08
awkward dinners & yoga
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The bunny was on her third cup of Gerald's amazing hot chocolate when the predator group returned from their afternoon on the slopes - led by Beatrix who entered with a distracted looking Nicholas (who seemed to tense up when he saw Judy and the sociology book she was reading), giggling and talking his ear off. The two sloths entered a few moments after, Flash brushing off the snow from his jacket and helping Priscilla steady as she removed her boots. Both their cheeks bright red... either from the cold or from something else, the doe wasn't sure.
"Oh, there you. . .are Judy. . .how was your day?" Priscilla asked the second she spotted her friend.
"It was good, Izzy." she replied. "Thanks so much for having me again, Flash."
"Anytime!" the folivoran waited until everybody else was upstairs before asking the lapin his next question. "Um Judy. . . would you be okay. . .if I took Izzy. . . out to dinner tonight? . . .I know that Bea. . . can be, well. . . not the most. . .tolerable but you'd. . . have Nick here. . . to protect you."
Judy tried not to choke on her hot chocolate. It was clear that Flash, just like Priscilla, tend to see the good in mammals. And even though she knew he meant every word he was saying, yet at the same time had no idea what he was actually talking about. But despite her growing displeasure with the fox and her extreme desire to avoid the lynx, the bunny wanted her best friend to be happy. 'And sometimes friends have to suffer for their friends' happiness' she thought.
"Of course, Flash," the doe replied. "You mammals just enjoy yourselves!" She went upstairs and helped the female sloth, who was ecstatic to finally be going on a real date with Flash, prepare for her undoubtedly wonderful evening to be.
Her own dinner, however, was even more awkward than Judy could have ever imagined. She mostly kept to herself, only speaking to compliment Gerald or to offer help, which the swine graciously refused. If she was being honest, it felt like she was third wheeling (or even a chaperoning) another date. Beatrix kept flirting with Nicholas, reaching across the table to touch his paw at any chance she could get. The todd, for his part, seemed as bored as ever, especially when the lynx brought up prom. Which she did ... twenty-four times (the bunny counted).
"There are so many responsibilities being head of the prom committee," the feline stated. (Okay, make them twenty-five times.)
Nicholas pushed away his plate with a grunt. "Do you think it would be possible to have an evening that doesn't 'revolve' around talking about prom or anything related to that?"
Beatrix opened her mouth but paused. "Hmn. You're right..." She smiled sweetly at the vulpine. "Let's get a nice bottle of champagne and start a fire."
He shook his head. "I should get some reading done tonight."
"Ugh, really Nicky, reading? On a Saturday night?"
Judy tried not to laugh as she got up and cleared her plate. "Let me 'help' you with the dishes, Gerald, please." the doe said once she was out of their earshot and reached the kitchen. "Don't make me go back out 'there', I beg you." she nodded toward the dining room.
"Oh, sweet bunny, you have no idea how long I've had to put up with Miss Swift every time they stay here." The swine shook his head. "Why do you think I 'don't' use the dishwasher?" He gestured toward the stainless-steel industrial dishwasher to his right as he filled up the sink to manually do the dishes.
With a wink and a thumbs up from the chef, Judy was sent back to the living room where Beatrix was mindlessly flipping through the channels on the large flat screen television against the wall while Nicholas was busy on his laptop. The sighing lapin curled up on the chaise longue and tried to read. Although, as much as she enjoyed her recently purchased book, the Beatrix Swift Show was much 'more' entertaining.
The lynx leaned over to watch the fox type. "Tell Frubellina I say hello."
"Already did - want me to tell her again?" Nicholas didn't even look up from the screen as his paw pads continue to tap on the keyboard.
Giggling, Beatrix placed her paw on his shoulder then bit her lip. "I just think it is so 'sweet' of you to check up on her as much as you do. It's a shame she won't be joining us this semester."
The bunny had to admit that she was slightly curious about this other mammal that the feline was referring to. Maybe Nicholas has a girlfriend? (Though she doubts that was the case considering the lynx hasn't thrown a fit yet.) Is it perhaps his sister? Or maybe his mother?
'Dumb bunny! So, what if that's the case? What is it to you, anyway?' Judy shook her head as she silently chastised herself, an action Nicholas noticed but didn't comment on as he kept on typing.
"Hmmmn." The feline yawned exaggeratedly. "What an amazing day on the slopes." She got up and began stretching in front of the fox. She took a deep breath as she reached her arms up to the ceiling, a motion that exposed her midriff conveniently at his eye level. She continued stretching, and even going as far as bending over to the side and letting out a loud sigh.
Nicholas closed his laptop, much to Beatrix's delight. But then he went over to the couch beside Judy and picked up his book, not giving his fellow predator a second glance.
The lynx slouched down on the couch beside the todd who was entrenched in his book. "Ooh yes," she cooed. "What a lovely evening. I do think it is the 'perfect' time to read." She purred and went over to the bookshelf to select a random book. She pretended to be interested in The Great Catsby. But after a few minutes, she huffed and threw the book down.
"Judy," Beatrix called out. The bunny was in such shock that she was addressing her directly that she didn't respond right away. "Judy, do you want me to teach you some yoga moves?"
Judy didn't know how to react. Her instincts 'automatically' assumed that the feline was setting her up for something. The fox on the other hand set down his book and started studying the lapin as Beatrix began doing very complicated poses in front of them, obviously trying to impress him.
"Not your thing too, huh?" Nicholas asked the doe who plainly shrugged.
Beatrix, obviously satisfied that she had 'outshined' the prey, sat down on the floor with her legs crossed. "Yoga isn't for everybody. It's a challenge that I physically, as well as intellectually, bear every day." Judy had to bite the inside of her cheeks to stop from laughing. "And I have to admit, because of that, I'm not nearly the perfect companion or sibling for most mammals-" the lynx reached over and touched the fox on his knee. "- but I'm open to trying, you know?"
"You've mentioned 'earlier' that you, uh, have siblings. If you don't mind my asking, how many are they...Judy?" the vulpine asked her again.
The lapin's nose twitched uncontrollably, like it sensed a threat (literally and figuratively) slyly marching towards her. 'Is he asking so he could point out how bunnies are good at multiplying?'
"Uh-um, e-eleven - six brothers and five sisters."
"Oh wow! You must miss all of 'them' since they're so far away." He looked genuinely interested in Judy's family life that she had almost forgotten about their 'little' dispute that morning- well, almost.
Though before Judy could come up with an answer, the feline kept prodding him on - talking about every topic she could possibly think of that would warrant his attention. And yet Nicholas only kept his eyes on Judy, like he was either trying his hardest to actually figure her out or just make her more uncomfortable.
"-not that you have any faults, Nicky," Beatrix continued, the doe couldn't tell whether she was being serious about that or not.
The vulpine finally turned his attention away for a second to look at the lynx. "Nobody's perfect."
Judy let out a laugh.
Nicholas turned back at her, this time with a challenging gaze. "Does 'some bunny' thinks she's perfect?"
"Ha-ha-ho! No... not at all." the bunny asserted. "Far from it, actually. I'm just interested in hearing what 'you' think your faults are." she found herself enjoying the conversation.
"Hmn-well." He paused. "Everybody has them, and I'm certainly not an exception. I'm not the most forgiving mammal. I have a dry sense of humor. And I'm sure I would also be bad at yoga." He raised an eyebrow at Judy. "Would you care to 'hop' in?"
The lapin did her best to fight back a sneer at his pun attempt. "Gee, I don't know." She was planning to be polite but thought the better of it. "I haven't known you that long to throw a 'wild' guess in your face."
"Please...I'm sure you have at least something to say on the subject, right Cottontail?"
Judy didn't need to be asked twice. "I guess the fact that you seem to hate every prey mammal and everything about their upbringing could be considered as your greatest weakness, Slick...that is, if we could even disregard your hubris."
"And I guess yours is the ability to misunderstand predators and make hasty generalizations about them...though we could still add in naivety if you'd like?"
Beatrix looked back and forth at the two before jumping to her feet and turning the television back on. She sat back down next to Nicholas - like she was some kind of wall between him and Judy - then started droning on and on about the perfect movie to watch. Neither the fox nor the bunny expressed any more of their opinions after that, but the lynx didn't seem to notice or care. As long as they weren't on each other's throat (figuratively and almost literally), she was happy. The only time small chatter began again was when Flash and Priscilla returned from their dinner, halfway through the movie. Though as soon as the credits started rolling everyone was already itching to go up their respective rooms and rest.
Priscilla did seem giddier after tonight, but not as euphoric as Judy was the next day, when she was mostly ignored the entire way home - the sloths were in their own little bubble laughing and enjoying themselves...while the feline continued relentlessly dropping the P-word (thirty-two times now) to the vulpine, who was just mostly staring out the window all throughout the drive.
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All major or minor characters and settings (even brand names) are owned and trademarked by Disney, and I do not claim ownership over them and the world of Zootopia (aside, of course, from my original characters and some fictional places that I added) - though I would like to thank Byron Howard and Richard Moore for giving us these anthropomorphic mammals that we love to hate (oh you bet I would include Jack and Skye) or hate to love (sorry not sorry for being a Nick and Judy shipper) because without them, this retelling would not have existed.
Try saying 'The Beatrix Swift Show' five times fast (I can't lol). Judes and Nicky sitting on a couch. . .first comes more references, next comes the nicknames, then comes *a pissed off Finnick swinging his baseball bat* "Hey-yowch!"
Seriously though, the pieces have been put into motion (I know that's Physics but we can still talk about Chemistry - especially of a certain fox and bunny - that even our lynx was starting to take notice of) and we all know that for every action there's an equal or opposite reaction. . .which in my terms (sorry not sorry Isaac) mean throwing a "mammal" wrench in the works.