Judy grinned. It felt good to be so comfortable with another mammal; to be able to do things like verbal sparring, again. She hadn't been able to since before James. Her ex-husband had been a verbal lightweight and jealous, to boot, so finding another sparring partner hadn't been an option. She hadn't had an opportunity like this at all while they were together. After the divorce… Well...
This was just part of the healing process. It was comforting and so unbearably welcome after being alone. Granted, her isolation was self-imposed and past-tense, but despite having a slowly rebuilding social life with friends and coworkers, there was something different when she was with Wilde. She felt more at ease, more comfortable. She knew exactly what Ben and her coworkers thought, but that wasn't the case. All joking aside, she enjoyed the fox's company, but that was it. The whole precinct would take all of this as flirting. Weapons-grade flirting, but it wasn't. It was just… banter with a friend. A friend she didn't know she had, really, but that was a technicality. She'd been too caught up in being a grumpy bitch to realize how good a friend he'd been to her.
Casting that awkward tangent of thought aside along with another weird pang of nostalgia, she prompted, "So, what's affinity?"
Nick swallowed a large mouthful and took a sip of his drink to buy some time. It shouldn't be a challenge to answer, but with her current mood words were not his forte. She'd been frisky when they'd been friendly previously, but nothing like this. Nick had to presume she was making up for lost time. That or she was taking his offer to be patient as a challenge. "Think of it like a talent. Your affinity is what comes easy for you."
"Wouldn't you like to know."
Nick facepalmed and Judy chuckled.
"Alright, Fluff. Enough with the flirting."
"It's not flirting!"
"Uhhuh. I thought you wanted more information."
"I do! I also want to have some fun with getting it. It isn't often I can go toe-to-toe with someone like this."
"This isn't toe-to-toe. This is an ambush."
"I thought you were up to the challenge." Judy bit her lip and grinned across the table at him saucily. "Or is this poor widdle bunny too much for you?" She regretted doing so as soon as his eyes met hers.
"There's one way to find out, Honey Bunny. Now, do you want to finish our conversation?" Nick's face split in a very suggestive grin. "Or do you want to adjourn to your apartment to find out?"
Before Judy could retort, Nick slipped his tongue over one of his fangs and back to the corner of his mouth. Judy's eyes follow the motion and her temperature increased as the appendage moved.
Chastened and blushing furiously, Judy stammered. "Point taken. Um, af-f-ffinities?"
"Personal, professional and city lives separate, remember?"
"I didn't think I was being that over the top…"
"I didn't complain. Just be patient."
Judy's eyes rolled. "Uhhhuh…"
"Not a forte for rabbits?"
"I can be patient when I want, but I know better than to think you were serious about that." Nick's nonplussed expression didn't phase her. "It was sweet, but I know you were joking. It's what you do."
Rather than answer, Nick primly passed over her comments. Judy masked it, but it stung a bit; both his relative coldness and refusal to confirm her assertion. Still, she listened. Anything she could learn about her new situation was invaluable. Her hurt could wait for when she got home and opened her fresh pint of Carrot Cheesecake ice cream. Not that she'd need it, of course. This was just a talk with a friend that got a little out of hand. She was out of practice with such things and naturally, there'd be a learning curve.
"My affinity is shadows. Cities are full of them. All different kinds. That means I can walk through shadows more easily than you will be able to and farther, to boot. Conversely, you will always be better at handling electricity than I will."
"What else can you do with shadows? Just walk through them?"
"It makes hiding easier, for one thing. I can also conceal other things, create illusions and manipulate light a bit better. A few other things."
"So, affinities make somethings easier, but not everything."
"Exactly."
"Any idea what I'll be able to do?"
"Other than be an awesome physics demonstration and destroy police equipment?"
"Obviously, smartass." Judy's smile was just humoring the fox. He wasn't really that funny. Also, she didn't giggle. It was a cough.
"For a lot of it, you'll have to discover it for yourself. That's how it is for all of us, but I can give you a starting point. Luckily for you, I knew one other mammal who had the same affinity you do. One of her favorite things to do was run the wires. It isn't instant travel, like my Shadow Gateways, but it's still damn fast."
"Hang on. What do you mean running the wires?" Judy's ears perked in anticipation of his answer.
"Like it sounds, sweetheart. Running along the wires like I do through shadows." Seeing Judy's wonderment, Nick added, "She called it riding the lightening."
"When do I get to try that?" Her breathlessness sounded alien even to her, but she saved the embarrassment for later.
"Soon enough. I know it doesn't sound like it, but you have a few things to do first."
"Yes. WE need to start with the lessons."
"First, you need to work on your connection to the city."
"Yeah. I'm working on that with my walks."
"Once you can maintain your connection on your own, we can start with the basics. Until then…"
"Yeah, yeah… Patience…" Grumbling, Judy collected the leavings from her finished meal into its foil wrapper and dropped it into a nearby bin. Seeing Nick was collecting himself to leave, Judy had to ask one thing that was bugging her and had since she had learned what he was. "Hey, Wilde, I have a serious question."
"Your lunch break is almost over, Carrots."
"It's a quick one. I did some reading online and I'm not so sure you're using "sorcerer" right."
"Oh?"
"Well, Shaman and druids were the ones that spoke to the spirits of the land. Sorcerers were most commonly said to work with demons. The city isn't a demon, so why do you call yourself a sorcerer?"
"Three reasons, Fluff. One, calling myself a shaman or druid would be completely absurd. They were pillars of the community and more often were healers than anything else. I am no healer and I'm hardly a paragon of public service as far as society goes. I'm more an external support."
"Like a flying Buttress?"
"How very cathedral of you."
"It's a nice buttress."
Nick face-pawed, before plowing on. Judy knew her attempt to get back to the lighter side of their conversation had flopped. "Two, sorcerers exist alongside society, but aren't really a part of it. We're too connected to the city for that. Three, the city isn't a demon, but what is a demon?"
"An evil, unnatural life form?"
"Good to know you're versed in the classics of science fiction. You've got the gist of it. Sorcerers of antiquity supposedly dealt with what was considered outside the natural order of the world. What is less likely to occur naturally than a city?"
"So, not demonic, but synthetic?" Judy supplied with a slight tilt of her head and a flick of one ear.
In response the fox blinked once, brows rising slightly as he thought over what she said. After a brief moment, a grin curved his muzzle and he gave the rabbit a nod of ascent. "Not a bad analogy there, Carrots. I admit it's a stretch, but it fits."
Being lost in thought, Judy missed the fox slipping into a shadow and vanishing. By the time she realized he was gone, all she could do was kick herself. She knew she'd upset him. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't been the kindest she could have been to him. She mentally berated herself all the way back to her desk, where the world completely fell out from under her. Sitting on her keyboard was an oxeye daisy and a yellow rosebud. The flowers for patience and apology. She felt like a kit, again.
That event sparked two things. The first was an ear-splitting squeal from Clawhauser. The moment he saw the flowers he put the best police whistles to shame and the sonic blast alerted the other interested parties in the building. She barely managed to escape the storm of questions that followed without immolating.
The second was a drive to help him. Judy still couldn't completely believe he was serious, despite another sweet gesture. Setting aside her wild fantasy as an excuse, Nick needed help. She wasn't a sorcerer, yet, but she could help in other ways. One of which was very simple, but very challenging. It also led to another very awkward conversation, this time with the Chief.
"I think he could be an asset."
"He's already an ass, so far as I've been told. Even by you, until lately." The sharp look that accompanied the comment didn't phase Judy as she stood before her boss. Chief Snarlov had been doing the job for four years, but didn't have the same level of raw intimidation that his predecessor did. New recruits were terrified on the polar bear, but the veterans who had served under Bogo were less impressed. The Chief didn't care. He did the job, did it well and commanded respect. The rest was irrelevant. "So, why should we add the other syllable to the word? What benefit could he bring to the ZPD?"
In response to her boss's query, Judy produced a copy of Nick's old PI license. Such things were very rare. Private Investigator licenses had once upon a time been relatively easy to acquire, not much different than a regular business license. However, in the last twenty years they had become much more rarified. This was due to a crackdown, years previous. Increasing interference in ZPD investigations and damage to court cases led to City Hall passing a series of statutes governing the industry. It effectively placed PIs under ZPD supervision. The less than legit practitioners abandoned the industry and the requirements to get, and keep, a new license were very stringent; lots of red tape, lots of documentation. The fact that Wilde had gotten and kept one for over three years spoke well in his favor. "It's genuine. I checked his records and file from before the riot, as well. He had an 88% success rate with his cases. That's high."
"Very high. Are you sure those records were legitimate?"
"I'm allowing for some error, but every file had the full set of documents. No missing forms and all of the documents had verified and correlating serial numbers."
"All of them?" the chief asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I checked them all. I couldn't believe it the first time, so I checked twice."
"Unbelievable... so you want what, exactly?"
"I want him to be brought onto the ZPD payroll as a civilian consultant and assigned to me."
"You want him as your partner?"
"Yes, Sir."
The bear leaned back with a considering look on his face. "You've never wanted a partner before, Hopps. Even on larger assignments. What's changed?"
There was an uncomfortable silence and a small struggle on her part to admit her reasons, at least the ones the chief would appreciate. "I've... realized that what I was doing wasn't working. I need help and back up more than when I get in trouble."
"And you think Wilde would be a better fit than another officer?"
"With all due respect to my fellow officers, the ones I would be comfortable with are partnered up and I don't want to break up good teams."
"What about the rotation?"
"The rookies and greenhorns need seasoned officers to teach them the rules. And I'm..."
"...barely contained by the rules at the best of times," Judy's boss grumbled with a flat look.
Judy chuckled. "I was going to say I'm not the most patient of mammals."
"True. You are a wild card around here at times and you aren't known for your patience. You would be an excellent mentor, otherwise... but that is something to consider later."
"Sir?"
"Hopps, I'll be candid with you. I'm not comfortable with this. It is highly irregular. Civilian consultants are rare and for good reason. It is not, however, unheard of. You know this and the risks. You wouldn't take them if you weren't confident both he and you were up to the challenge."
Judy nodded, but was uncomfortable with how the Chief was phrasing his reply. There was a heavy tint of something about it that she didn't like. The objections, she had expected. The tone they were delivered with, not so much.
"Now, while that fox gives me the willies, he's done good things for you." The Chief's voice was starting to show hints of softness. Dare she say, fondness? This was not good. Oh, so very not good.
Suddenly, the firmness was back and Judy breathed a huge sigh of relief. "You have known him for years. You've investigated him and vouch for him. I trust your skills and commitment to the Service that you wouldn't do that unless you were certain he was on the up and up. That's why I'm willing to give you a chance on this."
"Yes!" Judy couldn't prevent the accompanying mid-air fist-pump.
"You have this case to prove he's up to the task and can play by the rules, at least as much as you do. Make sure he reviews all the reporting requirements from the PI and CS statutes as they have been updated and knows exactly what is expected of him. Make no mistake, your tail is on the line if this goes south. Your recommendation. Your responsibility. Mess this up and your tail is destined for mandatory rotation duty for two cycles."
"Understood, sir!"
"I would suggest, also, that you review the ZPD statutes and policies on fraternization. I don't care what you do in your private life as long as it doesn't affect your work, but there will be no embarrassing the Service with any unprofessional behavior, or PDA on the clock. Am I clear?"
Judy blinked owlishly before squeaking, "I... what?!"
Snarlov sighed. "I'm authorizing you to work with your boyfriend for a trial period, Hopps. If he's gotten you to admit you need a partner, so I owe him a chance. Show me results and we'll make this permanent. Now, say "thank you" and don't make me regret it."
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"Make him take you to dinner to celebrate," the Chief continued as if she had said nothing at all. "But AFTER you finish this case. Dismissed."
"But, Sir!"
"Out."
Her assignment was simple. She had to interview one of the investors in the building project that had collapsed. Strictly routine, generally speaking. There was a small issue with the mammal in question. He was damn near impossible to pin down, even in an official capacity. The badger had four things on his side that made him a pain in the tail to talk to.
For one thing, he was traveling more often than not. The second and third were his rather frosty personal assistant, a giant Southeast Asian black squirrel, and lawyer, a tule elk buck, who were very effective at running interference. Fourth and finally, he was an arrogant prick. The ZPD had been on his meeting schedule for weeks and the white striped egotist had blown off the first two meeting. He wouldn't even bother with a Muzzletime interview. He'd been out of town for weeks, but tonight only, he was in Zootopia and would be visiting his personal nightclub for a little R&R. How Nick came to know this was a mystery that Judy hadn't worked out, yet, but it would wait until after they were done with their meeting.
The plan was simple. Go to the club as a couple. Magic their way past the bouncers and get to see their target. The conversation would take maybe ten minutes and then they could slip out and make their report. Judy was unimpressed that so much work was needed to ask a few routine questions of one egotistical shmuck. He wasn't even under suspicion. The interview was just a formality and procedural requirement.
Judy took the rest of her shift after talking to Snarlov to finish the prep and front-end reporting for her plans that night. Then, she headed off to her apartment to shower and get ready for a night at a club. At Nick's suggestion, Judy ate a solid meal and dressed as she usually did for work. She was technically going to the club on police business. It was not a date. It didn't even qualify as a night out, so it made sense, of a sort. He'd insisted he would explain when she met up with him.
After she ate, showered and dressed in her usual intimidation-heavy work clothes, she took a moment to assess herself. Bland styles, dun colors, durable fabrics and the brightest thing she wore was her badge. Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in a lighter, form-fitting blouse, hip-hugging jeans and sporting her carrot necklace and a little eyeliner. Her reassessment was less drab, but she felt idiotic. The other outfit was the better choice and the makeup had to go. She turned back towards her tiny closet as she unbuttoned her blouse only to be interrupted by knocking on her door.
Her watch confirmed her fears. It was time to meet up with Nick. She had completely lost track of time fussing over her appearance. Now, she was stuck. Resigned to her fate, she grabbed her jacket and prepared to steamroller anything the fox had to say. It was a good plan. As long she didn't let him get a word in, or get control of the conversation, she'd be fine. As the saying goes, no plan survives contact with the enemy and Judy's plan died.
Usually, the fox wore what Judy considered his uniform. It was mildly grimy and seldom varied. What he wore now, however, was not his usual style in any way. Black trousers that hugged him in a way she wasn't sure should be legal. His jacket and foot wraps looked like pleather and he was missing a shirt. She had to admit he looked good. Her momentary distraction also met an untimely end as she realized he was wearing a tie. It took her a moment to realize that the tie was also pleather and rather thin, attached to a collar. The bloody fox was wearing a collar and a leash stylized to look like a necktie. The implications were mind frying, as was evidenced by her shocked, staring silence. It lasted until Nick spoke.
"Like what you see, Carrots?"
Her initial response was tackled, bound, gagged and stuffed into a box before it left her mouth. It didn't stop her ears from reddening. The fox looked good. Judy had finally admitted he was handsome after their evening of civic destruction, but this was something else. He looked tall, dark and dangerous in a mischievous kind of way and it worked. Sweet Mother Nature, did it work.
Receiving no response, Nick prodded her again, "You dressed up."
"Huh?"
"Articulate, Hopps."
Judy blinked. "What did you say?"
"You dressed up," he repeated, slower this time.
"So did you," Judy stammered. "Wha-why?"
"I have to look the part, rabbit. I did tell you that."
"You said that, yes, but how does that "look the part"? What part are you playing?"
"We're going to Stripepaw's club. This is normal for there."
"Then why did you tell me to dress like I usually do for work? The styles don't match at all!"
"That's also normal for the club. Although you'll still fit in as you are. Less butch, but it still works well." Nick's gaze shifted from assessing to lingering as he spoke and Judy was not oblivious to it. "Yes... very well...
That was the straw that broke the bunny's flustered silence. "Alright, eyes up here, for one. I'm missing something. How are your get up and mine a good fit for this club of his? We look completely different!"
"That's normal, Carrots. It's called personal time. Mammals don't have a uniform for that," Nick snarked.
"Being cute with me will get you slapped, fox."
"See? You're already in character!"
"In cha-... What in the nine hells are you talking about?!"
"Carrots, don't you know what kind of club Stripepaw's is?"
"A night club?" Judy retorted sarcastically. "You know, dancing, loud music, overpriced watered-down cocktails." She gave him another once over. "Borderline indecent exposure..."
Nick grinned. "Well, you're not wrong..."
"Stop playing games. Please? Just let the other shoe drop."
"It's a kink club."
Judy suddenly found it challenging to form poly-syllabic words, or speak, generally. "It's a-"
"Kink club."
"We're going to..."
"A. Kink. Club." The fox enunciated clearly around a hooded grin.
"Why?"
"It's the only place your target is going to be unable to escape."
"Ok..." Judy decided to let that lie and move on to something she didn't already know. "Now, explain the outfit thing?"
"We need to blend in, so we're dressed to suit. I'm wearing the collar, so I'm the-"
"I figured that part out." Judy cut in, pinching the bridge of her nose and struggling against the blushing, as well as a strange feeling of giddiness.
"And you wearing your usual cop clothes..." Nick waved a paw for her to make the next logical step.
"Yeah. "Butch". Got it." Judy laughed and let her paw drop. "Unbelievable..."
"You aren't angry?"
"How could I be? The situation is too absurd to be taken seriously. You must have some reason for all this. What is it?"
"It's a kink club, but it's pretty hardcore. The rules inside are most certainly NOT the same ones on the outside. The members can be a bit extreme and take their protocols very seriously when they're there. Fitting in is part of it, but it's also about perception. I can get us in to see him, but WE need to get inside the door first. That part is necessary for the magic to work."
"I'm assuming there's more to it."
"Like I said, they're pretty extreme. Some of the rules you'd expect to have followed don't apply in there. That includes personal space, for a start and if they smell weakness or vulnerability there's a chance someone might try something like a challenge for dominance. Trust me, by their rules, you do not want to lose one, Carrots. Some of the mammals in there would be very happy to get their paws on a rabbit and the word "no" doesn't mean the same thing inside that place."
"And that's where you come in, I suppose." Judy's fist was on her hip. It was her usual position in such circumstances. It was not surprise that she was standing like that. What did surprise her was the cock of her hip and the attitude slipping into her voice. Nick noticed, too.
The fox's grin turned sharp and hungry. "I'm your demon on a leash. If you're strong enough to keep me under your thumb, you deserve some respect."
"I'll admit you make the whole collared sub thing look good, but how will having you as my property make them take me seriously? A bunny owning a fox may be a statement of strength, but how will that deter anyone who wants to try something?"
"True. You keeping me as I am wouldn't be enough, but by the time we get there, I'll be all the deterrent we'll need."
"Sorcery?" Nick nodded. "Is that really necessary?"
"The mammals we're likely to meet there won't be following the rules of polite society, Judy. This is all for our protection. It's unlikely to be needed, but I'm not taking chances. If they're afraid of me they'll leave me alone and if you own me..."
"Then I'll be protected. That is very sweet and pretty twisted."
"What can I say? We live in twisted times. Besides," Nick continued with a wink, "It'll only add to the legend of Judy Hopps."
Rather than say anything, Judy approached the fox. She should have been angry. A few months ago, their little exchange would have left her furious. She didn't need his protection or him to be a deterrent. She didn't need anything. She'd made herself that way. To be taken seriously as a cop took everything she had every day. She had to do twice what anyone else did just to be given a chance. She could only rely one herself. it was all on her.
Until lately.
Since her first dream, Judy had started to realize that she didn't need to do it all herself. Going it all alone hadn't been necessary. She had been hurt and pulled a knee-jerk reaction. That was all. She didn't need to do it all alone. It felt good that someone wanted to help her and keep her safe. It felt good to remember that she had support and mammals who cared. She hated to finally admit it, but the fox leaning on her doorframe and smirking at her was exactly what she needed. He was a friend and after this case, a partner.
"You know..." she said as she reached out and took his tie in her paws. "I think I like the idea of having you on a leash."
"To keep me under control?"
Judy slid her paw higher as a smile crept across her lips. With a cheeky smirk she replied, "I'd know where you are for a change."
"You miss me when I'm not around that much, Carrots"?
She didn't reply. She didn't trust herself not to embarrass herself or make things awkward. Looking up at her coconspirator in the evening's operation, she had the same thoughts again and couldn't keep the last one quiet, this time; tall, dark, dangerous, mischievous…
Edible…
Rather than act on all the inappropriate and unprofessional things the voice in the back of her mind was suggesting, she gripped the tie in her fist until the fabric creaked before slipping past him. She let the garment slide through her fingers until the very end where she gripped hard, but didn't stop walking.
"Come on, Slick. Let's get this over with."
Recovering from his stumble, Nick chirped, "Yes, mistress."
Judy's mind came to a screeching halt on that statement. All the thoughts she'd been having about celebratory dinners and feeling better about her situation were blasted from her mind. To her credit, she didn't stop walking and only flinched a little, earning a chuckle from the fox. Waking into the elevator, she tried to ignore just how much she liked hearing him say those words.
Nick wasn't unaware of the situation as they made their path. The rabbit's changing emotional landscape was evident in the firework display around her. She had always worn her heart on her sleeve and to a sorcerer it was even clearer. Nick could see the mass of emotions and the impacts they had on her as clearly as his own muzzle. She had yet to learn to conceal that part of herself, as he had. He suspected she wouldn't bother once she learned how, either. That wouldn't stop her from being annoyed with him for not telling her about it, but what could he say? Until a sorcerer gained certain skills, they couldn't be explained. Try describing color to a mammal born blind. It'd be just as easy.
Nick saw her burst of pleasure at his words and the following discomfort and sidelining. It was normal to see such hints in emotions. Reactions unforeseen causing crises of self-image and uncertainty were just a part of living. Rarely did it become self-reflection. How she would react remained to be seen. It would have an impact on her developing relationship with the City. He wanted to pursue that line of thought, but work came first. Once their paws were on the sidewalk, he grabbed her paw and led her through a shadow.
They stepped out onto a dirty street in a rough neighborhood of Savanna Central. To call it a depressed area would be akin to calling a work of Dali "odd". Abandoned buildings, boarded up windows and blowing refuse in the gutters as far as the eye could see. The few mammals to be seen were solitary figures making their ways hurriedly along. Nick could tell some were up to no good, but not all.
Casting out his senses, Nick felt the area in his bones and blood. Homeless mammals and the impoverished huddled in together in abandoned buildings, hoping the morning would come quickly and without incident. Families slept fitfully behind doors that are were less valuable than the lock that held them closed and desperate mammals cowered in shadows. Fear was thick on the air and that was what Nick needed.
As they walked the last stretch to their destination, Nick gathered. He pulled the ambient fear of the area and collected it, weaving it in his paws; the fear inspired by the barbed wire crested fences and barred windows; the terror of mugging victims and the anxiety of their attackers, the wide-eyed panic of children and the dread of the trapped; the stricken horror of witnesses and the despair of the survivors; mammals fleeing for their lives or begging for them. The foreboding atmosphere of the place was rife with a thousand flavors and textures of horror and the fox wove every one of them, thread by gossamer thread, into his spell.
A few paces from the club entrance he tied off the last threads and let the magic slide around him from ears to tail. It felt like sandpaper and silk across his fur. As the magic coated him, Nick relaxed and let the illusion set while he mentally prepared himself. They'd briefed and prepped. They knew their roles. The only unknown was how Judy was going to react to him once the spell took hold. He only had moments to wait before he felt the peculiar tension typical of such spells snap into place. He shook himself a bit and turned to Judy.
"Ready to do this, Hopps?"
Her response died on her lips as she looked at what the fox had become. To her eyes, he was exactly the same as he had been at her apartment. She'd known he'd been working magic as they walked and hadn't interrupted him, despite her gnawing curiosity. Now, she stood petrified. He was every nightmare she'd ever had come to life.
Looking at him, nothing was right. Her eyes said one thing, but her mind saw something else. His beautiful russet fur was limned in hellfire. His grin was a demon's sadistic rictus, teeth sparking memories of shark's teeth and bloody surgical tools. His claws dripped poisonous ichor and his clothes were turgid shadows writhing with horrors about to be born. All that terrified her, but when she looked into his eyes her heart nearly stopped. His luminous emeralds, so full of laughter and cheek, were transformed. Now, they were pits bleeding darkness, circled by dancing sickly green flames and white corpse flesh.
Blinking, she turned away and shuddered. She had been warned. It did not prepare her in the least. Of course, how could it? Nothing to do with sorcery seemed to be explicable until you experienced it. This was one of those experiences she wished she could have skipped.
"Judy, are you ok?"
"I see what you mean by a deterrent. No one will want to bother either of us."
"Exactly."
Judy heard the contrition in his voice. He didn't like hurting her, but that would need to be explored later. She couldn't look at him to help him understand, so rather than dither she said, "Lets get this over with." The sooner their job was done, the sooner they could talk this over. The debriefing for this mission would be one for the memoires.
For all her shortcomings, Judy was aware of her strengths. She could improvise well and her acting skills were passable. Seeing what she had to work with in her partner, she adopted a persona that would fit as they made it to the door and entered the foyer. The bouncer took one look at them and hurried to push the curtain aside and open the door behind him. The musclebound moose didn't even consider waving them through to the dance club on the first floor. It was obvious which part of the establishment they were there for.
Judy began to pass the bouncer but noticed Nick hadn't moved. The fox stared at the moose blankly. Judy managed to see that much before having to look away. As long as she didn't look for long, the effects of Nick's illusion didn't seem to impact her too severely.
Nick continued to stare at the bouncer until the giant herbivore was openly sweating, before asking in a sickly-sweet tone, "Aren't you going to welcome us?" The childlike question contrasted with the sepulchral tenor of his voice and memories of childhood nightmares roiled through both the moose and the rabbit. Judy suppressed a shiver. The other mammal affected was not so lucky.
"P-p-p-please, make yourself at home, sir!" The moose was trembling as he spoke. Nick narrowed his eyes and he quickly added, "And you, as well, madam! Please, be welcome!"
The fox continued to stare and Judy realized she needed to do something, or she'd need to call an ambulance for a heart attack victim. Remembering her character, she snapped her fingers and barked "Nicolas! Come!"
The fox slid his eyes off the quivering doormammal and intoned, "Yes, mistress," before gliding through the door.
Even before the door shut behind them, Judy hear the bouncer key up a radio and talk to someone, most likely Sandpaw or one of his lackeys. "There's a rabbit on her way up. Yes, a rabbit! Do NOT fuck with her!"
The rest of the babbled warning was lost as the door and curtain closed behind them. Judy had a moment to admire the soundproofing before Nick slipped a little piece of broken concrete the size of a coin into her palm. She looked up at him, forgetting the illusion, but was met with a much less terrifying view of her companion. He was still intimidating and made her fur stand on end, but the visceral, atavistic terror was absent.
She looked askance and her "pet" supplied, "I'll explain later. Just keep that on you. I'm about to amp up the spell so it affects more than just my immediate surroundings."
Judy's ashen expression must have alarmed him, because he quickly followed up with, "It won't affect you as long as you have that on you. Now, let's go."
Judy nodded and they quickly ascended the stairs, pocketing the shard.
Once at the top of the staircase, it took all of Judy's willpower not to blush like she did the first time she'd had to go to Mystic Springs Oasis on a case. Comparatively, that place had been a cake-walk. The "club" she had walked into was part medieval torture chamber, part Caligulan orgy. There was furniture around the space, if it could be called furniture, occupied by mammals in various states on undress and doing things that, well, Detective Judy Hopps would have made arrests for and Judith Lavern Hopps would have blushed herself to death at, once upon a time. However, she wasn't there for the purpose of hashing out the terms of their activities, or discussing the legal limits of personal consent. She was there for Stripepaw.
She knew from the layout, where the private room of the club's owner was and made a straight line for it. She was amused to see mammals give her a wide berth and considering looks while avoiding looking at the monster pacing along on her heels. The leopard manning the door opened it as they approached without a word. Evidently, they were expected. Inside, Judy found more of the same, but it was of significantly more interest to her.
Stripepaw was tied to a chair with a towel across his lap. The failing attempt at modesty was a consideration he would no doubt pay for later, as was evidenced in the sour look on the face of the ocelot holding the riding crop. To Judy's further interest, his lawyer and PA were both there as well.
The badger's voice was full of bravado. "Officer Hopps! A pleasure to finally meet you."
"A pleasure you would have had sooner if you knew how to keep appointments." Judy tried not to react to the obvious shiver that ran through him at her forcefulness. She'd need a shower, and possibly disinfecting, after this meeting.
"An oversight I will not make again, I assure you. Now, what can I do for you?"
"Well, seeing as how your PA is all tied up and your lawyer is incapable of speech at the moment, I have a few questions for you."
"I'm all yours, Officer Hopps." The ocelot dominatrix sent a glare his way that left no doubt how severely he would pay for that statement. Apparently, she was the jealous type.
The conversation took a few minutes and was punctuated by several innuendos. Nick's presence certainly moved things along. His presence spurred swift answers, but had an unfortunate impact or two. They had to pause once as the PA, who turned out to be female and in possession of a major fear kink, couldn't restrain herself while looking at Nick. Another interruption came as the dominatrix grew bored and asked to inspect Judy's property. That sparked a strange feeling in her rabbit little heart, but playing along came first and she waved her consent.
By the time Judy was done her interview she was intensely uncomfortable. Things had gotten positively bizarre by the end of it. By the time Judy made to leave, the squirrely PA was nearly delirious from overstimulation and Stripepaw had obviously enjoyed his "interrogation", as he put it.
"If I had known talking with the ZPD could be so much fun, I'd have been much more accommodating. I won't make that mistake again."
Judy mentally retched.
The dominatrix was sullen as she fulfilled the badger's request to give Judy one of his personal cards for a future play date, making it clear he had incurred another penalty. However, the ocelot smirked as she offered one of her own cards, saying, "I would love to talk shop with you, sometime. Your pet is so well trained, I think I have a client or two that would benefit from working with you." Judy smiled and accepted both, promising herself to burn them and disinfect her paw at the earliest opportunity.
They made it back out of the club quickly, but not without further incident. The cards in Judy's paw garnered significant attention. The rabbit fervently wished she had pocketed them, but she hadn't wanted to burn her favorite pair of jeans, either. After the fact, she would have considered it a worthwhile sacrifice. She now had a small stack of cards and not a few offers of the kind that made her skin crawl from mammals that seemed all too eager for her attention. Quite a few of those cards were intended for Nick, but as she was his owner they approached her instead. Those conversations had led to a large volume of feelings she didn't want to think about boiling up inside her, most of which she didn't want to think about until after a long, hot shower and possibly some therapy.
Nick pulled a paper envelope out of his pocket once they were street-side and peeled himself out of his illusion. It had worked so well, he decided to keep it. Shrugging it off, he neatly folded the spell and slipped it into the envelope, before folding it shut. As he scribbled a sigil on the back to keep it closed, he heard something bounce off the sidewalk. The scrap of concrete he'd made into a temporary ward for Judy skittered across the concrete and came to rest in a pile of dead grass and litter.
"Is it safe?" Judy asked unsteadily.
"Yeah, Carrots. The spell is gone." Nick had no time to react before he felt himself pulled to his knees. Judy's paws were on his face and her amaranthine gaze locked onto his.
Judy was shaken. The whole insane evening had been rough on her, but she'd managed. Nick's outfit and character for the evening, along with all the emotions she'd had to suppress, had been a tax on her she hadn't been prepared for. So far as she had planned, their little infiltration should have been just slightly outside her comfort zone. Instead, she'd been sandbagged repeatedly and having mammals walk up to her and proposition her services as a trainer after seeing the terror-inspiring creation she'd been accredited with making… She felt more than a little out of sorts. It had left her feeling oddly disassociated.
Making it worse was the emotional conflict raging through her mind. Despite knowing about the illusion and even taking into account that little rock he'd given her, every time she blinked she saw the illusion version of the fox. The terrifying vision still rattled around her head and she felt the shakes coming back. She was overwhelmed and felt very unsteady. Judy needed to hold onto something. She felt an overwhelming urge to grapple onto her friend and sob, but the atavistic fear still lingered, especially the vision of his eyes. Now, she held his face in her paws and looked at him. She needed to see it was him in there, that it wasn't the illusory horror. She was surprised how important it had become to see him and know it was the fox.
Nick understood she was scared and why. He made a choice. He let his usual mask slip away for a moment and let himself show. His paw covered hers as it rested on his cheek. "It's me, Judy."
She saw the emotion in his eyes. The mammal who she knew. As he gave her a weak, but genuine smile, the fear finally cracked and faded. Judy let out a shaky breath and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his shoulder.
"Why did you to that?"
"I assume you mean hit you with the spell and not give you the ward stone first?" Judy nodded without removing her head from his shoulder. It was a fight not to nuzzle in or burst into tears. "I needed you to understand what everyone else was experiencing, or your acting would have suffered."
"That's it?"
"Also, a small lesson."
"Lesson?" She pried herself away enough to look his in the face.
"Illusions and ward stones. One of their uses. I can't teach you magic yet, but I can help you understand some of the applications. It was heavy-handed of me, but now you understand that illusions aren't to be taken lightly and you can protect others from their effects."
"That was a brutal way to teach a lesson, Wilde."
"I know. I'm sorry. At least you'll remember it, though?"
Judy huffed out a slightly caustic laugh and punched him in the shoulder. "You have got to work on your teaching techniques."
"I will," he promised while reaching up to rub his arm. "Also, Ow!"
This time, she laughed genuinely. Judy was irate and a little hurt, but both were trumped by her relief. She was glad to see he was trying to teach her. He would get better at it and it was a learning curve for both of them. She couldn't be too angry with him for being out of practice. She was trying to relearn a few things, herself.
"We really are bad at this aren't we?" Judy mumbled to herself.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind," Judy replied as she pulled away and headed down the sidewalk. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"The chief suggested I get my boyfriend to take me to dinner to celebrate our first case. Since you aren't my boyfriend I think I'll treat my friend to a meal. We can write up our report tomorrow."
"I won't fight you on getting food. I'm starving!"
"Don't get any funny ideas. We aren't going to the Ritz and you're paying me back with more information. Got it?"
"Yes, Mistress."
Nick nursed his new bruises all the way to the diner.